Mike Maher | Sun, Sep 22nd 2024, 6:41pm EDT

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Early Week 4 Pickups to Add (2024)

Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season is still wrapping up, but savvy fantasy football managers know it’s never too early to start looking ahead to Week 4. The best managers always have an eye on the upcoming schedule, and the early slate on Sundays is time for adding players to your watch list, watching players already on your list, and calculating FAAB bids and waiver priority preferences.

That’s what this space is for. We’re getting an early read on potential waiver claims ahead of the rush. Most leagues run their first waivers on Tuesday or Wednesday, but some run as early as Sunday night. So, it’s important for us to make sure we’re prepared. Most of the players below played on Thursday or Sunday’s early slate or went off during the first half of the late afternoon slate, which is when I’m writing this. These players are rostered in less than 50% of leagues.

Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Early Week 4 Pickups to Add

Jauan Jennings (WR – SF)

Rostered: 27%

Deebo Samuel is expected to miss multiple games. George Kittle is out this week with a hamstring injury and could also miss additional time. Rookie WR Ricky Pearsall is on NFI until at least Week 4, and it’s unclear when he’ll be able to return. This all means more opportunities in the San Francisco offense for WR Jauan Jennings. As of this writing, he already has two touchdowns in the first quarter against the Rams. Jennings isn’t likely to be a long-term fix for you, but he’s a high-end short-term streamer while the 49ers are banged up.

Update: he just scored a THIRD touchdown. He’s becoming a waiver priority ahead of Week 4.

Braelon Allen (RB – NYJ)

Rostered: 36%

After Week 1, it looked like rookie RB Braelon Allen was firmly entrenched in handcuff-only territory. He played just 18% of the snaps and had two touches for a total of 17 yards. But then, in Week 2, not only did he play more and receive nine touches, but he found the end zone twice. I don’t think anyone was expecting multiple touchdowns every week going forward from Allen, but there was a more important takeaway: he passed the eye test. Allen fell to the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft largely because there were concerns he wasn’t fast enough. He was a tough, physical runner in college, but there were concerns about his top-end speed. His decision not to run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine exacerbated those concerns.

But through three games, he looks plenty fast enough, and his physical running style has translated to the NFL. In Week 3, he played 32% of New York’s offensive snaps and received 14 touches. He’ll be hard to trust on a weekly basis as long as Breece Hall is healthy, but he’s creeping into standalone value territory, especially as we get into bye weeks. This is more of a speculative add than one you’ll want to start right away, so it’ll require a roster spot that you might not be able to afford. But if you can, Allen is worth a stash given his impressive start to the season.

Allen Lazard (WR – NYJ)

Rostered: 30%

The Allen Lazard Experience ticked back up in Week 3. In Week 1, he played 100% of New York’s offensive snaps, which he turned into six catches on nine targets for 89 yards and TWO touchdowns. He was a popular waiver wire add after that opening week, but everyone who grabbed him and started him right away was rewarded with just two catches for 11 yards. In Week 3, after he was one of the most dropped players in leagues synced to FantasyPros, he split the difference by catching three passes for 48 yards and another touchdown.

It’s likely his season continues to be a rollercoaster, which is obviously hard to trust. But as I mentioned above with Braelon Allen, we’re getting into Bye Week SZN, and your lineup decisions will get tougher. He isn’t the sexiest option, but it’s clear Aaron Rodgers likes and trusts Lazard. And when it comes to offenses quarterbacked by Rodgers, sometimes that’s all that matters.

Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC)

Rostered: 45%

As an Eagles fan, I’m hesitant to get back into bed with a WR from TCU, especially one who struggled mightily as a rookie. And to be clear, I’m still not convinced that Quentin Johnston is good now. But what is clear is John Harbaugh and his staff have figured out better ways to utilize Johnston than the previous regime. Some of his catches have been of the wide-open variety, including his Week 3 TD. But we can’t overly penalize just because he’s taking advantage of defensive breakdowns and the new Chargers offensive scheme. He only had two catches today, but the Los Angeles offense was a bit messy today with Justin Herbert playing hurt and eventually giving way to Taylor Heinicke. The Chargers only ran 40 plays and had a 50/50 (20 runs, 20 passes) split, and Johnston tied with Ladd McConkey for the most receiving yards on the day with 44.

Is QJ going to be a league winner? Probably not. But we came into the season wondering if he was a bust, and now it sure seems like he’s going to have a role in this offense. There’s value in that, and he is available in more than 50% of leagues heading into Week 4 waivers.

Cam Akers (RB – HOU)

Rostered: 40%

Akers was added in a lot of leagues this weekend with both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce out, but he’s still available in more than 50% of leagues. The Texans got thumped by the Vikings in Week 3, which led to only nine carries for 23 yards and one reception for eight yards and a touchdown. But he was the clear lead back for Houston with Mixon out, and he’s likely to reprise that role next week against the Jaguars if Mixon has to miss another game.

Andy Dalton (QB – CAR) | Panthers WRs

Rostered: 4%

Don’t look now, but Andy Dalton is DEALING for the Panthers as I write this. He’s QB2 on the week with a quarter and a half to play. Do I expect Dalton to be a QB1 every week? No. But he’s now a must-roster in Superflex leagues and deeper leagues and is worth a stash in standard leagues as a backup with streaming potential. As of this writing, he is currently 20-for-28 with 265 yards passing and three touchdowns. They’re halfway through the third quarter, and Dalton is leading a drive into Raiders’ territory yet again.

And with this Carolina offense getting new life under Dalton, it’s worth monitoring their pass catchers, as well. Diontae Johnson is likely already rostered in your leagues, but the rest of their WR room could be available. Adam Thielen caught a TD pass in this game but left with what is being called a hamstring injury. If he misses time, that could mean larger roles for both Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo. Both have two catches on three targets in the third quarter right now.

Tennessee Titans D/ST

Rostered: 3%

The Dolphins are a mess on offense without Tua Tagovailoa, and I’m currently watching the Seattle Seahawks have their way with them. The Titans travel to South Florida to face the Dolphins next week, and this is an offense worth streaming defenses against until Tua is back or until they show they can do anything with Skylar Thompson. Right now, they look like a Bottom 5 offense in the league.

UPDATE: Skylar Thompson left today’s game due to a chest injury. Tim Boyle replaced him. If Thompson has to miss time, that is even more reason to stream the Titans D/ST in Week 4.

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