This is the Waiver Wire Week 4! Which players should you be adding this week?
Note: Every player is available in at least 70% of leagues. Each player has their roster percentage in parenthesis. For example, if a player has (25%) next to them, then they are available in 75% of leagues.
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Shallow League Adds
(Players Rostered in 30-40% of Leagues)
Braelon Allen – RB, New York Jets
I had Allen listed as the No. 1 Waiver Wire Add in Fantasy last week. If he is still somehow available in your league, pounce. He is an absolute hammer and a handcuff, plus more moving forward. If Breece Hall were to miss time, Allen would be a weekly RB1.
Bucky Irving – RB, Tampa Bay
I had Irving as the No. 2 overall Waiver Wire addition after Week 1’s games. This is already a committee backfield. Irving could be a huge help to fantasy managers over the second half of the season if he can cut into Rachaad White‘s role as a receiver.
Cole Kmet – TE, Chicago
The Bears cannot get anything out of their RBs. Kmet fell in redraft ADP, but he is firmly back in the TE streaming discussion after his 11-target, 10-catch performance this past Sunday.
Quentin Johnston – WR, LA Chargers
Johnston scored again. Last week, I had him as a top-10 addition and my No. 1 WR addition. He is the preferred red zone target in a low volume passing attack.
Rico Dowdle – RB, Dallas
Dowdle continues to catch passes and is starting to dominate usage among the Dallas RBs. He is far ahead of Zeke Elliott who looks like a roster clogger right now.
Cam Akers – RB, Houston
Akers scored a TD with minimal production otherwise but had promising usage in Houston’s loss to Minnesota. He should have a much easier time against Jacksonville on a short week.
Standard Roster Size and Deep League Adds
(Players rostered in 30% of leagues or fewer)
Sam Darnold (29%) – Minnesota
A no-brainer addition. Darnold is slinging it and will get T.J. Hockenson and Jordan Addison back soon.
A career renaissance is underway, and much like Baker Mayfield last season in Tampa, Darnold will challenge for a top 12 finish.
Justin Fields (16%) – Pittsburgh
Fields is 3-0 as a starter and finally showed some fantasy signs of life. His rushing yardage was minimal, but he found the end zone and passed for 245 yards. Better fantasy days are ahead.
Daniel Jones (6%) – New York Giants
Don’t look now, but Jones is knocking on the door of low-end QB1 numbers. Malik Nabers is truly special, and the Giants’ offense is centered around getting him the ball. Jones has back-to-back weeks with two TD passes.
Andy Dalton (4%) – Carolina
The only QB to pass for 300 yards and three TDs in a single game this season is the Red Rifle. The Dave Canales QB whisperer narrative is back. Dalton elevated the play of Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard, and Carolina won convincingly. He is a must-start this week in Superflex.
Drake Maye (3%) – New England
Maye made his debut, coming off the bench in New England’s loss to the Jets. His first start seems inevitable soon. Maye’s rushing ability elevates his fantasy floor, making him a great speculative pickup.
Jameis Winston (1%)- Cleveland
Deshaun Watson looks horrendous and the chances of a QB change rise with every loss.
Taylor Heinicke, Tim Boyle – LA Chargers, Miami (0%)
Potential injury replacements that should only be considered by the most desperate Superflex managers.
Running Backs
Roschon Johnson – Chicago (3%)
Johnson bursts into my top 10 overall this week and is my favorite RB pickup (provided the shallow league adds are rostered). D’Andre Swift looks fried and was a lost pick at ADP.
Johnson had his first touches of the season and finished with 62 combined yards and four catches. He’s a strong pass catcher, and this was a promising week for him.
Justice Hill – Baltimore (13%)
Hill was a top 10 addition heading into Week 2 after a strong Week 1 performance. He added another solid game in Sunday’s win over Dallas, finishing with 54 combined yards on seven touches. If Derrick Henry were to miss time, Hill would be a massive FAAB addition.
Tyler Badie – Denver Broncos (0%)
Badie had the most productive rushing performance for the Broncos all season, coinciding with their first win. He’s still a speculative play but has earned some work in Week 4.
Emmanuel Wilson – RB, Green Bay
Wilson had a solid game in Week 1 before taking a back seat in Week 2 as Josh Jacobs put up historical rushing production. Week 3 appears to be Wilson’s breakout. He gave Green Bay what they wanted when they drafted Marshawn Lloyd – a change of pace back with two-way ability. Wilson finished with 85 combined yards and a TD. He should be rostered.
Tank Bigsby – RB, Jacksonville (17%)
Bigsby is expected to return from injury on Monday Night. He outplayed Travis Etienne in Week 1 and has high level contingent upside if Etienne were to miss time. I want to prioritize rostering him in case this Jaguars offense continues to struggle, and they potentially give Bigsby even more touches as a spark.
Antonio Gibson – RB, New England (18%)
Gibson came back down to earth after his strong Week 2 outing, but he still had eight touches. He is the next man in line if Rhamondre Stevenson were to miss time, making him worth stashing.
Ray Davis – RB, Buffalo (12%)
I am writing this column before Monday Night Football, but Davis remains a must roster player.
He would be a like for like replacement if James Cook were to miss time. Davis is already starting to earn weekly touches.
Tyrone Tracy – New York (7%)
Tracy’s role in the offense is steadily growing. He had seven touches in Sunday’s win over Cleveland. Devin Singletary is in the lead role, but Tracy would be a massive waiver wire add if he were to miss time. Tracy has size and two-way ability.
Tyler Allgeier – Atlanta (24%)
Allgeier is the clear handcuff to Bijan Robinson. With Robinson seeing heavy usage, Allgeier is a valuable stash who would have a strong workload if Robinson were to miss time.
Cordarrelle Patterson – Pittsburgh
With Jaylen Warren dealing with a hamstring pull and heading for an MRI, Patterson is expected to see increased usage. In Week 3’s win over LA, Patterson showed flashes finishing with 48 combined yards. Najee Harris is also banged up, and Patterson could earn a spot start.
Jamaal Williams/Kendre Miller – RBs, New Orleans (6%/6%)
Williams is currently the handcuff, but Kendre Miller could take over the role once he returns from the IR. If you want to speculate that 29-year-old Alvin Kamara will break down, stashing one of these two players is a good move.
Isaac Guerendo – RB, San Francisco (3%)
Guerendo had five carries in Week 3 and is the next man up behind Jordan Mason.
If there are any injuries in the 49ers backfield, Guerendo could see increased touches.
Khalil Herbert – RB, Chicago
Herbert’s usage has been inconsistent, but he remains a deep stash for fantasy managers looking for RB depth. Keep an eye on his production in the coming weeks as Chicago looks for answers in their offense. I much prefer Johnson this week.
Wide Receivers
Jauan Jennings – San Francisco (30%)
I had Jennings in my sleepers video and article and still left him on several benches. Jennings’ out-of-this-world performance was the best game he’ll have all season and the best of his career. He’s a locked-in WR3 and a must-start while George Kittle or Deebo Samuel are out.
Darnell Mooney – Atlanta Falcons (26%)
Mooney is a strong consolation prize for managers who want to avoid the bidding war on Jennings. He caught all eight targets for 66 yards in Week 3 and had 88 yards and a TD in Week 2. He’s trending up and could have WR3 value all season.
Josh Downs – Indianapolis (25%)
I listed Downs as a top 10 addition last week. The production wasn’t there, but the usage was. He played the slot 90-percent of the time and had a 28-percent target share.
Wan’Dale Robinson – New York Giants (20%)
Robinson had a quiet Week 2 but added another solid performance in Sunday’s win over Cleveland.
He had seven catches for 61 yards on eight targets. He’s pacing for a 20-25-percent target share and will be useful during bye weeks.
Xavier Legette, Carolina (10%)
Dalton has untapped enthusiasm with Carolina skill position players. I had Adam Thielen in my sleepers article last week, and he delivered with a TD catch but injured his hamstring along the way. Legette, Carolina’s first round pick out of South Carolina, would receive significant snaps increase if Thielen were to miss time.
Tutu Atwell, LA Rams (2%)
I discussed nearly every Rams WR besides Atwell last week, but his strong play earns him a spot here and a place on our rosters moving forward. Atwell delivered on a huge 50-yard 4th quarter grab and finished the game with four catches for 93 yards. The Rams went on to kick a field goal to win the game. Atwell is a difficult player to predict weekly usage with, but his strong play earned him more opportunities opposite Demarcus Robinson.
Jalen Nailor, Minnesota (11%)
Nailor was in this column last week and was in my sleepers article. He has now scored in back-to-back weeks and is trending up. We still have not seen a high target performance, but the Vikings were in cruise control. Nailor is a viable dart throw for as long as Jordan Addison is out.
Demario Douglas, New England (7%)
Douglas posted season highs of nine targets and six catches. He was a very useful player last season and a frequent visitor to this column. Three of his targets came from Maye on the game’s final drive. This offense will look different with Maye behind center, and there is a non-zero chance that Douglas is his safety blanket.
Ja’Lynn Polk, New England (11%)
Polk is a speculative add. The second-round draft pick caught a TD in Week 2. Leave him on your bench and see if his role grows as the season progresses.
Mike Williams, New York Jets (24%)
Williams is getting healthy. On Thursday, he had four targets and caught three of them.
We have seen Williams’ ability to post spike weeks throughout his career, and his ability as a big receiver in the red zone meshes well with Aaron Rodgers.
Allen Lazard, New York Jets (30%)
Lazard has now scored three TDs in three games. After scoring two TDs in New York’s opening loss to San Francisco, Lazard added another in Thursday’s win over New England. Williams and Lazard probably cannibalize one another on a weekly basis, but rostering one and seeing where it goes is fine.
Michael Wilson, Arizona (9%)
Wilson has been a frequent visitor to this column over the last two seasons. He scored in Week 1 and had a strong performance in Week 3’s loss to Washington. Wilson finished with eight catches on nine targets. He has a great matchup this week for those looking for sneaky spot starts. Arizona faces off against a Washington defense that gets shredded by opposing pass catchers. Trey McBride is in the concussion protocol.
Jordan Whittington, LA Rams (7%)
Whittington caught three passes in LA’s win over San Francisco. His role could grow. Grab him if you have patience.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas (1%)
Tucker finished Week 3 with his best game as a pro. He finished with seven catches for 96 yards and a TD. If Davante Adams gets traded, Tucker would be a potential flex/spot starter. Tucker was a third round pick in the 2022 draft and games like this – even in a loss- will earn him more looks.
Calvin Austin, Pittsburgh (0%)
Van Jefferson is injured. The speedy Austin had his best performance of the season, finishing with four catches, 95 yards, and a TD. He is an intriguing player, but Pittsburgh’s overall passing volume has been minimal.
Greg Dortch, Arizona (10%)
Dortch could also see some increased targets if McBride were to miss. He is a floor play. I much prefer Wilson.
Jalen Tolbert, Dallas
Tolbert was in last week’s article and also made my sleepers article. He has nine catches, 144 yards, and a TD over his last two games.
Tight Ends
Tyler Conklin- New York Jets (14%)
Conklin had his best game of the season. He finished with five catches for 93 yards.
Depending on your team needs at TEs, Conklin becomes a viable option for you this week. He has had three consecutive 87-target seasons, which not only shows he is a viable pass catcher but also shows that he’s a weird player in terms of usage.
Noah Fant- Seattle (29%)
The entire Seattle offense is trending up. Fant had his best game of the season, finishing with six catches on six targets. I have a feeling that the Ryan Grubb offense is just getting started. They have a huge matchup against Arizona this week. Fant is one of the last pieces of the offense that is available in competitive formats. Roster Seahawks.
Cade Otton- Tampa Bay (16%)
Time is a flat circle, and I am writing about Otton in this Waiver Wire column. He is the less appealing floor play TE option to Conklin and not as exciting as Fant. But Otton did have six catches this past week.
Zach Ertz- Washington (23%)
I am writing this prior to Monday Night Football, but Ertz is trending up. He had four catches for 62 yards in Week 2. Washington needs consistent pass catchers, and Ertz should fill a safety blanket role for Jayden Daniels. He is a locked in TE2.
Erick All- Cincinnati (0%)
All had a mini breakout in Week 2, finishing with four catches for 32 yards. He is a priority for dynasty managers and could earn more and more playing time as the season goes on. We won’t know Mike Gesicki‘s true role in the offense until we see him play with Tee Higgins.
Colby Parkinson- LA Rams (30%)
I have been disappointed by Parkinson’s output, but he is a full time player in a Sean McVay offense, and the season is still early. He is a TE depth piece only.
Brock Wright – Detroit (0%)
Sam LaPorta has an ankle injury, the severity of which is unknown.
Expect Detroit to be cautious with him. Wright becomes an interesting option for TE premium leagues and could be a full-time player.
Elijah Higgins – Arizona (0%)
Higgins caught a TD pass in Week 1. If McBride misses time, he could be a fun one-week streamer, especially in TE premium formats. Higgins is a former WR with plenty of athleticism.
Overall Top 10 (NOT INCLUDING SHALLOW LEAGUE ADDS – if Allen or Irving are available MAKE IT RAIN FAAB)
1- Sam Darnold QB Minnesota
2- Jauan Jennings WR San Francisco
3- Roschon Johnson RB Chicago
4- Darnell Mooney WR Atlanta
5- Justin Fields QB Pittsburgh
6- Michael Wilson WR Arizona (lower ranking if Trey McBride plays)
7- Tyler Conklin TE NY Jets
8- Xavier Legette WR Carolina
9- Josh Downs WR Indianapolis
10- TIE Ray Davis/Tank Bigsby RB Buffalo/Jacksonville
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