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The waiver wire had been pretty thin to open the season, especially in deep leagues. Sure, there were weeks with one big piece to grab, but the chances are that in a 16-team league or deeper, people went very aggressive on that player, perhaps even spending all their FAAB on someone like Elijah Mitchell or Chuba Hubbard. Those who were patient, or just didn’t bid enough, were waiting for a week with a lot of options.
This is that week. At least, this is the best waiver wire week so far this season. Injuries were the theme in Week 4, which is never great for fantasy. But, it does create a lot of openings on the waiver wire.
This is a week to strike while the iron is hot! You can’t take your FAAB with you and if you are sitting at 1-3 or 0-4, your season is not over, but you need to turn things around and quickly. Using the waiver wire is exactly how you do that!
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Deep League Waiver Wire Targets
Drew Lock may get to start in Week 5 as Teddy Bridgewater exited last week with a concussion and is questionable for next week's game. Lock threw 21 times for 113 yards and an interception. We know who Lock is at this point. He is a strong-arm QB who is very erratic. That is exactly how his fantasy career has been. Most weeks you do not want to start him and then others he will go off for over 25 fantasy points. He has a tough matchup against the Steelers in Week 5, but if you are in a deep Superflex or two QB format, the waiver wire is bare. Lock is someone you can pickup and plug in.
Damien Williams might be rostered in deeper formats, but it's not like he was seeing big usage. Backup running backs are strange in deeper formats, a lot are rostered, but there's always a chance he was dropped recently and sitting on your waiver wire. If so, he is the top add of the week. David Montgomery is expected to miss four to five weeks. Williams rushed eight times for 55 yards and a TD playing a third of the snaps in Week 4. He also can be utilized in the passing game as he is a good pass blocker. We have seen him get hot and be a really useful fantasy piece in the past. This time should be no different. He is an RB2 while Monty is sidelined.
Samaje Perine scared fantasy managers on Thursday when he was playing third downs and late in the game. The reason he was in there is Joe Mixon is dealing with an ankle injury that now has him week-to-week. If Mixon was to miss time, it would be Perine as the lead back in this backfield. He played 24 percent of the snaps and had three carries for seven yards and one 15-yard catch. He would be more of an RB2 or flex option, but if he is the lead back in the Bengals backfield he is worth using, and he remains available in a ton of leagues. Chris Evans, the running back, not Captain America, could be involved as well and he is definitely available. He is a fallback option in this backfield.
Marlon Mack requested a trade and then all of a sudden they activate him and he gets 10 carries and two targets. Sure, he went for just 23 yards, but that sort of usage can not be ignored in deeper formats. Especially since they could have been showcasing that he is healthy coming off an Achilles tear last season. With injuries piling up and it being a 17-game season, we could definitely see Mack traded to a team that will give him a weekly role. I would stash him now as if he is traded the cost would go up dramatically.
Jeremy McNichols saw a team-high 12 targets, catching eight for 74 yards. He also had an 11-yard carry, playing 40 percent of the snaps. He will not see a dozen targets each week, but with A.J. Brown and Julio Jones banged up and potentially out again in Week 5, he could remain a factor in the passing game. The Titans had been throwing more to Henry, but McNichols showed he can be trusted in the passing game. He is definitely worth taking a shot in these deeper leagues.
Alex Collins had 10 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown on 41 percent of the snaps in Week 4. He is now Seattle’s RB2 with Rashaad Penny on the IR. After the game, Pete Carroll was talking up how much they like Collins and the spark he provided. Chris Carson is still the lead back but Collins can continue to carve out a larger weekly role. Some may see it and think it's a random big game for a running back that hasn’t been fantasy relevant in a couple of years. But hearing the coaching staff speak him up, this is exactly the type of shot you take in a deep league.
Kadarius Toney was included in this article last week, but many may have left him on the waiver wire. That should change this week as he saw a team-high nine targets in Week 4. He caught six of them for 78 yards. He saw that volume because Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton missed the game with a hamstring injury but they are still up in the air for Week 5. Toney was the Giants' first-round pick this year and he is raw but very explosive with the ball in his hands. The Giants should manufacture more touches for him moving forward. Grab him now if he is still out there.
Josh Gordon signed with the Chiefs last week, the one team that could get me excited enough to take a chance on him. The Chiefs have been searching for a consistent second wide receiver to feature in the offense. Right now they have a rotation between Mecole Hardman, Byron Pringle, and Demarcus Robinson. It's possible Gordon just makes that trio a quartet, but if he looks anything like his old self he could run away with the opportunities. He also could be active as early as Week 5. He is an upside shot worth taking in deeper leagues.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was a preseason favorite of mine but after a slow start, he was thrown back on the waiver wire in a lot of leagues. That should change after he saw eight targets in Week 4, after seeing just 10 in the first three weeks combined. He finished with six catches for 70 yards. The Lions have been searching for any receiver to step up and with St. Brown manning the slot, he could be exactly what they need. St. Brown is a big body slot receiver, who could still become Jared Goff’s new version of Cooper Kupp. He is worth taking a flier to see if he can keep building off his strong Week 4 performance.
Kalif Raymond is another Lions receiver that stepped up in a big way in Week 4. He caught three of six targets for 46 yards and two scores. While I prefer the volume and role that St. Brown saw, this is hard to overlook in deep leagues. The Lions have got nothing production-wise from their receivers and should be looking to get these two more involved. He is worthy of a flier.
Randall Cobb had six targets, catching five for 69 yards and two touchdowns. He has always had a nose for the endzone, at least playing with Aaron Rodgers. It’s worth noting that Marquez Valdes-Scantling was out in Week 4, but he has largely been used as a deep threat. The Packers coaching staff was speaking up Cobb after the game, saying he could be the piece that helps open up Davante Adams, as teams have solely been focusing on him. We need to see more than one game from Cobb before declaring that he is back, but remember, Rodgers did specifically request the Packers bring him back. With the QB and coaches talking him up, and him coming off of a strong performance, he is exactly the type of receiver to take a shot on in these formats.
C.J. Uzomah stepped up in a huge way on Thursday night. He saw six targets, catching five of them for 95 yards and not one, but two touchdowns. Prior to that, he had four catches for 39 yards. It's also worth noting that Tee Higgins and his large target share continue to work back from injury, but in leagues this deep you are basically searching for any tight end with a pulse. It's hard to ignore the night Uzomah had in leagues this deep. He is worth taking a shot on to see if he has earned a larger role after his huge day in the national spotlight.
Mo Alie-Cox has long been a red-zone presence in the Colts' offense, but we hadn’t seen much of him to open the season. That changed in Week 4 when he was targeted five times, tied for the second-most on the Colts. He caught three of them for 42 yards and two touchdowns. We have already seen Jack Doyle have a big game this season, showing that there will be some ups and downs with the Colts' tight ends. But Alie-Cox is the preferred red zone option and in leagues this deep, you really just want a tight end with a chance of scoring a touchdown and he brings that.
Make sure to follow Michael on Twitter, @MichaelFFlorio
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