Author: Jake Ciely, Senior Writer
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season (surprisingly) and Terrelle Pryor did everything he could to overcome Cody Parkey kicking the game away. Time to deal up the top Week 4 Waiver Wire pickups.
As a reminder, these waiver wire players aim for the 50 percent or less ownership on average across the major sites. They’re also good for DFS too, as they will often have a lower cost and present values.
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Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups QBs (Streaming Quarterbacks)
I’m renaming this section. There really aren’t any true “waiver wire pickups” at quarterback… at least not for the full season. Instead, we’ll focus on quarterback streamers from now on.
Joe Flacco, BAL – Flacco was in the column last week, and he disappointed against the Jaguars. Don’t let that scare you off him given the matchup this week. Again, we’re talking pure streaming options, and the Ravens host the Raiders… or one of the worst defenses going so far. Flacco put up 302 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns, and he can do similar this week.
Trevor Siemian, DEN – Siemian… is… good? He’s at least better than the entire year’s worth of quarterback play for the Broncos last year. This week, the Broncos head to Tampa Bay, and the Buccaneers defense allowed 649 passing yards and five touchdowns in the first two games and just let Case Keenum throw for two scores last week.
Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups RBs
You Should Have Picked Them Up (players atop the list that shouldn’t we on the waiver wire):
Charles Sims, TB; Christine Michael, SEA; Jerick McKinnon, MIN
Jordan Howard, CHI – This is why you stash the deeper options over players you’ll never put in your lineup. You want upside on your bench, not RB5 and WR6 also-rans. Howard is going to be the hottest name of the 2016 waiver wire season, and for good reason. Langford has always been ineffective, only piling up numbers thanks to a high volume of touches. Howard is the better talent, especially between the tackles. With Langford sidelined 4-6 weeks, Howard has the opportunity to pull a Christine Michael and force Langford into a complementary role once he returns.
Dwayne Washington, DET – It was clear to everyone… except the Lions apparently… that Theo Riddick wasn’t suited to be a lead running back. With Riddick managing just nine yards on 10 carries, Washington will see more opportunities going forward and could turn into Ameer Abdullah, Fantasy wise. A matchup with the Bears in Week 4 makes Washington an intriguing, high-upside RB3/Flex play.
Jordan Howard is a must-grab and can be a running back savior. Photo Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire
Darren Sproles and Wendell Smallwood, PHI – The Eagles are off this week, and that will allow Ryan Mathews to get back to 100 percent. The Eagles didn’t need to risk him more in Week 3 with his ankle still an issue. That said, few running backs are more fragile, and if Mathews misses more time, both running backs would see a boost in value. Smallwood would see the larger increase, as Sproles’ role is locked in and will see a decent amount of opportunities weekly no matter who the lead option is.
Kenyan Drake, MIA – After a week of speculation, the Dolphins announced Sunday morning that Drake would start. Even though Jay Ajayi scored, it was in overtime when the Browns appeared not to care about stopping him knowing they had lost the game. Ajayi is worth a pickup too, just in case things clear up a bit in Week 4 and he performs better, but Drake is the lesser-owned option.
Kenneth Dixon, BAL – If you didn’t learn from Howard, learn from my repeating the importance of stashing upside running backs. Grab Dixon now. The Ravens backfield is a mess with no one player taking control or even performing well. Dixon is the most-talented option they have, and when he’s ready, Dixon will take over this backfield and put up RB2 numbers.
Deep Leagues/Watch List: DeAndre Washington, Alfred Morris, Bilal Powell, Chris Thompson, James Starks, Paul Perkins
Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups WRs
You Should Have Picked Them Up:
Tyrell Williams, SD; Steve Smith, BAL; Victor Cruz, NYG; Michael Thomas, NO; Quincy Enunwa, NYJ
Terrelle Pryor, CLE – As with Howard, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny to lock up Pryor if he’s still available. Not only did Pryor haul in 144 receiving yards, he chipped in another 35 passing from the wildcat and 21 more rushing, including a rushing touchdown. Josh Gordon‘s return is a week away, but who’s to say the defensive attention Gordon gets doesn’t help Pryor continue to perform. Okay, true, Cody Kessler isn’t going to be a 275/2-plus per game passer, but Pryor needs to be in all lineups in Week 4, and he’ll still have at least bye week value even with Gordon back.
Phillip Dorsett, IND – It was a quiet day against the Chargers, but people still overlook how good the Chargers’ corners are. Jason Verrett is one of the league’s best, and Casey Hayward has been great. Dorsett is very similar to T.Y. Hilton but not as talented, which is why he’s not an automatic WR2 with Donte Moncrief out. Still, Dorsett is a must-own, as the opportunities will be plenty… and the matchups better.
Jamison Crowder, WSH – If you listened to FNTSY Radio, you would have heard me warm up to Crowder by the day… especially when I studied the matchup against the Giants. Crowder won’t provide WR3 every single week, but in PPR formats, he can certainly be a WR4 with upside of a WR2 in some matchups. Crowder is tied for the team lead in targets and receptions, and my only hesitation about trusting him more has to do with Josh Doctson emerging as the team’s second-best receiver by midseason.
Kevin White, CHI – Don’t forget that White is basically a rookie after missing all of last year. So, you’ll excuse him for being a bit raw, especially when that was one of the negatives about him coming out of West Virginia. White had one great season in college, and while he was the best receiver prospect in last year’s draft, he needs refinement. Nevertheless, White leads the Bears with 27 targets, and while he’s less effective than Alshon Jeffery is, the volume will help overcome that fact giving him WR4 value.
Cole Beasley, DAL – As with Crowder, Beasley is his quarterback’s (Dak Prescott) favorite middle of the field/check-down option. Beasley leads the Cowboys in targets, receptions and yards, and while he’s more of a PPR option than standard, he is a must-own in PPR and can have value during the byes in standard… which are only for the next nine weeks!
Adam Humphries, TB – It’s time to stop ignoring Humphries. Vincent Jackson is clearly done, and Humphries has improved by the week: 34, 67 and 100 yards. The targets and receptions have increased each week as well with Humphries only behind Mike Evans in all three categories for the Buccaneers. I’m not advocating starting Humphries next week, but grabbing him for the byes and upside if Jameis Winston puts together more games like Weeks 1 and 3 and less like Week 2, that’s a must.
Deep Leagues/Watch List: Kenny Britt, Josh Doctson, Laquon Treadwell, Tyler Boyd, Rishard Matthews, Sammie Coates
Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups TEs
You Should Have Picked Them Up:
Dennis Pitta, BAL; Kyle Rudolph, MIN
Jimmy Graham, SEA – This is just in case he’s out there, as Graham is technically breaking the rules at 60 percent ownership. Apparently, Graham is going to be the new poster boy for “this is the best you can hope for coming back from a torn patellar tendon.” It used to be Cadillac Williams, and that wasn’t an inspiring goal. Graham not only had six catches for 100 yards and touchdown, he took some big shots and walked away every time. If Graham is anywhere near his former self, we could have a TE1 on our hands.
Cameron Brate, TB – Austin Seferian-Jenkins is gone and off with the Jets, giving Brate little to no competition for tight end targets in the passing game. As seen in Week 3, that brings plenty of upside, especially with the aforementioned VJax no longer a viable threat. Brate isn’t in the TE1 conversation just yet, but he’s worth grabbing if you need any tight end help.
Zach Miller, CHI – Miller was a popular preseason tight end sleeper, but he didn’t show much chemistry with Jay Cutler through the first two games. Things were different with Brian Hoyer at quarterback, but that’s why Miller is more of an “add if you need help” and not a “must-grab and start next week.” Cutler will be back in just a few weeks, and there is a legitimate question about whether Miller’s success will continue without Hoyer.
Deep Leagues/Watch List: Jesse James, Hunter Henry
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