Many a fantasy football championship has been won with the waiver wire. Following Week 4 action, these are the names that should be on owners' radars going forward. And fear not if your waiver priority is low-we have some sneaky pickups for you as well.
Ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo.
Thomas Rawls Might Be A Multi-Week Play
Quarterbacks
Alex Smith, Chiefs (25% Owned): Smith is not flashy, but with Jeremy Maclin at receiver, Smith finally has a big play threat to go along with TE Travis Kelce. So far this season he’s remained allergic to interceptions, and he threw for 386 yards on Sunday. Smith is a trusty bye-week replacement for your starter, and a potential matchup play to pair with another lower-level QB.
DEEP OPTION: Kirk Cousins, Redskins (6% Owned): Cousins hasn’t thrown for more than one touchdown in any of his four starts, but his yardage is consistent, and the touchdowns will return when deep threat DeSean Jackson comes back from his hamstring injury.
Christine Michael Could Assume Goal Line Duty In Dallas
Running Backs
Darren McFadden, Cowboys (31% Owned): Lance Dunbar unfortunately suffered a serious-looking knee injury Sunday night, meaning someone must slide into his pass-catching role out of the backfield. Joseph Randle can do it, but he is Dallas’ early-downs back and they don’t view him as a DeMarco Murray-esque workhorse.
Christine Michael is viewed as a “hammer,” which doesn’t scream pass-catcher, so McFadden looks like he is the guy to take some of Dunbar’s passing game work. He’s also sturdy enough to handle goal-line work, so overall his role should be increasing.
Duke Johnson Jr., Browns (31% Owned): Be careful! Johnson will be one of the most-added players in fantasy this week, but expectations must be managed. His 17 touches were encouraging, and his athleticism is undeniable, but Isaiah Crowell is still the lead back, and long touchdowns like the one Johnson scored aren’t a weekly thing. With that said, feel comfortable playing Johnson as a FLEX.
DEEP OPTION: Antonio Andrews, Titans (9% Owned): Andrews appeared to pass Bishop Sankey on the depth chart in Week 3, receiving 12 carries and rushing for 49 yards and a score, while Sankey rushed just five times. Temper expectations, because he is an undrafted second-year player from Western Kentucky, but for now he looks like a starting running back.
Wide Receivers
Tavon Austin, Rams (16% Owned): Austin showed the world what the Rams thought they were getting in 2013 when he was drafted No. 8 overall. The Rams got him the ball creatively, and he responded with 96 receiving yards, 20 rushing yards, and a touchdown. It would be nice to count on this kind of game on a weekly basis, but by now, we all know better. Austin is boom-or-bust, and you play him at your own peril.
Allen Hurns, Jaguars (16% Owned): Hurns has scored touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, and has yet to be held to less than 60 yards in 2015. What else is there to say? He wasn’t drafted and he plays for the Jags, but he’s beaten the odds and is a legitimately startable wide receiver.
Leonard Hankerson, Falcons (18% Owned): This is real guys. Hankerson has replaced fantasy stalwart Roddy White in Atlanta’s offense, and should be close to 100 percent owned. He’s been targeted 11, six, and eight times in the past three tilts, and with defenses focusing on Julio Jones they’ll keep throwing Hank’s way.
DEEP OPTION: Willie Snead, Saints (2% Owned): Drew Brees is back, and he’s targeting Snead a ton. Snead’s received 19 targets in the last three games, and caught 15 of them. He’s sure-handed, and quickly developing a rapport with one of the best QBs in football.
DEEP OPTION: Tedd Ginn Jr., Panthers (33% Owned): Ginn is not a great receiver, but he is probably Cam Newton’s favorite receiver. The Panthers pass-catching corps is barren without Kelvin Benjamin, and Ginn leads all wide receivers with 25 targets. He has three touchdowns, and even though he’s inefficient with his targets, Ginn has big-play ability.
Tight Ends
DEEP OPTION: Gary Barnidge, Browns (9% Owned): 10 catches, 180 yards, two scores in the last two games. I don’t like this offense, or either of its quarterbacks, but numbers don’t lie. He’s productive.
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