Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickup Advice

Is your fantasy team in need of new blood? Each week I’ll bring to you the best pickups to make ahead of the waiver deadline. All the players I list will be rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, with the roster percentages coming from Yahoo.com.

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud, Texans (20% Rostered): Stroud is among the league leaders in pass attempts through three games, is averaging more than 300 yards per game, and has thrown two touchdown passes in back-to-back games all while not throwing an interception thus far. He’s supporting a breakout season for Nico Collins, and unleashing fellow rookie Tank Dell as a PPR monster. The lack of rushing for Stroud probably holds him back from being a lock weekly starter for fantasy teams, but if you’re going through it at QB right now then Stroud is consistently delivering competent performances.

Jimmy Garoppolo, Raiders (15% Rostered): We know from years of experience that Garoppolo is not a season-long answer for anyone at QB, but if you need someone to hold you over for a week the matchup with the Chargers is golden.  Los Angeles entered Week 3 with a league-worst 60.5% Pass DVOA, and proceeded to give up 367 yards and three touchdowns to Kirk Cousins. After seeing what Garoppolo and Davante Adams just did to the Steelers on Sunday night, Jimmy G is probably the top Week 4 streaming option, assuming he makes it through concussion protocol.

Running Backs

De’Von Achane, Dolphins (41% Rostered): Did you stash him like I said? Because oh my God is he going to be pricy now. Achane went from inactive in Week 1, to 10% of snaps in Week 2 (two opportunities) to 41% of snaps in Week 3 and 22 opportunities. Those carries and targets became 233 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. Achane is out of this world fast, but his production at Texas A&M showed he was much more than just a burner. Achane is a legitimately good runner of the football with real receiving chops, and with this much talent surrounding him his superior athletic ability is going to help him wreak absolute havoc on defenses preoccupied with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. This is clearly going to be an unrepeatable high point, but this is what Achane is capable of with opportunity. Do not hesitate to spend big, he’s arrived.

Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots (43% Rostered): It’s an ugly week on waivers for RBs, with only one player jumping out, and no key injuries yet elevating lightly-rostered players to relevance. Elliott is a pure depth add, but after getting 16 carries vs. the Jets, he can’t be ignored. He is a former workhorse RB, so an injury to Rhamondre Stevenson boosts him into weekly start range, and the Patriots’ passing offense is fairly anemic, so both he and Stevenson will get healthy volume. His explosiveness seems gone, but he ran well vs. a tough Jets front. At this point, Zeke is bye week/emergency FLEX filler, but that has value. He also could have value as a trade sweetener for Stevenson managers.

Kendre Miller, Saints (34% Rostered): Miller didn’t do a ton in his debut, and he only played 34% of the snaps, but with Alvin Kamara returning in Week 4, the Saints backfield has clarity. Kamara will be the lead dog, but he’s long been efficiency over volume. Miller is likely to see close to half the Saints’ snaps, and if he can be efficient in his time on the field he’ll probably be FLEX-worthy most weeks. The New Orleans TD situation is very crowded, so I do believe FLEX consideration is where he tops out as a rookie, but an injury to Kamara could change everything. Rostering handcuffs with standalone value is like the fantasy football equivalent of suited connectors; taking a shot is always worth it, because it’s easy to fold if the scenario doesn’t break right.

Melvin Gordon III, Ravens (1% Rostered): Gordon is the next man up in a familiar story for the Ravnes, who have seen their top RBs go down and are relying on old, busted veterans. Gus Edwards is in concussion protocol, Justice Hill is battling turf toe, and we know J.K. Dobbins’ season is done. Gordon should lead the backfield in touches if Edwards can’t play this week, but this isn’t the same old Ravens. That role isn’t quite as valuable as it once was, and Gordon sure isn’t an upside play. He’ll be a decent at best fill-in for as long as Edwards and Hill are out.

Elijah Mitchell, 49ers (39% Rostered): Mitchell saw 11 carries and three targets Thursday, a week after logging zero snaps. This was obviously due to the short week, and the 49ers not wanting to grind Christian McCaffery to dust so early in the campaign. I wouldn’t be comfortable playing Mitchell yet; the work he saw Thursday was what I expected all season, but so far it hasn’t been the case. Still, he’s worth rostering because the 49ers could increase his usage to this level moving forward, and the role is spectacular in the event CMC goes down.

Tyjae Spears, Titans (24% Rostered): Spears is the one true handcuff I’ll keep beating the drum for. He’s seen more than 50% of snaps twice in three games, and while Week 3 was his least productive game, we also saw Derrick Henry only manage 20 yards. For the season, Spears is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 3.3 targets per game. Should he get the lead role at any point, Spears could be a very, very impactful addition.

Wide Receivers

Tank Dell, Texans (31% Rostered): Dell has gone nuts the last two games, earning 17 targets and churning out 12 receptions for 217 yards (108.5 per game) and two touchdowns. The production is in line with his ridiculous college production, and his connection with C.J. Stroud is evident. Dell is going to slow down some of course, but right now he looks like a very strong play in any matchup because he’s owning the short and intermediate areas while Nico Collins is looked to for the bigger chunk plays.

Adam Thielen, Panthers (47% Rostered): Reports of Thielen’s demise were greatly exaggerated. After a dud Week 1, Thielen played the role he was meant for in Week 2, serving as a security blanket for Bryce Young and scoring a TD. In Week 3, with Andy Dalton under center, he was a true WR1 turning 14 targets into 11 receptions, 145 yards and a touchdown, which could’ve been two if not for his elbow hitting the ground inches from the goal line. This is a low-powered offense, so don’t expect him to just be some high-end WR2 every week, but he’s always been a TD-getter, and this team will hyper-target him when they get close.

Quentin Johnston, Chargers (33% Rostered): Johnston has not been on the field much, which has been pretty alarming for his immediate usefulness, even with Mike Williams ruled out for the season. Still, Johnston is the better bet to replace Williams than Josh Palmer, because of his talent level, and similarity as a playmaker. We have seen Palmer repeatedly prove that he’s little more than quality, real life WR depth. Maybe Johnston is too, but we have not seen him with major opportunity yet. It might be a little while before he’s trusted to be on the field for a ton of snaps, but he’s the type of receiver who may only need one play to do fantasy damage.

Josh Palmer, Chargers (5% Rostered): Palmer has been the next man up for the Chargers the past few seasons when they’ve dealt with WR injuries, but he’s typically failed to meet the challenge for fantasy managers on a consistent basis. I am not sure why this time would be any different, especially with Quentin Johnston around, but if you need a body immediately, Palmer seems to have more trust from the coaching staff in the moment. Long term, however, I don’t believe Palmer is a solution. 

Kendrick Bourne, Patriots (33% Rostered): Bourne’s snaps have dropped significantly since Week 1, which sucks, as has his production, but he’s still getting regular looks from Mac Jones. Another middling performance without a TD likely drops him off the list of good adds, but New England’s receiving corps continues to beg and plead for someone to step up as an alpha, and Bourne is probably the most talented pass-catcher in this bunch. He gets one more week at least to re-establish himself.

Romeo Doubs, Packers (41% Rostered): Doubs is certainly more involved in the offense now that Aaron Rodgers, who seemed to hate his existence, is gone. Jordan Love trusts Doubs, and that’s resulted in two touchdowns in three games. The Packers’ pass offense isn’t exactly a volume-fest, and his role could be diminished a lot when Christian Watson comes back, but he’s become an intriguing depth option.

Jayden Reed, Packers (21% Rostered): Reed has seen his snap count rise in every game, and he is a better add than Doubs in my humble opinion, as I believe his role is safer to remain the same once Watson is back in the fold. PFF has loved the work of both guys thus far, but Reed is more able to move around the formation than Doubs is.

Tight Ends

Jake Ferguson, Cowboys (41% Rostered): Ferguson finally broke past 11 receiving yards, and while he didn’t score last week, he caught five passes for 48 yards, which is not a bad day for a tight end in 2023. This is the norm for Ferguson, with TD upside in any matchup. That’s not bad at all.

Luke Musgrave, Packers (18% Rostered): Does the safety of Ferguson bore you? Do you feel entrapped by how low that ceiling is? Then Musgrave’s your guy. I prefer adding him over Doubs or Reed, because Musgrave is on the field almost every play, and he offers big play potential at a position where he can win you weeks. Every game, Musgrave can be seen streaking down the field alone and Jordan Love’s been missing him. Eventually it’ll connect, and when it does, that probably means victory for your roster unless you’re up against a healthy Travis Kelce. There’s a whole lot of upside here that his current stats are hiding.

Zach Ertz, Cardinals (38% Rostered): Ertz had his first low-target game vs. Dallas, but that happens to everyone not named Kelce. Ertz is not a big play threat, but he’s become one of the safest bets for targets in the NFL. The quality of the targets is questionable, the offense is mostly bad, but 20 targets through three games at TE is just valuable.

Possibly Available

Jordan Love, QB, Packers (69% Rostered)

Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams (56% Rostered)

Jaylen Warren, RB, Steelers (56% Rostered)

Elijah Moore, WR, Browns (66% Rostered)

Drop Candidates – HODL or Say Goodbye?

Justin Fields, QB, Bears (95% Rostered): HODL. It looks so, so, so gross right now but better days are coming. He’s simply too incredible of a rusher.

Antonio Gibson, RB, Commanders (59% Rostered): HODL. The usage is infuriating, but stay strong. Look what hanging on to De’Von Achane got people.

Jahan Dotson, WR, Commanders (81% Rostered): HODL. He’s very close to droppable, but it’s all because of the Commanders’ offense and QB Sam Howell. Preseason tricks people every year, because that dude is not good. He should apologize to Dotson.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seahawks (71% Rostered): Say Goodbye. It’s hard to do this, because JSN is talented, but he’s utterly uninvolved right now, and D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are so good that they’re soaking up all available targets. That, plus Pete Carroll being run-first with a stud in Kenneth Walker III to carry the ball, means JSN is assed out for opportunities.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Bills (71% Rostered): Say Goodbye. Rookie TEs,, sad story. He’s talented, but a TE1 breakout ain’t happening. Go get Musgrave instead.