Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business,
but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious
selections to help your team from week to week while you strive
to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs, and win the
elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While
I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster,
the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes
to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll
highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can
help your squad and may still be available in your league. I’ll
also provide a brief update on the players I covered the previous
week.
Kirk Cousins,
MIN – We told you he’d be doing this in my Week 1 column,
and despite the inevitable solid performances like he gave us this
week in the win over the Seahawks (323-3-0 on 30-for-38 passing),
he’s just 30-35% owned heading into a big Week 4 home game against
the Browns. It’s almost amusing that people won’t take the plunge
but will take a shot on a guy like Justin Fields.
Sam Darnold,
CAR – Darnold is just 10% owned heading into a favorable
Week 4 matchup with the Cowboys and could be in for another big
yardage total like he had on TNF (304-0-0). While Darnold didn’t
throw for any TDs on Thursday, he did add 11 rushing yards and
two TDs on the ground and makes for a fine QB2 option.
Matt Ryan,
ATL – Ryan (30-35% owned) completed 27 of 36 passes for
243-2-0 in Sunday’s 17-14 win over the Giants, adding a lost fumble.
The veteran signal caller has an opportunity to post QB2 numbers
in a Week 4 matchup against a Washington defense that surrendered
four passing touchdowns to Josh Allen on Sunday.
Daniel
Jones, NYG – Jones posted weak overall
numbers Sunday (266-0-0) and accounted for zero TDs in the loss
to the Falcons. He rushed eight times for 39 yards and a successful
two-point conversion but is dealing with several injuries in his
WR corps.
Justin
Fields, CHI – I’m glad I didn’t
recommend Fields this past week because he stunk, completing just
six of his 20 passes for 68 yards and adding just three carries
for 12 yards while being sacked nine times. He also underwent
a precautionary X-ray on his right throwing hand after the loss
and is just not a fantasy option right now even if he’s the starter
against the Lions.
Taylor
Heinicke, WAS – Heinicke struggled
on Sunday, completing just 14 of 24 passes for 212-2-2 in the
loss to the Bills. He rushed eight times for 21 yards and another
TD, however, and should be able to handle the Falcons and post
serviceable QB2 numbers in Week 4.
Running Backs
Chuba
Hubbard, CAR – With the injury to
Christian McCaffrey, Hubbard has jumped up the Panthers' depth chart
as the clear backfield beneficiary, rushing for 52 yards on Thursday
night and hauling in three of five targets for 27 yards. Royce Freeman
handled change-of-pace carries and had 25 total yards on six touches.
Hubbard is the clear RB add this week and is rostered in about 10-15%
of leagues.
Zack Moss,
BUF – Moss (still available in 35-40% of leagues) continues
to play the Tony Pollard role in Buffalo, rushing 13 times for
60 yards and hauling in all three targets for 31 yards and another
touchdown on Sunday. The second-year back out-touched Devin Singletary
in Week 3 and could be in for another big workload in a Week 4
matchup against the Texans.
Tony
Pollard, DAL –UPDATE:
Now about 60-65% owned, Pollard saw lots of work in the first
half on MNF and finished the game with 11 rushes for 60 yards.
He also caught his lone target for five yards and remains good
for 10-15 touches per game – and a worthwhile flex play
in 12-team leagues.
Phillip
Lindsay, HOU – Lindsay rushed seven
times for just 5 yards on Thursday and somehow led the backfield
both in carries and as useless. He’s off my radar.
Kenneth
Gainwell, PHI – UPDATE:
Gainwell only had one carry on Monday night, adding 3-32-0 receiving
(four targets) on the final drives in garbage time after not touching
the ball at all until the second half. The Eagles game plan was
an arbitrarily bad one, so better game scripts should result in
more opportunities for the rookie moving forward.
J.D.
McKissic, WAS – McKissic took three
carries for 23 yards and caught both of his targets for 15 yards
in the blowout loss to Buffalo, but both he and Antonio Gibson
should see plenty of chances against the Falcons in Week 4.
Wide Receivers / Tight Ends
Emmanuel
Sanders, BUF – Sanders (20-25% owned)
is emerging as a solid fantasy producer. He had 5-94-2 on Sunday
and could build on that standout performance in a Week 4 home matchup
against the Texans.
Hunter
Renfrow, LV – It’s probably time
to add Renfrow (10-15% owned), who had another solid game working
out of the slot for Las Vegas (5-77-1 on six targets) in Sunday’s
31-28 overtime win over the Dolphins.
Kendrick
Bourne, NE – Bourne had six receptions
on eight targets for 96 yards and a TD in Sunday’ 28-13 loss to
the Saints, and is almost universally available. He could be worth
an addition in deeper PPR leagues.
Josh
Gordon, KC –UPDATE:
The 30-year-old Gordon has been added to the Chiefs practice squad
and is probably a few weeks away from any kind of fantasy relevance,
since he’s going to have to get up to speed. The embattled but
talented wideout most recently played for Seattle near the conclusion
of the 2019 season but was recently reinstated by the league.
He’s a deep league speculative add at best.
DeSean
Jackson, LAR – Jackson had one of
his patented deep ball games, recording just three receptions
on five targets but going for 120 yards and a TD in the Week 3
win over Tampa Bay. He didn’t do much in the first two weeks and
will find it difficult to see consistent targets moving forward
due to the stacked receiving corps in Los Angeles, but it's clear
that he’s still got something in the tank.
Nick
Westbrook-Ikhine, TEN – The young
WR caught all four of his targets for 53 yards and a TD but lost
a crucial fumble in Sunday’s 25-16 win over the Colts. Westbrook-Ikhine
saw an expanded role after A.J. Brown left the game early with
a hamstring injury, and would figure to benefit from more snaps
if Brown of Julio Jones were forced to miss additional time.
TE Tyler
Conklin, MIN – Conklin is just 3% owned and caught
7-70-1 on eight targets in the win over the Seahawks. He’s now
on the TE2 radar and gets an exploitable matchup against the Browns
in Week 4.
Michael
Pittman Jr., IND – Pittman was coming
off a career-best 8-123-0 outing but remained involved despite
the double-ankle disaster that as Carson Wentz, hauling in 6-68-0
on a team-high 12 targets in the loss to the Titans. He has a
tougher matchup against the Dolphins and CB Xavien Howard in Week
4.
Rondale
Moore, ARI – Two catches for 1 yard
on two targets. Not how he was supposed to follow up his breakout
game.
K.J.
Osborn, MIN – Osborn had just 2-26-0
on two targets against Seattle as Conklin and Mattison assumed
larger roles this week.
Tim Patrick,
DEN – Patrick hauled in all five of his targets for 98
yards in the Week 3 win over the Jets and could see more targets
coming his way in a Week 4 matchup against Baltimore. With KJ
Hamler injured as well, Patrick could have a big day.
UPDATE: Hamler is out for the
rest of the season with a torn ACL, so Patrick is a priority this
week off the wire. Quintez Cephus,
DET – Cephus secured his only target for eight yards
during the loss to the Ravens but should get more chances in the
next couple of weeks. He’s a deep league play and DFS punt at
best.
Quez
Watkins, PHI –UPDATE:
Watkins was targeted just twice on Monday night but hauled in
both catches for a total of 46 yards, including an athletic play
on a 41-yard throw from Jalen Hurts that showed he probably should
have seen more targets before the game was out of hand.
