FlurrySports’ best fantasy football waiver wire pickups to make in Week 4, including New York Jets’ Geno Smith.
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We are a week away from bye weeks beginning to disrupt our fantasy football lineups. So, whether you are looking ahead to ensure you don’t get screwed over, or if you already feel screwed because of the injuries across the league, our lineup of Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire pickups looks to be rather important.
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On Playbook.FlurrySports.org, I have tons of great information, I am about to add a bit more as well (including my trade value chart). My fantasy rankings, the NFL Survivor tool and a weather app are all free. However, I also have my fantasy football waiver rankings, exclusive stats and more for those who want more information. Simply, I wanted a one-stop shop to help you win on your NFL and college football picks this season!
Go check that out after reading the best fantasy football waiver wire targets ahead of Week 4.
Note: Players must be owned in less than 50% of ESPN leagues to be included in the best fantasy football waiver wire pickups column. Ownership percentages will reflect their status on Monday mornings ahead of standard waiver processing.
Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups Week 4
QB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Geno Smith, New York Jets (7.1%)
Geno Smith is putting together a damn good season where he has gotten better every single week. After a 26-point fantasy outing without his WR2, Smith ranks as QB15 before Monday Night Football’s matchup.
It has been an efficient season for Geno, completing over 70% of his passes without throwing an interception. Again, his passing total has increased each week as well, passing for 321 yards and three touchdowns this past week. This was without Adonai Mitchell, allowing rookie Kenyon Sadiq to flourish as the second-best receiving option.
This week, Geno Smith will face off against the Chicago Bears, who will be coming off a short week. Chicago’s secondary also isn’t very good, and he should get Mitchell back in the lineup. While losing Breece Hall hurts, it isn’t impactful enough to stay away from him.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (4.6%)
After performing so well last season, it has been a slow start for Jacoby Brissett. He may not have been comfortable in the new offense early on, especially since he missed so much practice after signing a new contract. However, he looks comfortable now, and it resulted in a big 25-point fantasy outing this past week.
He threw the ball 52 times against the 49ers, nearly pulling off the upset. This week, he gets to face a New York Giants defense that is improved, but isn’t as good as the Titans made them look this past week. If that doesn’t excite you, maybe his Week 5 matchup against a terrible Detroit Lions defense will.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks (33.9%)
Fresh off a Super Bowl win and a QB13 season, Sam Darnold was immediately injured in Week 1. Luckily, he avoided serious injury, but he was still dropped by many. In fact, he’s available in two-thirds of ESPN Fantasy leagues.
Darnold made his return to the field this past week and played well. Prior to Monday Night Football, Darnold ranks as QB2 for the week, passing for nearly 400 yards. He gets to play with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is my current vote for NFL MVP, and Sam Darnold will continue to put up solid fantasy weeks. While he may not have many more top-five weekly finishes, Darnold is the perfect bye week fill-in, and he likely ranks between QB8-14 more often than not.
Pick up Darnold if your fantasy starter is hurt or really struggling.
RB Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Ollie Gordon, Miami Dolphins (1.1%)
The top priority for fantasy football waiver wire pickups in Week 4 for many people will be Ollie Gordon, who will operate as the lead back for the Miami Dolphins. De’Von Achane exited last game with a knee injury. Unfortunately, he ended up tearing his ACL, ending his season.
Prior to the season beginning, Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said he believed Gordon could be an every-down back. So, there should be no confusion about who takes over this backfield in Achane’s absence.
He carried the ball 17 times against the Chiefs, running for 41 yards and a touchdown while totaling three receptions as well. His Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings stinks, but the volume he’ll see is too great to ignore.
Braelon Allen, New York Jets (14%)
Braelon Allen is a big, bruising running back out of Wisconsin who will wear the defense down as the game goes on. And like most running backs who are former Badgers, he has better hands than they showcased in college as well, so he is capable of putting together a full performance.
Allen hasn’t done much yet this season, but lead back Breece Hall left the game with a leg injury that did not look good. He is expected to be out for this week at the very least, but it will likely be a multi-week injury. Braelon Allen and the Jets will face Chicago in Week 4, and the Bears will have one fewer day to recover and prepare for the Jets. After that, Allen will face the Browns, which isn’t scary either.
Najee Harris, New York Giants (6%)
This isn’t a fantasy football waiver wire pickup that is worth starting in Week 4, but Najee Harris has value with the Giants. Last week, they made Devin Singletary inactive while Harris played about 22% of the snaps. However, Harris had nine carries, which was 30% of the running back carries. Approaching double-digit touches puts Harris in low-end bye week fill-in territory.
If Cam Skattebo were to get injured again, Harris would see a high volume on an offense that wants to run the football. It is also an offense that should improve, given the weapons featured and many of the remaining matchups. This is a waiver wire pickup to make if you are in a deep league, since it could pay off big.
WR Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets (33.9%)
Adonai Mitchell had an absolute smash spot in Week 3, but a finger injury in practice led to him missing the game. As a Mitchell owner, it was devastating. However, it could have him going under the radar as far as Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire pickups go.
In his absence, Kenyon Sadiq had a breakout performance, but that was also due to the absence of tight end Mason Taylor. No other wide receiver was able to step up, showcasing how rock-solid Mitchell’s WR2 role is.
Adonai Mitchell should see plenty of single coverage against the Bears in Week 4, with Chicago focusing on stopping Garrett Wilson and Kenyon Sadiq.
Keenan Allen, Indianapolis Colts (23.7%)
Veteran Keenan Allen has been asked to take on a larger role in Indianapolis due to the Alec Pierce injury. He ran 31 routes on 41 total passing plays, so he will be very involved in the Colts’ passing attack. Allen commanded a target share of over 25%, resulting in six receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.
This week, Allen gets a great matchup against a Washington Commanders team that has really struggled defensively, but they proved they can put up points this past week. The Colts will likely have to stay aggressive offensively, creating a positive game script and positive matchups for Keenan Allen, who now has two games with six receptions in three weeks. That gives him a nice floor in PPR leagues.
Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints (33.6%)
If you scan all of the available Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, nobody possesses a higher ceiling than rookie Jordyn Tyson. So, if you have a roster spot you’re not really using, he could be worth a stash while he remains under the radar.
Clearly, Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints’ passing offense are thriving right now. Shough is second in the NFL in passing, and there are plenty of great matchups remaining considering his plays in the NFC South. Tyson is a tremendous talent at wide receiver who could quickly push for 10 targets per game. If Chris Olave is healthy, top coverage will be pulled away from Tyson. And if Olave gets injured, then Tyson could turn into a target hog.
You certainly could wait and pick up Jordan Tyson in a later week. However, if you play in a league with a waiver budget, the rookie will cost less FAAB now, and he also could be a great trade piece for you.
TE Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets (33.5%)
With Mason Taylor and Adonai Mitchell both out, the door was open for Kenyon Sadiq to have his breakout game, and he took the opportunity and ran with it. He turned eight targets into seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. Any concern about Sadiq’s ability to perform in the NFL has been put to rest, and he should continue to have a large role for the Jets moving forward.
Even with Adonai Mitchell likely back in Week 4, a great matchup against the Chicago Bears will rank Sadiq as a potential fantasy starter. As a rookie tight end, I don’t see him being an every-week starter for fantasy. But given his athleticism and the potential role he could grow into with the Jets, the potential is clearly sky-high for Kenyon Sadiq.
Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders (16%)
As we have mentioned throughout this season already, the plan for the Las Vegas Raiders was for Michael Mayer to be the in-line tight end. So, with Brock Bowers back in the lineup, that doesn’t change. Bowers will be moved around the lineup as the featured weapon, and Mayer will continue to be relevant for fantasy.
Mayer played more snaps than any other receiver for the Raiders in Week 3. He ran 28 routes on 38 passing attempts, catching all three of his targets for 32 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, Jack Bech broke his arm during the game. This could lead to Bowers playing in the slot even more, leading to Mayer playing an every-down role at tight end next to him.
Chig Okonkwo, Washington Commanders (4.2%)
I have actively been against the Chig Okonkwo hype during his entire career, and I have been happy to be correct. However, if we are scanning the tight end landscape on the fantasy football waiver wire, he is one of the names who actually possesses potential, given his role and the lack of production in Washington since his injury.
Okonkwo faced a tough Eagles defense in Week 1. He played a little over half of the offensive snaps, due to leaving with an injury. Okonkwo caught just two passes for 16 yards. No other tight end has been productive in his absence, and since he was not placed on IR, we can assume he will return to the lineup within four weeks. He has also missed two games. Due to not practicing last week, there is a strong chance he misses another game, but once he returns to the lineup, Chig Okonkwo could see enough targets to have fantasy relevance.
He is a low-risk, moderate-reward amongst these Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
DST Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
Minnesota Vikings Defense (47.1%)
It is pretty alarming that the top-scoring fantasy football defense is available in over half of ESPN Fantasy leagues. Honestly, why? How?
This week, the Vikings will be the top-ranked defense, as they face off against the Miami Dolphins, who just lost their best offensive player. There is no need to overthink this. And if you don’t think you have a chance to claim a top RB, and you don’t have a major need at another position, you could argue that priority in your fantasy football waiver wire pickups should be placed on the Vikings’ D/ST.
