Waiver Flavor: Week 4

The NFL season is entering Week 4 but not before we saw another significant injury to a team’s starting QB as Ben Roethlisberger’s injured knee is expected to keep him out for at least the next four weeks.  Injuries in Week 3 opened the door for some breakout performances from backups like Devonta Freeman who likely won weeks for many who had him in their starting lineup and Ryan Mathews who stepped into the starting lineup after DeMarco Murray was a late scratch to bust the Jets defense for 108 yards on 25 carries.  In this week’s Waiver Flavor article we will take a look at some injury replacement players and some players who are still under owned in most leagues despite their early season success.

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr, OAK- Carr’s average ownage in standard leagues hovers around 20% which should dramatically increase this week after throwing for 665 yards and five touchdowns over the last two weeks against the Ravens and Browns.  Week 4 brings about a matchup with an awful Bears defense which offers no matchup to stop the AC/DC connection of Amari Cooper and Derek Carr.  Another 300 yard game with multiple touchdowns seems like a lock and would make Carr a better play than most quarterbacks in Week 4.

FAAB Bid- $15-$20

Andy Dalton, CIN- Dalton is off to an incredible start and is still available in over 60% of standard leagues. Through three weeks Dalton has completed 66.3% of his pass for 866 yards and eight touchdowns.  A healthy A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert are headlining the passing attack which has allowed Dalton to rank third in scoring behind Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers through three weeks.  With bye weeks upon us Dalton figures to 

be among the most added players in leagues where he is available.

FAAB Bid- $15-$20

Tyrod Taylor, BUF- Taylor is proving to be no fluke and with bye weeks coming he finds himself under 50% owned in standard leagues.  A duel threat, Taylor has completed 74.4% of his passes this season for 714 yards and seven touchdowns while also rushing 17 times for 96 yards and a touchdown.  The Bills offense looks pretty insync so far this year and with playmakers like Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin and Charles Clay in the passing game and LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams in the backfield they rank among the higher scoring offenses in football this season.

FAAB Bid-$20-$25

Running Backs

Karlos Williams, Buf-Williams has been on this list before but still finds himself owned in just about 25% of standard leagues after three weeks.  He figures to be one of the more highly claimed players heading into Week 4 after finding the end zone for the third straight week and due to the comments made by Bills starting running back LeSean McCoy that he may need to miss a game in order to heal his injured hamstring.  As a starter Williams has RB1 upside but even as a backup he is worth a flex play given his role as the team’s goal line running back.

FAAB Bid- $15-$20

Bilal Powell, NYJ- Powell got the start on Sunday as Chris Ivory dealt with a groin injury that has hampered him since Week 1 and he turned in a solid effort, gaining 31 yards on the ground and catching seven passes for 44 yards.  Through three weeks Powell is averaging 11 carries for 44 yards and four catches for 25 yards which makes him a decent flex option in PPR leagues.  Ivory was active on Sunday but did not see the field so his owners may want to jump on Powell incase Ivory is once again unable to go in Week 4.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Lance Dunbar, DAL- Dunbar has been a great PPR back this season, having caught 21 passes for 215 yards over the first three weeks of the season while carrying the ball just twice for 13 yards.  Given the current state of the Cowboys’ offense Dunbar figures to play a key role as Brandon Weeden’s check down option and seeing that he is averaging seven catches a game he is certainly worth a look as a flex option.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Wide Receivers

Rishard Matthews, MIA- Matthews made an appearance on last week’s Waiver Flavor article but he still finds himself just under 20% owned in standard leagues despite his production so far this season.  Matthews should see his ownage jump significantly following his Week 3 output of 113 yards and two scores to lead the Dolphins receivers.  Get on him now as the Dolphins feature a pass happy offense behind Ryan Tannehill and Matthews continues to separate himself from the rest of the receiving core.

FAAB Bid- $20-$25

Percy Harvin, BUF- Harvin is owned in just above 50% of standard leagues through three weeks which is a number that will certainly rise after Sammy Watkins left Sunday’s contest with a calf strain that has him questionable for Week 4.  Harvin has big play capabilities and is used in a variety of different ways in the offense which is excelling under Tyrod Taylor at quarterback.  If Watkins is forced to miss time Harvin becomes the No.1 guy in Buffalo which certainly gives his fantasy value a boost.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Marvin Jones, CIN- Jones was a popular breakout pick in 2014 after he exploded for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2013 but injuries forced him to miss the entire season.  Coming into 2015 the buzz around Jones had died down but he has now found the end zone in back to back games and has seen his targets increase.  The Bengals offer a pretty balanced offense and Jones is the clear No.2 option behind A.J. Green but in deeper league formats he should be a solid play thanks to his ability to find the end zone.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

 

Tight Ends