Fantasy football managers are constantly searching for that next breakout performer or valuable handcuff who could save their season. The waiver wire becomes a weekly battleground where smart pickups can make the difference between playoff contention and an early exit.
Running back depth is particularly crucial given the position’s injury-prone nature and unpredictable workload distributions. Week 5 presents another opportunity to add depth and potential upside to your roster. Is Michael Carter worth grabbing off the waiver wire?
Should Michael Carter Be a Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Add in Week 5?
Rostered: 5%
Once upon a time, Carter was the clear RB1 for the New York Jets. Then, they drafted Breece Hall and the rest was history. Since then, Carter has latched on with the Arizona Cardinals, oscillating between being a member of the practice squad and the active roster.
Last season, Carter was called into action for the first time in Week 16 after injuries to James Conner and Trey Benson. Well, here we are again. Except this time, it’s much earlier in the season.
Conner is done for the season and Benson is on IR with a meniscus injury that will cost him 4-6 weeks. This isn’t just an end-of-the-season thing. The Cardinals are going to be rolling with a backfield headed by Emari Demercado and Carter for at least the next month.
In Weeks 17 and 18 of last season, Carter played over 70% of the snaps and saw 15 and 21 opportunities. He’s proven capable of handling a full workload.
It’s important to note that Demercado was not healthy for those games either. We don’t know what this split will actually look like. What we do know for sure is the Cardinals are going to use two running backs. They always have.
Earlier in the season, Conner was the primary rusher while Benson handled the passing down work. After Conner went down, Benson became what Conner was, but ceded his previous passing down role to Demercado.
We may very well see Carter step into the role Benson had been occupying while Demercado’s role doesn’t change much. The truth is, as of right now, we simply do not know.
Fantasy managers have no choice but to be proactive. Uncertainty creates opportunity. We don’t have the luxury of waiting until this week’s game to see how the Cardinals divide touches. We have to add these players now and then decide if they are worth starting/rostering afterwards.
For that reason, Carter is someone that needs to be on more rosters. There’s a world where he is at least a weekly Flex play. With injuries running rampant across the league and bye weeks starting to take their toll, all potentially useful players need to be rostered.
Aggressiveness Rating: 5.0
