👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Week 4 NFL Waiver Wire Pickups & Adds

Welcome to the post-Week 3 installment of the Waiver Wire weekly series for the 2016 fantasy football season. Week 2 was filled with a seemingly infinite amount of injury landmines, which led to quite a lot of tough calls heading into Week 3. While this week didn’t yield many injuries, we still saw names like Russell Wilson, Jeremy Langford and Dez Bryant get banged up, and of course there were plenty of players who saw their stocks change with their respective performances. Let’s check in on players that are owned in roughly 40% of leagues or less, so that you can make an educated decision about who to add to your squad.

Please note that Green Bay and Philadelphia have byes in Week 4. Be sure to also check out our weekly rankings and analysis columns, with in-depth analysis for all options heading into Week 4.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

Quarterbacks - Week 4 Waiver Wire Options

Carson Wentz (QB, PHI) – 36% Owned

I know, I know. I just typed out that Philadelphia has a bye this week. Well, that should alert you to how well Wentz has played. All he's done is lead the Eagles to a 3-0 start, and if you’ve been playing him as your QB then you may very well also find yourself to be 3-0. Week 3 saw him turn in his first career 300-yard start, as he connected on 23 of his 31 pass attempts for 301 yards and two TDs. Not only has he effectively moved the ball, but he has no interceptions to his name as an NFL quarterback. He heads into Philadelphia’s bye week on a high, and should be ready to feast on Detroit and Washington in Weeks 5 and 6 when he returns to action. One will want to have a backup for his Week 7 matchup against the Vikings though.

Trevor Siemian (QB, DEN) – 16% Owned

Siemian hadn’t exactly lit the world on fire in his first two pro starts, but a successful ground game didn’t really call for him to. He had tallied only one TD and three INTs in those first two matchups against the Panthers and the Colts, but the rookie absolutely balled out in his first road game against the Bengals on Sunday. He totaled 312 yards and four TDs with zero turnovers when all was said and done, and guess who he has on tap? A matchup against a funnel-like Tampa Bay defense that just made the 2016 Rams look like the 1999 Rams. Not bad.

Sam Bradford (QB, MIN) – 28% Owned

Bradford’s Week 3 wasn’t anything special, as he crawled through the first half against Carolina before going 14-for-17 in the second half. The Vikings are now 3-0, and while much is that is due to their defense, this is still a passing attack that popped off in Week 2 against Green Bay (286 yards, 2 TDs). And now they get to tangle with a Giants defense that just got skewered in by the Redskins, and saw two of their starting DBs go down with injuries (Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Eli Apple). Minnesota likely won’t be able to get much going with their rushing game against NYG’s stout line, leaving it on Bradford’s arm to win.

Jimmy Garoppolo* (QB, NE) – 15% Owned­

As of Sept. 25, the latest word is that Garoppolo is progressing toward being ready for Week 4 against the Bills, though this is no lock of course. Jimmy G’s injury-shortened Week 2 performance saw him go 18-for-27 for 234 yards and three TDs in only 25 minutes of play before he suffered a sprained AC joint. While the Bills aren’t an “easy” defense, they certainly can be touched up by a team that is led by one of the greatest schemers of all time in Bill Belichick, with Jimmy benefiting at the helm.

 

Running Backs Week 4 Waiver Wire Options

DeAndre Washington (RB, OAK) – 38% Owned

Washington ripped off 57 yards on only six rushes in Oakland’s Week 3 tilt against Tennessee, as he continues to show off big-play potential while trudging through the Raiders’ three-man RB rotation. His value isn’t huge yet, but if Latavius Murray goes down then Washington could become a huge playmaker for Oakland.

Dwayne Washington (RB, DET) – 26% Owned

Washington didn’t have a great statline by any means in Week 3, totaling 38 yards on 10 carries (and a catch that netted -3 yards), but those who watched the game saw how much better he looked than Theo Riddick when running the ball. It isn’t Washington’s fault that Detroit had a lot of ground to make up quickly against Green Bay, as he really wasn’t utilized until late. Detroit will hopefully recognize his strengths and feed him more in what should be a great matchup against the Bears in Week 4.

Jordan Howard (RB, CHI) – 21% Owned

While most might look at the box score and think that Howard only ended up with a decent game due to Jeremy Langford’s injury, Howard and Langford had 10 snaps each at halftime before Langford went down. Howard carried the ball nine times for 45 yards and also tallied 47 receiving yards on four catches. Langford was reportedly seen in a boot in the locker room after the game, though one has to think that Howard would earn the lion’s share of snaps in Week 4 against Detroit due to his performance lately.

Wendell Smallwood (RB, PHI) – 11% Owned

The Eagles have a bye in Week 4, but no fantasy should let Smallwood’s solid Week 3 performance in relief of the dinged-up Ryan Mathews go by. Smallwood carried the rock 17 times for 79 yards and a strong touchdown against the Steelers, and may have earned himself some more carries even when Mathews is healthy as Philadelphia may look to scale back Mathews’ workload to keep him fresh all season long. Philly is 3-0 and will be likely be thinking about the bigger picture moving forward. Kenjon Barner (eight carries for 42 yards and a TD) also saw some work, but shouldn’t be much of a fantasy factor moving forward behind Mathews, Smallwood and Darren Sproles.

Orleans Darkwa (RB, NYG) – 3% Owned

Should Rashad Jennings’ thumb injury turn out to be long-term at all, then it appears as though Darkwa would be the main beneficiary in the Giants backfield. He rushed for 53 yards and a TD on 10 carries, notably getting the goal-line look after Shane Vereen put the pigskin on the ground, an action that is commonly frowned upon by coaches. With the news that Mr. Vereen is now done for the year with a triceps injury, Darkwa and even Paul Perkins (14% Owned) have some intrigue. The real winner as far as getting Vereen's passing-down work might be Bobby Rainey (2% Owned), who caught one of his two targets for 24 yards in Week 3. Darkwa would make for a TD-dependent flex option against a stout Vikings front in Week 4 should Jennings miss another game.

 

Wide Receivers Week 4 Waiver Wire Options

Anquan Boldin (WR, DET) – 41% Owned

Boldin remains a TD-dependent play, but in Lions offense that can really sling the ball, his TD odds are about as good as they’re going to get for a soon-to-be 36-year-old receiver. He’s seen target totals of seven and six over the last two games, respectively, which certainly isn’t the worst. While he’s unlikely to top 100 yards in a game, the sure-handed veteran could still provide flex value in standard leagues with a soft matchup against the Bears in Week 4 on deck.

Steve Smith Sr. (WR, BAL) – 31% Owned

“Smiff” caught eight of 11 targets for 87 yards against the Jaguars in Week 3, as he is clearly still a very capable receiver on a team that doesn’t really have a rushing attack to bank on. That means lots of passing, which means plenty of opportunity for he and Mike Wallace alike. Baltimore will battle the Raiders in a home matchup in Week 4, which could easily turn into a shootout with plenty of points to go around.

Kenny Stills (WR, MIA) – 25% Owned

Stills turned eight targets into five catches for 76 yards in what turned into a surprising slugfest between two rather poor teams on Sunday. While consistency will be an issue for Stills given his lack of red-zone involvement, the fact that the Dolphins defense can’t really stop anyone means that there should be plenty of volume to go around for Miami’s pass-catchers.

Ted Ginn (WR, CAR) – 23% Owned

Ginn was just barely tripped up on his way to a big TD in Week 3, but still caught three balls (on seven targets) for 62 yards on Sunday. He’s a known commodity at this point, a boom-or-bust WR who thrives on the deep ball. The reasoning for this is that he, and Carolina, are about run through the NFC South with consecutive matchups against the Falcons, Bucs and Saints in the next three weeks. Those are three defenses that have been burned pretty regularly in the early going, making him a decent home-run play.

Terrelle Pryor (WR, CLE) – 23% Owned

Pryor is unlikely to top this performance this season, but let’s face it, he stepped up and did a little bit of everything in a game where Cleveland was absolutely strapped for weapons. He saw 14 targets as a receiver, catching eight of them for 144 yards while also completing three passes for 35 yards and chipping in 21 rushing yards on four totes. It’ll be interesting to see how Pryor’s role shakes out moving forward, especially when Josh Gordon is activated in Week 5, but for now he’ll likely see quite a bit of Josh Norman in Week 4. That said, the Browns may need his versatility yet again and move him around so much that he can provide a healthy floor thanks to pure volume in all facets of the offense.

Cole Beasley (WR, DAL) – 21% Owned

Beasley continued to be Dak Prescott’s slot-man safety valve in Week 3, converting all seven of his targets into receptions for 73 yards. While he hasn’t found paydirt yet, he has recorded 65-75 yards in each of his first three games on at least five catches as he has provided solid PPR value for savvy fantasy owners. It’s likely that PPR formats make up more than 21% of leagues, meaning that there some of you out there that should be adding him for a Week 4 tilt against the 49ers.

Jamison Crowder (WR, WAS) – 15% Owned

Crowder was talked up as a nice Week 3 option after Josh Doctson was ruled out, as he’s now tallied at least seven targets in each of Washington’s first three games. He’s caught a TD in their last two contests, with his latest score coming on a beautiful 55-yard romp where he turned a short screen into six points. He’s earned a lot of trust from the coaches and from Kirk Cousins, and shouldn’t be going away as a solid PPR option this season.

(Why is Calvin Johnson owned in 11% of leagues? Really?)

Adam Humphries (WR, TB) – 4% Owned

Tampa Bay’s slot man saw a whopping 12 targets in Week 3, and has steadily seen his workload increase as the season has worn on. His growth has actually been eerily consistent, turning in lines of 3-34, 6-67 and 9-100 in Weeks 1-3. At this rate, he should catch 12 balls for 133 yards in Week 4, but that jokey math doesn’t appear likely against a tough Denver defense. Still, Humphries has shown himself to be a reliable PPR option until Tampa Bay’s defense shows that it can keep them in games.

 

Tight Ends Week 4 Waiver Wire Options

Zach Miller (TE, CHI) – 49% Owned

Just a quick note, as he’s nearly owned in half of Fleaflicker leagues, but Miller was the clear beneficiary of Chicago playing in catch-up mode on Sunday night. He caught two third-quarter TDs to go along with 78 yards on eight catches in all. While that volume total is unlikely to remain consistent, hopefully this will serve as a reminder to Jay Cutler (when he returns) that Miller is a great red-zone option to hit.

Jack Doyle (TE, IND) – 31% Owned

This is what it’s come to, huh? Jack Doyle appears to have emerged as a serious and sustainable weapon for Andrew Luck and the Colts, catching all six of his Week-3 targets for 65 yards on Sunday. He’s outdoing Dwayne Allen and the Colts appear comfortable rolling out their two-TE set anyhow, harkening back to last season when it was Allen and Coby Fleener. Performance pays the bills and usually generates further opportunity, so Doyle makes for a nice deep-league play in Week 4 against the Jaguars before a Week 5 matchup against the beat-up Bears defense.

Hunter Henry (TE, SD) – 14% Owned

While a lot of people are going to see this and visualize his fumble at the end of San Diego’s Week 3 tilt, this is still a guy who caught all five of his targets for 76 yards. Starting in relief of the injured Antonio Gates, Henry should have at least two more starts ahead of him if the initial reports on Gates hold. That would put Henry in line to square up against the Saints and Raiders next, two teams that make for beautiful tight-end matchups.

Cameron Brate (TE, TB) – 8% Owned

With Austin Seferian-Jenkins waived and run-blocker Luke Stocker injured, Cameron Brate and Brandon Myers were the only two options at TE for Tampa Bay in Week 3. Myers is much more of a blocker, which meant that Brate ended up with a fantastic opportunity in what turned into an absurd shootout against the Rams. While the Bucs have a tough matchup against the Broncos at home next (and then @CAR in Week 5 before their bye), Brate’s opportunity could yield enough volume for him to be matchup-proof. His 10 targets on Sunday are a great first step, as well as being a clear red-zone target.


Check out RotoBaller's famous fantasy football draft sleepers and waiver wire pickups list, updated regularly!




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Norman Powell

is Tagged as Questionable for Saturday
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable Saturday Vs. Hornets
Andrew Wiggins

to Miss Fifth Straight Game
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Ruled Out Versus New Orleans
Tobias Harris

is Ruled Out for Friday's Game
Ausar Thompson

Still Out Friday Against Memphis
Sebastian Joseph-Day

Signs Two-Year Deal With Steelers
Josh Hart

is Unavailable on Friday
Caleb Martin

Good to Go Versus Cavaliers
Jeremy Sochan

Won't Suit up on Friday
Laquon Treadwell

Colts Re-Sign Laquon Treadwell to a One-Year Deal
Naji Marshall

Cleared to Play Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns

is Ruled Out on Friday
Dallas Goedert

Eagles, Dallas Goedert Push Back Void Date a Second Time to Monday
P.J. Washington

Out Friday Against Cleveland
A.J. Brown

Eagles "Will Not Trade A.J. Brown at This Time"
Wan'Dale Robinson

Poised for Massive Target Volume with New Team in 2026
Daniel Gafford

Resting Friday Against Cavaliers
Tyler Warren

Profiles as the Clear Lead Target-Earner in Indianapolis
Francisco Lindor

Takes Full Batting Practice on Friday
Brock Purdy

Has a New No. 1 Wide Receiver to Work With in San Francisco
Jalen McMillan

Has Breakout Potential Heading into 2026
Cam Skattebo

Can Cam Skattebo Take on a Workhorse Role in 2026?
Brandon Woodruff

Still TBD for Opening Day
Tyler Conklin

Signs One-Year Deal With Lions
Rasheed Walker

Panthers Add Left Tackle Rasheed Walker on One-Year Deal
Simi Fehoko

Cardinals Re-Sign Receiver Simi Fehoko to One-Year Deal
Van Jefferson

Commanders Signing Van Jefferson on Friday
Dyami Brown

Commanders Bring Back Dyami Brown on One-Year Deal
A.J. Brown

Patriots, Rams Making "Strong Pushes" to Acquire A.J. Brown
Maxx Crosby

Plans to be "200 Percent Ready" by Training Camp
Atlanta Falcons

"No Starters Right Now" for Atlanta's Quarterback Situation
Drew Ogletree

Colts Re-Sign Drew Ogletree to One-Year Deal
L'Jarius Sneed

Titans Releasing L'Jarius Sneed on Friday
Ko Kieft

Buccaneers Re-Sign Ko Kieft for Tight End Depth
Jalen Tolbert

Signing One-Year Deal With Dolphins
Trevor Rogers

to Start on Opening Day for Orioles
Kevin Vallejos

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Josh Emmett

In Dire Need Of Victory
Gillian Robertson

A Favorite At UFC Vegas 114
Amanda Lemos

Set For Co-Main Event
Oumar Sy

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Ion Cutelaba

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Bez Mbeng

Signs 10-Day Contract With Utah
Maxi Kleber

Likely Out Longer with Back Injury
John Konchar

to Miss Second Straight Game
Lauri Markkanen

Not Playing Friday Against Portland
Nathan MacKinnon

Racks Up Four Points in Victory Over Kraken
Ousmane Dieng

Cut Short by Illness Thursday
Alexis Lafrenière

Alexis Lafreniere Stays Hot in Winnipeg
Jonathan Isaac

Exits Early with Knee Issue
Semyon Varlamov

Won't Return This Season
Scotty Pippen Jr.

to Undergo Season-Ending Toe Surgery
Alexander Romanov

Could Return for Playoffs
Declan Carlile

Hurt on Thursday Night
Wyatt Kaiser

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Thursday
Erik Gudbranson

Could Be an Option Saturday
Auston Matthews

Exits Game With Injury
Jimmy Snuggerud

Scores Twice Versus Carolina
Michael Misa

Delivers Multi-Point Performance on Thursday
Keyonte George

to Be Re-Evaluated in Two Weeks
Blake Snell

Around Six Weeks From Being Fully Built Up
Bobby Brink

a Game-Time Decision for Meeting with Flyers
Evander Kane

Available Against Predators
Mark Stone

a Game-Time Call Thursday
Carter Verhaeghe

Anton Lundell Won't Play Thursday
Sam Reinhart

Returns to Action Thursday
Andrew Copp

to Sit Out Two Weeks
Dylan Larkin

Ruled Out for Two Weeks
Zack Wheeler

to Face Hitters in Live Batting Practice on Saturday
Gerrit Cole

Could Pitch in a Spring Game Next Week
Matthew Boyd

Named the Cubs' Opening Day Starter
Francisco Lindor

Remains on Schedule for Opening Day
Spencer Knight

Available Thursday
William Eklund

Questionable to Play Thursday
Alex Ovechkin

Records Power-Play Assist
Lane Hutson

Extends Road Point Streak to 10 Games
Bryce Miller

Shuts Down Bullpen Due to More Oblique Discomfort
Zac Gallen

Named Arizona's Opening Day Starter
Kyle Teel

Could Miss 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
Hideki Matsuyama

Brings Strong Course History to TPC Sawgrass
Josh Hader

to Start the Year on the Injured List
Adam Scott

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Kyle Teel

Exits Tuesday's Game With Hamstring Injury
Rickie Fowler

on Quite the Run Heading to TPC Sawgrass
Sepp Straka

Needs to Forget What Happened Sunday at Bay Hill
Jordan Spieth

an Enigma Heading to The Players Championship
Justin Rose

Trying to Pick Up the Pieces in Florida
Maverick McNealy

Bounces Back at Arnold Palmer Invitational
Brooks Koepka

Continues His Florida Swing With Some Momentum
Nicolai Hojgaard

in Strong Form Ahead of The Players
Robert MacIntyre

a Volatile Option at The Players
Matt Fitzpatrick

Looks to Return to Top Form at The Players
Sam Burns

a High-Risk, High-Reward Option at The Players
Keegan Bradley

Hard to Trust at The Players
Xander Schauffele

Rounding into Form Heading to Players Championship
Rory McIlroy

Set to Return at Players Championship to Defend Title
Jake Knapp

Set to Return at Players Championship
Viktor Hovland

Continues Strong Start to 2026 Season
Rasmus Hojgaard

Looking for Bounce-Back at Players Championship
Tommy Fleetwood

Will Need to Find Putter to Compete at Players Championship
Akshay Bhatia

Continues Improving Heading to Players Championship
Merrill Kelly

Set to Make Spring Training Debut on Friday
Francisco Lindor

"100 Percent Optimistic" he Can be Ready for Opening Day
Justin Thomas

Continues Competitive Return at The Players Championship
Corbin Carroll

Set to Play in Cactus League Game on Wednesday
Kyle Stowers

to Make Grapefruit League Debut on Saturday
Hunter Greene

to be Sidelined Through July
Jesús Luzardo

Jesus Luzardo, Phillies Agree on Five-Year Extension
Corbin Carroll

Could Make Spring Debut This Week
Max Holloway

Drops Decision At UFC 326
Charles Oliveira

Becomes The New BMF Champion
Caio Borralho

Bounces Back
Reinier de Ridder

Reinier De Ridder Loses Back-To-Back Fights
Rob Font

Gets Dominated
Raul Rosas Jr.

Extends His Win Streak
Michael Johnson

Suffers Second-Round Knockout Loss
Drew Dober

Knocks Out Michael Johnson
Rafael Devers

Back in Cactus League Lineup on Monday
Ryan Blaney

Earns his Second Consecutive Phoenix Cup Series Win
Christopher Bell

Falls Short of Victory Despite Dominating at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Earns Hard-Fought Finish of Third at Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Quietly Gains Another Top-Five Finish at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Crashes out at Phoenix Despite Strong Run
Ryan Blaney

is Always A Top Favorite to Compete for the Win At Phoenix
Denny Hamlin

Is Denny Hamlin Worth Rostering for Phoenix?
Christopher Bell

is Likely to have Another Solid Phoenix Run
Chase Briscoe

has Plenty of Upside for DFS Lineups at Phoenix
Joey Logano

Could Dominate at Phoenix This Weekend
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Sunday's Race at Phoenix
Chris Buescher

Is Chris Buescher Worth Rostering For Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Ross Chastain

Has Found Speed Again at Phoenix
Josh Berry

a Solid Sleeper at Phoenix
Brad Keselowski

Skips Qualifying After Practice Crash at Phoenix
Tyler Reddick

Spins in Practice at Phoenix
William Byron

Should Be a Contender at Phoenix
Kyle Larson

Is Always a Threat at Phoenix
NASCAR

Could Bubba Wallace Be Playable for Phoenix DFS Lineups?
Anthony Alfredo

Is A Favorable DFS Option In A Substitution Role At Phoenix
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF