Fantasy Football Week 4: Waiver wire pickups

Everyone should know the drill by now: Each week around here, we highlight the top potential waiver pickups available in at least 50% of Yahoo fantasy football leagues. If you find yourself with urgent roster needs, the names below can likely help.

Quarterbacks

Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (29%)

Another week, another multi-TD game from Darnold. He’s passed for 449 yards and six scores over his last two games against the Niners and Texans, a pair of legitimate opponents — teams we all expect will make deep postseason runs.

Justin Jefferson was ridiculous against Houston, per his usual, catching six balls for 81 yards and one score. Darnold connected with six different receivers on the day, four of whom reached the end-zone. He’s playing so outrageously well that the league itself has basically declared him to be an MVP candidate (which may or may not age well). At the very least, he’s the latest Kevin O’Connell rehab success story.

Let’s remember that we haven’t yet seen a fully operational version of the Vikings offense, with Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones all simultaneously in the mix. We can’t rule out the possibility that Darnold’s best weeks are actually ahead of him.

He tweaked his left knee on Sunday, but quickly shrugged it off, missing only two snaps. Darnold is headed for additional testing, but it seems unlikely the injury will sideline him at Lambeau in Week 4.

Recommended FAB offer (assuming $100 budget): $11

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (43%)

Apparently, Smith and DK Metcalf are just gonna connect on one of these every week:

Smith had 200 passing yards at halftime, ultimately finishing with 289 yards and one score. He’s undefeated and looking decently comfortable in his team’s new offense.

We will once again remind you that Smith is only one year removed from a top-5 positional finish and his receiving corps does not lack playmakers. He’s also headed into a delightful (if not easy) Monday matchup at Detroit in Week 4.

FAB: $9

Additional QB options:

• Justin Fields is leading a 3-0 team and coming off a game in which he passed for one score and rushing for another. He’s headed into a friendly matchup at Indianapolis, so he definitely remains on the fantasy radar. We shouldn’t be seeing Russell Wilson behind center any time soon.

• Andy Dalton just single-handedly elevated the Panthers offense into the competent-and-watchable tier, at least for a week. He can be superflexed with only mild trepidation. Dalton has a pair of revenge games upcoming against Cincinnati and Chicago, if such details appeal to you.

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Running backs

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (35%)

Very little went well for the Bucs on Sunday, but they did get another big day from Irving. The Oregon rookie carried nine times for 70 yards and caught three passes for 14, out-gaining Rachaad White by 49 scrimmage yards. He’s an absolute party with the ball in his hands:

Irving has carried 25 times for 154 yards through three weeks, while White has turned 31 attempts into just 66 yards. Without question, we have a committee on our hands in Tampa Bay. White’s receiving talent will clearly keep him in the mix, but he isn’t producing highlights like the one above — or like this one right here:

Ridiculous stuff, rookie. Add Irving wherever you can use a live-wire runner with big-play ability.

FAB: $21

Braelon Allen, New York Jets (36%)

One week after Allen’s two-touchdown breakout performance against the Titans, he delivered 68 total yards on 14 touches against New England. He wasn’t simply piling up stats in a run-out-the-clock situation, either. Allen did his damage both early and late, often sharing the field with Breece Hall.

The rookie appears to be more than simply a nuisance for Hall managers. Instead, he’s a full committee member in New York’s backfield. At 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he’s a punisher with significant speed. It didn’t take him long to carve out standalone fantasy value. Flex as needed.

FAB: $16

Rico Dowdle, Dallas Cowboys (42%)

Dallas seems committed to its committee arrangement in the backfield, but it’s worth noting that Dowdle has drawn the start in consecutive games. He also leads the team in carries (23) and rushing yards (88), plus he’s caught eight passes for another 59 yards on 11 targets. If you feel compelled to start a Cowboys back against the Giants in Week 4, Dowdle is the best option.

FAB: $7

Various other RB adds:

• Roschon Johnson was unexpectedly busy on Sunday, converting 12 touches into 62 total yards and looking pretty effective along the way.

• Cam Akers had a mostly quiet afternoon playing in relief of the injured Joe Mixon on Sunday, but he did manage to convert his one catch into a short touchdown. If Mixon remains sidelined for the upcoming matchup against the Jaguars, Akers will remain a piece of the replacement plan.

• As expected, Samaje Perine had a supporting role in Kansas City’s backfield on Sunday night. He was out-touched by Carson Steele, 18 to 9. Still, he’s getting enough run to merit a roster spot in deeper leagues, given the quality and ceiling of the team’s offense. We will also remind you that Clyde Edwards-Helaire can reenter this committee as early as Week 5.

• Alexander Mattison turned his six touches into 44 yards and yet another score on Sunday. He has stubbornly refused to allow Zamir White to visit the end-zone over the first three weeks, which is ungentlemanly. Mattison has a series of unappealing matchups ahead (Cle, at Den, Pit), but he remains a viable flex in super-sized leagues.

• There’s no need to jump on Tyler Badie just yet, except in the deepest leagues. But please note that he carried nine times for 70 yards in Denver’s win at Tampa Bay, further complicating an already icky backfield. Badie has been a preseason hero, but hadn’t found many opportunities in the regular season until Sunday.

Wide receivers and tight ends

Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers (32%)

Gotta tell you, it felt pretty awesome to be among the 16% of managers who rostered Jennings and actually started him on Sunday. He became an obvious pickup by the end of the week, when both Deebo Samuel and George Kittle were ruled out. But the decision to insert him into a starting lineup was more about your level of desperation.

As it turned out, he was one of the right answers in Week 3:

Jennings finished with 11 catches for 175 yards and three spikes on 12 targets, easily the biggest performance of his respectable-yet-not-previously-fantasy-relevant career.

We can’t promise he will ever have another game like Sunday, but a touchdown hat-trick makes him an automatic add in any league. He gets the Patriots and Cardinals at home over the next two games, and neither Samuel or Kittle are guaranteed to return this week.

FAB: $12

Allen Lazard, New York Jets (30%)

With three weeks in the books, Lazard is basically having the season you might have originally hoped to get from Mike Williams or Malachi Corley. Lazard has made three house calls on his 16 targets and he’s had a significant role in the offense each week. The man has spent every season of his NFL career as a teammate of Aaron Rodgers, so there’s no denying the rapport that exists with this pair.

Lazard should remain heavily involved next week when the Jets host the Broncos. We can assume Patrick Surtain II will be occupied with Garrett Wilson, leaving various other New York receivers in friendlier coverage situations.

FAB: $6

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (40%)

Within the context of this season, any tight end who delivers a 10-catch, 97-yard game is an immediate and urgent priority add. Kmet was excellent on Sunday in a frenetic and uneven Bears loss at Indy. He emerged as the easy-button for Caleb Williams, which is something the team had failed to identify prior to Week 3. Chicago has a friendly matchup on deck with the Rams and Keenan Allen (heel) isn’t a lock to return.

FAB: $6

Additional WRs and TEs to consider:

• Darnell Mooney has been thoroughly useful in back-to-back weeks, delivering 154 receiving yards, 11 catches and one score against the Eagles and Chiefs. He’s simply been a much bigger part of the game-plans than most of us had expected.

• Quentin Johnston only drew two targets in Sunday’s loss at Pittsburgh, but one of them resulted in his team’s only touchdown. He’s spiked three times over his last two games and is looking like the most startable member of the Chargers receiving corps.

• Wan’Dale Robinson had another full-PPR-friendly day, catching seven balls for 61 yards on eight targets. He’s capable of a similar reception total in any given week, regardless of opponent.

• Jalen Nailor has made house calls in each of Minnesota’s first three games and he’s working with Earth’s hottest passer, so we’re not about to suggest his streak can’t continue against Green Bay in Week 4.

• Jakobi Meyers is just too good a player in real life to remain so widely available in fantasy and he’s coming off a useful stat line (7-62-1), although he did most of his damage in the fourth quarter of a hopeless game.

• If you absolutely have to roster a member of New England’s receiving room (which would be a terrible league setting), DeMario Douglas is probably the guy. He delivered an eight-touch, 78-yard performance against the Jets on Thursday night.

• Noah Fant caught all six of his targets against Miami, finishing with 60 scoreless yards. Did your fantasy tight end do any better? Probably not. Fant could benefit from a pass-heavy game script at Detroit on Monday night.

Defense

New Orleans Saints (36%)

The Saints have held each of their three opponents to fewer than 20 points while piling up 11 sacks and seven turnovers. This defense is legit, no question. This week, they travel to Atlanta to face a less-mobile-than-usual version of Kirk Cousins, in a game that should feature plenty of dropbacks.

FAB: $1

Denver Broncos (14%)

This recommendation is less about the upcoming matchup against the Jets and more about the obvious quality of Denver’s defense. Patrick Surtain II has erased three of the league’s most talented receivers in the opening weeks, giving this group a huge advantage against any opponent. He’s a huge problem for Garrett Wilson in the matchup ahead. The following week, this D/ST should deliver a double-digit total against the Raiders. Denver has generated 11 sacks and four takeaways through three games.

FAB: $1