by Nate Polvogt
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If you like winning, come back every week for under-the-radar fantasy waiver wire pickups to keep you in contention until the final contest. We leave no stone unturned to ensure we give you the BEST chance to win week in and week out. Let’s get to it with our Week 4 waiver wire pickups.
Welcome to hell.
Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it feels like it.
The latest fantasy football assets bitten by the injury bug include TEs Trey McBride (concussion) and Sam LaPorta (ankle), QB Justin Herbert (ankle) and WR DeVonta Smith (concussion). These aren’t easy-to-replace players in your lineups, and the pickings are already getting thin on the waiver wire.
This is where winners win. Adaptability is critical, and right now, you better be a chameleon. Let’s get down to business with my Week 4 waiver wire pickups.
Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
*All rostership percentages are courtesy of ESPN Fantasy
Terms to Know:
- PPR – Point Per Reception
- FAAB – Free Agency Acquisition Budget
- IR – Injured Reserve
- FUBAR – IYKYK
Week 4 Waiver Wire QBs
Bo Nix (QB – DEN) | 7.8%
There is zero chance I would have thought we’d be talking about rookie QB Bo Nix as a fantasy football-relevant waiver wire addition ahead of Week 4. However, Nix turned in an impressive performance this past weekend against Tampa Bay and is sitting at QB18 in this mixed-up season.
If you’re already down a QB, or the one you drafted has been an utter disappointment – I’m looking at you, Deshaun Watson, Will Levis and Trevor Lawrence managers – Nix is a solid replacement option.
He has gotten progressively better the last three weeks, with Nix completing 69.4% of his passes for 216 yards against Tampa Bay. While he has yet to throw an NFL TD, he rushed for two against the Buccaneers.
The Denver offense isn’t good – yet – and there will be weeks where he isn’t either. Week 4 has Denver up against a stout Jets defense that isn’t giving much up to anyone, followed by matchups against the Raiders, Chargers and Saints. However, the QB landscape is thin, and Nix presents rushing upside (107 yards and two TDs through three games) while he figures the rest out.
Andy Dalton (QB – CAR) | 1.4%
The Bryce Young situation got ugly fast in Carolina. Young, the fantasy football QB32 through the first two weeks of the season, got the boot in favor of veteran journeyman QB Andy Dalton for Week 3. As you would expect, Dalton became the first QB in the NFL this season to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game.
He’s not flashy, but when it comes to fantasy football, Dalton can get it done. His 2024 debut saw Dalton log 24.6 fantasy points and finish the week as the overall QB5 in fantasy. In only 14 games as the starter in New Orleans in 2022, Dalton finished the season as the overall QB22. In his 14-year career, Dalton has finished as a top-20 fantasy QB 7 times.
Acquiring Dalton isn’t going to be sexy, and it isn’t going to be a league-winning move. However, it does give you some stability on your fantasy rosters, especially in 2QB leagues. There’s no sign Young will get a chance to win the starting job back, so Dalton is the man for the foreseeable future in Carolina.
Geno Smith (QB – SEA) | 27.8 %
Geno Smith is back, baby!
The 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year had a down 2023 season, finishing as the overall QB18 after ascending to QB5 the previous season. The doubters doubted, assuming Geno had a get-lucky season in 2022, and that was all we’d get.
However, Smith is proving that last season was an aberration. Through three games, he is completing 74.8 percent of his passes. While he has thrown three INTs to three TDs, he also has 787 passing yards and added a rushing TD in Week 1. In this current decimated landscape of injury and underperformance, Smith is the overall QB9.
Consistency is vital to sanity and winning in fantasy football, and that’s precisely what Geno brings. Sure, he’ll get you some big weeks of 30 or more fantasy points. But you’ll always know he will get you at least double-digits week in and week out.
Week 4 Waiver Wire RBs
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – PIT) | 0.7%
Just when you think he’s out, he’s right back in. Cordarrelle Patterson, now a member of the Steelers backfield, has found the pages of fantasy football waiver wire articles across the country yet again.
Pittsburgh has found themselves 3-0 on the back of QB Justin Fields. Who would have thought, right?
In his 12th season with his sixth NFL team, Patterson finds himself in the mix in the Steel City with injuries to fellow RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren lingering.
Patterson has seen limited work this season, with four of his 10 carries and all five passing targets coming this past Sunday against the Chargers. However, with Harris in a sling and Warren staring down an MRI on his knee this week, Patterson could be the RB1 for Pittsburgh this Sunday against the Colts.
Patterson might be a one-week rental, but it should be a good week if he gets most of the snaps in the backfield. Indianapolis is giving up an average of 19.4 half-PPR points to the position, and Patterson has been efficient with his touches, averaging 4.9 yards per carry (YPC).
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI) | 0.8%
Things are ugly in Chicago.
The Bears were supposed to be vastly improved. With a slew of off-season veteran acquisitions and high draft picks, it made sense. Players like Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson were old news, and in fantasy football, they mostly went undrafted.
However, new RB D’Andre Swift has been a disappointment three weeks into the season, averaging 1.8 YPC and has been used scantly in the passing game. While the sample size is smaller than Swift’s 37 attempts, Johnson has averaged 3.8 YPC on eight carries, netting 30 rushing yards. In addition, Johnson has caught all four of his targets for 32 yards.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron knows that patience is wearing thin from upper management just three weeks in, and Johnson has been efficient enough to get more looks in the Bears offense. It’s that simple.
Johnson should have more work in the next few weeks, increasing his value in fantasy football. Get on the Johnson train now before it becomes cost-prohibitive.
Week 4 Waiver Wire WRs
Calvin Austin (WR – PIT) | 0.2%
More gems from the Steelers offense? Why not.
Because an aging RB wasn’t enough, I bring you third-year WR Calvin Austin.
Austin has quietly worked himself into the Steelers offense as the WR3. He currently sits tied for third on the team in targets (9), fourth in catches (6), second in receiving yards (107), and is the only WR with a receiving touchdown.
Austin is cementing a role for himself in the Pittsburgh offense. It isn’t flashy, but he is a reliable deep threat who could be a solid flex option for most of the season. If Geroge Pickens or Pat Freiermuth misses any time, Austin could become even more than that.
Michael Wilson (WR – ARI) | 12.1%
It was supposed to be Greg Dortch! But alas…
The Arizona Cardinals offense has gotten off to a fantastic start. Kyler Murray is balling, and everyone seems to be getting fed. While most of the passing volume will continue to go through TE Trey McBride and WR Marvin Harrison, second-year wideout Michael Wilson is also becoming a fantasy-relevant option for managers.
Dortch the Torch’s value isn’t dead, but Wilson will cut into his production. This past Sunday, Wilson saw nine targets, of which he caught eight, netting 64 receiving yards. Dortch, on the other hand, was only targeted six times, logging 35 receiving yards.
Like Dortch, Wilson’s value lies in his big-play ability out wide. Those chunk plays won’t come every week, but if the volume stays consistent, Wilson is a solid floor play every week.
Allen Lazard (WR – NYJ) | 34.2%
No, it’s not 2022 again. Yes, Allen Lazard is seriously fantasy-relevant in 2024.
In an offense with fellow pass-catching options like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Mike Williams, no one would fault you for not having Lazard on your radar. However, the 29-year-old NFL veteran is currently third on the team in catches (11), second in yards (148) and leads the Jets with three receiving TDs.
Lazard and Jets QB Aaron Rodgers have a rapport, and whether we like it or not, that makes him a rosterable and valuable fantasy asset. He might be TD-dependent, but if Rodgers continues giving him the looks, Lazard will continue to score.
Week 4 Waiver Wire TEs
Cole Kmet (TE – CHI) | 26.2%
It’s time to get “Kmet’d,” folks.
You might have laughed if I told you Bears TE Cole Kmet would be rookie Caleb Williams‘ third-favorite target through three games. However, with 17 targets turned into 15 catches for 128 yards and TD, he is just that.
Rookie Rome Odunze and veteran D.J. Moore are the clear 1-2 punch in this Bears attack, but Kmet is a nice piece of the puzzle, proving to be a consistent helper for Williams as he gets used to the NFL. The Bears offense is bad, but Kmet is a security blanket for the rookie signal-caller, and his volume won’t be dipping soon.
As of this publishing, Kmet is the TE3 in PPR, aided by a Week 3 blow-up of 25.7 fantasy points. He won’t stay that high up in the TE fracas all season, but in a world where streaming the position is the key to success, Kmet will get you more than a few really good weeks in fantasy football.
Eric Saubert (TE – SF) | 1.5%
Most teams would have curled up into a ball with the injuries the San Francisco 49ers have dealt with this season. However, like his dad, Mike, head coach Kyle Shanahan is a “next man up” type of leader. With TE George Kittle on the mend with a hamstring injury, veteran bookend Eric Saubert might have found himself relevant in fantasy football.
It wasn’t a ton of work, but in Week 3, with Kittle sidelined, Saubert caught two passes for 41 yards. That marked two consecutive weeks of Saubert putting fantasy points on the board after making two grabs in Week 2.
If Kittle misses significant time, Saubert will become increasingly in the fold. The TE landscape is thin, and any points you can squeeze out of the slot on your roster are good points.
In Kittle’s absence, Saubert could lock you into a consistent five to seven fantasy points every week. That doesn’t sound like much, but in Week 1, that would have been good for overall PPR TE12.
Streaming D/STs
Houston Texans (HOU) vs Jacksonville
The Texans’ defense draws the fumbling Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4, who are the third-worst-scoring offense in points per game (13.3) and are coming off a 40-point demolishing at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
While the Jaguars aren’t turning the ball over at an exceptionally high rate, this team will have a hard time scoring against Houston, giving the Texans D/ST a solid floor in Week 4.
Miami Dolphins (MIA) vs Tennessee
The Dolphins’ defense hasn’t been stellar, but a Week 4 matchup against the Titans could be a nice little confidence boost for the Miami unit.
The Tennessee offense ranks 28th overall in points per game (16) and first in total turnovers (8) through three weeks of the season. Miami’s offense can’t do much right now, with Skylar Thompson behind center. If they want to walk away victorious on Sunday, the defense will need to step up, and this is an easy week for them to get it done.
Nate Polvogt is a Co-Founder and the lead senior analyst for Optimus Fantasy Football. Find more from Nate on X (formerly Twitter) @NatePolvogt and on Optimus Fantasy.
by Nate Polvogt
Share
If you like winning, come back every week for under-the-radar fantasy waiver wire pickups to keep you in contention until the final contest. We leave no stone unturned to ensure we give you the BEST chance to win week in and week out. Let’s get to it with our Week 4 waiver wire pickups.
Welcome to hell.
Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but it feels like it.
The latest fantasy football assets bitten by the injury bug include TEs Trey McBride (concussion) and Sam LaPorta (ankle), QB Justin Herbert (ankle) and WR DeVonta Smith (concussion). These aren’t easy-to-replace players in your lineups, and the pickings are already getting thin on the waiver wire.
This is where winners win. Adaptability is critical, and right now, you better be a chameleon. Let’s get down to business with my Week 4 waiver wire pickups.
Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
*All rostership percentages are courtesy of ESPN Fantasy
Terms to Know:
- PPR – Point Per Reception
- FAAB – Free Agency Acquisition Budget
- IR – Injured Reserve
- FUBAR – IYKYK
Week 4 Waiver Wire QBs
Bo Nix (QB – DEN) | 7.8%
There is zero chance I would have thought we’d be talking about rookie QB Bo Nix as a fantasy football-relevant waiver wire addition ahead of Week 4. However, Nix turned in an impressive performance this past weekend against Tampa Bay and is sitting at QB18 in this mixed-up season.
If you’re already down a QB, or the one you drafted has been an utter disappointment – I’m looking at you, Deshaun Watson, Will Levis and Trevor Lawrence managers – Nix is a solid replacement option.
He has gotten progressively better the last three weeks, with Nix completing 69.4% of his passes for 216 yards against Tampa Bay. While he has yet to throw an NFL TD, he rushed for two against the Buccaneers.
The Denver offense isn’t good – yet – and there will be weeks where he isn’t either. Week 4 has Denver up against a stout Jets defense that isn’t giving much up to anyone, followed by matchups against the Raiders, Chargers and Saints. However, the QB landscape is thin, and Nix presents rushing upside (107 yards and two TDs through three games) while he figures the rest out.
Andy Dalton (QB – CAR) | 1.4%
The Bryce Young situation got ugly fast in Carolina. Young, the fantasy football QB32 through the first two weeks of the season, got the boot in favor of veteran journeyman QB Andy Dalton for Week 3. As you would expect, Dalton became the first QB in the NFL this season to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game.
He’s not flashy, but when it comes to fantasy football, Dalton can get it done. His 2024 debut saw Dalton log 24.6 fantasy points and finish the week as the overall QB5 in fantasy. In only 14 games as the starter in New Orleans in 2022, Dalton finished the season as the overall QB22. In his 14-year career, Dalton has finished as a top-20 fantasy QB 7 times.
Acquiring Dalton isn’t going to be sexy, and it isn’t going to be a league-winning move. However, it does give you some stability on your fantasy rosters, especially in 2QB leagues. There’s no sign Young will get a chance to win the starting job back, so Dalton is the man for the foreseeable future in Carolina.
Geno Smith (QB – SEA) | 27.8 %
Geno Smith is back, baby!
The 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year had a down 2023 season, finishing as the overall QB18 after ascending to QB5 the previous season. The doubters doubted, assuming Geno had a get-lucky season in 2022, and that was all we’d get.
However, Smith is proving that last season was an aberration. Through three games, he is completing 74.8 percent of his passes. While he has thrown three INTs to three TDs, he also has 787 passing yards and added a rushing TD in Week 1. In this current decimated landscape of injury and underperformance, Smith is the overall QB9.
Consistency is vital to sanity and winning in fantasy football, and that’s precisely what Geno brings. Sure, he’ll get you some big weeks of 30 or more fantasy points. But you’ll always know he will get you at least double-digits week in and week out.
Week 4 Waiver Wire RBs
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – PIT) | 0.7%
Just when you think he’s out, he’s right back in. Cordarrelle Patterson, now a member of the Steelers backfield, has found the pages of fantasy football waiver wire articles across the country yet again.
Pittsburgh has found themselves 3-0 on the back of QB Justin Fields. Who would have thought, right?
In his 12th season with his sixth NFL team, Patterson finds himself in the mix in the Steel City with injuries to fellow RBs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren lingering.
Patterson has seen limited work this season, with four of his 10 carries and all five passing targets coming this past Sunday against the Chargers. However, with Harris in a sling and Warren staring down an MRI on his knee this week, Patterson could be the RB1 for Pittsburgh this Sunday against the Colts.
Patterson might be a one-week rental, but it should be a good week if he gets most of the snaps in the backfield. Indianapolis is giving up an average of 19.4 half-PPR points to the position, and Patterson has been efficient with his touches, averaging 4.9 yards per carry (YPC).
Roschon Johnson (RB – CHI) | 0.8%
Things are ugly in Chicago.
The Bears were supposed to be vastly improved. With a slew of off-season veteran acquisitions and high draft picks, it made sense. Players like Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson were old news, and in fantasy football, they mostly went undrafted.
However, new RB D’Andre Swift has been a disappointment three weeks into the season, averaging 1.8 YPC and has been used scantly in the passing game. While the sample size is smaller than Swift’s 37 attempts, Johnson has averaged 3.8 YPC on eight carries, netting 30 rushing yards. In addition, Johnson has caught all four of his targets for 32 yards.
Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron knows that patience is wearing thin from upper management just three weeks in, and Johnson has been efficient enough to get more looks in the Bears offense. It’s that simple.
Johnson should have more work in the next few weeks, increasing his value in fantasy football. Get on the Johnson train now before it becomes cost-prohibitive.
Week 4 Waiver Wire WRs
Calvin Austin (WR – PIT) | 0.2%
More gems from the Steelers offense? Why not.
Because an aging RB wasn’t enough, I bring you third-year WR Calvin Austin.
Austin has quietly worked himself into the Steelers offense as the WR3. He currently sits tied for third on the team in targets (9), fourth in catches (6), second in receiving yards (107), and is the only WR with a receiving touchdown.
Austin is cementing a role for himself in the Pittsburgh offense. It isn’t flashy, but he is a reliable deep threat who could be a solid flex option for most of the season. If Geroge Pickens or Pat Freiermuth misses any time, Austin could become even more than that.
Michael Wilson (WR – ARI) | 12.1%
It was supposed to be Greg Dortch! But alas…
The Arizona Cardinals offense has gotten off to a fantastic start. Kyler Murray is balling, and everyone seems to be getting fed. While most of the passing volume will continue to go through TE Trey McBride and WR Marvin Harrison, second-year wideout Michael Wilson is also becoming a fantasy-relevant option for managers.
Dortch the Torch’s value isn’t dead, but Wilson will cut into his production. This past Sunday, Wilson saw nine targets, of which he caught eight, netting 64 receiving yards. Dortch, on the other hand, was only targeted six times, logging 35 receiving yards.
Like Dortch, Wilson’s value lies in his big-play ability out wide. Those chunk plays won’t come every week, but if the volume stays consistent, Wilson is a solid floor play every week.
Allen Lazard (WR – NYJ) | 34.2%
No, it’s not 2022 again. Yes, Allen Lazard is seriously fantasy-relevant in 2024.
In an offense with fellow pass-catching options like Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and Mike Williams, no one would fault you for not having Lazard on your radar. However, the 29-year-old NFL veteran is currently third on the team in catches (11), second in yards (148) and leads the Jets with three receiving TDs.
Lazard and Jets QB Aaron Rodgers have a rapport, and whether we like it or not, that makes him a rosterable and valuable fantasy asset. He might be TD-dependent, but if Rodgers continues giving him the looks, Lazard will continue to score.
Week 4 Waiver Wire TEs
Cole Kmet (TE – CHI) | 26.2%
It’s time to get “Kmet’d,” folks.
You might have laughed if I told you Bears TE Cole Kmet would be rookie Caleb Williams‘ third-favorite target through three games. However, with 17 targets turned into 15 catches for 128 yards and TD, he is just that.
Rookie Rome Odunze and veteran D.J. Moore are the clear 1-2 punch in this Bears attack, but Kmet is a nice piece of the puzzle, proving to be a consistent helper for Williams as he gets used to the NFL. The Bears offense is bad, but Kmet is a security blanket for the rookie signal-caller, and his volume won’t be dipping soon.
As of this publishing, Kmet is the TE3 in PPR, aided by a Week 3 blow-up of 25.7 fantasy points. He won’t stay that high up in the TE fracas all season, but in a world where streaming the position is the key to success, Kmet will get you more than a few really good weeks in fantasy football.
Eric Saubert (TE – SF) | 1.5%
Most teams would have curled up into a ball with the injuries the San Francisco 49ers have dealt with this season. However, like his dad, Mike, head coach Kyle Shanahan is a “next man up” type of leader. With TE George Kittle on the mend with a hamstring injury, veteran bookend Eric Saubert might have found himself relevant in fantasy football.
It wasn’t a ton of work, but in Week 3, with Kittle sidelined, Saubert caught two passes for 41 yards. That marked two consecutive weeks of Saubert putting fantasy points on the board after making two grabs in Week 2.
If Kittle misses significant time, Saubert will become increasingly in the fold. The TE landscape is thin, and any points you can squeeze out of the slot on your roster are good points.
In Kittle’s absence, Saubert could lock you into a consistent five to seven fantasy points every week. That doesn’t sound like much, but in Week 1, that would have been good for overall PPR TE12.
Streaming D/STs
Houston Texans (HOU) vs Jacksonville
The Texans’ defense draws the fumbling Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4, who are the third-worst-scoring offense in points per game (13.3) and are coming off a 40-point demolishing at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
While the Jaguars aren’t turning the ball over at an exceptionally high rate, this team will have a hard time scoring against Houston, giving the Texans D/ST a solid floor in Week 4.
Miami Dolphins (MIA) vs Tennessee
The Dolphins’ defense hasn’t been stellar, but a Week 4 matchup against the Titans could be a nice little confidence boost for the Miami unit.
The Tennessee offense ranks 28th overall in points per game (16) and first in total turnovers (8) through three weeks of the season. Miami’s offense can’t do much right now, with Skylar Thompson behind center. If they want to walk away victorious on Sunday, the defense will need to step up, and this is an easy week for them to get it done.
Nate Polvogt is a Co-Founder and the lead senior analyst for Optimus Fantasy Football. Find more from Nate on X (formerly Twitter) @NatePolvogt and on Optimus Fantasy.
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If you like winning, come back every week for under-the-radar fantasy waiver wire pickups to keep you in contention until the final contest. We leave no stone unturned to ensure we give you the BEST chance to win week in and week out. Let’s get to it with our Week 3 waiver wire pickups. ~ Check […]
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