The NFL is a “next man up” league, and your fantasy football league is no exception. As the season unfolds, it’s the moves you make that will ultimately decide if you’re playoff-bound or planning for next season. Every week, we’ll help you identify the players available in more than 50% of leagues whose value has taken a turn for the better and should be added to your roster as starters or as smart stashes for your bench.
Injuries continue to wreak havoc across the league. The most notable one from Week 4 is Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice, who is feared to have torn his ACL on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s a huge blow for both the Chiefs and fantasy managers alike. Through the first three weeks, Rice led the league with 24 receptions and ranked top two in both yards (288) and targets (32).
Now, let’s dive into this week’s waiver wire. We’ll start with a group of wide receivers who can potentially help you manage Rice’s absence.
Mike Williams had a pretty good Week 4. Will he do the same in Week 5? Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Mike Williams, New York Jets (44.2% rostered): The Jets have slowly ramped up Williams’ usage over the past few weeks as he returns from last year’s ACL injury. He finished with 10.7 fantasy points against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, posting a season-high five targets, four receptions, and 67 receiving yards. Now is a great time to add Williams, but keep in mind he’s primarily playing in 11-personnel.
Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants (27.1%): It’s surprising that Robinson isn’t rostered in more leagues. Daniel Jones relies heavily on both him and Malik Nabers. Robinson has seen eight-plus targets in three out of four games, with two games of 12-plus targets. He’s also scored 12-plus fantasy points in three of those four games.
Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers (25.0%): Adam Thielen suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders and was placed on IR. This gave Legette a chance to get more snaps and targets against the Cincinnati Bengals — and he took full advantage. He caught six of his 10 targets, scoring 19.6 fantasy points.
Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders (10.2%): Tucker has scored 15-plus fantasy points and has now seen six-plus targets in two straight games. He’s also run the second-most routes on his team over that span. With Davante Adams listed as “week to week” due to a hamstring injury, Tucker should continue playing a key role in the Raiders’ passing game.
Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay Packers (9.5%): Christian Watson was ruled out due to a high ankle sprain in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Vikings. Wicks immediately stepped in as the starting wide receiver opposite Romeo Doubs and rarely left the field. He finished with 13 targets and 24.8 fantasy points.
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (8.8%): Downs was a breakout candidate this summer, but a preseason injury took the wind out of his sails. He didn’t make his regular-season debut until Week 3, but his 22.2 fantasy points against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 showed what he can do, especially with Joe Flacco under center.
Quick hits:
Tutu Atwell (7.0%) and Jordan Whittington (3.8%), Los Angeles Rams: Atwell led the Rams with 82 receiving yards on four catches against the Bears on Sunday, while Whittington had more receptions (6). Both Atwell and Whittington posted solid fantasy performances, each scoring 12.2 points.
Ray-Ray McCloud III, Atlanta Falcons (3.5%): McCloud should be on your radar in deeper leagues. He’s had five-plus targets and 40-plus receiving yards in three of his four games this season.
Quarterbacks:
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (43.6%): Darnold’s renaissance has been breathtaking to watch. He has now scored 19-plus fantasy points in three straight games, yet he’s surprisingly still available in many leagues.
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (34.0%): Fields had a season-high 31.9 fantasy points against the Colts on Sunday. He became the first player in Steelers history to throw for 300 passing yards, rush for 50 yards, and have two rushing scores in a single game.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (33.2% rostered): Lawrence did finish with a season-high 14.7 fantasy points on Sunday against the Houston Texans. In Week 5, he faces a Colts defense that has allowed just under 20 fantasy points per game to QBs.
Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers (8.9%): Dalton’s fantasy performance on Sunday against the Bengals yielded only 15.7 points, which wasn’t as impressive as his 24.5 points against the Raiders in Week 3. However, he remains a reliable option for fantasy managers dealing with QB issues, especially in superflex formats.
Joe Flacco, Indianapolis Colts (0.2%): Flacco showed he still has some magic left, scoring 15.0 fantasy points against the Steelers while filling in for Richardson, who injured his hip in the first quarter.
Running Backs:
Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (51.7%): I know Irving is rostered in just over 50% of leagues, but he should be your top RB target if he’s still available. Before the Week 4 game against the Eagles, reports said Irving would get more work — and he did.
Braelon Allen, New York Jets (45.4%): Allen led the Jets in rushing yards on Sunday against the Broncos. The Jets’ RB committee seems to be tightening up, with Allen finishing the game with nine touches and 5.1 fantasy points, while Breece Hall had 12 touches and just 2.8 points.
Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (43.3%): Dowdle had a season-high 12 touches and 13.1 fantasy points last Thursday night against the Giants. He currently leads the Cowboys backfield in both touches and fantasy points.
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (41.7%): Allgeier finished with 10 touches (for the second time this season) and 10.0 fantasy points against the Saints on Sunday. So far in 2024, he boasts a higher yards per rush and yards after contact per attempt than Bijan Robinson.
Alexander Mattison, Las Vegas Raiders (30.6%): Mattison leads the Raiders backfield with 41.6 fantasy points through four games, despite having fewer touches than Zamir White. He’s a better receiver out of the backfield and more skilled at avoiding tackles.
Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs (21.4%): Hunt scored just 10.5 fantasy points on Sunday against the Chargers, but he led Kansas City’s backfield with 16 touches. It’s also worth noting that Carson Steele lost a fumble early and didn’t play another snap after that
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