Week 4 Waiver Targets

By Tony Kneepkens (@tonytk44)

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening).

QB Streaming Special

Geno Smith, SEA, Week 4 at DET (MNF)

• Geno was my suggested QB streamer heading into Week 3 and Mike noted him again as one of his suggested early pickups in Sunday’s Daily Dose. There is potential for lots of scoring, and passing, on Monday Night Football against the Lions and their elite run defense.

• Low-to-medium priority pickup, Geno is my favorite QB that is available in more than half of Yahoo leagues.

• 5% or less of FAAB.

RB Pickups

Bucky Irving, TB, Week 4 vs PHI

• Irving continues to flash in his opportunities behind starter Rachaad White on a solid TB offense. In Week 3, he caught all three of his targets and rushed nine times for 70 yards while White had just 35 scrimmage yards on his 11 touches. Coach Todd Bowles has come out and said that Irving has earned additional opportunities based on his play so far.

• Medium-to-high priority. Bucky is a higher priority this week than last. There is no “Chiefs RB situation” to address this week and now we have three straight weeks of White looking less effective than Irving does as a runner, plus the recent coachspeak from Bowles. I do believe White is an above-average NFL passing game back, so I doubt he just goes away completely, but I like Bucky’s chances to keep stealing more and more of his workload, especially on early downs.

• 20 - 30% of FAAB.

Braelon Allen, NYJ, Week 4 vs DEN

• Allen is another repeat from last week’s column. He has increased both his carry and reception count each week of the season.

• Medium-priority add. Breece Hall remains a stud and a favorite to dominate weekly RB opportunities for the Jets, but Allen gets some touches of his own and seems like the type of backup/handcuff RB who might get a chance at a difference-making role for fantasy if Hall were to miss a game or games. Stash on your benches wherever you can.

• 5 - 15% of FAAB.

Emanuel Wilson, GB, Week 4 vs MIN

• Wilson has been operating as the Packers’ #2 RB behind Josh Jacobs in rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd’s absence. Wilson handled 19 total touches over the past two weeks in the Packers’ run-heavy scheme with QB Jordan Love recovering from a knee injury. Wilson had a strong game in Week 3, racking up 85 scrimmage yards and a receiving TD in the Packers’ win over the Titans.

• Medium-priority add. Similar to the Braelon Allen/Breece Hall situation outlined above, if all things are going according to plan, the GB backfield is likely to be dominated by Josh Jacobs, but we should keep tabs on Wilson for his potential contingent upside as a well-rounded RB on what seems likely to be one of the better offenses in the league.

• 5% or less of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority RB adds to consider stashing on benches:

• Alexander Mattison (LV) - Mattison has scored a TD in all three games this season. The team is using a few different RBs and not necessarily in a clear pattern, but the fact Mattison has been getting snaps in both passing and goal-line situations means he should be on our radar.

• Rico Dowdle (DAL) - The Dallas RB rotation actually got more convoluted this week than last, with Hunter Luepke starting to play in some passing situations. However, Dowdle still handled eight of 11 RB carries and was targeted five times.

• Ty Chandler (MIN) - Chandler remains a strong bench stash as a complementary RB to veteran starter Aaron Jones, but he had his fewest opportunities of the season last week and hasn't been targeted in either of the last two games.

WR Pickups

Jauan Jennings, SF, Week 4 vs NE

• Jennings went berserk in Week 3 for a 49ers team missing three of its top pass-catching playmakers. He thrived in his expanded passing game role, catching 11 of 12 targets for 175 yards and three TDs. The highest scoring fantasy performance of the young season in many formats.

• Medium-to-high priority add. While his monster game last week was surprising, the team did reward Jennings with a new 2-year $15MM contract in the off-season and he was part of their plans in Week 1 when SF was closer to full strength (outside of CMC), catching five passes for 64 yards. Jennings could provide some more usable weeks for us with CMC and several of the 49ers stars still without concrete timelines to return.

• 10 - 20% of FAAB.

Xavier Legette, WR, Week 4 vs CIN

• Legette, like the rest of the Panthers, had his best game of the season Week 3 with QB Andy Dalton taking over for the overwhelmed Bryce Young, setting a new career high with 42 receiving yards. In addition to the QB change, Legette was also afforded more snaps and opportunities after veteran WR Adam Thielen left with a hamstring injury he suffered on a TD reception from Dalton. Latest reports indicate Thielen is expected to “miss some time.”

• Medium-priority add. Legette has size, speed, first-round draft pedigree, and seems likely to have additional short-term opportunities for targets for a Panthers offense that looked functional, or better, with Dalton running the show (on a one-game sample). XL is exactly the type of player I want to stash on my bench while we see how this all shakes out. If he hits, it could be BIG. If he doesn’t produce, or Thielen is back quickly, or the offense as a whole regresses, we can just drop him in a couple of weeks when we need bye-week coverage at WR or elsewhere.

• 10% or less of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority WR adds to consider stashing on benches:

• Darnell Mooney (ATL) - Leads the Falcons in receiving yards and is second on the team in targets and catches through three games.

• Romeo Doubs (GB) - Full-time player on a good offense. Love seems close to his return to the lineup.

• Jahan Dotson (PHI) - Had already been filling in for an injured A.J. Brown, and now DeVonta Smith is banged up as well. Dotson ran the most routes among Eagles WRs after Smith left last week’s game with a concussion.

TE Pickups

Cole Kmet, CHI, Week 4 vs LAR

• Kmet, Caleb Williams, and the Bears’ passing game as a whole finally broke out in Week 3. Kmet caught 10 of 11 targets for 97 yards and TD, one of the top games by any TE this season.

• Medium-priority add. It was a bit of a perfect storm for Kmet in Week 3. Keenan Allen remained sidelined, the Bears fell behind early, and then they ran a lot of passing plays playing catch-up. While Kmet shouldn't be relied on to catch double-digit passes every week, he does look like a strong option at a weak TE position.

• 10-20% of FAAB.

Tyler Conklin, NYJ, Week 4 vs DEN

• Conklin caught five of six targets for a team-high 93 receiving yards in the Jets’ comfortable TNF victory over the Patriots last week. He’s caught 58 and 61 passes each of the past two years for the Jets.

• Low-priority add. I have Kmet well above Conklin and any of the other possible TE pickups this week but I like the NYJ veteran as my next TE choice based on his regular role in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense.

• 5% or less.

DEFENSE (Top pickups for Week 4)

1. Bears (vs LAR) - 55% owned 

2. Raiders (vs CLE)

3. Bengals (at CAR)