Week 3 was a bad one for fantasy football injuries, setting up an interesting week on the waiver wire.
As has become the norm, the top running back beneficiaries of those injuries are rostered in too many leagues to make this article, but it is worth checking if Cam Skattebo or Trey Benson is available in your league.
As a reminder, recommended adds are available in at least 60% of ESPN leagues, and the watch list consists of players worth monitoring.
The deep cuts section for running backs and receivers highlights players who are rostered in fewer than 5% of ESPN leagues, for all you “not in my league” degens.
I will not list recommended FAAB percentages for every player because there is a much better resource for researching what you need to bid, thanks to our friends at FAABLab.
Finally, I will not be ranking kickers and defenses because, frankly, I don’t care about them and would like to see them disappear from the game.
With those caveats out of the way, let’s get to it.
Contents
Best Week 4 Wavier Wire Pickups: Quarterback
- Geno Smith
- Carson Wentz
- Jaxson Dart
- Tua Tagovailoa
- Tyrod Taylor
Best Week 4 Wavier Wire Pickups: Running Back
*Trey Benson available in 45% of ESPN leagues. No. 1 add if available.
- Woody Marks
- Braelon Allen
- Tyjae Spears
- Ollie Gordon
- Chris Rodriguez
- Jeremy McNichols
Best Week 4 Wavier Wire Pickups: Wide Receiver
- Dontayvion Wicks
- Elic Ayomanor
- Tre Tucker
- Christian Kirk
- Parker Washington
- Tory Horton
- Tyquan Thornton
- Kavontae Turpin
- Luther Burden
Best Week 4 Wavier Wire Pickups: Tight Ends
- Chig Okonkwo
- Cole Kmet
- Brenton Strange
- Cade Otton
- Isaiah Likely
Quarterback Waiver Targets, Week 4
1. Geno Smith, Raiders — Available in 90% of ESPN leagues
Dak Prescott did not quite get there last week, but we are not going away from playing quarterbacks against the Bears yet. It was garbage-time aided, but Smith bounced back from a dreadful Week 2 with 289 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Commanders. The Raiders remain one of the most pass-heavy teams in the league, sitting at 6.8% over their expected pass rate.
2. Carson Wentz, Vikings — Available in 96.9% of ESPN leagues
The blowout limited Wentz's passing volume in Week 3, but everything else went perfectly in his first start for the Vikings. Volume could once again be a concern for Wentz this week, but he is getting a Steelers defense that ranks 28th in yards per attempt allowed (8.5) and has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
3. Jaxson Dart, Giants — Available in 96.3% of ESPN leagues
The anti-Russell Wilson buzz was building, so it was not a surprise when Dart was announced as the starter on Tuesday. The rookie looked great in the preseason, and based on how the Giants have gotten him involved to this point in the season, he should get some designed runs now that he is the lead guy. He is a must add in Superflex leagues, and he is worth a bench spot in deeper 1QB leagues. He does have a tough test this week, though, so there are likely better options available for teams that need a starter right now.
4. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins — Available in 77% of ESPN leagues
I am not super excited to go to Tagovailoa as a streaming option, but he is at home against a Jets defense that is allowing 7.6 yards per attempt and not getting a ton of pressure (29th in pressure rate). Tua delivered in a similar spot against the Patriots back in Week 2.
5. Tyrod Taylor, Jets — Available in 99.1% of ESPN leagues
Taylor would be second on this list if we knew he was going to start this week. Justin Fields should be able to clear the concussion protocol before Monday night, but Aaron Glenn left open the possibility of Taylor remaining the starter even if Fields is cleared. This is a situation to watch throughout the week. Whoever gets the start has an appetizing date with the Miami defense.
Watch List: Marcus Mariota would be worth another look this week if Jayden Daniels remains out, but I expect Daniels to return this week…We will get usable Jake Browning games, but this week against the Broncos in Denver is probably not going to be it…I am still not sold on the Cardinals defense being good, but passing volume could be a concern for Sam Darnold all season.
Running Back Waiver Targets, Week 4
1. Woody Marks, Texans — Available in 91.1% of ESPN leagues
Marks continued his move up the depth chart in Week 3, playing just 1 fewer snap than Nick Chubb and getting 40% of the backfield carries. This is the progression so far this year:
- Week 1: 7 snaps, 3 touches
- Week 2: 13 snaps, 4 touches
- Week 3: 29 snaps, 7 touches
This offense is not good, and we need that to change for Marks to really hit for fantasy. But things are moving in the right direction.
2. Braelon Allen, Jets — Available in 71.2% of ESPN leagues
We saw something of a shift in the Jets' backfield in Week 3. After Breece Hall out touched him 33 to 8 through the first two weeks, Allen had 8 touches to 13 for Hall in Week 3. Allen also still leads the backfield in goal to go touches for the season, with 2 of the 3 opportunities thus far. Allen remains mostly a contingency value stash, but much like Blake Corum last week, it is worth picking Allen up to see what happens.
3. Tyjae Spears, Titans — Available in 72.4% of ESPN leagues
Spears still has to miss another game before he is even eligible to return, but it makes sense to stash him on the bench to see what happens once he gets back. Tony Pollard has dominated the backfield work in Tennessee — 93.1% of backfield carries, No. 1 in the league — but he has struggled to create big plays. The Titans need something to spark their offense. Perhaps Spears gets that chance once he is healthy.
4. Ollie Gordon, Dolphins — Available in 76.8% of ESPN leagues
Gordon got a touchdown and 2 of the 3 touches in goal to go situations against the Bills, which understandably makes him a target on the waiver wire. I would express some caution, though. Gordon has run just 13 routes all season, meaning he will almost certainly be a touchdown or bust fantasy option for those in need of a desperation flex. From a contingency perspective, Jaylen Wright seems like a more like-for-like replacement if something happened to De'Von Achane, even though Wright has no role right now.
5. Chris Rodriguez, Commanders — Available in 98.4% of ESPN leagues
6. Jeremy McNichols, Commanders — Available in 96.9% of ESPN leagues
I would rather have backs like Blake Corum or Ray Davis on my bench, but if you need some touches for this week, it looks like this pair will get them in the Washington backfield. McNichols got the long touchdown, and I would still expect him to get more work in the passing game when the Commanders need that — to be fair, Bill Croskey-Merritt ran one more route than McNichols on Sunday. Rodriguez handled 50% of the running back carries, though, and had two touches in goal to go situations. With three guys getting touches in the backfield, neither Rodriguez nor McNichols will be more than a touchdown prayer.
Watch List: The James Conner injury is a great example of why keeping someone like Trey Benson on your bench makes a lot more sense than someone like Kareem Hunt, who will score more fantasy points weekly but has a much lower long-term ceiling. That said, if you just need to fill a starting spot, Hunt will get touches…As mentioned above, Blake Corum and Ray Davis fit that Trey Benson mold. Can also make the case for Kendre Miller, Rico Dowdle, Kyle Monangai, and DJ Giddens…Kenneth Gainwell got a touchdown, but the workload split in Pittsburgh's backfield clearly favors Jaylen Warren right now.
Deep Cuts: Cam Skattebo was the clear lead option with Tyrone Tracy out in Week 3, but Devin Singletary should get more work moving forward…Omarion Hampton should take over the Chargers backfield, but it is worth watching how things shake out behind him. Hassan Haskins has been active, but Kimani Vidal should get a call up from the practice squad…Chase Brown has dominated backfield work, but how much longer will that be the case if he continues to be the most inefficient back in the league? Tahj Brooks is worth stashing in deep leagues…Every indication is that Jordan Mason will dominate work as long as Aaron Jones is out, but it is worth knowing what is going on behind him. Zavier Scott led the secondary backs in snaps and touches in Week 3, with Cam Akers third in the group…Miles Sanders does not appear to be a real threat to Javonte Williams, but he does continue to get a handful of touches…Let's hope the Antonio Gibson experiment is over.
Wide Receiver Waiver Targets, Week 4
1. Dontayvion Wicks, Packers — Available in 96.1% of ESPN leagues
Don't bail on last week's cover boy Troy Franklin, who still ran a route on 93.8% of Denver's dropbacks in Week 3, and don't bail on Wicks. The flow of the game killed the entire passing attack — Josh Jacobs was the only Packer with more than 4 targets — but Green Bay is in a great get right spot this week against the Cowboys.
2. Elic Ayomanor, Titans — Available in 78.9% of ESPN leagues
The Tennessee passing game needs to be better to really trust Ayomanor as a weekly starter, but he is already getting the targets — his 14.7% Week 3 target share was less than ideal, to be fair — and Calvin Ridley has been one of the least efficient receivers in the league. The case for the rookie remains the same.
3. Tre Tucker, Raiders — Available in 98% of ESPN leagues
Tucker feels like a classic waiver wire trap coming off a massive game, but there were positive usage signs before Sunday. Tucker ran a route on 94.2% of the dropbacks over the first two weeks. He had 11 targets in those two games. This performance was not completely out of left field, but there are some caveats. He scored two fourth quarter touchdowns in a blowout including a 61-yard catch. More importantly, he has been targeted on 13.8% of his routes thus far in his career. Even with last week, his target rate per route is 17.5% this season, which is 53rd among qualified wide receivers. He has two people ahead of him in the pecking order who are proven target earners. The Raiders are passing a ton — 6.8% over their expected pass rate — which leaves open the possibility for a third fantasy viable option, but it also would not be a surprise if Tucker is sent back to the wire this time next week. Be cautious with FAAB bidding.
4. Christian Kirk, Texans — Available in 78.1% of ESPN leagues
The Texans appear to hate rookies, with Kirk immediately taking over as the clear No. 2 option in the passing game after returning from injury. He did nothing to repay that trust, catching just 3 of 8 targets for 25 yards, and the Texans offense is one of the worst in the league through three weeks — But other than that, Mrs. Lincoln. Still, Kirk looks like the clear secondary target in a passing game that is currently eighth in neutral dropback rate.
5. Parker Washington, Jaguars — Available in 99.8% of ESPN leagues
This is what I wrote about Washington last week.
“Parker Washington is not going to get enough targets to be a weekly factor as things stand now, but I continue to contend he is a quality receiver.”
Well, it turns out I was wrong about that first part. Despite Dyami Brown leaving early with an injury, Travis Hunter did not see a big bump to his route participation rate or target rate. Instead, Washington led the team in targets while running a route on 74.4% of Jacksonville's dropbacks. Washington is the WR19 in targets over the last two games. He has as many targets as Jaxon Smith-Njigba over that span.
6. Tory Horton, Seahawks — Available in 98.9% of ESPN leagues
Horton remains a stash rather than someone to throw into lineups this week, but he has looked like a weapon with the ball in his hands so far this season including a massive punt return touchdown against the Saints. More importantly, he ran the same number of routes as both Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp in Week 3, and he was only 2 behind those top receivers in routes in the first half. It is still tough to imagine this passing game supporting three fantasy viable receivers — Seattle is 30th in pass rate over expected this season (-7.7%) — but Horton might prove too good to keep off the field.
7. Tyquan Thornton, Chiefs — Available in 97.8% of ESPN leagues
I did not include Thornton on this list last week because I expected Xavier Worthy to return, and I would not be surprised if Worthy is back this week. Still, Thornton has added the explosive element that this Chiefs passing attack has missed since Tyreek Hill left, and I expect him to remain involved moving forward, at least until Rashee Rice returns from suspension.
8. Kavontae Turpin, Cowboys — Available in 97.6% of ESPN leagues
Jalen Tolbert is also available and is likely a safer bet for targets, but we know what we are getting with Tolbert at this point. Turpin is much more interesting. He had never run more than 23 routes in a game before last week. He ran 33 against the Bears, 70.2% of the Dallas dropbacks. Turpin has been targeted on 21.7% of his career routes and has averaged 8.5 yards per target. That target rate per route is inflated because of his more gadget usage and the small route sample size, but it looks like he is going to have a real role for as long as CeeDee Lamb is sidelined for a team that we expect to be near the top of the league in pass attempts.
9. Luther Burden, Bears — Available in 90.7% of ESPN leagues
People will likely get excited about Burden after his big game, and I have no issues keeping him on the bench as an upside stash. That is all he is at this point, though. He still ran a route on just 31% of the dropbacks in Week 3. That is a step forward for the rookie, but he has to get a lot more usage before he is a fantasy starter. I think that will happen this season, but we are still in wait and see mode.
Watch List: It hit for Rashod Bateman on Monday night, but not much has changed for him. He is going to run routes in an explosive passing attack, and that will result in big games, but picking them will be difficult…Calvin Austin got into the end zone again, and he has 18.3% of Pittsburgh's targets this season…Isaac TeSlaa could not keep the magic going with another one-handed catch on Monday night, but he did get 2 targets. He has to become closer to a full-time player to be anything more than a stash in deep leagues.
Deep Cuts: Allen Lazard got a touchdown, but Arian Smith ran a route on 84.8% of New York's dropbacks in Week 3. This passing game might never be good enough to support anyone beyond Garrett Wilson, but that is now two massive usage bumps in a row for the fourth-round rookie…Alec Pierce missing time could open up a role for AD Mitchell, who has earned targets whenever he has been on the field…I expect Chris Godwin to return this week, but if he doesn't, Sterling Shepard becomes an interesting option with Mike Evans expected to miss a few games…Kendrick Bourne ran a route on 82.9% of the 49ers' dropbacks and earned 6 targets in Week 3. We will see what happens with Jauan Jennings, but Bourne will clearly have a role if Jennings is out…We saw all three of Luke McCaffrey, Chris Moore, and Jaylin Lane get some routes in Week 3. If Terry McLaurin is forced to miss time, Lane is the most interesting of those names.
Tight End Waiver Targets, Week 4
1. Chig Okonkwo, Titans — Available in 84.9% of ESPN leagues
Over the last two games, Okonkwo is the TE7 in targets and the TE7 in yards per route run. This offense is not good, but he is getting real chances in the passing game. That is worth something given the state of the wavier wire at tight end.
2. Cole Kmet, Bears — Available in 99.1% of ESPN leagues
This goes out the window if Colston Loveland is able to play in Week 4, but Kmet could have a week as the clear TE1 if the rookie is forced to sit. Kmet ran a route on 79.3% of Chicago's dropbacks in Week 3. That only resulted in 1 target, but that target was a touchdown.
3. Brenton Strange, Jaguars — Available in 78.7% of ESPN leagues
Strange is who he is as a fantasy option at this point. He will offer targets and a decent floor for teams that are desperate at tight end. I remain unconvinced about the ceiling, though. The Jaguars have thrown 7 passes into the end zone this season. Strange has not been targeted on any of them. After the Evan Engram injury last year, the Jaguars threw 9 times into the end zone. Strange was the target on 1 of them.
4. Cade Otton, Bucs — Available in 87% of ESPN leagues
The math is different this year because of Emeka Egbuka and the potential return of Chris Godwin. Still, it has to be noted that Otton was targeted on 22.5% of his 200 routes without Mike Evans on the field last season. That number was still 18.6% on routes without Evans but with Godwin on the field.
5. Isaiah Likely, Ravens — Available in 88.1% of ESPN leagues
Mark Andrews returning to life does knock him down a few pegs here, but Likely remains a good stash for those trying to catch lightning in the tight end desert. Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass on 8.6% of his attempts last season. He is at 12% through three games this year.
Watch List: The Texans offense is bad, and Dalton Schultz is mostly low upside. Still, he is getting targets…A.J. Barner only ran a route on around 50% of Seattle's dropbacks in Week 3, but Elijah Arroyo did pop up on the injury report early this week…With Ja'Tavion Sanders expected to miss a few weeks, Tommy Tremble should get more opportunities as a pass catcher…Will Dissly will be back, and Oronde Gadsden only ran a route on 28.3% of the dropbacks in Week 3. He did get targeted on nearly half of his routes, though. The rookie could add some much-needed pass catching juice to the Chargers' tight end rotation if they give him the chance.
