Fantasy Football Waivers

NFL Waiver Wire Week 12

Covid and injuries are wreaking havoc at one of the worst possible times with the playoffs right around the corner. Most leagues start next week so it is imperative to find reinforcements right now. That’s what we’re here to do with the NFL Waiver Wire Week 12 and there are already some major options out there to boost your squad! Make sure to take advantage of our Black Friday Deal where everything on WinDailySports.com is 50% off!

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Quarterback

Taysom Hill, Saints – 43% rostered

Last week, Jameis Winston was in this slot but this article is written on Monday and we didn’t find out Taysom was starting on Friday. While he’s not going to be Drew Brees at any point, he’s going to be fantasy relevant with his rushing upside alone. Brees is not capable of doing things like this on the football field –

He wasn’t that bad as a passer either, totaling over 220 yards and having at least one long bomb touchdown taken off the board by penalty. The jury is absolutely still out on being a “franchise quarterback” but the next four games are Denver, Falcons again, Eagles and Chiefs. We don’t have a timeline for Brees yet and Hill is a worthy option regardless of position. If he’s eligible at tight end, he’s beyond a cheat code for his time as a starter.

Derek Carr, Raiders – 36% rostered

Carr is the streamer of the week this week since he’s got a matchup with the Falcons on deck. Atlanta is not only a major pass funnel, but Carr is playing what is likely the best football of his career. No, actually it’s not likely. It IS the best football of his career and he has 19 touchdown passes on the season. The Falcons have given up 22 touchdowns through 10 games thus far and only the Seahawks give up more yards per game. It’s a weird week in that we have no teams on a bye, but don’t overlook Carr if you happen to be in a bind this week.

Honorable Mention

Gardner Minshew – We need clarity but he practiced in limited fashion last week. If he makes it back, Minshew gets matchups with Cleveland, Minnesota and Tennessee the next three weeks.

P.J. Walker – Just like Minshew, Walker is not a guaranteed start this week. However, if Teddy Bridgewater remains out Walker could have some potential. He played well this past week except two interceptions in the end zone. If he fixes that error, he could have a massive day against the Vikings.

Running Back

Gus Edwards, Ravens – 28% rostered

With the news that Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins on the Covid list, Edwards is going to be the last man standing in this backfield. Baltimore has the best rushing offense in yardage per game in the league. Edwards already has 80+ yards in a game against the Steelers this season. Quietly, Pittsburgh has given up over 150 yards rushing per game over the past month. With Edwards almost guaranteed 15 or more touches this week, he’s a plug and play. As a side note, if someone drops Dobbins, pick him up ASAP. Dobbins took over the backfield last week with 17 touches and likely does it again when he’s healthy.

James White, Patriots – 40% rostered

White has done virtually nothing this season and I didn’t figure on him being included in this article. However, Rex Burkhead is done for the season and now White is about the only pass catcher the Pats have at this position. White actually played 57% of the snaps this past week, a season high. Neither Damien Harris nor Sony Michel are a threat to passing game work in this offense. Burkhead only had an 11.6% target share but that’s not terrible if White takes all that work.

Honorable Mention

Wayne Gallman, Giants – With Devonta Freeman still on IR, Gallman is leading this backfield. He’s not been exactly spectacular but he’s logged 10, 12, 14 and 18 carries in those games. Getting the Bengals this week won’t hurt in the least.

Carlos Hyde, Seahawks – He’s at least the handcuff in the Seattle backfield. The thought is Chris Carson is coming back this week but A. that’s not set in stone and B. Carson has had some serious injury issues in his career. Hyde is the clear answer when Carson is out and racked up 16 touches in the last game for Seattle.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Bears – On Yahoo, Patterson has RB/WR eligibility and operated as the lead back in the Bears offense without Daivid Montgomery. This is definitely more of a deep league target and if Montgomery is back this week, we can keep Patterson on the sidelines.

Wide Receiver

Michael Pittman, Colts – 44% rostered

I wouldn’t get too giddy with Pittman, as he’s coming off a game with only three targets. He made the most of them with 66 yards and a score but the Colts offense spreads it around a good bit. T.Y. Hilton has the highest target share in the offense at 16.6% but Pittman does have 18 over the last three games. If you’re in a 10 team league, this likely isn’t the pickup for you but 12 teams or more he makes sense and is on the flex radar. The next three weeks really set up well for him with the Texans, Raiders and Texans again.

Russell Gage, Falcons – 7% rostered

This is pretty dependent on Julio Jones not playing on Sunday but if he doesn’t, Gage is in play as a WR3 in PPR leagues. He saw 12 targets this past week as Julio was out the majority of the game. He cam back late for one play and immediately left so at a guess, he’s not likely to play. Gage has the Raiders on the docket and if he sees even eight targets, he’ll be a decent play this week.

Cole Beasley, Bills – 52% rostered

He’s technically just over the threshold we use but Beasley deserves more love. His ceiling is a lot higher if John Brown would be out again but Beasley is attached to one of the best passing games in football. He has an 18.8% target share and seven red zone looks. Of his 10 games played, seven have been into the double-digits for fantasy points. The Chargers defense is nothing to write home about and provided the Buffalo weather cooperates, this game projects to shootout.

Honorable Mention

Nelson Agholor, Raiders – No player outside of Darren Waller is that heavily targeted, but Agholor has found new life in Vegas. Of the seven games he’s played since Week 4 (when he started to get consistent targets) five have been double-digits. One game was zero but weather played a role and then he did have a floor game. However, he deserves to be rostered more than 20%.

Willie Snead, Ravens – One aspect that Gus Edwards has not shown so far is a lot of pass catching ability. Snead has led the Ravens in receiving yards since Week 8 and his targets have really jumped. With Marquise Brown being a non-factor for most of the year, Snead is very sneaky this week. I wouldn’t trust him in shallow leagues.

Tim Patrick, Broncos – He just keeps producing somehow. After the loss of Courtland Sutton, Patrick has played and finished in six games. He’s scored or recorded at least four receptions and 61 yards in every single game.

Jalen Reagor, Eagles – The Eagles offense is a disaster but they get Seattle this week. Sometimes, that’s enough said.

Tight End

Jordan Reed, 49ers – 15% rostered

Reed had the bye week to get full healthy and played almost 50% of the snaps in the last game. He was targeted six times and brought in five of them for 62 yards. George Kittle is still not Riley to be back for a while and a 5/60 line is plenty to play every week in the tight end spot this season. If you don’t have an elite player, you’re looking for anything viable.

Jordan Akins, Texans – 2% rostered

The Texans should have a fairly easy time this week in Detroit but they are a little short staffed on the offense. Randall Cobb is all but out and Akins saw six targets last week when Cobb missed most of the game. This is definitely a deep league play but he’s shown the ability to score double-digit points in any given game.

D/ST

New York Giants – 16% rostered

It’s not exactly often that we want to play a defense that is 26th in total DVOA. After the Bengals lost Joe Burrow for the season (serious sad face, hoping he’s back to full strength next year), the Bengals offense is a target the rest of the year. That’s certainly the case in NFL Waiver Wire Week 12. Burrow had been sacked the third-most times in the league and the Giants do have 25 themselves. With 15 turnovers forced, I’m going after the Giants in any league I need a defense.

Thanks for reading the NFL Waiver Wire Week 12 and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Waiver Wire Week 10

On the surface, it doesn’t look like the best waiver period of the year. There’s certainly targets for teams in need, but I’m not sure there’s a slam dunk option that must be chased. It’s still crazy to think we’re only about a month from playoffs in the fantasy world. We’ll do the same thing we always do and that’s sort through the NFL Waiver Wire Week 10 to find the gems!

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Teams on a Bye – Chiefs, Jets, Cowboys, Falcons

Quarterback

Drew Lock, Denver Broncos – 20% rostered

There’s two quality starting quarterbacks on bye this week, so folks need a replacement. Lock was in this spot last week and he smashed for fantasy en route to 313 passing yards and two scores. As an added bonus, he rushed for a touchdown and kicked in 37 rushing yards total. Lock isn’t a player that I would want to trust yet but the offense is getting a bit healthier. Noah Fant and Tim Patrick played on Sunday, while rookie receiver Jerry Jeudy had a breakout game. Lock does have some weapons at his disposal and goes against the Raiders passing defense this week. They ranked 27th in DVOA against the pass before Justin Herbert added another 300+ yard game this past week.

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins – 24% rostered

Tua moved to 2-0 as a starter but we actually saw him have to play a bit more in this game. He already has a fourth quarter game winning drive under his belt and he looked like the Tua folks expected coming out of college before his injury.

Not only did he throw for 248 yards and two touchdowns, but added 35 rushing yards. He’s been an exciting prospect for almost his entire starting career at Alabama and appears to be healthy. Miami faces the Chargers this week. Now, the Chargers are 12th in DVOA against the pass but Tua should still be able to provide a line like he just did. Getting 250 yards and two touchdowns is the goal from a streamer, and that’s what Tua should be considered this week. I prefer Lock if you gave the option.

Honorable Mention

Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers – The seasonal numbers look excellent for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense. However, they’ve given up 20, 23 and 38 points the past three weeks. Bridgewater just provided 310 passing yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City. The Chiefs are inside the top five in DVOA against the pass, just like the Bucs.

Alex Smith, Washington – I want to be clear that Smith is only for truly desperate squads. He threw for 325 yards in relief of an injured Kyle Allen on Sunday but it was marred with three interceptions.

Running Back

*NOTE* If anyone let Mike Davis of the Panthers go, pick him right back up. Christian McCaffrey is “day-to-day” with a shoulder injury sustained on Sunday. If he can’t play, Davis is in line for workhorse usage. Even the not-so-great matchup against the Bucs that looms means he should be on the wire.

Duke Johnson, Houston Texans – 16% rostered

David Johnson left this past week with a concussion, and it’s no guarantee that he’ll be back. In his stead, Duke played 52-64 snaps and had 20 total touches. He wasn’t super efficient as he averaged under 3.0 YPC but that’s not overly concerning to me. If he’s going to get that workload, that’s all that matters. David Johnson is 15th in carries among backs and 25th in targets. That workload is near impossible to find at this stage of the season. Duke Johnson is among my highest-priority targets as we sit on Monday night.

Kallen Ballage, Chargers – 1% rostered

I feel compelled to write up Ballage but I’m not real sure I’m interested in him. Some of that depends on the severity of Justin Jackson’s knee injury. He did not record a touch on Sunday, and Ballage and Joshua Kelley took over. Kelley played more snaps but Ballage got more touches, 17-14. Justin Herbert is slinging the ball all over, but the backfield is a mess. I’m not sure I can say Ballage is here to stay with any type of confidence. Adding to the uncertainty was Troymaine Pope was out this past week as well. I do prefer to let someone else fall on this grenade.

Ryan Nall, Bears – 0% rostered

Starter David Montgomery suffered a concussion and is in the NFL protocol. Just like David Johnson, there’s no real way to tell if Montgomery will play this week. Also like Montgomery, All could inherit a significant workload. Monty has been a horse since Week 3. Not only does he have 88 rushing attempts but he has 32 targets as well. If Nall gets even 80% of that workload, he’s going to be worth it to roster. He didn’t receive a carry, but the Bears were playing catchup football and he did catch all four of his targets and found the end zone.

J.D. McKissic, Washington – 24% rostered

Alex Smith likes to check down and the proof is in the pudding so far. Smith has thrown 49 passes this season and 18 of those attempts have gone to McKissic. The receiving back also ran 31 routes this past Sunday, a season-high. They were in a negative game script, but still. McKissic has 47 total targets to just 26 for Antonio Gibson on the year. It’s quite evident that he’s a significant part of the offense and worth a flex start in PPR leagues moving forward.

Honorable Mention

Wayne Gallman, Giants – He’s been the lead back with Devonta Freeman out and when he left mid-game in Philly. Since that point, Gallman has racked up 36 carries for 146 yards and three scores. He’s not exciting but has hit at least 13 PPR points in those three contests.

Wide Receiver

Jalen Reagor, Eagles – 24% rostered

In Yahoo leagues, you can actually add Reagor right now since he didn’t play a game last week if your league rules allow it. That’s right, it’s like a cheat code. Reagor came back from a thumb injury and accumulated six targets last game. He scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion, good for over 13 PPR points. Reagor has a 21.2% air yards share in this offense and with DeSean Jackson and Zach Ertz out, he has the opening to make a big impact. Philly didn’t draft him in Round 1 to not create chances for him. Reagor is a flex/low-end WR2 the rest of the way in my eyes and I’ve picked him up everywhere I can.

Jakobi Meyers, Patriots – 12% rostered

We really can’t ignore Meyers at this point. The Patriots offense lacks weapons at about every level and they’ve been down receivers N’Keal Harry and Julian Edelman for a couple weeks now. Meyers has stepped up in a major way, with 20 receptions and 287 yards. He hasn’t even scored yet but has at least 10 PPR points in three weeks. For comparison’s sake, Meyers had 169 yards on Monday night. Edelman leads the team with 315 yards.

Curtis Samuel, Panthers – 30% rostered

I sort of assumed that with CMC back in the fold, Curtis Samuel wouldn’t see a ton of work this past week. Um, whoops. Samuel saw a season-high nine targets and he hauled in all of them on his way to a massive day. He’s earned 19 targets the past three weeks and caught 18 of them. That’s six more than D.J. Moore and that’s to say nothing of the seven rushing attempts on top of it. The floor is still low for Samuel, but the Panthers offense is creative and better than we thought. His ceiling is evident after the past two weeks.

Honorable Mention

Danny Amendola, Lions – With Kenny Golladay out, Amendola saw 10 targets this past week. He’s the definition of PPR player only at this point in his career, but he’s also a safe bet for double-digit points if he’s seeing 8-10 targets without Golladay.

K.J. Hamler, Broncos – If Amendola is a floor play, Hamler is the boom or bust play. He’s seen his targets ramp up over his three games back from a hammy injury. Hamler has gone for three to three to 10 this past week. Now, the Broncos were down early but we’ve yet to see a true explosion game from Hamler. He can absolutely burn and have a huge day on few targets. Stash him in deeper leagues to see how the involvement goes.

Tight End

Austin Hooper, Browns – 40% rostered

Are you missing Travis Kelce this week? Maybe you’re tired of watching Mark Andrews produce nothing? Austin Hooper is here to help solve the problem. Before his appendectomy, Hooper was on a bit of a hot streak for three games. He had a combined 23 targets and at least five receptions in all three. Hooper also either scored or cleared 50 yards receiving in those games and he comes back to an offense down Odell Beckham Jr., who owned a 21.9% target share. Just like Reagor, you have the ability to pick up Hooper for free on Yahoo before waivers run.

Honorable Mention

Jordan Reed, 49ers – He flopped last game but I expect him to be more involved as he gets further away from injury. He is still more talented than teammate Ross Dwelley. There’s not a lot of options to offer in NFL Waiver Wire Week 10, but that’s the state of the tight end position.

D/ST

Eagles – 48% rostered

They are a freebie defense to pick up before Wednesday and draw the New York Giants. These teams just squared off two weeks ago and Philly had three sacks and three turnovers. Coming off a bye, they should be fully prepared.

Giants – 42% rostered

This side of the ball doesn’t get a ton of credit, but they are stout against the run and 18th in overall DVOA. That’s not spectacular, but Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz leads the NFL in turnovers. That alone puts Philly in the streaming category.

Thanks for reading the NFL Waiver Wire Week 10 and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Waiver Wire Week 9

We have a lot of high-profile injuries once again and some that have lingered into this next week. We need to sort through and decide what performances from Sunday can be replicated and what was just a one-hit wonder. It’s down to crunch time in fantasy. If you’re looking strong for the playoffs, you need to fortify the depth of your team. If you need to make a run, the time is now with just a handful of weeks left in the fantasy regular season. Let’s discuss which players need to be the priority in the NFL Waiver Wire Week 9 and get ready for that run to glory!

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Teams on a bye – Bengals, Browns, Eagles, Rams

QB

Derek Carr, Raiders – 42% rostered

Before he hit the wind vortex that was Cleveland this past week, Carr had thrown at least two touchdowns in every game but one. I’m certainly not going to downgrade him for that performance. Now he gets the Chargers who ranked 12th in DVOA against the pass coming into Sunday. However, they traded corner Desmond King to the Titans and Joey Bosa is in concussion protocol. Carr has been very efficient this season, with just two interceptions. He’s in the top 10 in completion rate on deep balls and this is a great bounce back spot for him.

Drew Lock, Broncos – 10% rostered

If you want to play a quarterback and not look at what happens until after the game, Lock is the player for you. He’s coming off his first multi-touchdown game of the season and his second-highest passing yardage of 248. Why are we talking about him then? Lock and the Broncos play the Falcons in Atlanta. He likely has to put up some points against the Atlanta offense and the defense leads the NFL with 20 passing touchdowns allowed so far. They are also in the bottom three in DVOA against the pass. It should be noted that the defense has played better since Dan Quinn was fired. Lock is not a safe bet by any stretch. This is likelier to be an option in 2QB leagues, but a 20-25 point fantasy day is well within the range of outcomes.

Honorable Mention

Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers – It was a disappointing Thursday night game against the Falcons, but he’ll be chasing points this week against the Chiefs. Teddy B might also be getting Christian McCaffrey back into the fold, which isn’t going to hurt. Mike Davis has been producing like a backup the past couple weeks.

Nick Foles, Bears – I know, it’s gross. However, the Titans are only about average in DVOA against the pass and have allowed 17 touchdowns through the air so far. That’s to go along with the eighth-most passing yards so if it’s desperation time, Foles could at least hit 250/2 in this contest. The NFL Waiver Wire Week 9 isn’t the best for quarterbacks.

Priority – Carr, Lock, Teddy B, Foles

Running Back

JaMycal Hasty, 49ers – 42% rostered

The 49ers are a mess with injuries and that extends into the backfield. Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert are on IR. Tevin Coleman didn’t make it through the game Sunday. Hasty wasn’t spectacular, but the 49ers staff has been shielding Jerick McKinnon among reports of tired legs. He has a combined 12 carries over the past three weeks, so Hasty stands to benefit on a short week. Green Bay was 22nd in DVOA against the run before getting demolished by Dalvin Cook Sunday and now are over 100 rushing yards per game to running backs. This is a spot Hasty can pay off immediately since they play Thursday night. He’s my number one priority from the NFL Waiver Wire Week 9.

Jordan Wilkins, Colts – 2% rostered

To me, I’ll let someone else spend FAAB or burn a waiver claim on Jordan Wilkins. He had played all of six snaps the two games before the bye and then he went nuts Sunday. While Wilkins tilted the Jonathan Taylor owners off the face of the Earth, Coach Frank Reich admitted that Wilkins wasn’t really in the game plan. It was a true situation of riding the hot hand. That means it’s going to be tough to tell who’s getting the work before the game kicks off. Wilkins will be involved, but it’s turning into a three man RBBC in Indy and that’s tough to deal with.

J.K. Dobbins/Gus Edwards, Ravens – 68%/30% rostered

Up until Sunday, Baltimore had been a dreaded three man RBBC. With the injury to Mark Ingram, Dobbins and Edwards took center stage. Dobbins played the majority of snaps and went over 110 yards on the Pittsburgh defense, a big accomplishment and one where he showcased just how talented he is. However, Edwards generated over 80 yards himself and scored. Both backs are worth a pickup for the short-term, but you can’t help but wonder what role Ingram has. Does he just roll back and make this three backs again? Is it now the Dobbins show, with a splash of Edwards? If we knew that Dobbins was going to be the man, I’d be going after him in a big way. It remains a concern to me that he was third on the depth chart until the hand was forced.

Damien Harris, Patriots – 47% rostered

Harris is far from a perfect waiver candidate since he has shown virtually no pass catching upside. He is game script dependent in a major way but when the game stays close he’s got a chance to be a factor. In the four games he’s been active, two have exceeded 100 yards and he scored his first touchdown of the season last week. In three games, he’s had double-digit carries and that alone is worth picking up of the wire. New England’s offense is imperfect in many ways, but they should be run-heavy the rest of the way. Harris is a worthy pickup for the NFL Waiver Wire Week 9.

Zack Moss, Bills – 55% rostered

Moss is technically just over the threshold, but he needs to be universally rostered right now. His snaps have increased every week since coming back from a toe injury to the point of he played more than Devin Singletary this past week. He also ran 14 times for 81 yards and two scores, which was about equal to Singletary’s 86 yards on the ground. Moss holds the edge in red zone attempts and he could be right on the cusp of taking over the backfield.

Honorable Mention

DeeJay Dallas, Seahawks – Efficiency was not his name on Sunday and he needs other running backs to remain out. However, 23 touches in the NFL’s highest-scoring offense speaks for itself and he did score twice.

Cam Akers, Rams – He’s on his bye week but keep up on the injury for Darrell Henderson. If he’s out, Akers will get touches and the Rams run an awful lot.

Priority – Moss, Hasty, Harris, Dobbins, Edwards, Dallas, Akers

Wide Receiver

Corey Davis, Titans – 48% rostered

This section is likely to be important for the players that lost Kenny Golladay of the Lions for the near future. Davis being under 50% is a crime as he has eight, five, six, 10 and 10 targets in his active games so far. He also has two games over 100 yards and three scores on the season. This includes a 23.2% target share and a 28.6% share of the air yards in Tennessee’s offense. Davis is the second fiddle behind A.J. Brown in the passing game and even in tougher matchups coming up, he needs to be rostered at a much higher rate.

Darnell Mooney, Bears – 6% rostered

Mooney is only at a 13.8% target share in this Bears offense, but he owns a 24.5% share of the air yards and has an aDOT of 15.7. He is a volatile option to say the least but the big play ability is there every single game. Since he gets to square off against the Titans next week, he could well have a repeat of last week’s 5/69/1. He’s at a 66% snap rate on the season and is a solid deeper league option this week.

Honorable Mention

Tim Patrick, Broncos – Provided he’s back on the field, a matchup with the Falcons is enough on its own. Throw in a 31.7% air yards share since Week 3 and you have a potential blowup spot coming up.

Jalen Reagor, Eagles – If you can hold out for the bye week, Reagor would be among my top adds. He walked back into six targets and played 73% of the snaps. He’s a threat all over the field and has big play ability to pay it off.

Marvin Hall, Lions – He stepped up in a big way on Sunday, totaling 7/113/0. Golladay is reportedly week-to-week with the hip injury. Hall is a relative unknown so this is more a shot in the dark.

Priority – Davis if you need someone for Week 9, Reagor if not, Patrick, Mooney, Hall

Tight End

Logan Thomas, Washington – 23% rostered

Players are hurting with the loss of George Kittle and it’s likely best to plan for him missing the rest of the season. Nobody is going to replace that level of production at the position, but Thomas is a player that can help possibly bring some stability. It’s only been two full games with Kyle Allen as his quarterback, so grain of salt. However, he has seen eight targets and that’s tied for the second-most among the team. Thomas also is second in red zone and end zone chances. That’s really the most you can hope for a the position. Thomas is tied for fifth in red zone targets on the season among tight ends and has a sweetheart schedule coming up.

Jordan Reed, 49ers – 3% rostered

Reed is eligible to come off the IR this week even though it’s a Thursday game. When he was healthy and Kittle was out, Reed saw 14 targets in not two full games. He turned that into 9/73/2 and even with a backup quarterback, Reed is still capable of production. The fact the 49ers are so banged up right now means there’s a role in the offense to be sure. If Reed doesn’t come off the IR, Ross Dwelley is viable in very deep leagues.

Honorable Mention

Eric Ebron, Steelers – Dallas is up next and Ebron has not fallen under four targets the past four games. Yes, he is likely touchdown or bust but who isn’t at this position outside Travis Kelce?

Dallas Goedert, Eagles – He would be the number one option if he wasn’t on a bye week. The production for him wasn’t there Sunday but he played most of the snaps and was running routes all night.

Priority – Thomas, Goedert, Reed, Ebron

D/ST

Washington, 17% rostered

This defense has a dream scenario coming up. Not only are they ranked fifth in overall DVOA, but they get the Giants on a short week followed by the Lions, Bengals and Cowboys. You have your defense solved for the next month with this pickup as they have 22 sacks, nine turnovers forced and rank 11th in points given up per game so far.

Thanks for reading the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Waiver Wire Week 8

It was a rough go on Sunday, with multiple high-profile injuries across the league. Odell Beckham Jr., Chris Carson, Deebo Samuel and Kenyan Drake were just some of the players that were hurt this weekend. While Beckham is done for the season, the jury is still out on some of the other players. We’re here to help fill out your rosters to get through the bye weeks coming in NFL Waiver Wire Week 8!

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Teams on a Bye – Washington, Jacksonville, Houston, Arizona

NFL Waiver Wire Week 8 Quarterback

Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers – 44% rostered

Monday Night Football is yet to be played as this is typed, but nobody will catch Teddy B in passing yardage. That means he’s fifth in the NFL and he’s thriving in the new-look Carolina offense. He’s only 0.4% off the league lead for completion rate as well, so this is really a perfect marriage right now. The only facet missing from the resume is touchdown passes, with just eight on the year. It’s a good thing he gets Atlanta this week because they lead the league in touchdown passes allowed at 19. The first time Bridgewater saw this matchup, he put up 313 yards, two scores and no picks. You’d be very happy to stream that production this week.

Derek Carr, Raiders – 29% rostered

I have been a noted Carr-hater in the past, but he’s been wildly impressive this season. Only once has he not thrown at least two touchdowns in a game and he ran the streak to five straight this past week against the Bucs. That’s no mean feat considering the matchup and this week he takes on the Browns. You know, the same team that just got lit up by rookie Joe Burrow. Carr and coach Jon Gruden have meshed well this year, and they’ve gotten only limited contributions from their rookie receivers. Cleveland entered this past week at 19th in DVOA against the pass, which likely didn’t get better. Carr sits third in completion rate and only has one interception on the season.

Honorable Mention

Baker Mayfield, Browns – You missed the best game of the season and he’s not typically a ceiling option, but Mayfield also has thrown multiple touchdowns in every game but two. The Raiders were 26th in DVOA entering this week and Vegas sits at 11 TD passes given up.

Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers – A gross option to say he least but Seattle’s secondary tends to cure a whole lot of ailments.

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins – Tua draws a tough spot against the Rams in his first start, but he’s rostered in under 30% of leagues. That’s not high enough for his potential and even if you don’t start him immediately, he has the Jets, Chargers, Broncos, Bengals and Raiders left on the schedule.

NFL Waiver Wire Week 8 Running Back

Chase Edmonds, Cardinals – 63% rostered

There’s a number one option in NFL Waiver Wire Week 8 and it’s not close. He’s why we’re breaking the rules on how high a player is rostered. Edmonds is going to be the lead back in Arizona for the foreseeable future, as Kenyan Drake has an ankle injury that could land him on IR. High-ankle sprains can be tough to get back from, and Edmonds just generated over 140 scrimmage yards Sunday night on 12 touches. He was already the passing down back and there’s a real chance Drake doesn’t get his job back this year. In dynasty leagues, Eno Benjamin isn’t a bad stash option to see what happens behind Edmonds either.

Carlos Hyde, Seahawks – 11% rostered

On the other side of this game, Chris Carson left with a foot sprain and is being listed as week-to-week. That’s not great and could lead to him missing some time. Hyde stepped into a healthy workload of 15 carries, though he did look on as DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer played passing downs. Hyde might just be a two-down banger at this point, but when you’re a part of the highest-scoring offense in football, a two down role is still extremely fantasy relevant.

La’Mical Perine, Jets – 16% rostered

The good news? Perine appears to be taking over as the leader in the backfield, as he played 70% of the snaps and handled 13 running back touches. He got the only RB targets in the game, which signals that he is the alpha right now. The bad news? He plays for the Jets. Inevitably, the game scripts are going to go against him in almost every game the rest of the way and Perine is going to be tough to trust. He’s more of a deep league play to me, but a running back getting so much playing time deserves attention.

49ers Backfield

This is one of the grossest backfields in fantasy, but one of the most relevant at the same time. Only six teams average more rushing yards per game than San Francisco but guessing which player leads the position has become a nightmare. We thought it would be Jerick McKinnon this past week. We were wrong, as Jeff Wilson torched the Patriots before getting hurt. Coach Kyle Shanahan said after the game that it had been the plan all along to rest McKinnon this week.

That is one of the toughest aspects in fantasy. There’s no way to prepare for a game plan you’re not privy to. This week should have only McKinnon, Jamycal Hasty and potentially Tevin Coleman as their options. Hasty has looked the part with 72 scrimmage yards on 10 touches, but those only came later in the game. All the pieces are interesting, but we’ll need more information to choosing the right one. Even then, it’s not set in stone.

Zach Moss, Bills – 46% rostered

Devin Singletary is not taking over this backfield with his play right now and Moss could be chipping away. This past week Moss racked up 72 scrimmage yards to 47 for Singletary and each back had 10 touches. Moss also has only four fewer red zone attempts than Singletary in three fewer games even though Josh Allen looms as a major thorn in the side as far as touchdowns in close. You want to make sure Moss is on your roster before he takes over (if he does) and beat the crowd to pick him up.

Honorable Mention

Both Gio Bernard and Jamaal Williams of the Bengals and Packers respectively are RB2-style players as long as Joe Mixon and Aaron Jones are out. There’s even RB1 upside. Both players are over the normal 50% threshold and it appeared that neither Mixon nor Jones would be out long. However, I’d want both starters back at practice before I dropped either backup.

NFL Waiver Wire Week 8 Wide Receiver

Sterling Shepard, Giants – 29% rostered

Shepard came back to the Giants lineup and posted a 6/59/1 line on eight targets. That’s some great volume and Shepard is possibly their best all-around receiver? It’s a toss-up between him and Darius Slayton but Shepard shouldn’t be available in this many leagues. If you need immediate help, Shepard might not be the ideal play. He has the Bucs and Washington the next two weeks. However, he has Philly again, a bye, the Bengals and the Seahawks after that. Shepard can do some damage in an offense that is desperate for play makers and should be trailing plenty.

Cole Beasley, Bills – 41% rostered

Beasley is mostly a PPR specialist, but he is a solid one at that. Only once has he dipped under double-digit points. He’s actually flirting with 1,000 yard season which is pretty impressive. Some of that has been because John Brown has missed time but Brown has always (and sadly) had issues staying on the field. Buffalo ranks eighth in attempts per game with the new Josh Allen under center and Beasley has a respectable 19.2% target share. If nothing else, he’s worth playing while you miss players these next couple of weeks.

Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers – 49% rostered

Deebo Samuel is set to miss more time with an injury. Even though that didn’t mean much at the start of the season, Aiyuk is coming into his own. He just recorded his first 100-yard receiving game in New England, an impressive feat. He now gets the Seahawks and if he gets another seven targets and possibly a rush or two, should pay off in this spot. Sometimes it takes a few games for a rookie to start clicking in an offense. Kyle Shanahan’s has a reputation for being a complex one to learn.

Jalen Reagor, Eagles – 14% rostered

We’ve only seen him in two games, but Reagor racked up over 150 air yards on just eight targets. Philly is now down Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert and DeSean Jackson in the offense, just as far as receiving options. Travis Fulgham has emerged but the Eagles are aching for another option in this passing game. Reagor might be my favorite option of the receivers in NFL Waiver Wire Week 8. Will someone please for goodness sake help Carson Wentz??

Rashard Higgins, Browns – 2% rostered

With Beckham done for the season, it’s a reasonable expectation to see Higgins jump up his production. He did catch all six of his targets this past week for 110 yards but he had started to integrate into this offense a little bit the past couple weeks. Higgins had played 55% and 60% of the snaps the previous two weeks. He was quietly earning playing time even if targets weren’t following. I likely don’t trust him yet in shallow leagues but in deeper leagues, he could be a flex option this week against the Raiders.

NFL Waiver Wire Week 8 Tight End

Richard Rodgers, Eagles – 9% rostered

It’s an odd day when Richard Rodgers checks in as a streaming option, and yet here we are. With the lack of tight ends in Philly, Rodgers saw eight targets this past week and caught six of them for 85 yards. With a matchup against the Cowboys on the horizon, Rodgers is a dynamite streamer and he was the only Philly tight end to be targeted last week.

Trey Burton, Colts – 21% rostered

In the three weeks that Burton has been active, he’s carved out a 15.7% target share, third on the team. Additionally, he has the third-most red zone targets and second-most end zone targets in those three games. Burton even has a rushing score and while I certainly wouldn’t count on that, the targets are real and he is a solid asset in PPR leagues especially.

Honorable Mention

Logan Thomas, Washington

He can’t help you this week since he’s on his bye week but coming out of the bye, he has the Giants, Lions, Bengals and Cowboys again. With Kyle Allen as his quarterback, Thomas is third on the team in targets and has over 17% of the air yards with two red zone looks. When Terry McLaurin is at a 33% target share and 61% (!!) of the air yards, those marks for Thomas are pretty nice.

NFL Waiver Wire Week 8 D/ST

Packers – 20% rostered

It is not a good week to be streaming defenses in NFL Waiver Wire Week 8. Almost every good one is rostered fairly universally and even the somewhat decent options face juggernaut offenses. The Packers defense is flawed and doesn’t have an interception since Week 2, but they do get Kirk Cousins and the Vikings. You can hope Cousins has a rough game and the Packers don’t kill you this week.

Thanks for reading the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Week 7 Waiver Wire

It may not have been a huge injury-filled weekend but there were plenty of running backs either lost or potentially lost for the near future. We also have another four teams on bye weeks, so rosters could be a little thinner this week than normal. That’s where the NFL Week 7 Waiver Wire comes in and we do have some options at every position this week and only most of them are Eagles.

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday and Tuesday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Teams on a Bye – Colts, Vikings, Jaguars, Broncos

Quarterback

Justin Herbert, Chargers – 54% rostered

We’ve talked about Herbert enough that we don’t need to go into massive detail. Quarterback is a deep position but Herbert doesn’t deserve to be a free agent in this many leagues. He’s racked up nine passing touchdowns with one rushing in four games, compared to just three interceptions. He’s proven at every turn that the stage isn’t too big, capping his young career with a four touchdown game on Monday Night Football. The fact it came almost all without number one receiver Keenan Allen just made it even more impressive. With his bye week behind him, Herbert needs to be nearly universally rostered.

Ryan Tannehill, Titans – 54% rostered

Alright so I’m cheating a little bit because the roster percent is actually from ESPN, not Yahoo. Still, Tannehill is under 70% on Yahoo and this is just ludicrous. Listen, I still can’t believe Tannehill has been this incredible since taking over. It defies anything we saw in Miami. However, in the 15 games as the Titans starter, Tannehill has 40 total touchdowns. That’s…insane. He now has 13 passing touchdowns alone and only two interceptions this season. Pittsburgh’s defense can be tough, but with the amount they blitz they can give up big plays as well. Tannehill is a top-flight fantasy option and needs to be treated as such.

Honorable Mention

Carson Wentz, Eagles – He’s a little more rostered than our normal targets but even with a horribly banged up offense around him, he’s the QB9. Wentz has been better than Joe Burrow, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Jared Goff….you get the picture here. He’s leading the league in interceptions but is still a top-10 option. The hate has gone a touch too far and his next three games are the Giants twice and the Cowboys.

Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers – Teddy B had a floor game in a very tough matchup this past week, but don’t let that deter you. He’s got the Saints this week and Atlanta again after that.

Andy Dalton, Cowboys – This is the most talented offense Dalton has been at the helm of in years. The defense for the Cowboys is still really bad and by default, Dalton will have to produce some numbers.

Running Backs

*Update*

Jerick McKinnon/JaMycal Hasty, 49ers

The 49ers backfield is all sorts of beat up right now. Jeff Wilson was inactive Sunday night with a calf injury, Tevin Coleman is still on IR and then Raheem Mostert left with an injury. Mostert is headed for the IR, so San Francisco is getting thin. What was interesting is Hasty actually closed the game Sunday night and drew some praise from Coach Kyle Shanahan.

When Mostert missed earlier, McKinnon was the workhorse but he’s over 70% rostered in Yahoo leagues. Hasty is well worth a pickup since San Francisco is 10th in rushing yards per game despite being 17th in attempts. If the backfield is just down to McKinnon and Hasty, there could be enough fantasy goodness to go around.

Justin Jackson, Chargers – 46% rostered

Many folks will have Boston Scott as their lead pickup and I can’t argue that in the short-term. In the longer-term, Jackson might be more valuable. He out-snapped rookie Joshua Kelley and badly out-produced him on Monday night with 20 touches and 94 total yards. I may have overestimated the role Kelley would have and Jackson was likely slated to be the backup if not for injury. With Austin Ekeler not being that close to returning, Jackson could be a low-end RB2/flex option until he gets back and will be forgotten on NFL Week 7 Waiver Wire.

Boston Scott, Eagles – 14% rostered

Starter Miles Sanders might just miss one game. The Eagles play Thursday night against the Giants and Scott is going to be the main back. New York has let up over 800 total yards to the running back position and are tied for the sixth-most receptions allowed. You should view Scott as a top-20 option as long as he has the job, and there’s not a guarantee that Sanders returns after the mini-bye week. No team gets hit with injuries quite like Philly.

Gio Bernard, Bengals – 6% rostered

This is somewhat speculative at this point, since we don’t know the extent of a possible Joe Mixon injury. He left the game Sunday only to come back, but then leave again. If Mixon misses any time, Bernard is going to step into a pretty big workload. Among running backs with six games played, Mixon leads in carries overall and has 17 rush attempts in the red zone. Gio and Mixon have combined for about 18.9% of the targets in this offense. The matchups coming up aren’t spectacular with Cleveland and Tennessee, but the volume is hard to come by off of waivers.

Honorable Mention

Gus Edwards/J.K. Dobbins, Ravens – Mark Ingram left early with an ankle injury but there’s a few factors working against these two. First, these two still split work and snaps. That’s not too much of an issue, but now the Ravens are on a bye so Ingram has more time to get healthy. I would like Dobbins slightly better since he’s had some work in the passing game, but they are lower priority.

J.D. McKissic, Washington – He’s only viable in deep PPR leagues, but has the Cowboys next week. They should be chasing points and Washington refuses to let Antonio Gibson loose. McKissic has at least six targets in three straight weeks and isn’t going anywhere.

Wide Receiver

Chase Claypool, Steelers – 47% rostered

How is Claypool under 50%?? Get him on your roster if he’s still out there.

Travis Fulgham, Eagles – 31% rostered

I was hesitant last week but can’t hold out any longer. Fulgham now has a touchdown in three straight weeks, and at least 57 yards in all three games as well. He’s realistically the number one option in this offense, even if some players return for Thursday. Since Week 4, Fulgham has earned a 26% target share, 29.3% of the air yards, five RZ targets and four EZ targets. That’s a number one receiver in just about any offense.

Tim Patrick, Broncos – 18% rostered

Has there been a quieter fantasy receiver the past three weeks than Patrick? He has scored a touchdown in two of the three games, has at least four receptions and has over 100 yards in two of the three contests as well. The next three weeks look pretty appetizing as well. He plays Kansas City and likely chasing points, then gets the Chargers and Falcons after that. Even with Noah Fant potentially coming back, Patrick has proved to be a very important part of the offense.

Henry Ruggs, Raiders – 47% rostered

This one might be under the radar for NFL Week 7 Waiver Wire. Ruggs is coming off a bye week but he’s primed to have a pretty big rest of the season. He missed parts of Week 1 and was still targeted five times. He got back into the lineup before the bye and was only targeted three times, but took two receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown. Ruggs is going to have some volatility to his game, but with the role he’s playing (21.5 aDOT), the targets are crazy high in value. He could single-handedly win a couple weeks the rest of the way.

Honorable Mention

Mike Williams, Chargers – It remains to be seen if he can repeat with Keenan Allen in the lineup, but it’s well worth finding out. Even if you keep Williams on the bench for the next game, his ceiling is sky high and Herbert is slinging the ball right now.

Tee Higgins, Bengals – Higgins has recorded a touchdown or at least 62 receiving yards in four straight games and has 32 targets over that span. The Bengals are one of the highest-volume offenses in football and it doesn’t look like Higgins is slowing down.

Tight Ends

Dallas Goedert, Eagles – 41% rostered

I totally understand why Goedert is this low since he’s been out since Week 4 but he’s due to come off the IR this week and it couldn’t come at a better time. Zach Ertz is headed to IR with an ankle injury so that means Goedert is going to be right with Travis Fulgham as the number one option in this offense. You’re not missing big name tight ends on bye this week, but Goedert is likely a top-eight option at the position given health moving forward.

Honorable Mention

Trey Burton, Colts – He’s going into the bye week so it’s hard to chase him in a big way. Still, Burton did score twice this past week to burst onto the scene. He still split snaps and targets with Jack Doyle but Burton is still set to be a relatively featured piece in the offense.

Anthony Firkser, Titans – Jonnu Smith left the game early with an injury, so we might be missing him this week. Firkser stepped right in and didn’t miss a beat. He rolled up eight receptions and a touchdown and the Titans offense is really rolling in a major way right now.

D/ST

Philadelphia, 31% rostered

Continuing the Philly-themed waiver week, the Eagles can get to the QB with 18 sacks so far and face off against division rival Daniel Jones. He’s always good for a turnover or two, and with Philly’s pass rush on a short week the mistakes could easily come in waves Thursday.

Thanks for reading the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Week 6 Waiver Wire

Week 5 was another tough week on the injury front and there’s pretty solid odds your team is down an important player. It’s also another week of the schedule flexing around with Covid issues. There’s still three games to be played so stay tuned for updates. For now, let’s get to work on the NFL Week 6 Waiver Wire and start to sort through the players we need to look at.

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday and Tuesday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Teams on a Bye – New Orleans, Las Vegas, Seattle

Quarterback

Andy Dalton, Cowboys – 3% rostered

First and foremost, let’s all hope that Dak Prescott has a smooth recovery from his nasty leg injury. Personally, I hope he rehabs and gets paid this offseason. However, teams are going to be looking for a new quarterback. In one QB leagues, it’s not likely as pressing to find another player. Quarterback remains deep. In 2QB leagues, Dalton is going to be a prime target and he should be.

He’s not going to be Dak and the offensive line does present an issue, as it’s not that great with injuries. Dallas might try to be a little run-heavier, but their defense will not afford them that luxury. Dalton stepped in and went 9/11 for 111 yards. The Red Rifle might be the butt of some jokes, but he’s a capable player. Over 133 starts, he has a 62% completion rate and 204 touchdowns to 118 interceptions. The trio of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup might (it is) be the best receiving corps he’s worked with. That’s not even mentioning Ezekiel Elliott. Dalton is going to be very fantasy relevant the rest of the way.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins – 20% rostered

The Dolphins went to the West Coast and absolutely SMACKED the 49ers, so Fitzpatrick has quieted the calls for Tua for another week. He faces the Jets this week, who entered Week 5 ranked 22nd in passing DVOA. That was before Kyler Murray hung 380 yards on them Sunday, so that DVOA ranking didn’t get better.

For his part, Fitzpatrick went over 300 yards for the second straight week and has thrown seven touchdowns on the season. With big names like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson on bye weeks, players need a fill-in. I would prefer Dalton but FitzMagic is a very fine consolation prize.

Honorable Mention

Kirk Cousins, Vikings – 33% rostered

Cousins does draw a Falcons team that is getting torched through the air and now has faced turnover at the coach and GM positions. He’s not someone that I trust, but if you’re desperate he’s in play.

Running Back

Alexander Mattison, Vikings – 39% rostered

As of now, it’s a very thin week for the running back position. Mattison would check in as my top priority with Dalvin Cook having an injury issue on Sunday Night Football. He did return to the game momentarily but this is an injury that needs to be monitored closely. Cook is one of the best running backs in the league and in fantasy. With his injury history, this one could be an issue for longer than just a week.

Mattison would be a top-15 type back if Cook were to miss time and with no pressing priority at the position, Mattison needs picked up if you have the spot. He already has a 100-yard game under his belt and that was with Cook playing a good portion of Sunday. If we learn that Cook is hurt, Mattison is the number one priority even ahead of a certain Steelers receiver.

Chase Edmonds, Cardinals – 64% rostered

I’m making an exception to my normal rule of rostered percentage for Edmonds. He need to be rostered universally right now. He’s been targeted 23 times already and scored on Sunday, bringing his total to three on the season. Will he takeover the job outright from Kenyan Drake? Almost certainly not but Edmonds is going to be a flex option through the bye weeks and if something does happen to Drake, the ceiling is immense for Edmonds.

Honorable Mention

Justin Jackson, Chargers – 43% rostered

He hasn’t played this week yet, but he’s a great stash on your bench before Monday Night Football kicks off. With Austin Ekeler out for the foreseeable future, Jackson is going to have a role in the offense of likely double-digit touches. He should not be under 50% rostered.

J.D. McKissic, Washington – 6% rostered

This is really only for a deep PPR leagues, but he’s going to have some sort of value moving forward. He’s seen eight targets in each of the past two weeks and will likely have Alex Smith or Kyle Allen under center. Those QB’s are going to check down often and even though Antonio Gibson is better, Washington still likes McKissic. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

Wide Receiver

Chase Claypool, Steelers – 16% rostered

As far as NFL Week 6 Waiver Wire goes, we’ve hit the basically unanimous number one priority. Claypool went completely and utterly bonkers on Sunday, scoring four touchdowns and recording over 100 yards. I’m going to throw a small bucket of cold water on the coming out party just to remind everyone that Diontae Johnson was injured in this game again. Claypool also has two games under 40 yards with three receptions combined in those games. You’ve missed the best game of the year, but Claypool has massive potential moving forward.

For one, he’s already had his bye week. It’s a nice bonus to not have to worry about it moving forward. Ben Roethlisberger seems to really like him and has fed perimeter receivers targets through his career. The Steelers have a great history of drafting receivers through the years and looks like they may have another massive hit on their hands. Just be slightly cautious through the next couple of weeks as we see what his role is with Johnson in the lineup.

Mecole Hardman, Chiefs – 40% rostered

Sammy Watkins came up in mid-route with an injury and never came back to the game. That’s not a good sign and it wouldn’t be a shock if he missed some time. Enter Hardman, who has speed to spare and was already pushing DeMarcus Robinson for snaps as the wide receiver three in the offense. If Watkins is out, Hardman has quite the ceiling attached to Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce are always going to see the bulk of the coverage. Hardman might not be a huge PPR player, but a solid role for the Chiefs speaks for itself.

Honorable Mention

Travis Fulgham, Eagles – 1% rostered

I feel like others might chase Fulgham more than I will. He’s bounced around the league the past few weeks alone, as he Eagles are his third team since August 9th. Philly desperately needs playmakers in this offense as Zach Ertz has fallen off the face of the Earth to go along with their yearly injuries. He had 13 targets on Sunday, turning it into a 10/152/1 line. I’ll admit I don’t know what to make of this monster game. It could be something though so he is worth a pickup if other options fall through.

Brandin Cooks, Texans – 43% rostered

If you’re looking for consistency, look elsewhere but Cooks is still a greatly talented receiver and the Texans are free of Bill O’Brien. Cooks likely isn’t going to see double-digit targets often, but he doesn’t always need them. Cooks is an excellent complimentary receiver to go along with Will Fuller.

Tight End

Austin Hooper, Browns – 55% rostered

I’m definitely not clamoring for Hooper in any major way, but it’s notable how much more he’s been involved the past couple of weeks. Totaling 17 targets hasn’t turned into a ton of production yet (91 yards and a touchdown) but that qualifies at tight end this year. I’m not really of the belief that the Browns paid him the kind of money they did to see 10 targets in three games like the season started.

This could be the Covid effect front and center. Hooper and quarterback Baker Mayfield may just have needed time to get the chemistry working. Maybe they’re hanging out at book club more often now, since Baker brought all that cheese. If Hooper remains a big part of the Cleveland passing game, low-end TE1 status isn’t out of the question.

Trey Burton, Colts – 1% rostered

Burton has only been active for two games for the Colts, but he has 11 targets already. He’s far more attractive in PPR formats because he’s not a field stretching tight end. Even if he was, Philip Rivers is allergic to completing passes down the field. Burton was the talk of camp before missing the first three games on IR, and his targets have shown that wasn’t a lie. The numbers aren’t eye-popping but Burton may well be a safe bet for 10 PPR points per week at this target share.

D/ST

Washington, 7% rostered

NFL Week 6 Waiver Wire actually presents some solid options for defenses. Targeting against the Giants has been the money spot so far this year (unless you’re the Dallas defense) and Washington has cooled off since their great Week 1. They’ve also faced some really good offenses, but the Giants stop that streak. New York quarterback Daniel Jones is basically good for two turnovers a game it seems, and the Washington defense is hardly rostered at all.

New York, 1% rostered

I don’t mind the other defense in this game either. While I greatly prefer Washington, New York gets to pick on a very weak offense. Neither Kyle Allen or Alex Smith posed any threat on Sunday as the Washington offense barely cracked 100 yards from scrimmage. New York has 10 sacks and four turnovers, while they have held two of five opponents under 20 points.

Los Angeles Chargers, 37% rostered

The roster percentage is likely to drop since they are playing the Saints Monday night. LA hasn’t been wildly impressive and the injury bug has bit that side of the ball hard. However, they face the Jets in Week 6. Enough said.

Thanks for reading the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Week 5 Waiver Wire

Week 4 had some injuries to high-profile running backs and we’re in the first scheduled week of bye weeks. The NFL Week 5 Waiver Wire is set to be very active and it’s likely a good week to burn a higher priority or spend some FAAB, and that’s exactly what we’re here to help you with!

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Teams on a bye in Week 5 – Detroit, Green Bay

Quarterback

Justin Herbert, Chargers – 16% rostered

Folks still aren’t buying into Herbert but that has to be coming to an end. Perhaps the hesitation came from Coach Anthony Lynn saying that Tyrod Taylor would be the starter when he was healthy enough to play. That train of thought has to be at an end. Tyrod isn’t making this throw.

He’s also not making this one, either.

Herbert has a 71.9% completion rate, a 5:3 TD:INT ratio and is already 17th in passing yards in just three games. He’s racking up a 12.1 yards per completion and the INT ratio is only 2.8%. That’s perfectly acceptable for a rookie and he’s even kicked in 15, 18 and 24 rushing yards in each game with a rushing score. Herbert lines up against the Saints and the Jets the next two weeks and he should have a firm grip on this job.

Kirk Cousins, Vikings – 29% rostered

I’m not thrilled to write about Cousins, but he gets the #FlowChart spot against Seattle this week. Even when Ryan Fitzpatrick played poorly in Week 4, he still paid off in fantasy late with a rushing touchdown. I don’t expect that from Cousins, but he has been better the past two weeks with four touchdowns to two picks. The yardage isn’t going to be impressive, but he’s not going to have a choice this Sunday. Russell Wilson is on the other side of the game and he should have a field day against the weak Vikings secondary. They’ve given up the fourth-most passing yards this year, while Seattle is leading the league so this could be the only spot we want Cousins. He’s a great one week fill in for the Rodgers owner.

Honorable Mention

Gardner Minshew, Jaguars – Other than the stinker on Thursday Night Football without D.J. Chark, Minshew has thrown for 799 yard and eight touchdowns in three games. The Houston defense shouldn’t be of any concern.

Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers – He’s coming off his best performance of the season with three total touchdowns and the matchup against Atlanta on a shorter week should lead to plenty of production. The touchdowns haven’t been there but the 73% completion rate should be useful against the Falcons.

Running Back

D’Ernest Johnson, Browns – 1% rostered

Johnson might well be the most popular option for the NFL Week 5 Waiver Wire. Nick Chubb is heading to the IR and while his primary backup can’t be had on waivers (Kareem Hunt was a Round 5-7 pick, depending on your draft room) you can target the third string back. Johnson rolled up 95 yards on 13 carries against the Cowboys on Sunday, in what was admittedly the best game script possible. Now, he’s not a league winner and it certainly seemed like Cleveland was being cautious with Hunt.

However, Cleveland is in the top five in rushing attempts per game and is the only team averaging over 200 yards on the ground. Johnson should still get 10-12 touches a week and is well worth a flex play in this style of offense.

Joshua Kelley/Justin Jackson, Chargers – 55%/5%

If Kelley is still available in your league, he’s absolutely the preferred pickup. The results have been rough the past couple weeks but the game scripts haven’t been great and the Tampa matchup was tough. Both backs do have a tough spot again this week with the Saints on the docket, but Austin Ekeler is expected to be out for a lengthy time. These backs are both going to get work and might be more matchup plays than lock buttons, but they absolutely must be rostered now. After the Saints, the Chargers play the Jets, Dolphins, Jaguars and Raiders ahead of their bye week.

Honorable Mention

Reggie Bonnafon, Panthers – I’m not exactly convinced on the viability over the next few weeks until CMC gets back. At the same time, Bonnafon carved out 12 touches and a score this week while Mike Davis saw a dip in snaps. He could be on the flex radar this week against the Falcons, but would be a deep league add in a pinch.

Wide Receiver

Tee Higgins, Bengals – 33% rostered

I felt last week that Justin Jefferson would be way more popular than Higgins and that was absolutely the case. Jefferson is 79% rostered compared to Higgins, who looks to be taking over in Cincinnati. The past three weeks, Higgins has 22 total targets and 12 receptions. With A.J. Green increasingly looking like a non-factor (14 receptions, no game over 51 yards and three yards on Sunday), Higgins is the man to own not named Tyler Boyd. The rookie from Clemson already has two scores and the Bengals will be trailing more often than not this year.

Tim Patrick, Broncos – 2% rostered

It likely flew under the radar because the Thursday night game between the Broncos and Jets wasn’t watched by…well, anyone. However, Patrick put together his second straight strong performance. With the loss of Courtland Sutton and possibly even Noah Fant, Patrick’s role has expanded in this offense. In the past two weeks, he has 11 targets for 156 yards and two scores. Rookie Jerry Jeudy will continue to get the attention of defenses and Patrick should continue on the flex radar. The next three weeks features the Patriots, Dolphins and Chiefs.

Tre’Quan Smith, Saints – 27% rostered

Michael Thomas appears to be on the quick track to returning to the lineup, which puts Smith in an odd spot. Through three weeks without Thomas, he hasn’t eclipsed 86 yards or five receptions. The two scores on Sunday might garner him more attention than it should, but the hope is Smith has earned a role in the Saints offense moving forward and faces soft coverage with Thomas back in the fold.

Honorable Mention

Laviska Sheanult, Jaguars – The good news is the Jaguars want to get the ball to Shenault. He has 20 targets and nine rush attempts through four games. The bad news is the floor is pretty low, evidenced by the Thursday night game. The rookie is more of a stash than an immediate play, hoping he breaks out opposite of D.J. Chark.

Scotty Miller, Buccaneers – With Chris Godwin out, O.J. Howard done for the year and Mike Evans hobbled in Week 4, Miller should be involved in this offense going forward. Heading into Week 4, Miller had 26.5% of the air yards for the Bucs.

Tight End

Dalton Schultz, Cowboys – 52% rostered

I sort of blew off Schultz after the first week without Blake Jarwin but he’s accumulated 24 targets over the past three games with at least 48 yards in each and a touchdown in two. Dallas continues to allow points to the opposing team at a top five rate and the offense is playing at the fastest pace in the league. It’s the perfect mix for fantasy and Schultz should be involved moving forward until something changes. He’s the prime target in the NFL Week 5 Waiver Wire for the player who’s missing T.J. Hockenson.

Honorable Mention

Mo Alie-Cox, Colts – I think the touchdowns might be a little misleading. Cox has scored in each of the past two weeks, but he’s also contending with Trey Burton and Jack Doyle for targets. Cox only has five targets the past two weeks and just two receptions. Burton was on the IR for the first three weeks but saw five targets in his first game back, so don’t expect a ton from any option here.

D/ST

Arizona Cardinals – 50% rostered

The Cards are playing the Jets this week and Sam Darnold may or may not play. Arizona already has 11 sacks and Darnold has been sacked 12 times himself. He’s being pressured over 25% of the snaps and the New York offensive line is banged up.

Thanks for reading the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!

NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire

Week 3 in the NFL season wasn’t quite the injury-fest we saw in Week 2, but there were plenty of performances worthy of looking at on the waiver wire. We also have the start of bye weeks coming next week, so it’s never going to be too early to look at replacements. That’s what we’re here to do with the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and keeping an eye towards the next few weeks as well!

*Note* The ownership referenced will be based on Yahoo and if this needs updated after Monday Night Football, it certainly will be before your waivers run.

Quarterback

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dolphins – 7% rostered

After an opening game against the Patriots, The Beard has been in full effect for the Dolphins. Fitzpatrick has thrown for four touchdowns to zero interceptions the past two games, while racking up 488 yards. Really, that could be much higher but they beat the Jaguars handily on Thursday night and Fitzpatrick wasn’t needed. It didn’t hurt that he rushed for a score and 38 yards that game, but now comes the fun matchup against the Seahawks.

Not only should we expect Russell Wilson and his passing game to score boatloads of points (37 points per game, second in the NFL), the Seattle defense is atrocious defending the pass. They have given up the second-most passing yards through three games in history at 1,492. Seattle has lost safety Marquise Blair to injury, missed corners Quinton Dunbar and Neiko Thorpe last week and safety Jamal Adams left with a groin injury. Fitzpatrick has kept rookie Tua Tagovailoa out of action so far and should do it for at least another week. San Francisco is up for Week 5, and isn’t the most daunting matchup anymore.

Nick Foles, Bears – 3% rostered

The strength of schedule might not be the easiest for Foles coming up. He does draw the Colts, Buccaneers and Panthers in the next three weeks but he’s working with some talent and is the confirmed starter for Week 4. He pulled out an improbable win for the Bears against the Falcons (who are cursed but it’s still a Bears W). Foles wasn’t super accurate with just a 16/29 performance, but the three touchdowns sure helped. If only looking at one week, Fitzpatrick gets the nod. However, Foles could potentially be the better long-term choice as he could just take this job outright. A cast including Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller and I guess Jimmy Graham could be worse.

Honorable Mention

Kirk Cousins, Vikings – Houston in Week 4 is average, but Seattle in Week 5 is not. He’ll have to throw and Aaron Rodgers is on a bye that week. Cousins is a dynamite streamer to grab now if Rodgers is your quarterback.

Running Back

Jeff Wilson, 49ers – 22% rostered

The backfield for the 49ers is very difficult to make sense of at the moment. Here’s what we know – Tevin Coleman is on IR, so he’s out at least two more weeks. Jerick McKinnon did leave in the fourth quarter Sunday (the dominating score for the 49ers has to be noted). We could see Raheem Mostert back for this week, but that’s likely not going to be known before Wednesday waivers run.

I would still be chasing Wilson because he’s at worst the RB3 in this backfield in Week 4. Even just this past week, Wilson had five red zone attempts. Only McKinnon with seven has more, so his role is fairly defined. The upcoming schedule isn’t sparkling with the Eagles and Rams but he does have a Miami matchup sandwiched in-between. If I can get a double-digit touch back with red zone upside in a Kyle Shanahan offense, I’m doing it every time.

Myles Gaskin, Dolphins – 47% rostered

It’s a fairly thin week in NFL Week 4 Wavier Wire for the running back position. There’s two others that you could pick up, but they have some serious flaws. Let’s hit on them before diving into Gaskin.

Rex Burkhead, Patriots – Some might chase after his monster game, but predicting his work when James White comes back is near impossible.

Carlos Hyde, Seahawks – Chris Carson dodged a serious knee injury and could play this week. Additionally, the Seattle offense has flipped the switch to #LetRussCook and are now running the ball under 25 times a game.

I’m not spending a waiver spot or very much FAAB on either of those two, but Gaskin is moderately interesting. He holds the attempt lead at 38 to 16 for Jordan Howard and 15 for Matt Breida. He’s even slightly edged Howard for red zone attempts at 10 and has a 16.8% target share. The schedule does him no favors with Seattle, San Francisco and Denver as the next three but he’s getting a ton of work. The Broncos matchup got a little easier as this was written. Defensive lineman Jurrell Casey is out for Denver with a torn biceps. Gaskins’ workload is harder to ignore with each passing week.

Wide Receiver

Tee Higgins, Bengals – 5% rostered

A lot of folks are likely to have Justin Jefferson as their top pickup in the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire. We’ll get to him in a minute, but I strongly believe Higgins could have the better rest of season and will almost certainly have more opportunities. Higgins ran 45 routes on 52 Joe Burrow drop backs on Sunday, most on the team. He’s already tied for third in targets behind only A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, with a 19.3% air yard share.

Higgins is also tied for the red zone target lead at 4 with Drew Sample, along with three end zone targets. With Green really scuffling, Higgins could emerge as a Burrow favorite and was the 33rd overall pick in this year’s draft. Only Dallas has more pass attempts through three weeks, so the volume should be there even with Boyd and Green in the offense.

Justin Jefferson, Vikings – 31% rostered

After two weeks of moderate fantasy irrelevance, Jefferson went nuclear on the Titans for a 7/175/1 line. He is vastly talented and appears to now be the clear number two behind Adam Thielen. That is something he boasts over Higgins. Jefferson ran 29 routes Sunday, three fewer than Thielen. What continues to worry me deeply is the volume in this offense.

Cousins has yet to throw more than 27 passes in any of the three games, and that included two of them were he should have been throwing quite a bit. Only Baltimore averages fewer pass attempts, and I have a feeling Minnesota is dead last after Monday Night Football. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jefferson has the larger short-term impact with Seattle and Atlanta before his bye week, but Higgins has the better long-term upside in my view. The standings might dictate your priority here.

Brandon Aiyuk, 49ers – 28% rostered

Oh look, another rookie receiver! Aiyuk had the start of his season derailed by a hamstring injury so this was the first game we saw him really get his full usage. He had a rushing score and five receptions on eight targets, which led the team in Week 3. Any wide receiver that is going to flirt with double digit touches should always interest us, but there’s a pretty good reason Aiyuk is third in my view.

The main reason could be back as soon as this week in George Kittle. Not only has he missed two weeks, but Jordan Reed left this past week as well. Aiyuk pretty much had to get touches this week. Reportedly, Deebo Samuel is also just a week away from returning as well. That’s much more of a guess with a foot injury that required surgery. Still, Aiyuk’s role could fluctuate coming up. Be aware of that when spending FAAB to roster him.

Greg Ward, Eagles – 1% rostered

Philly can just not keep anyone healthy on offense these past few seasons. Tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to miss time and that’s a huge loss. Receivers DeSean Jackson left Week 3 with an injury, Alshon Jeffery has been inactive for three weeks and Jalen Reagor is likely out until after the bye. Enter Greg Ward, who accounted for 11 targets this past week. In fact, Ward is only five targets off the team lead. He’s tied for the most red zone targets (only two, but still). The aDOT is nothing to get exciting about at 5.3 but in a PPR league, Ward can be a flex asset moving forward. The schedule is tougher than we’d like moving forward, but Philly might well be bare bones yet again.

Honorable Mention

Allen Lazard, Packers – He went bonkers on Sunday night. My only concern would be does he keep even a fraction of that up when Davante Adams gets back? Likely no, so the other receivers are higher priority for me with the exception of maybe Ward.

Andy Isabella, Cardinals – He paid off in a big way with two touchdowns in Week 3 but only ran 26 of 65 snaps. That sets him up for a floor of legitimately zero. You’d need to be in a deep league to take the chance.

Tight End

Jimmy Graham, Bears – 9% rostered

This isn’t necessarily just chasing the big game from Graham. Do I believe he’s trustworthy? Not particularly, with a game of just one reception for 18 yards under his belt. However, the volume is actually quite good. He sits 11th among tight ends for targets and leads the entire position for red zone and end zone targets. That’s prior to Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews playing, but neither seem a threat to the red zone/end zone marks.

Graham is playing just about 70% of the snaps so far and has over a 16% target share. The air yards aren’t there with just 77 total but he’s making up for that with the touchdown upside. With a at least somewhat competent quarterback, Graham could have more big games in the future.

Honorable Mention

Eric Ebron, Steelers – He finally had a good fantasy game, but it did happen to come with Diontae Johnson just playing 19 snaps before injury. I’m far from sold on that.

Mo Alie-Cox, Colts – He had a fantasy relevant game with Jack Doyle in the lineup, but this offense is the fourth-slowest in pace and in the bottom eight in passing attempts per game.

Dalton Schultz, Cowboys – He’s done well for two weeks but fighting with Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb for touches and touchdowns isn’t a winning formula long-term.

D/ST

New York Jets, 6% rostered

NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire is not a good week to stream a defense. However, the Jets going against a Denver team on a short week makes some sense. The Broncos played a mix of Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien at quarterback Sunday. Despite the score, the Jets defense didn’t play that poorly in Week 3. Of the 36 points, 14 came on pick-sixes from the Colts defense. They’ve generated six sacks when not facing an elite offensive line and have some relative upside on a short week.

Thanks for reading the NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire and make sure you follow me on Twitter at @bucn4life and be sure to sign up for an ALL ACCESS GOLD ACCOUNT account here at Win Daily Sports. Gain access to our Projection Models and jump into our Discord where we will have our experts talking plays across every sport and slate!