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Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Emmett Johnson, Mike Washington Jr., Kaelon Black in Week 4 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
Running back handcuffs are always a hot topic in the fantasy football community. Picking the right one early can pay off substantially and even become a league winner.
We’ve seen backs like Bucky Irving, Jordan Mason, Mike Davis, and Kimani Vidal step in as lead backs and win weeks for fantasy managers. If we add handcuffs before they’re the lead back, we can save our FAAB budgets and make successful waiver moves. It is better to be proactive than reactive with our rosters.
Let’s dive into three backup running backs as potential waiver wire pickups ahead of Week 4 of the 2026 season!
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Emmett Johnson Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 37% of leagues
The Kansas City Chiefs are 3-0 and have a legit run game for the first time in the Mahomes era. The team has committed to the run with Eric Bieniemy back as OC, and they have the sixth-most rushing attempts and the fifth-most rushing yards in the league.
More importantly for this article, the team has a clear RB2 in Emmett Johnson. The 22-year-old has the second-most rushing attempts this season and is the only other running back outside of Kenneth Walker III to record a carry for the Chiefs.
Emmett Johnson making defenders tackle each other!
https://t.co/KWu4vQ5igV
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) September 21, 2026
Johnson has 16 carries for 56 rushing yards and 4 catches for 64 receiving yards. Through three games, he has translated 20 touches into 16 PPR points.
The young back will likely be a handcuff to Walker’s and will not have standalone value. However, Johnson should remain rostered in fantasy leagues, especially if managers are investing in Walker.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP has earned the injury-prone tag and misses, on average, two to three games a season. Now, I’m not predicting or hoping for a Walker injury, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
Johnson would be ranked as a top-15 back if Walker misses time and is a plug-and-play bench option, while other waiver wire options create headaches about when to start them.
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Mike Washington Jr. Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 34% of leagues
Well, who would have thought the Las Vegas Raiders would be 3-0 riding into Kansas City in Week 4. If that was you, you may now go to the pay window to collect your grand prize.
The Raiders offense has put up 25-plus points in all three matchups and had the fifth most rushing attempts after three weeks of football.
Like Johnson, Mike Washington Jr. is his team’s clear RB2 and a valuable fantasy handcuff. Washington has been an explosive back, turning his 15 carries into 102 rushing yards for 6.8 yards per carry.
The Arkansas product was one of the hottest rookie names heading into the peak of draft season due to a productive preseason.
The rookie Mike Washington Jr. TAKES OFF for 53 yards 😤
Stream on @NFLPlus https://t.co/dIDqYckE2T
— NFL (@NFL) August 14, 2026
Washington may not have standalone value but should be rostered as a handcuff to Ashton Jeanty. If Jeanty misses time, he’d become the No. 1 waiver wire add and would be ranked as a starting fantasy running back each week.
Washington has a 40% success rate on his 15 rush attempts this year, while Jeanty has a 30% success rate on his 63 attempts, according to JJ Zachariason of Late Round Fantasy Football.
Washington has been efficient with his touches, is helping the Raiders move the ball, and stay ahead of the sticks.
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Kaelon Black Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 50% of leagues
The Kaelon Black hype train has cooled off a bit after his solid Week 1 performance in Australia. Black had 14 carries for 65 yards and out-carried Christian McCaffrey 14-to-10.
Kaelon Black is a breath of fresh air for Christian McCaffrey being able to take plays off and the offensive attack still not missing a beat https://t.co/I53Miuf2tV
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) September 11, 2026
However, the 24-year-old has combined for 11 carries since then but should remain on rosters in all leagues.
Best-case scenario, Black earns a part-time role in Kyle Shananahn’s offense similarly to Blake Corum last season. Sean McVay wanted to keep Kyren Williams healthy for the playoffs, so Corum split carries with Williams.
With an expanded role, Corum became a viable flex option over the last half of the fantasy season.
Even if Black doesn’t see a role, he is the most valuable fantasy handcuff in football. In 2024, the lead running back for the 49ers who saw at least a 60 percent snap share averaged 16.5 PPR points per game during McCaffrey’s absence. In those 10 games, Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo combined for four games with over 19 points.
McCaffrey is coming off a 400-plus-touch season, and in the two seasons following a 330-plus-touch season, he has played a combined seven games (three games in 2020 and four games in 2024).
Unfortunately, history suggests that he won’t hold up for a full 17-game season, and we always want Kyle Shanahan’s starting back in our lineups.
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Who Should I Pickup Tool
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Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Emmett Johnson, Mike Washington Jr., Kaelon Black. We are here to help make these waiver wire decisions and build winning teams in 2026. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups in 2026. Our free Who Should I Pickup? tool will help make your fantasy football waiver wire decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to pick up... all free! Make the right decisions.
2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Emmett Johnson, Mike Washington Jr., Kaelon Black. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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Popular Waiver Wire Searches. Curious to see some tough waiver wire decisions for 2025? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Pickup? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Emmett Johnson, Mike Washington Jr., Kaelon Black:
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