NFL Waiver Wire Week 4
With three weeks in the rearview, we are forced to contend with yet another slew of significant injuries as we navigate a brutal fantasy season. Managers who felt confident after their draft are now scrambling to find backups and, in some cases, backups to their backups. This past week we saw DeVonta Smith (concussion), Justin Herbert (ankle), Sam LaPorta (ankle), and Trey McBride (concussion) go down with injuries. Add them to the marquee list who may miss Week 4, making the waiver wire even more important. While there are very few one-for-one replacements for any fantasy set-it-and-forget-it type player, there are a few names to know who could provide value if you’re in a bind. Below are a few of those names. Let’s look at a few of the top waiver wire options this week.
Sam Darnold (QB)
Minnesota Vikings, 39% Rostered
It surprises me as much as it does you that I am recommending Sam Darnold as a waiver wire pickup. Darnold is on his fourth team in seven seasons and has been far from elite. He’s barely been competent. But whether his development just took longer than expected, or he’s benefitting from a system that maximizes his strengths, Darnold is having arguably the best start of his career. Through three games Darnold has completed 68% of his passes for 657 yards, eight touchdowns, and just two interceptions. This has helped lead the Vikings to a 3-0 start and make Darnold the No. 2 QB in fantasy. Perhaps it’s all a mirage and Darnold will turn back into a pumpkin, but for now, if you need QB help, pluck Darnold off the waiver wire. In Week 4 he gets a matchup against Green Bay who are allowing over 222 passing yards (22nd in the league) and 1.7 passing touchdowns (24th in the league) per game. This could be another boom week.
Braelon Allen (RB)
New York Jets, 46% Rostered
Unlike Darnold, I am not recommending you grab Braelon Allen and start him this week. Still, if you need running back depth, Allen is someone to target. After his debut performance it looked like Allen was purely a handcuff to workhorse running back, Breece Hall. In that game, he only mustered 17 yards on 18% of snaps. But since then he has played over 30% of the snaps and even managed to find the end zone twice. We can’t expect that every week and Hall is still the lead back on this team with 20+ touches in three straight games. But Allen has looked explosive when he’s on the field. He has shown off both his speed and physical running style and I wouldn’t be surprised to see his snap share grow to 35-40% with him getting double-digit opportunities weekly. Still, as long as Hall is healthy, Allen will be hard to trust in your starting lineup, making this more of a speculative wait-and-see add, rather than a player you’ll start right away. But as the season goes on he could creep up into flex-worthy territory, and if Hall were to miss time, Allen would be an immediate RB2 with upside.
Roschon Johnson, (RB)
Chicago Bears, 7% Rostered
This is another speculative pick, but one I believe is worth seriously considering. After being inactive the first week and not getting a single opportunity the following week, Roschon Johnson out-touched teammate Khalil Herbert this week 12-4. His 12 touches were only three fewer than starter D’Andre Swift. Johnson also more than doubled Swift’s yards per carry. Between Tampa Bay’s Rachaad White and Swift, it’s difficult to determine which is the league’s least efficient runner. Chicago seems aware of this fact. Johnson was on the field for 33 snaps against Indianapolis, compared to 48 for Swift. Swift’s snap share has shrunk every week. The Bears have to get their running game going, if they want to take the pressure off of rookie signal-caller Caleb Williams, or if they want to win games. Johnson is someone you can stash as you monitor Swift’s usage. It could only be a matter of time before this is close to a 50/50 split, or even better 60/40 in Johnson’s favor.
Jauan Jennings (WR)
San Francisco 49ers, 43% Rostered
Jauan Jennings may have already been scooped up last week, but if he’s available, Jennings should be the No. 1 priority this week. On Sunday, Jennings caught 11 of 12 targets for 175 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort against the Rams. This was good for 46.5 PPR points, quickly making him the No. 1 WR for the week. With all the injuries hitting key players this year, the need for wide receiver depth is higher than ever, and Jennings could help you stem the tide while you wait for your starters to return. You can’t expect anything resembling this type of performance every week. Performances like this are rare for any player, and when they happen, you just have to celebrate your win that week and start looking ahead. But as long as Deebo Samuel and/or George Kittle are sidelined, Jennings should be heavily involved. Jennings should be owned in every league and is a solid flex play with WR2 upside.
Allen Lazard (WR)
New York Jets, 40% Rostered
“Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.” After an opening performance of 26.9 PPR points en route to a WR3 finish, Garrett Wilson owners everywhere were concerned that Aaron Rodgers would lean on his old pal Allen Lazard more than expected. But then he came crashing back down to Earth the following week finishing outside the top 50 at the position (by a wide margin.) We all took a deep breath. But then this past week the Allen Lazard Story took another twist with a 13.8 point fantasy performance, finishing just two spots below Wilson. So what will he do for an encore? Who knows? What we do know is he’ll be involved. Lazard has played over 80% of the snaps in each of his first three games and while he only has 16 targets over that span, he also has three touchdowns. The season will likely be a rollercoaster for Lazard and putting him into your lineup takes a certain amount of courage. But several star wide receivers are banged up and we are quickly approaching bye weeks, so someone with touchdown upside catching passes from Aaron Rodgers is someone to take seriously.
Cole Kmet (TE)
Chicago Bears, 46% Rostered
While many, who often feel like they’re rooting for him to fail, will look at what Caleb Williams did against Indianapolis and choose to focus on the three turnovers (two INTs and one fumble), there was a lot to be encouraged by. Williams threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns. He also chose to spread the ball around, with DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet seeing double-digit targets. Specifically, Kmet saw 11 targets, catching 10 for 97 yards and a touchdown. It was nice to see Kmet be heavily involved after totaling just six targets over the previous two weeks. Perhaps his involvement was a byproduct of Keenan Allen’s absence, but with no timeline for Allen’s return, there could be many productive outings on the horizon for Kmet. This season tight end has been even worse than usual in fantasy. If your tight end is struggling, or if you’re streaming the position, grabbing a player with the potential to get 8-12 targets every week would be a smart move.
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