Waiver Wire Watch: Week 4
Here is a look at the top waiver wire pickups for Week 4. To be eligible for discussion, the player must be owned in 40% or fewer ESPN leagues, though I'll stretch the rules a bit for the RB position, which is usually very thin. I'll also include suggested bid prices (with a $100 budget) for those leagues that use Free Agent Acquisition Budgets. Of course, player value depends on league characteristics and team needs.
* Players with an asterisk next to their name were mentioned in last week's Waiver Wire Watch.
Titans QB Jake Locker* ($5)
Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns in a crazy game against the Lions on Sunday. Locker is not necessarily someone that fantasy owners will want to use in Week 4 against the Texans, but he has three nice matchups in the following four games against the Vikings, Bills, and the Colts.
Next up: Texans, Vikings, Steelers
Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick* ($5)
Through three games, Fitzpatrick has thrown eight touchdowns. In Week 4 he faces the Patriots and may be without much of a running game with C.J. Spiller out and Fred Jackson still working his way back. Expect lots of pass attempts for Fitzy.
Next up: Patriots, 49ers, Cardinals
Vikings QB Christian Ponder* ($3)
Ponder fared very well in a tough matchup against the 49ers, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another TD. His upcoming schedule is terrific and his WR2, Jerome Simpson, is coming off suspension this week.
Next up: Lions, Titans, Redskins
Lions QB Shaun Hill ($2)
Matthew Stafford reaggravated a leg injury that he suffered in practice leading up to Week 3, and at this point he is iffy for the Vikings in Week 4. If he can't go, then Hill would be a more than capable fill-in. He completed 10 of 13 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns on just three drives in the fourth quarter and overtime against the Titans. In the nine games that he attempted more than 20 passes in 2010, Hill averaged 279 yards and 1.7 TDs against 1.2 INTs.
Next up: Vikings, BYE, Eagles
Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb ($1)
We're not sure if the team plans to reinstall John Skelton as a starter, but Kolb is playing pretty well (362 yards, three TDs, zero INTs in the last two weeks) and the team is winning, so we're betting that they stick with Kolb. His upcoming schedule looks pretty easy, so he's not a bad pick up for those owners who need help at QB.
Next up: Dolphins, Rams, Bills
Lions RB Mikel Leshoure* ($100)
It's pretty amazing how the Lions swept aside the productive Kevin Smith to make way for Leshoure in Week 3, where he gained 134 yards and a touchdown on 30 touches in a great matchup against the Titans. It almost makes us believe that there's some sort of injury limiting Smith, but for now it appears that the Lions want Leshoure to be their feature back. At this point, we expect him to be the RB1 for the remainder of the season.
Next up: Vikings, BYE, Eagles
- All Premium Content
- The most Accurate Rankings Since 2010
- Expert Draft Picks w/DraftHero
- Highest Scoring Lineup + Top Available Players w/LeagueSync
- ...and much much more
