Fantasy Football: Week 4 Waiver Wire Targets 2021
By Pat Pitts
Was anyone else a witness to one of the most extraordinary weeks in NFL history in Week 3? Teams stamped their way into the history books, surprisingly both on special teams plays. Those plays hurt a lot of fans but hurt (and helped) fantasy managers even more.
A new week means a new crop of players waiting for a fantasy manager to snag them off the waiver wire. Here are a few players that caught my eye this week.
Quarterbacks
Kirk Cousins (Rostered in 32.5% ESPN leagues and 72% in Yahoo leagues)
Kirk Cousins has thrown 8 TD passes without an interception to start the year. Through his first three games, he has finished with 24 points twice. He continues to dominate, making him a viable streaming option for the season.
Sam Darnold (Rostered in 9% of ESPN leagues and 22% in Yahoo leagues)
Darnold threw for over 300 yards against the Texans. He refused to turn the ball over, landing him inside the top five QB performances of the week. With him under center, the Panthers have started 3-0, so he might be a decent option to look at when BYE weeks begin within the next few weeks.
Derek Carr (Rostered in 50% of ESPN leagues and 53% of Yahoo leagues)
Carr has elevated his play this season, finishing his first three starts over 20 points. He looks like an elite QB in these first three weeks. He is worth a waiver claim.
Runnings Backs
Gio Bernard (Rostered in 11% ESPN leagues and 16% of Yahoo leagues)
Brady targeted Bernard multiple times on Sunday, with him catching all nine targets for 51 yards and a touchdown. He sits as a solid boom or bust play at the flex position.
Peyton Barber (Rostered in 11% of ESPN leagues and 8% of Yahoo leagues)
Barber rushed for a career-high 111 yards on 23 touches, including getting in the end zone in the Raiders OT thriller. He finished the week as RB2 across all fantasy platforms. Jacobs does not seem to be returning soon, which makes Barber a must claim for Week 4.
Malcolm Brown (Rostered in 13% of ESPN leagues and 7% of Yahoo leagues)
This week Brown saw an increase in touches that led him to waltz in the end zone for a score. The Dolphins offense without Tua may lead to the backfield getting more carries. Brown capitalized yesterday, so why not add him this week?
Chuba Hubbard (Rostered in 11% of ESPN leagues and 27% of Yahoo leagues)
McCaffrey left with an injury on Sunday, and Hubbard is the next RB on the depth chart. He is a must-claim for CMC managers to handcuff, even if it is short-term.
Wide Receivers
Emmanuel Sanders (Rostered in 23% of ESPN leagues and 27% of Yahoo leagues)
Sanders played his best game of the year, catching five passes for 94 yards and scoring twice. He averaged 18.8 yards/catch, which means Allen sees him as a viable deep threat. He has a WR2 ceiling but is a solid FLEX option moving forward.
Kendrick Bourne (Rostered in <1% of ESPN leagues and 1% of Yahoo leagues)
The Patriots’ offense looked abysmal on Sunday. Bourne changed its Identity on one play. He caught the lone Mac Jones TD pass against the Saints and racked up six catches for 94 yards. Jones targets Bourne more week after week. He is a FLEX option with a WR2 ceiling destined to shine.
Hunter Renfrow (Rostered in 11% of ESPN leagues and 12% of Yahoo leagues)
Darren Waller can’t catch every pass. Renfrow makes Carr’s life a lot easier in the pocket, especially in yesterday’s barn-burner. Renfrow caught five passes for 77 yards, including a touchdown and a sliding catch that dropped Raider Nation’s jaws. Drop someone on your bench for a potential WR2.
Tight Ends
Tyler Conklin (Rostered in 2.6% of ESPN leagues and 4% of Yahoo leagues)
Conklin led all Vikings to a win on Sunday with his seven catches for 70 yards and a score. He proved to be a solid boom play at the TE spot. He’s worth a claim this week.
Dawson Knox (Rostered in 4% of ESPN leagues and 11% of Yahoo leagues)
Knox caught a touchdown for a second straight game in the Bills dominant win over the Washington Football Team. In addition to finding the end zone, Knox has seen an increase in his production, propelling him into a potential starting TE spot on a roster.
Pat Freiermuth (Rostered in 4.5% of ESPN leagues and 8% of Yahoo leagues)
The rookie TE has slowly inched his way to fantasy relevancy. He caught his first TD on Sunday, adding 22 yards to it. He is a tremendous deep league addition, but not a bad boom or bust player for the next few weeks.