RADIO
Welcome to Week 4 everyone. After three weeks of the NFL season, things are starting to come into focus, but that doesn't mean you still can't find a valuable contributor for the rest of the year sitting on the waiver wire.
Below are my recommended FAAB waiver wire bids for Week 4. Each FAAB auction price recommendation will be based on a $100 FAAB budget, and all players listed have less than 50 percent ownership on Yahoo.
Let’s look around the league at who is worth a bid going into Week 4.
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FAAB Waiver Wire Bids - Running Backs
Wendell Smallwood (PHI) - $10-13
6% owned
Last week Darren Sproles was our top waiver recommendation among running backs, but he suffered a broken arm and torn ACL in Week 3 and is now done for the season. Rookie Cory Clement should see an uptick in usage now, too, but Smallwood fits Sproles' pass-catching role the best on the Eagles, with LeGarrette Blount locked into early and short-yardage downs.
Smallwood matched Blount with 12 carries Sunday and had a team-high 71 rushing yards. He's caught only one pass in each of the three games so far, but you can expect those numbers to jump up moving forward.
Jamaal Charles (DEN) - $5-7
33% owned
Charles has received exactly 10 touches each week in three games and remains more of the 1B to C.J. Anderson's 1A, but it's notable that the former Kansas City Chief saw one more carry than Anderson in Week 3 and looked more like his old explosive self. He's averaging an impressive 5.1 yards per carry and has some standalone value in deeper leagues.
Mike Tolbert (BUF) - $3-5
4% owned
As much as Sean McDermott would love to run LeSean McCoy into the ground, he'll need some help in the backfield, and Tolbert provides that. He saw double-digit carries for the second time in two weeks, including several goal-line tries. Buffalo remains a run-first unit, so Tolbert could become more valuable as the season wears on.
Also consider: Matt Breida (SF) - $1-2 , Alvin Kamara (NO) - $1-2, D'Onta Foreman (HOU) - $1-2, Alex Collins (BAL) - $1-2
Wide Receivers
Sterling Shepard (NYG) - $10-12
35% owned
On a day that Eli Manning threw for over 350 yards, Shepard, not Odell Beckham Jr., led the team in receiving yards (133) on seven catches (10 targets). He also found paydirt for the first time in 2017. There are a lot of mouths to feed in New York, but this is a reminder that the second-year wideout should be owned in more leagues. OBJ remains the stud here, but with the running game in shambles, Manning might have to air it out more often than not.
Devin Funchess (CAR) - $6-8
20% owned
Kelvin Benjamin went down with a knee injury and is likely to be questionable for Week 4. If he sits, Funchess would serve as the No. 1 wideout. The 23-year-old had a season-high 10 targets but reeled in just four of them for 58 yards. There is opportunity here with both Greg Olsen and Benjamin hurt, but Cam Newton will need to shake off the cobwebs if Funchess wants to capitalize.
Paul Richardson (SEA) - $5-7
11% owned
While Richardson has only caught four passes the last two weeks, he's now scored in back-to-back games and could easily break out in Week 4 against the Colts with Doug Baldwin (groin) coming up gimpy. Seattle's putrid offensive line makes running lanes hard to come by, so airing it out on a weekly basis may become the norm in the northwest.
Geronimo Allison (GB) - $5-7
9% owned
With Randall Cobb (chest) inactive against Cincinnati, Allison seized his opportunity in a big way with six receptions for a team-high 122 yards, including a 72-yard impressive catch and run that set Green Bay up for the game-winning kick in overtime. Cobb may miss his second straight game on a short week at home against Chicago, so Allison could be in for another big workload. Allison may retain value in deeper leagues even as the fourth receiver. Aaron Rodgers tends to make everyone around him better.
Robert Woods (LAR) - $3-5
7% owned
Woods broke out on Thursday night and almost had the exact same line as Sammy Watkins, minus the two scores. They were facing an inept Niners D, but a six-catch, 108-yard line puts Woods on the map, especially if Watkins cannot pass the concussion protocol before Week 4. Jared Goff and LA's passing attack looks noticeably improved under Sean McVay, which should continue to benefit Woods.
Also consider: Robby Anderson (NYJ) - $3-5, Taylor Gabriel (ATL) - $1-2, Bruce Ellington (HOU) - $1-2
Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson (HOU) - $3-5
14% owned
Watson's play (22-for-33 for 301 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) in a near win over the Patriots in Week 3 opened eyes around the league. It should do the same in fantasy circles. The rookie QB's athleticism -- he added eight scrambles for 41 yards -- and determination showed up big time in this one, but he'll continue to be inconsistent in the turnover department (he also fumbled twice). The upside is tangible with Watson, making him worth an immediate addition in two-QB leagues.
Jared Goff (LAR) - $3-5
12% owned
Don't look now, but Goff has a 5:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio through three games. He's also completing 70.4 percent of his passes after failing mightily in that category (54.6 completion percentage) in his rookie campaign. Having a refreshed Todd Gurley in the backfield and additional passing weapons doesn't hurt. Goff said he was more confident heading into his second season, and he's backing that up. The needle is pointing up with Sean McVay at the helm. You could do way worse as your second QB.
Also consider: Jacoby Brissett (IND) - $1
Tight Ends
Jared Cook (OAK) - $5-7
40% owned
If you own Tyler Eifert or Jordan Reed, you might want to give Cook a look. He's had at least five targets and four catches in all three weeks, and he was the only pass catcher to do anything for Oakland in their embarrassing loss Sunday night, totaling four catches for a team-high 43 yards and a score. Cook's ceiling is limited, but he provides consistency and could become David Carr's safety blanket in an offense that won't be corralled that often.
Vernon Davis (WAS) - $3-5
8% owned in Yahoo
Jordan Reed continues to find ways to miss games, making Davis the most valuable tight end handcuff in football. He seamlessly stepped in Sunday night with Reed inactive and proceeded to catch five passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. It's a good bet that Reed misses more games in the future, making Davis an indispensable fantasy commodity, especially if you own Reed.
Ryan Griffin (HOU) - $1-2
1% owned in Yahoo
With C.J. Fiedorowicz (concussion) on Injured Reserve, Griffin is Houston's main pass-catching tight end, and he showed it in Week 3, finishing third in receiving yards (61) on five receptions. He also scored for the first time in 2017. Tight ends are often popular targets for rookie tight ends, and that certainly played out with Deshaun Watson last weekend.
Also consider: Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ) - $1, Tyler Kroft (CIN) - $1, Marcedes Lewis (JAC) - $1
Defense/Special Teams
Buffalo Bills - $1
12% owned
Buffalo held Denver to a season-low 16 points Sunday and also recorded two more interceptions (four total on the year). They quietly rank tied for fourth in the NFL with 10 sacks and have accumulated the eighth-most fantasy points (27) for a D/ST through three weeks. A matchup on the road against Atlanta in Week 4 isn't very inviting, but a tasty matchup against Cincinnati looms after that before their bye week.
Also consider: Cincinnati Bengals - $1
