If your fantasy team made it through Week 3 completely healthy, congratulations. Apparently you’re the chosen one.
De’Von Achane is done for the season, Breece Hall is week-to-week with a quad injury and Travis Etienne aggravated his hamstring. Justin Jefferson, Bucky Irving, Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield were among the other notable players who left their games injured.
Naturally, that means everyone is now racing to the waiver wire trying to convince themselves that a backup running back they didn’t know existed three weeks ago is going to save their season.
There are some legitimate options this week, though. After going through the most popular waiver recommendations, these are the players I actually think are worth considering heading into Week 4.
Braelon Allen, RB, Jets
Let’s start with the obvious one.
If Breece Hall is going to miss time, Braelon Allen is probably my top waiver claim this week. Hall is considered week-to-week with a quad injury after leaving Sunday’s loss to Detroit, which should give Allen an immediate opportunity to take over the majority of the work.
Allen hasn’t done much this season because there hasn’t been much work available behind Hall, but he’s only rostered in around 15-20% of leagues. Starting running backs usually aren’t sitting on waivers, especially once we get a few weeks into the season.
The hesitation is pretty simple.
He’s a Jet.
There is always going to be some hesitation putting a Jets player into your fantasy lineup. We’ve all been hurt before. The good news is this version of the Jets offense has actually looked competent, and Geno Smith just threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit.
If Hall misses Week 4 against Chicago, Allen should have enough volume to be immediately useful. Even if Hall’s injury ends up being relatively short-term, Allen is still one of the better running back handcuffs to have on your bench.
I wouldn’t overthink this one. If you need a running back, Allen is the first name I’m looking at.
The Miami Backfield
This is where I’m going against a lot of the waiver articles.
Ollie Gordon II is going to be one of the most added players this week. Achane is done for the season, Jaylen Wright missed Week 3 and Gordon handled basically everything after Achane went down against Kansas City.
I get it.
I just don’t really want him.
Gordon finished with 17 carries for 41 yards against Kansas City. He did score a touchdown and added three catches, so the volume was certainly there. If you desperately need a running back, there’s obviously an argument for adding him.
My issue is everything surrounding those touches.
Miami is 0-3, has struggled to score all season and just lost the one player its entire offense was built around. Wright should also return at some point, and we don’t really know how those touches will be divided once both backs are available.
There is a difference between getting Achane’s workload and being De’Von Achane.
Someone in your league is probably going to spend aggressively on Gordon because starting running backs are hard to find. Let them. I’m not saying he’s completely useless, but I’m not excited about spending a significant waiver claim on a potential committee running back in an offense that hasn’t been able to score.
Kenyon Sadiq and Juwan Johnson
If you need a tight end, this is probably the most interesting position on waivers this week.
Kenyon Sadiq finally had his breakout game against Detroit, catching seven of eight targets for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Jets drafted him 16th overall for a reason, and we’re starting to see why.
I have high hopes for Sadiq, but you’re definitely betting on upside here. He isn’t going to get eight targets every week, and rookie tight ends aren’t exactly known for being the most reliable fantasy assets.
Still, tight end is usually a wasteland once you get past the top handful of guys. If you’re already cycling through mediocre options every Sunday, I’d rather take a shot on someone with Sadiq’s ceiling.
If Juwan Johnson is available, though, I prefer the more proven option.
Johnson has posted double-digit fantasy points in all three games and is currently the TE3. He followed that up with eight catches for 53 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3. At this point, we’re not really projecting something that might happen. He’s already producing.
He’s also rostered in more leagues than Sadiq, so there’s a decent chance he isn’t available.
If both are sitting there and I need someone to start immediately, give me Johnson. If I’m looking for upside and can afford to be patient, Sadiq is really interesting.
Alvin Kamara
Here’s another running back situation worth watching.
Travis Etienne aggravated his hamstring against Las Vegas, which could create a bigger role for Alvin Kamara. It feels strange talking about Kamara as a waiver pickup after how good he was for so long, but here we are.
He’s not the same player anymore. That’s pretty obvious.
But if Etienne misses time, I like this situation more than chasing the Miami backfield.
New Orleans has actually been able to move the ball, and Kamara was already involved before Etienne got hurt. You’re not adding 2020 Alvin Kamara and expecting six touchdowns in a game. You’re adding a veteran running back who could suddenly have a pretty useful workload in a decent offense.
At this point in the fantasy season, I’ll take that.
Wide Receiver Gets a Little Messier
There isn’t one wide receiver on waivers this week that I feel like you absolutely have to get.
Keenan Allen is probably the most recognizable name. With Alec Pierce injured, Allen caught six of nine targets for 63 yards and a touchdown against Houston. The opportunity should continue to be there while Pierce is out.
I’m still more interested in chasing younger upside.
Allen is 34, and there’s also a potential suspension hanging over him stemming from his offseason legal situation. If you need someone who can immediately give you targets in a PPR league, he’s fine. I’m just not particularly excited about using a priority claim on him.
I’d rather look at some of the younger receivers whose roles could continue to grow. Malik Washington in Miami, Dontayvion Wicks in Philadelphia and Chris Bell are among the names worth monitoring depending on how deep your league is.
None of them are automatic starts. That’s also kind of the point.
Waivers aren’t always about finding someone you’re starting Sunday. Sometimes you’re trying to grab the player who might be obvious two weeks from now before everyone else realizes it.
I’d rather take that chance with a young receiver than add another veteran whose ceiling we already pretty much know.
Sam Darnold Is Back, But Don’t Go Crazy
Sam Darnold returned against Washington and immediately reminded everyone that he’s still capable of putting up numbers.
He threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in Seattle’s 33-31 loss and is still available in plenty of leagues.
I’m treating him as a streamer.
If your quarterback is hurt, has a terrible matchup or you’re already regretting whoever you drafted in the eighth round, Darnold is absolutely worth considering. Seattle has Jaxon Smith-Njigba and enough weapons for Darnold to put together big fantasy weeks when the game script cooperates.
I don’t think one huge game means you suddenly need to roster him all season in a one-quarterback league.
Use him when the matchup makes sense and move on when it doesn’t.
Who Am I Prioritizing?
Braelon Allen is my favorite overall pickup this week if Hall is going to miss time. There’s risk because we’re still talking about the Jets, but the combination of position scarcity and potential workload makes him difficult to pass up.
After that, it really depends on what you need.
If Juwan Johnson is somehow still available and you’re struggling at tight end, he’s probably the safest add on the board. Kenyon Sadiq is more of the upside swing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re talking about him as a weekly starter later this season.
Kamara becomes much more interesting if Etienne misses time, and I’d rather go there than get into a bidding war for Gordon. Darnold is perfectly fine if you need a quarterback for a week.
The biggest thing is not treating every injury replacement like you’ve suddenly found a league winner.
Every year we do this. A starter gets hurt, everyone sees the backup is projected for 15 touches and suddenly we’re convincing ourselves to spend half our FAAB on him.
Sometimes it works.
A lot of times you wake up Sunday morning starting a running back on a terrible offense and wondering how your life got to this point.
Welcome to fantasy football.