Fantasy Football Week 4: Waiver Wire Pickups

Everyone should know the drill by now: Every week, we highlight the best potential waiver pickups available in at least 50% of Yahoo fantasy football leagues. If you’re in dire need of a pick, the names below can probably help you out.

Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (29%)

Another week, another multi-TD game from Darnold. He has passed for 449 yards and six scores in his last two games against the Niners and Texans, a pair of legitimate opponents — teams we all expect to make deep postseason runs.

Justin Jefferson was ridiculous against Houston, as usual, catching six balls for 81 yards and one score. Darnold connected with six different receivers on the day, four of which reached the end zone. He’s playing so exceptionally well that the league itself has essentially declared him an MVP candidate (who may or may not age well). At the very least, he’s the latest success story in Kevin O’Connell’s rehab.

Let’s not forget that we haven’t seen a fully operational version of the Vikings offense yet, with Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson and Aaron Jones all in the mix at once. We can’t rule out that Darnold’s best weeks are still ahead of him.

He sprained his left knee on Sunday, but quickly shook it off and missed only two snaps. Darnold heads for additional testingbut it seems unlikely that this injury will sideline him in Week 4 at Lambeau.

Recommended FAB offer (assuming a $100 budget): $11

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (43%)

Apparently Smith and DK Metcalf get together every week in one of these ways:

Smith had 200 passing yards at halftime, and eventually finished with 289 yards and one score. He is undefeated and seems quite comfortable in his team’s new offense.

We’d like to remind you again that Smith is just one year removed from a top-5 positional finish and his receiving corps has no shortage of playmakers. He’s also coming off a sweet (but not easy) Monday night game in Detroit in Week 4.

FAB Price: $9

Additional QB options:

• Justin Velden leads a 3-0 team and is coming off a game in which he scored once and had one rush. He’s going into a friendly in Indianapolis, so he’s definitely going to be on the fantasy radar. We won’t be seeing Russell Wilson behind center for a while.

• Andy Dalton has single-handedly lifted the Panthers offense to a competent and watchable level, at least for a week. He can be leaned over with only mild trepidation. Dalton has a pair of rematch games coming up against Cincinnati and Chicago, if such details interest you.

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Backrunners

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (35%)

Little went right for the Bucs on Sunday, but they did get another big day from Irving. The Oregon rookie carried nine times for 70 yards and caught three passes for 14, topping Rachaad White by 49 scrimmage yards. He’s an absolute blast with the ball in his hands:

Irving has carried 25 times for 154 yards in three weeks, while White has converted 31 attempts for just 66 yards. Without a doubt, we have a commission on our hands in Tampa Bay. White’s receiving prowess will clearly keep him in the mix, but he’s not producing highlight reels like the one above — or like this one:

Ridiculous stuff, rookie. Add Irving where you could use a live-wire runner with big-play ability.

FAB Price: $21

Braelon Allen, New York Jets (36%)

A week after Allen’s two-touchdown breakout performance against the Titans, he produced 68 total yards on 14 touches against New England. He didn’t just pile up stats in a run-out-the-clock situation, either. Allen did his damage early and late, often sharing the field with Breece Hall.

The rookie appears to be more than just a nuisance to Hall managers. Instead, he’s a full-fledged committee member in New York’s backfield. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he’s a penalty killer with considerable speed. It didn’t take long for him to develop fantasy value in his own right. Flex when needed.

FAB Price: $16

Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (42%)

Dallas seems determined to maintain its committee rule in the backfield, but it’s worth noting that Dowdle has started consecutive games. He also leads the team in carries (23) and rushing yards (88), plus he’s caught eight passes for another 59 yards on 11 targets. If you’re forced to start a Cowboys running back against the Giants in Week 4, Dowdle is your best option.

FAB Price: $7

Various other RB additions:

• Roschon-Johnson was unexpectedly busy on Sunday, converting 12 touches into 62 total yards and being quite effective.

• Cam Akers had a mostly quiet afternoon replacing the injured Joe Mixon on Sunday, but he was able to convert his one catch into a short touchdown. If Mixon remains sidelined for the upcoming game against the Jaguars, Akers will remain part of the replacement plan.

• As expected, Together Perine played a supporting role in Kansas City’s backfield on Sunday night. He was outscored by Carson Steele, 18 to 9. Still, he’s getting enough play to earn a roster spot in deeper leagues, given the quality and ceiling of the team’s offense. We’ll also remind you that Clyde Edwards-Helaire can join this committee again from week 5.

• Alexander Mattison turned his six touches into 44 yards and another score on Sunday. He has stubbornly refused to let Zamir White visit the end zone through the first three weeks, which is unseemly. Mattison has a string of unappealing matchups ahead (Cle, Den, Pit), but he remains a viable flex in the big leagues.

• There is no need to jump up Tyler Badie Not yet, except in the deepest leagues. But notice, he carried nine times for 70 yards in Denver’s win over Tampa Bay, further complicating an already messy backfield. Badie has been a preseason hero, but hadn’t found many regular-season opportunities until Sunday.

Wide receivers and tight ends

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (32%)

I have to say, it felt great to be in the 16% of managers who drafted Jennings and actually started him on Sunday. He became an obvious choice at the end of the week when both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle were ruled out. But the decision to put him in a starting lineup was more about your level of desperation.

As it turns out, he was one of the correct answers in week 3:

Jennings finished with 11 catches for 175 yards and three spikes on 12 targets, by far the best performance of his respectable but thus far unimaginative career.

There’s no promise he’ll ever play a game like Sunday again, but a touchdown hat trick makes him an automatic add in any league. He’ll have the Patriots and Cardinals at home in the next two games, and neither Samuel nor Kittle will be back this week.

FAB Price: $12

Allen Lazard, New York Jets (30%)

With three weeks under his belt, Lazard is essentially having the season you’d originally hope for from Mike Williams or Malachi Corley. Lazard has made three house calls on his 16 targets and has played a significant role in the offense every week. The guy has spent every season of his NFL career as a teammate of Aaron Rodgers, so there’s no denying the rapport that exists between this pair.

Lazard should still be heavily involved next week when the Jets host the Broncos. It’s safe to assume Patrick Surtain II will be occupied with Garrett Wilson, putting several other New York receivers in friendlier coverage situations.

FAB Price: $6

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (40%)

In the context of this season, any tight end who can throw a 10-catch, 97-yard game is an immediate and urgent priority addition. Kmet was outstanding Sunday in a frantic, lopsided loss to the Bears in Indy. He emerged as the easy button for Caleb Williams, something the team hadn’t identified before Week 3. Chicago has a friendly with the Rams on the schedule, and Keenan Allen (heel) isn’t a sure bet to return.

FAB Price: $6

Additional WRs and TEs to consider:

• Darnell Mooney has been incredibly useful in back-to-back weeks, with 154 receiving yards, 11 catches and one score against the Eagles and Chiefs. He’s simply been a much bigger part of the game plans than most of us expected.

• Quentin Johnston drew just two targets in Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh, but one of them resulted in his team’s lone touchdown. He has three catches in his last two games and appears to be the most starting member of the Chargers’ receiving corps.

• Wan’Dale Robinson had another full-PPR friendly day, catching seven balls for 61 yards on eight targets. He’s capable of a similar number of receptions in any given week, regardless of the opponent.

• Jalen Nailor has made home visits in each of Minnesota’s first three games and he’s teamed with the best passer in the world, so we’re not going to say he can’t continue his streak against Green Bay in Week 4.

• Jakobi Meyers is simply too good a player in real life to remain so widely available in fantasy and he comes off a useful stat line (7-62-1), though he did most of his damage in the fourth quarter of a hopeless game.

• If you absolutely have to take a player from New England’s receiving room (which would be a terrible league setup), DeMario Douglas is probably the man. He delivered an eight-touch, 78-yard performance against the Jets on Thursday night.

• Noah Fant caught all six of his targets against Miami, finishing with 60 scoreless yards. Did your fantasy tight end do better? Probably not. Fant could benefit from a pass-heavy game script in Detroit on Monday night.

Defense

New Orleans Saints (36%)

The Saints have held each of their three opponents to under 20 points while compiling 11 sacks and seven turnovers. This defense is legit, no doubt about it. This week, they travel to Atlanta to face a less mobile version of Kirk Cousins ​​than usual in a game that should feature plenty of dropbacks.

FAB Price: $1

Denver Broncos (14%)

This recommendation is less about the upcoming game against the Jets and more about the obvious quality of Denver’s defense. Patrick Surtain II has three of the league’s most talented receivers erased in the opening weeks, giving this group a huge advantage against any opponent. He’s a big problem for Garrett Wilson in the upcoming matchup. The following week, this D/ST should produce a double-digit total against the Raiders. Denver has generated 11 sacks and four takeaways in three games.

FAB Price: $1