Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire: Best Pickups At Each Position
As you’ll learn over the course of your fantasy football season, the waiver wire can be your best friend.
Whether it be a player who’s underperforming or, even worse, a tough injury, seemingly every problem can be solved by snagging a player or two who’s currently a free agent in your league. This especially is true now, as the waiver wire still is rich with talent, seeing as the season only has three weeks under its belt.
Even if you’re comfortable with your team, it’s better to be safe than sorry. The waiver wire, obviously, will increasingly become slim as the season progresses.
So, which players are worthy of adding ahead of Week 4? Here are the best players at each position owned in 65 percent or less of Yahoo! fantasy leagues.
Quarterback: Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (14 percent owned in Yahoo! leagues)
Barring a major setback, the Texans’ quarterback competition officially is over. After a strong debut against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2, Watson turned in an even better performance against the New England Patriots on Sunday. The versatile quarterback completed 22 of his 33 pass attempts for 301 yards with two touchdowns, while also carrying the ball eight times for 41 yards. Watson’s dual-threat ability should translate into a fantasy points machine, and it doesn’t hurt that he has great weapons like DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller at his disposal.
Other quarterbacks to target: Jacoby Brissett (IND), Blake Bortles (JAX)
Running Back: Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints (40 percent owned)
The Saints employ a three-headed monster in the backfield, but don’t let that scare you from scooping up Kamara. Though Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson will get their touches, Kamara arguably is the most skilled running back New Orleans has. He’s capable of running between the tackles, and he’s also a strong receiving back. Kamara logged his first career rushing touchdown Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, and it appears the 22-year-old only is trending upward.
Other running backs to pursue: Jamaal Charles (DEN), Giovani Bernard (CIN), Wendell Smallwood (PHI)
Wide Receiver: Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (34 percent owned)
The Giants are off to a surprising 0-3 start to the season, but New York’s offense appeared to finally get into a groove in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Shepard turned in his best game as an NFL player in the Week 3 contest, hauling in seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. Shepard frequently becomes one of Eli Manning’s favorite targets, as star wideout Odell Beckham Jr. often finds himself a victim of double coverage. The Giants are a pass-happy team, and Shepard should get a fair amount of targets on a week-to-week basis.
Other wide receivers to target: Taylor Gabriel (ATL), Robby Anderson (NYJ), Robert Woods (LAR)
Tight End: Marcedes Lewis, Jacksonville Jaguars (1 percent owned)
Reliable tight ends are hard to come by in fantasy football, but Lewis has been a solid point-producer over the course of his 12-year NFL career. Blake Bortles no longer has his favorite target, as Allen Robinson will be out for the season after tearing his ACL in Week 1. With that said, expect the Jaguars quarterback to spread the ball around. Jacksonville has a solid receiver depth chart featuring the likes of Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee, but Lewis still is a frequent target, especially in the red zone. This was true in the Jaguars’ 44-7 rout of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, which saw Lewis catch four passes for 62 yards with three (!) touchdowns.
Other tight ends to pursue: Ryan Griffin (HOU)
Thumbnail photo via Aaron Doster/USA TODAY Sports Images
