If injuries, bye weeks or tough matchups have you searching for lineup help, ESPN's Matt Bowen has you covered. Every Friday during the 2026 NFL season, he offers late-week pickup options at each primary fantasy position, with an emphasis on deeper leagues. This week, the focus is mostly on players rostered in under 50% of ESPN leagues. With four teams on bye, Bowen starts with two quarterbacks: Kirk Cousins of the Las Vegas Raiders, rostered in 53.6% of leagues, and Jameis Winston of the New York Giants, rostered in 26.3%.
Cousins posted a season-low 13.72 points in Week 5's blowout loss to the New England Patriots, but he gets a more favorable home matchup against a Buffalo Bills defense ranking in the bottom five versus quarterbacks. He has scored 20 or more points in three of five games, making him a fringe QB1 in 12-team leagues or a high-end QB2 in superflex formats. Winston brings upside with his aggressive throwing style. He scored a season-high 25.74 points in Week 5 against the Washington Commanders, throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns. He faces a New Orleans Saints defense ranking mid-pack versus quarterbacks, though his two Week 4 interceptions show the risk.
At receiver, Keenan Allen of the Indianapolis Colts (39.1% rostered) stays on the list thanks to consistent volume, with nine targets in each of his last two games. Germie Bernard of the Pittsburgh Steelers (43.5%) has WR3 value in deeper leagues with Michael Pittman Jr. and Roman Wilson out, scoring a season-best 14.4 points in Week 5. Tre Tucker of the Raiders (40.7%) is Bowen's deep-league flier against Buffalo, with at least four receptions in each of his last several games.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing