RADIO
Fantasy football waiver wire pickups analysis for Ollie Gordon II, Braelon Allen, Kenny Gainwell in Week 4 (2026). Read their waiver wire outlooks for fantasy football.
While it's extremely difficult to get good production out of a backup running back when the starter ahead of them on the roster is healthy and active, the only guarantee in the NFL is that all players will deal with some kind of injury at some point.
Even players that are rarely listed on their teams' injury reports are likely dealing with ailments. But it's when they get something severe enough that they're forced to miss practice -- or even games -- that the backups become important pieces for fantasy football teams.
The Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers all saw their lead running backs get hurt in Week 3 action, meaning their backups are on the waiver wire menu ahead of Week 4. Should you pick up any of them in fantasy football though?
Editor's Note: The FFPC Baby Gorilla Tournament is now open, featuring a $100,000 grand prize and a $675,450 total prize pool! This 12-team, Tight End Premium contest uses a 20-round draft format, with the overall winners determined by total points scored during Weeks 15–17. Get $25 to use toward your first entry by signing up through our link. Grab your team now! Sign Up Now!
Ollie Gordon II Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 3% of leagues
Miami Dolphins lead running back De'Von Achane (knee) got off to a slow start to the season, and now it's gotten even worse -- he suffered a knee injury while being tackled in his team's Week 3 loss. He was quickly pulled from the game and later placed on injured reserve, meaning he would miss significant time.
A Chiefs defender grabbed him by the facemask and ripped backward on his helmet, giving his knee the dreaded plant-and-twist force that causes so many ligament injuries. It was later confirmed that he tore his ACL. So for the rest of the season, we'll be looking at the Dolphins' backup running backs carrying the load.
In the short term, it looks like Gordon will handle most of the reps. There are two other backups behind him, RB Jaylen Wright (stinger/foot) and DJ Herman, but Herman is a fullback. Gordon took 17 carries for 41 yards and a touchdown in Week 3 while Wright had just two rushes.
Dolphins with a 17 play, 91 yard drive to tie the Chiefs 7-7. Running tbe ball down their throats with RB Ollie Gordon for the score. pic.twitter.com/mctTkfIHtn
— BrianCatNFL (@BrianCatNFL) September 27, 2026
He's the lead back for now, and should be added in all leagues due to the scarcity at the position. With Wright injured, he could see a big workload in the coming weeks. Maybe that becomes more of a committee over time, but the goal is always just to win your next matchup in fantasy football.
Add in All Leagues
Braelon Allen Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 22% of leagues
Allen is next in line to take a large share of the team's carries with lead running back Breece Hall (quad) dealing with a quad injury. He fell hard on his thigh after being tackled out of bounds.
Thankfully, an MRI of the affected area showed no major damage. Hall is considered week-to-week with the injury, which indicates there's a high chance he can't play in Week 4. Hall handled 24 and 21 touches in his two healthy games, so there's a lot of work left over for the backups now.
The only player behind him who has had significant playing time in recent years is RB Isaiah Davis, who has carried the ball zero times this season. Allen is likely set up for a big role as a result, with Davis mixing in on passing downs, as he's smaller and more elusive. Neither is a high-end option, but Allen has solid touchdown upside.
Braelon Allen runs it in for 6️⃣
GBvsNYJ on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/F2SEYfpMQd— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026
Add in All Leagues
Kenny Gainwell Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Rostered in 63% of leagues
Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead running back Bucky Irving spent the latter part of his Week 3 contest on the sidelines due to an undisclosed injury. However, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles confirmed that he's fine and won't be listed on the injury report for Week 4.
Still, it's worth considering that Irving is dealing with something, whether it's a new injury Tampa Bay doesn't want to disclose or a minor re-aggravation of a pre-existing condition.
Any concern here on Bucky Irving? https://t.co/L7NQEnAcXR pic.twitter.com/QoDkju5VOg
— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) September 28, 2026
Irving was missing out on participating in a critical game for his team, which ended up being yet another back-breaking one-score loss. My level of concern is not zero. Gainwell may not have much upside in this offense, as he's been unproductive this season. He actually rushed for negative yardage in Week 3.
Still, he has pass-catching upside, and if Irving ends up getting hurt again and missing time, Gainwell could be a nice addition in PPR fantasy football leagues. When dealing with waiver pickups, most of the RBs you take will end up not doing much, but there's always a chance, and easier defensive matchups are ahead for Tampa Bay. He is one of the few premier handcuffs in fantasy.
Add in All Leagues
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to pickup...
Who Should I Pickup? Some common 2026 fantasy football waiver wire decisions are regarding players like Ollie Gordon II, Braelon Allen, Kenny Gainwell. 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 - Ollie Gordon II, Braelon Allen, Kenny Gainwell. 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.
Recent Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.
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 Ollie Gordon II, Braelon Allen, Kenny Gainwell:
More Fantasy Football Analysis
Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App
Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!
