With three weeks in the books, it’s time to improve our rosters for Week 4 by using the waiver wire. Let’s take a look at the top waiver wire pickups to target for your fantasy football team in Week 4.
Week 4 fantasy waiver wire pickups | Quarterbacks
Here are the quarterbacks to target on the Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire.
Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers (45% rostered on Fleaflicker)
It seems we see the same names popping up on this list at QB, but that speaks to the depth at the position in 1QB leagues. When you only need to start 10 to 12 in an average league, productive players fall through the cracks despite consistently performing well.
That’s where we are with Sam Darnold. Through three weeks, Darnold has thrown for 275+ yards in each game while throwing for 300 or more in the last two. He has also thrown for 2 touchdowns in each game while completing 68% of his passes on the year. Darnold is now the QB12 in fantasy and is averaging 21.1 fantasy points per game.
Although Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) missing time will hamper the offense, the Panthers have enough talent at receiver. And given Darnold’s current form, he can keep this offense moving, especially with how great their defense has been.
In Week 4, the Panthers take on the Dallas Cowboys, who are 21st in fantasy points allowed (20.81), surrendering 7 touchdown passes and 347.6 yards per game (31st).
After a 336-yard and 2-TD game in Week 2, Taylor Heinicke had a rough Week 3. But in fairness, the whole team did as the Buffalo Bills throttled them 43-21. Heinicke salvaged the day with 2 touchdowns on just 24 pass attempts while adding a rushing TD and 21 yards on 8 carries. His 22.4 points were enough to come in as the QB10 in fantasy.
Heinicke and the team should bounce back in Week 4 as they take on the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are 30th in points allowed to QBs (24.88) and have surrendered 8 passing TDs while failing to record an interception.
Running Backs
There are quite a few RBs you should scour the waiver wire for in Week 4.
Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (41% rostered on Fleaflicker)
Chuba Hubbard is facing an impossible task. Replace the irreplaceable.
No one can fill McCaffrey’s shoes, but Hubbard will undoubtedly give it a shot. In Week 3, with McCaffrey ruled out (hamstring), Hubbard rushed 11 times for 52 yards and added another 27 yards on 3 receptions (5 targets).
Once McCaffrey is back, he will be right back into a similar workload, which eliminates the long-term upside of Hubbard. Nevertheless, for at least this week, and maybe the next, you have a starting-caliber RB on your roster. I expect Royce Freeman to see some work as the Panthers utilize both RBs to carry the load, but Hubbard has the upside given his elite-level speed.
The matchup is not ideal against the Cowboys (No. 8 vs. RBs). Dallas has not allowed a TD to opposing RBs and have given up just 107 total yards to the position. Still, Hubbard is worth a claim off the Week 4 waiver wire.
Peyton Barber, Las Vegas Raiders (15% rostered)
Peyton Barber had a phenomenal day in a great matchup while filling in for Josh Jacobs (ankle). In Week 3, Barber had 23 carries, totaling 111 yards and a score on the ground. He also caught 3 of 5 targets for 31 yards. Although the prevailing thought was Jacobs’ absence would lead to Kenyan Drake taking the prominent role, Barber out-carried him 23 to 8.
There is always a risk Jacobs returns, and Barber turns out to be a dud waiver wire claim. Head coach Jon Gruden hopes to get Jacobs “back on the grass” this week. But there is a big difference between getting back to practice and being game-ready.
If Jacobs is out for a third straight game, Barber could be in for another great matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. They are 21st in points allowed at 25.67, 30th in total yards (170), and dead last at 5.46 yards per carry.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons (62% rostered)
I bring Cordarrelle Patterson up even though he does exceed our typical cut-off. Every league and site is different, and he could be floating around on your waiver wire. If he is, scoop him up. Patterson rushed 7 times for 20 yards while catching 6 of 7 targets for 82 yards in Sunday’s Week 3 win over the Giants. He found the end zone twice in Week 2, and after another productive game, he needs to be rostered.
Week 4 fantasy waiver wire pickups | Wide Receivers
Here are the wide receivers to target on the Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire.
Emmanuel Sanders, Buffalo Bills (47% rostered on Fleaflicker)
We have been wondering who would taker over the WR2/3 role for the Buffalo Bills. Yet, we first needed the Bills to resemble the team we thought they could be. I think we received an answer to both of these questions last week.
In Week 3’s rout of Washington, Emmanuel Sanders caught 5 of 6 targets for 94 yards with 2 touchdowns. While both Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley did see more targets, Sanders led the team in both routes and snaps.
Josh Allen looked like the MVP candidate we saw last year, and in Week 4, the Bills take on the Houston Texans. Circle the wagons and snatch up Sanders off your waiver wire in Week 4 for fantasy football.
Tim Patrick, Denver Broncos (45% rostered)
The last thing the Broncos needed was another injury to the receiving corps. Unfortunately, the news was not good as second-year WR KJ Hamler suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 and will miss the remainder of the season. This opens up more opportunities for Tim Patrick moving forward.
After scoring in back-to-back games, Patrick caught all 5 targets in Week 3 for 98 yards against the New York Jets. The Broncos move Patrick (6’4″) from the outside to the slot, which helps to create mismatches that Teddy Bridgewater can exploit.
The Baltimore Ravens are a tougher matchup, but at No. 14 in fantasy points allowed (36.13) and 173 receiving yards per game, Patrick could be a flex play in Week 4.
Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots (54% rostered)
Once again, slightly above the cut-off, but it’s important to note that Jakobi Meyers needs to be rostered. I believed all offseason that Meyers would be the WR1 for the Patriots, and so far, it’s not even close.
After a Week 3 in which he caught 9 of 14 targets for 94 yards, Meyers now has 19 receptions on 29 targets for 176 yards on the season. He has seen 24.7% of the total targets but 47.5% of the WR targets (61).
In Week 4, it’s the most anticipated matchup in recent memory as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers come into Foxborough to take on the Patriots. Normally, we avoid the Buccaneers’ defense in fantasy, but I wouldn’t when it comes to receivers. They are a pass funnel. They lead the league in passes faced at 68% due to their staunch run defense.
This is why they are last in fantasy points allowed at 58.93 per game and are 32nd in yards allowed (241 yards). CB Jamel Dean is likely to miss Sunday’s matchup, and Meyers could be a sneaky starter in Week 4. At minimum, he needs to be rostered and claimed off the waiver wire in Week 4.
Tight Ends
Which tight end should you target on the waiver wire in Week 4?
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings (13% rostered on Fleaflicker)
Finding productive play at TE can be brutal, but one potential option could be Tyler Conklin. He is coming off a solid Week 3, recording 7 receptions (7 targets) for 70 yards and a touchdown. And he needed it. Heading into the week, Conklin had just 6 receptions (8 targets) for 56 yards. While he will never be the top red-zone option, Conklin has as good of a shot as anyone to end the week as a low-end TE1.
Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (36% rostered)
If it was not clear heading into Week 2, it’s obvious now that Pat Freiermuth is the TE1 for the Steelers. In Week 3, Freiermuth recorded 3 receptions on 5 targets for 22 yards, which included a shovel pass for a TD — something we’ve seen Travis Kelce make famous.
Through three games, Freiermuth has 8 receptions on 10 targets for 82 yards and a score. Meanwhile, Eric Ebron’s only reception came in Week 1.
With Diontae Johnson (knee) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (ribs) questionable for Week 4, Freiermuth could be in line for a more prominent role on a Steelers offense that needs to find its identity. They take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, who are 30th in points allowed vs. the position at 19.87 per game, averaging 65.6 yards.
Additionally, they have surrendered 3 touchdowns to tight ends. If Freiermuth has another big game, he will be an even hotter name in fantasy waiver wire moves come next week.
Fantasy Waiver Wire Week 4: Chuba Hubbard a top waiver claim in Week 4 - Pro Football Network
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