Fantasy Football: Week 4 Waiver Wire
Another week of football in the books, another week of waiver pickups! Hear the full Week 4 Waiver Wire breakdown on the podcast.
Wide Receivers
CAR Devin Funchess (ESPN 11%, Yahoo 20%)
Week 3: 4/58/0 on 10 targets
Week 4: @NE
Funchess is an opportunity/volume play with Kelvin Benjamin potentially missing time. He sure knows how to drop a pass, but hey when you’re getting 10 targets, you are fantasy relevant and can work as a backup option/flex play. We await further details on Kelvin Benjamin’s status.
JAX Allen Hurns (ESPN 11%, Yahoo 38%)
Week 3: 3/20/1 on 3 targets
Week 4: @NYJ
“Allen Hurns or Marqise Lee?” could be a weekly guessing game as to who is the more fantasy productive Jaguars receiver. In Weeks 2 and 3, Lee received more targets than Hurns, while Hurns is the one who’s found the end zone twice. Lee definitely gets a boost in PPR scoring.
JAX Marqise Lee (ESPN 33%, Yahoo 47% )
Week 3: 4/65/0 on 7 targets
Week 4: @NYJ
See Allen Hurns above.
GB Geronimo Allison (ESPN 0.4%, Yahoo 9%)
Week 3: 6/122/0 on 8 targets
Week 4: vs CHI
Geronimo! With Randall Cobb sidelined in Week 3, Allison racked up 122 yards on 6 catches. Cobb did return to full practice on Tuesday. If he were to miss again in Week 4, you could do a lot worse than rolling out one of Aaron Rodgers‘ targets.
WAS Josh Doctson (ESPN 33%, Yahoo 6% )
Week 3: 1/52/1 on 2 targets
Week 4: @KC
A Mike Wright favorite, Doctson finally made a fantasy impact in Week 3. It’s rather unlikely that anyone started him though. Even Mike says adding Doctson is more of a “wait and see” kind of move rather than hoping to plug him in your lineup with confidence right away.
HOU Bruce Ellington (ESPN 0%, Yahoo 0%)
Week 3: 4/59/1 on 7 targets
Week 4: vs TEN
SEA Paul Richardson (ESPN 3%, Yahoo 11% )
Week 3: 2/30/1 on 7 targets
Week 4: vs IND
Doug Baldwin left Sunday’s game in the 4th quarter with a groin injury. While initial reports say it’s not believed to be serious, Richardson is worth a look. He has a TD in two games straight, BUT only 2 catches in both games. It’s hard for anyone to sustain that kind of success on such little looks, but if Baldwin misses time, Richardson could be the main target for Wilson.
Running Backs
WAS Chris Thompson (ESPN 85%, Yahoo 76%)
Week 3: 8/38/0 — 6/150/1 on 7 targets
Week 4: @KC
It’s hard for anyone to consistently score TDs on just a handful of touches, but Chris Thompson has been making it happen Weeks 1-3! Pick him up! Certainly a big boost in PPR leagues, as he’ll never get full “workhorse” carries.
CHI Tarik Cohen (ESPN 40%, Yahoo 85% )
Week 3: 12/78/0 — 4/24/0 on 4 targets
Week 4: @GB
Sure he’s probably owned in your league, but IS still available in some of them out there! This dude should have been owned in all leagues after Week 1.
SEA Chris Carson (ESPN 43%, Yahoo 76%)
Week 3: 11/34/0 — 2/18/1 on 2 targets
Week 4: vs IND
Carson seems to be the main guy in this backfield, and should be owned everywhere. Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy were both active but received no work in Week 3. You’ll never feel great about starting him with this horrible offensive line, but at least the offense was able to put up points in Week 3. Hey, if you need producion from the RB position, Carson seems to be in on the bulk of Seattle backfield snaps. C.J. Prosise did have 65 years receiving in Week 3 and could steal some work when healthy.
SEA C.J. Prosise (ESPN 80%, Yahoo 18%)
Week 3: 4/9/0 — 3/65/0 on 5 targets
Week 4: vs IND
See Chris Carson above.
PHI Wendell Smallwood (ESPN 2%, Yahoo 6%)
Week 3: 12/71/0 — 1/9/0 on 2 targets
Week 4: @LAC
Darren Sproles is done for the season. While Sproles role has been as an elite pass-catching specialist, there are still touches to be had in Philadelphia. Smallwood matched LeGarrette Blount‘s 12 rushes, but had a few more yards. Blount had a TD though, as well as rookie running back, Corey Clement. Grab a piece and see what happens. Smallwood and Clement are barely owned, and fantasy relevant RBs are hard to come by, but this situation could remain messy.
PHI Corey Clement (ESPN 0%, Yahoo 0% )
Week 3: 6/22/1 — no targets
Week 4: @LAC
See Wendell Smallwood above.
HOU D’Onta Foreman (ESPN 5%, Yahoo 17%)
Week 3: 8/25/0 — 2/65/0 on 3 targets
Week 4: vs TEN
D’Onta Foreman had 90 total yards from scrimmage in Week 3 on 10 total touches. While Lamar Miller is the guy, Foreman has looked good and seems to have at least a minor role locked in. Coach Bill O’ Brien has declared him as the #2 behind Miller (instead of Alfred Blue).
NO Alvin Kamara (ESPN 11%, Yahoo 40%)
Week 3: 2/37/1 — 3/5/0 on 5 targets
Week 4: @MIA
Kamara made his fantasy day with one 25-yard highlight run. While this backfield remains messy with Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson getting work, Kamara should be owned in most leagues, especially PPR.
CLE Duke Johnson (ESPN 99%, Yahoo 52%)
Week 3: 2/23/1 — 6/81/0 on 7 targets
Week 4: vs CIN
It seemed that this might be the game Isaiah Crowell gets it done, but instead the Colts showed up to play. They were ahead early and Duke Johnson had just 1 less snap than The Crow. Duke Johnson makes for a solid PPR play in the flex or as a backup, but don’t count on a TD most weeks.
LAC Branden Oliver (ESPN 0.3%, Yahoo 2%)
Week 3: 8/16/0 — 4/18/0 on 6 targets
Week 4: vs PHI
Melvin Gordon left Sunday’s game but did return in the 4th quarter. Early reports say it’s not a big deal but Branden Oliver is the handcuff if Gordon misses time. His status is worth monitoring.
WAS Mack Brown (ESPN 0%, Yahoo 0%)
Week 3: 6/27/0 — no targets
Week 4: @KC
Rob Kelley was out in Week 3 with a rib injury. Samaje Perine hasn’t been the most effective with touches and is also now dealing with a hand injury. As mentioned, Chris Thompson is not a full-time running back. Mack Brown could be seeing a number of 1st and 2nd down looks depending on Kelley and Perine’s health.
- Handcuff Watch:
- DAL Darren McFadden (ESPN 51%, Yahoo 19%) – should be owned in ALL leagues. Ezekiel Elliott ruling coming on Oct. 2nd.
- Alfred Morris (ESPN 1%, Yahoo 5%)
- PIT James Conner (ESPN 1.5%, Yahoo 8%)
- DEN Jamaal Charles (ESPN 22%, Yahoo 33%)
- KC Charcandrick West (ESPN 7%, Yahoo 7%)
- LAC Branden Oliver (ESPN 0.3%, Yahoo 3%)
- GB Jamaal Williams (ESPN 1%, Yahoo 11%)
- BUF Mike Tolbert (ESPN 1%, Yahoo 4%)
- MIA Damien Williams (ESPN 0.4%, Yahoo 1%)
- SF Matt Breida (ESPN 1%, Yahoo 3%)
- HOU D’Onta Foreman (ESPN 5%, Yahoo 17%)
- JAX Chris Ivory (ESPN 1%, Yahoo 3%)
- DAL Darren McFadden (ESPN 51%, Yahoo 19%) – should be owned in ALL leagues. Ezekiel Elliott ruling coming on Oct. 2nd.
Tight Ends
BAL Ben Watson (ESPN 3% , Yahoo 32%)
Week 3: 3/12/1 on 3 targets
Week 4: vs PIT
NYG Evan Engram (ESPN 18%, Yahoo 38% )
Week 3: 5/45/0 on 7 targets
Week 4: @TB
NYJ Austin Seferian-Jenkins (ESPN 1%, Yahoo 4%)
Week 3: 5/31/0 on 6 targets
Week 4: vs JAX
WAS Vernon Davis (ESPN 5%, Yahoo 8%)
Week 3: 5/88/1 on 5 targets
Week 4: @KC
Vernon Davis is in the TE1 discussion every week that Jordan Reed is out.