Iconic Sportswire
At the start of the season we expected Melvin Gordon to be the obvious alternative should anything happen to Javonte Williams, but circumstances in Denver may have changed as early as Week 4. Because Williams is leaving Sunday’s game against the Raiders with a knee injury, it was Mike Boone who got the Broncos’ first opportunity.
That’s because Gordon’s fumble problems resurfaced Sunday, resulting in a defensive touchdown for the Raiders. Boone ultimately only landed three carries for 20 yards, but he’s still considered one of the most desirable players on the Week 5 waiver wire given Williams’ injury and Gordon’s struggles.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean I think Boone will be the starter for the Broncos. Gordon was punished for his fumble and likely has a pretty short leash, but you have to believe the Broncos will give him the first leap into a starring role if Williams has to miss the time considering how much leash they gave him far. And it looks like there’s a real chance Williams will have to miss some time – we don’t know on Sunday afternoon, but the fact he was carted into the dressing room and locked out almost immediately certainly doesn’t bode well.
While not a long-term injury, the Broncos play Thursday’s Week 5 game against the Colts – who could miss Jonathan Taylor after he left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury of his own. It seems quite likely that Gordon and Boone will both have expanded roles in Week 5, and while Gordon is pretty much everywhere on the list (92%), Boone is available pretty much everywhere. And he expects to see at least double-digit touchpoints in a timeshare with Gordon — and it’s at least possible he’ll remain the best option if Gordon has really tasted his fiddles.
Whether that means Boone should be the best option for waivers depends on both what we hear about William’s long-term status and what the Broncos say about the Gordon/Boone split. If Nyheim Hines (75% squad) is available in your league I’d pick him over Boone, but I’d probably pick Boone over either Deon Jackson or Phillip Lindsay, the Colts’ other RB options to replace Taylor.
Here’s who else we’ll be following on the Waiver line in Week 5.
Week 5 Early Waiver Goals (Add/Delete)