As we look ahead to Week 5 in the NFL, several fantasy-relevant players will be back on the field after serving four-game suspensions to start the season. New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman and New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram are valuable enough to have been stashed on fantasy rosters while they were ineligible, but could possibly be available in shallow leagues.
Who else can help fill those bye-week vacancies?
Recommended bids based on a free agent acquisition budget (FAAB) of $100 for the season.
BEST BETS
WR Keke Coutee, Houston Texans ($17). After not playing at all in the first three games, the rookie wideout burst onto the scene with 11 catches for 109 yards in his debut. DeAndre Hopkins is still the No. 1 receiver in Houston, but Coutee has Will Fuller-like potential (especially if Fuller's hamstring injury persists).
RB Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns ($15). At some point, talent rises to the top. Chubb has more of it than anyone in the Browns backfield — as evidenced by his 63- and 41-yard touchdown runs against the Raiders. Thanks to those big gainers, the rookie is averaging 14.6 yards per carry. He may not see a major increase in touches right away, but his long-term prospects are quite good.
Week 4 takeaways:Tight ends figure prominently
RB Nyheim Hines, Indianapolis Colts ($14). Yet another rookie at the top of our list. Although Hines isn't going to rack up much rushing yardage, his pass-catching ability out of the backfield makes him worth adding. He had nine receptions for 63 yards and a pair of touchdowns through the air Sunday. Marlon Mack's injuries only increase Hines' value.
WR Taylor Gabriel, Chicago Bears ($12). Everyone in a Bears uniform looked good in Week 4, especially Gabriel. He caught all seven of his targets for 104 yards and two TDs to elevate him above Allen Robinson as the team's most dangerous receiver. The only problem is, the Bears have a bye in Week 5 so fantasy owners who pick up Gabriel can't immediately put him in their starting lineups.
REPLACEMENTS
RB Mike Davis, Seattle Seahawks ($10). Out of nowhere, Davis led the Seahawks with 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns at Arizona. Yes, starter Chris Carson was inactive on Sunday, but coach Pete Carroll said after the game Davis would be part of the backfield mix with Carson and Rashaad Penny going forward.
TE Geoff Swaim, Dallas Cowboys ($7). With several significant injuries to tight ends last week, fantasy owners will be scrambling to find replacements. Swaim may be the best of the lot right now after catching three passes for 39 yards and getting into the end zone against the Lions. The Cowboys' passing game hasn't been great this season, but Swaim has seen consistent targets from QB Dak Prescott.
TE Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers ($5). The future Hall of Famer has some of the surest hands in the game, especially in the red zone. He caught his first TD pass of the season last week — and while he won't rack up huge yardage totals, he's always a threat to score.
TE Rhett Ellison, New York Giants ($3). Starter Evan Engram will likely miss another game with a knee injury, so Ellison makes a decent short-term pickup vs. Carolina. He found the end zone in Week 3 and caught three of his five targets last week. Hey, it's better than taking a zero.
If those three tight ends don't give you enough options, For The Win has a few more.
SPECULATIVE PICKUPS
QB Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears. Why wouldn't everyone add a guy who just threw for six touchdowns? For starters, it came against the Buccaneers defense. Also, Trubisky had just two TD passes in the first three games. And finally, he's on bye in Week 5. If you didn't have him active on Sunday, you missed his best performance of the season. And it's unlikely he comes close to that the rest of the way.
TE Demetrius Harris, Kansas City Chiefs. Just two catches for 59 yards on Monday night doesn't move the needle much, but this physically gifted big man showed plenty of potential. If Travis Kelce should miss any time, Harris would have a major role in one of the NFL's most prolific offenses.
Possibly still available from last week's list: TE Vance McDonald, WR Ryan Grant, QB Josh Rosen
Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner
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