Fantasy Football 2024 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.
Immediately Useful
Jauan Jennings, WR, 49ers (31% Rostered): Jennings was a clear add once TE George Kittle was ruled out, as he immediately looked in line to be the No. 2 receiving target for this week. But nobody could’ve envisioned the eruption that ensued on Sunday, as Jennings put forth one of the iconic performances on the majority of benches that we’ll ever see. 11 receptions, 175 yards and three touchdowns later, everyone will race for Jennings on the wire, even if his prominence is likely short-lived due to the impending returns of Kittle, Deebo Samuel and eventually RB Christian McCaffery. My advice is to not go too insane with the FAAB; I’ve always thought Jennings was a quality WR, and he’s clearly a big part of the offense while they fight injury, but he’s not going to dominate long-term. But if you’re hurting in the short term, Jennings is 100% the top add of the week.
Braelon Allen, RB, Jets (36% Rostered): Allen might be a real part of the Jets offense. Breece Hall remains the alpha of this backfield, and he is still going to get the majority of RB touches, but this rookie provides a very nice complement to Hall’s speed and running style, and the Jets are seeing the value in having that change of pace as well as decreasing wear and tear on their superstar. Allen saw double-digit opportunities (carries + targets) for the second week in a row, and while he didn’t find the end zone this week he did put up 68 yards from scrimmage. With snap rates in the 30%+ range for two weeks, he officially has some standalone value and desperation FLEX appeal. In the event of a Hall injury, Allen becomes a league-changer.
Bucky Irving, RB, Buccaneers (35% Rostered): Irving has seen 12 opportunities in two of Tampa Bay’s first three games, and in both of those tilts he rushed very efficiently. Irving has been above 30% snap share in all three games, is the clear next in line behind Rachaad White, and he simply looks to have significantly more juice. White was a fantasy star in 2023 because of the insane volume he received, and that happened largely because there was a dearth of quality in this RB room. Irving is here now, and while we don’t know if he’s a star, he’s certainly capable. Irving now has standalone value, even if you’d still rather have him as a stash, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he overtakes White at some point.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Falcons (26% Rostered): Mooney pulled a rope-a-dope in Week 1, and post-Steelers matchup he has been heavily targeted (15 targets in last two weeks), and effective. Mooney went for 88 yards and a score on three receptions in Week 2, and on Sunday night he caught eight balls for 66 yards. While he can burn defenses deep, the Falcons view him as a more complete player than that, and have involved him in short targets designed to get him in space vs. DBs. It’s working! No, Mooney isn’t a league winner, and no, he’s not a reliable WR2. He’s just a good player in an offense where he’s necessary, and that makes him valuable depth to plug in when your roster is thin.
Justin Fields, QB, Steelers (16% Rostered): Pittsburgh is perfectly managing Fields, keeping him from harming the offense by reining in his risks while also building up his confidence. Fields is one of the best rushing QBs in the league, and he finally found the end zone Sunday. It was also his fewest rushing attempts (6) and yards (6) of the year, but he chipped in a season-high 245 passing yards and a score. We’re still not seeing the Fields who would win weeks by himself in Chicago, but that potential is still there, and this version is quietly pretty useful in a QB landscape where just about everyone has disappointed.
Sam Darnold, QB, Vikings (29% Rostered): It’s very understandable to be hesitant to trust Darnold, who is easily the most shocking player of the 2024 season through three games. But Darnold’s talent was never in question, and he’s now in a scenario with quality coaching and a genuine superstar receiver whom he’s targeted shamelessly. It’s led to Darnold throwing for 2+ TDs in each of his first three games this year, and success through touchdown efficiency rather than volume. Darnold has yet to throw even 30 passes in a game as a Viking thanks to the Minnesota defense controlling the games. Of course, Darnold will eventually have matchups where he’s got to throw a ton, and even if it increases mistakes, that can only be a positive for his fantasy value.
Samaje Perine, RB, Chiefs (36% Rostered): Perine was my preferred choice last week over Carson Steele in the Chiefs backfield, and in the first week of the post-Pacheco injury landscape it turned out neither was too impressive. Steele certainly got more work, and he was the one getting opportunities near the goal line, although he failed to cash them in. Perine was the preference in passing situations, drawing four targets, but he also only saw the field for 15% of snaps. At this point it does seem like Steele was the add, but Perine has a very clear role so he has a semblance of value in deep leagues that reward receptions.
Michael Wilson, WR, Cardinals (9% Rostered): Wilson finally earned some targets from Kyler Murray in Week 3, rewarding the Cardinals with eight receptions and 64 yards. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. is the clear WR1 as advertised, but with TE Trey McBride getting banged up in this one, Wilson’s role may increase. As it stands, he is proving he can do some damage when the game script forces Arizona to throw, and it’s always nice to have big talent as roster depth. Wilson’s weekly floor is low, but I’d be comfortable throwing him in a lineup in the coming weeks when studs are missing with bye weeks.
Cole Kmet, TE, Bears (40% Rostered): TE has been a wasteland, so while Kmet’s stats this year are stinky, so are players who cost way more than him on Draft Day. Caleb Williams finally put up some stats on Sunday, and Kmet got 11 targets, catching 10 for 97 yards and a score. Kmet has a lot of talent, and if he was heavily targeted, he’d be a top TE. This offense has a lot of big names, and that’s going to mean a lot of weeks where Kmet does jack squat. That makes him like a lot of other guys though, and it means he’s playable any given week as long as you can stomach the doughnut risk.
Roschon Johnson, RB, Bears (2% Rostered): Johnson didn’t do anything special on Sunday, but he did rush eight times for 30 yards and play 37% of Chicago’s snaps, up from 0% in the first two weeks. The Bears’ offensive line has been offensive, but D’Andre Swift’s inefficiency has been mind-bending. The Bears’ coaches clearly don’t love what Khalil Herbert has to offer, so rostering Johnson could pay dividends if his rough and tumble style works better. As Caleb Williams improves, this offense will offer more opportunity to whomever is the lead back.
Speculative/Deep Cuts
Rico Dowdle, RB, Cowboys (42% Rostered): Dowdle out-touched Ezekiel Elliott this week, and in a Cowboys offense that is crying out for more juice beyond Cee Dee Lamb, Dowdle is poised to take over the backfield. Dowdle has put up 55+ scrimmage yards in back to back weeks, and he can do even more if the Cowboys commit to him over Elliott and the other spare parts earning some opportunities. He does not look like a star by any means, but if he can be the primary back for this offense, he’ll carry FLEX value every single week.
Alexander Mattison, RB, Raiders (31% Rostered): Mattison has scored in back-to-back weeks, and he is proving to have a fatal impact on Zamir White’s fantasy value. Mattison has seen 12 carries total in the 2024 season, but is the hammer the Raiders go to when they’re on the goal line. And of course, that’s frustrating, but it’s also working so there’s no reason to expect the Raiders to change it up. Putting Mattison in a lineup is still a pretty crazy thing to do because he absolutely needs a TD to have value, but if Zamir White did get hurt, Mattison is in position to be a volume-based play.
Mike Williams, WR, Jets (24% Rostered): Williams hasn’t popped yet, but he’s on the field a good amount for the Jets in the last two games. He logged a 65% snap share in Week 2, and it went down to 45% in Week 3, but on short rest, coming off a major injury, that’s probably wise. Despite the drop he earned his season-high in targets (4) and went for three catches and 34 yards. Aaron Rodgers looked vintage in dicing up the Patriots on Thursday, and moving forward, as much as he loves keeping food on Allen Lazard’s table, Rodgers is going to need Williams to be a downfield threat. Williams has always been a bit of a boom or bust guy from week to week, but that’s FLEX worthy when the QB is healthy Aaron Rodgers.
Jalen Tolbert, WR, Cowboys (4% Rostered): Tolbert is beginning to establish himself as the No. 2 receiver behind Cee Dee Lamb in Dallas, and they need someone to step up. He went for 82 yards in Week 2, and caught a touchdown on Sunday. He’s still being out snapped by Brandin Cooks, which you don’t love seeing. It doesn’t matter a ton, because they’re both playing a lot as Dallas mostly runs three-receiver sets, but the sooner Tolbert relegates Cooks to clear-cut WR3, the better. It’s tough to trust Tolbert at the moment, but I do believe there will be a shift at some point in the season where Tolbert becomes a trustworthy FLEX.
Alec Pierce, WR, Colts (47% Rostered): After scoring in back-to-back weeks, we saw the inherent risk in trusting Pierce. The reason he has not advanced past this section is because he’s a one trick pony. Pierce’s job is to take the top off of defenses and make long catches down the field. That’s exciting when it works, and he did have a 44-yard grab on Sunday, but it’s low percentage stuff and QB Anthony Richardson is testing the limits of how inaccurate a QB can be and still run a functional offense. Richardson does have one of the best arms I’ve ever seen, and Pierce can swing matchups when the connection is there. But the goose egg risk is so high it’s downright reckless to start him outside of pure desperation.
Quentin Johnston, WR, Chargers (45% Rostered): Johnston has been finding the end zone, and even if we have questions about his skill as a receiver, a few things are working for him. He’s big as hell, fast as hell, and he has a bona fide stud QB. Now, if Justin Herbert is going to miss time with his injured ankle, then you can’t play Johnston. But when Herbert’s under center, this offense has no clear pass-catching leader and that makes Johnston as good a bet as any to benefit from the production Herbert puts up.
Ty Chandler, RB, Vikings (38% Rostered): Chandler is the RB2 for Minnesota, and it’s worth remembering that because while he can do some damage when he gets mop up work, he remains clearly behind Aaron Jones. Chandler would be an A+, FAAB dump option if Jones were set to miss significant time, so even if I don’t think Chandler is immediately useful, he makes sense to add now while cheap if your roster can afford stashes.
Brock Wright, TE, Lions (0% Rostered): Sam LaPorta is having a year from hell, putting up next to nothing for two weeks, and then getting carted off the field in Week 3. Wright is going to fill in for LaPorta, and while that role hasn’t borne fruit in 2024 yet, it most definitely can. Wright caught four passes on Sunday, and played a season-high 69% of snaps. The TE position is a disaster right now, so while this seems like a crazy play, if LaPorta is ruled out Wright has as good a chance at a TD as anyone on the wire.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Falcons (24% Rostered): Allgeier, like Chandler, is a guy you back up the FAAB Brinks truck for if Bijan Robinson goes down, but otherwise isn’t particularly playable.