2021/2022 Fantasy Football Season Week 4

In week 3 there wasn’t a standout player to add from the waiver wire. That may have changed in week 4 waiver wire. 

CMC Injury Update

Christian McCaffrey suffered another injury that could keep him out the next 4 weeks due to a hamstring tweak.  

That opens up the door for the replacement in Carolina in rookie Chuba Hubbard. 

This is similar to what happened last year with Carolina. Backup Mike Davis was thrust into being a top 10 fantasy running backfilling in for McCaffrey.  

Hubbard is probably the top add but let’s look at some other players and positions as well as sits and starts, and compare some players 1 on 1 for week 4.

Add Chuba Hubbard

To start off the top waiver wire adds we have to dig more into Chuba Hubbard.  

Hubbard filled in for McCaffrey, got 11 carries for 52 yards, and received 5 targets catching 3 for 27 yards.  

In Carolina, no matter who is at running back, they will see a lot of targets. This is why Hubbard is going to be such a sought-after addition to your roster. Especially in ppr leagues where catching RB’s are so valuable.  

Last year they didn’t change their game plan when McCaffrey was out. We can expect the same featuring the running back spot, no matter who is out there.  

Key RB Handcuff’s

Other running back adds are Alexander Mattison if Dalvin Cook is announced out for week 4.

Nyheim Hines who saw 54% of snaps for the Colts compared to just 49% from Jonathan Taylor.

Cordarelle Patterson in ppr leagues had 7 targets and 102 total yards. 

Zack Moss who played 54% of the snaps compared to Devin Singletary’s 44%.  

There are a lot of good options out there this week if you miss out on Hubbard.  

Mattison would be the top target if Cook is out, Hines and Patterson are great adds in ppr. Moss will be inconsistent every week but can break out like week 3 for 60 rush yards, 3 catches for 31 yards and a touchdown. 

WR’s for Waivers in Week 4 Waiver Wire

The wide receiver waiver wire adds are not as deep as the running back options this week. However, there is still value here, especially some short-term value due to injuries.  

The first to look for is Emmanuel Sanders, who owns just about 32% of most sites.  

Sanders has seen 8, 6, and 6 targets in the first 3 weeks and had a breakout game with 5 catches for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns last week.  

The other add is Cole Beasley who saw a team high 13 targets in week 3. Beasley caught 11 of those targets for 98 yards.  

Sanders or Beasley

Sanders is more of a touchdown-dependent player than Beasley who can rack up catches in ppr leagues but Beasley is 70% owned already on most sites.  

AJ Green is another player who was a good add last week and is still about only 33% owned is AJ Green. 

Green saw the second most wideout snaps for Arizona in week 3. 

Green followed up his 44 yard and a touchdown performance with 5 catches for 112 yards.

Other WR’s who can fill in for the short term due to injuries at the position are Kadarius Toney for the Giants and James Washington for the Steelers.

QB Waivers to Add in Week 4 Waiver Wire

Sam Darnold is the top quarterback add of the week because he is available in almost 90% of sites.  

Darnold had his second straight 300+ yard game. The Panthers will at least throw a little more downfield and rely more on Darnold with McCaffrey out of the lineup for the time being.  

Is Daniel Jones good for fantasy?

Another quarterback to add who was a great pickup last week is Daniel Jones.  

Jones was just 10% owned last week but is now 55% owned on most sites.  

He was in a great spot to go off in week 3 but failed to score a touchdown.  

Somehow he ended up with 16.5 fantasy points. If that is his floor, he should be a good fantasy quarterback going forward.  

Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr

Others to consider are Kirk Cousins who is still just 43% owned. Derek Carr who is just 55% owned and they both continue to perform.

This Week’s Streaming TE’s

The tight end spot is usually slim pickings every week on the waiver wire. This week there looks like two pretty solid options.  

The first being Minnesota Vikings tight end, Tyler Conklin. Conklin is big and athletic and more importantly, he is the number 1 option in Minnesota for tight ends. 

The Vikings have been throwing a ton. In weeks 1 and 2 he received 4 targets each but in week 4 had 8 targets catching 7 balls for 70 yards and a touchdown.  

The next is Mike Gesicki who was drafted around the 10th best tight end. Gesicki may have been dropped in the first couple weeks of the season. 

Gesicki is currently about 60% owned on most sites and had a breakout performance showing good chemistry with Jacoby Brissett.  

Gesicki received 12 targets where he caught 10 balls for 86 yards.  

Others to consider are Dawson Knox who has had at least 8.1 points in every game this year. 

Pat Freiermuth from the Steelers could see an increase with some Steelers wide receivers out and him looking like the number 1 tight end there.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Starts

Now let’s take a look at some players who should be starts in your lineups after some shaky performances recently. Or players to sit who find themselves in tough situations in week 4.  

Starting out at running back, David Montgomery looks like a player you are going to want to start after 2 below average fantasy games in week 2 and 3.  

After 2 games with 10 or fewer fantasy points, he faces the Detroit Lions in week 4. 

Another player who has struggled so far is Antonio Gibson but he is also in a good spot to go off against the Atlanta Falcons.  

Without that short catch he turned in a 70 yard touchdown, Gibson would have only had 3 fantasy points last week.  

Gibson should be able to get back on track against Atlanta and with Washington probably being up most of the game he should get fed the ball a lot.  

Time to Start Saquon

Saquon Barkley was able to break out against Atlanta last week with a touchdown and 94 total yards so expect Gibson to do the same.  

Atlanta’s Mike Davis looks like a running back you can sit on the other side of the ball in that game.  

Washington has one of the toughest defenses in the NFL. Davis has yet to rush for over 50 yards or score a touchdown this season.  

Another running back people may feel compelled to play is James Conner after his 2 touchdown day. Conner has only averaged 40 rushing yards per game and has just one catch this year.  

Conner also won’t have the same opportunities he did against the Jaguars as he will vs the Rams this week.

Ja’marr Chase Breakout Case

One of the breakout wide receivers this year from the 2021 rookie class is Ja’marr Chase.  

Chase has a good thing going with his former college teammate in Joe Burrow for the Cincinnati Bengals with 4 touchdowns so far in 3 games.  

The Bengals also get a great matchup against the Jaguars where that connection should only grow stronger without Tee Higgins.  

Is Week 4 a Tyler Lockett Game?

Next is Tyler Lockett, who had massive games in week 1 and 2 with 278 yards and 3 touchdowns for a wide receiver drafted around the 60th pick.  

Week 3 he only had 4 catches for 41 yards but left the game with an injury so didn’t get the full run of the game.  

Lockett did return to the game, though and now in week 4 gets to face a San Francisco secondary that is extremely banged up and let Aaron Rodgers pick them apart in week 3.  

What has happened to Allen Robinson?

This week, Allen Robinson looks like a sit recommendation. Bad news for a wide receiver many drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round of their drafts.  

The quarterback situation in Chicago is a mess right now with Fields not playing well in his first start. Now he is banged up along with Andy Dalton who was not much better.  

The best situation for Robinson might be if the Bears go with Nick Foles this week.

Sit Devante Parker

Another to sit again this week is Devante Parker who only managed 42 yards when the Dolphins put up 28 points this week.

Parker looks to be the 3rd or even 4th option with Gesicki, Waddle, and now Fuller getting more into the action with Brissett at quarterback. 

Matthew Stafford will finish a top 12 QB

Matthew Stafford has had a career resurgence in Los Angeles. Stafford led the Rams to a victory over the reigning Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers in week 3.  

Stafford has the Rams number 1 in most NFL power rankings. He’s also is getting it done for fantasy owners as he had 343 yards and 4 touchdowns with no turnovers in week 3.  

Now Stafford gets to face the Cardinals. Arizona play a fast paced game where Stafford will have to throw a lot this week again.  

Sit Matt Ryan

A quarterback to sit this week will be Matt Ryan. Ryan had a great matchup against the Giants but just had an average showing in that one.  

Now Ryan faces a tough Washington defense that should only make things worse for him.

Sit Noah Fant

A tight end who people had high expectations for in week 3 was Noah Fant who got 8 and 6 targets in the 1st 2 weeks but only managed 3 in week 3.  

It was a blowout for the Broncos who didn’t need to pass much. However, in week 4 look for it to be the opposite.  

The Ravens have struggled to stop the pass, the Broncos may be playing from behind looking for Fant. 

Sit Jared Cook

A tight end to sit this week may be Jared Cook from the Chargers. 

Cook may have lost a step and is now looking like primarily just a red zone target.

The targets just haven’t been there for Cook this year.

Fantasy Lineup Construction 

In this last segment, we will get more into lineup construction, where we have to pick one player for our week 4 lineup.  

Starting again at running back, we are going to take a look at Joe Mixon. Mixon has one of the best matchups you can get this year in the NFL against the Jaguars.  

Mixon has not had a good fantasy performance since week 1. Mixon is an RB selected in the 2nd round of fantasy drafts but that should all change in week 4. 

In 2020 Mixon averaged over 5 catches per game but this year has just 2 per game. 

This week, Mixon seems to be in a better spot than Najee Harris against Green Bay. Harris had a breakout receiving game last week, and Saquon Barkley, who also had a nice game last week.  

Both of these players were most likely drafted ahead of Mixon but Mixon should outperform them here.  

Henry, Ekeler, Jones and Kamara are the top RB’s

A couple guys who look like better and safer plays than Mixon are pretty much just the top dogs like Kamara, Henry, Ekeler, and Aaron Jones.  

Next, we look at Jonathan Taylor, a 1st or early 2nd round pick in drafts but was out snapped by the backup running back in Hines in week 3.  

Taylor has a chance to get back on track here this season. In week 4 the Colts face an underrated defense in the Dolphins and there is concern about his lack of involvement.  

Taylor, Montgomery, Gibson and Robinson

Some players that are better plays than Taylor are aforementioned Montgomery and Gibson as well as surprise pick James Robinson who has gotten more involved again recently in Jacksonville.  

However, Taylor does seem like a better play than Miles Gaskin who faces the Colts and waiver wire pickup Chuba Hubbard who could have a tough time against Dallas in his first week as the starter in Carolina.  

The first receiver to look at here is Terry Mclaurin.  

He had the same stat line as his first game in week 3, with 4 catches for 62 yards, with a massive game between 11 catches for 107 yards and a touchdown.  

Expect another big here in week 4 in a good matchup against the Falcons.  

He should be able to take advantage of this matchup and is in a better spot than some big names so far this year in fantasy.  

The first is Brandin Cooks, who has been a target monster for Houston even with Davis Mills at quarterback.  

Unfortunately his touchdown ability is limited due to the nature of Houston’s offense which makes Mclaurin a better play.  

Mclaurin also could be a play over the Cowboy’s receivers in Amari Cooper and Ceedee Lamb as they take away from each other a bit and Dallas seems determined to stick to the run and play action to their tight ends.  

Ja’marr Chase’s Elite Touchdown Ability

Ja’marr Chase, with his touchdown ability, should be higher than Mclaurin still and Adam Thielen for the same reason. 

The next wide receiver to look at in week 4 is Julio Jones.  

Jones likely will be the go to guy here as AJ Brown seems unlikely to play.  

Jones has had 1 big game and had a clear touchdown called back so far this year.  

He gets the Jets here who he should be able to do some damage against early.  

He should still come in lower ranked this week than Mclaurin but also higher than Brandin Cooks and Deebo Samuel.  

Samuel has had 2 big weeks but lacks that touchdown ability as the 49er’s have so many options down in the red zone.  

A surprise pick here is Odell Beckham Jr. over Julio Jones. Beckham had 9 targets for 5 catches and 77 yards in his debut this week.  

The Browns get the Vikings who have been putting up a lot of points and will force the Browns to throw more this week benefiting Beckham even more.

Is Russell Wilson still a top 8 QB?

One of the most popular and a top 8 drafted quarterback in most leagues in Russell Wilson.  

This season he has been a bit underwhelming and now faces the San Francisco 49er’s.  

The 49er’s secondary is in shambles but they still bring out a tough defense.  

Wilson still should be a better play than Dak Prescott who hasn’t had a standout fantasy performance besides his opening game against Tampa Bay.  

Prescott also hasn’t been a threat with his legs and looks hesitant to run so far.  

Another quarterback Wilson looks better than this week is Aaron Rodgers who plays Pittsburgh and held Josh Allen in check week one and Joe Burrow to just 172 passing yards.  

Rodgers also hasn’t exceeded 261 yards passing this year so far.  

Who’s better for fantasy? Stafford or Hurts?

Quarterbacks who are better plays than Wilson this week are Matthew Stafford and Jalen Hurts.  

Hurts struggled against the Cowboys but made up for it late and actually ended with 326 yards passing and 2 touchdowns with 35 rushing yards.  

Now he gets Kansas City who will give up a good amount of points and yards.

This year, Tyler Higbee has been a quality tight end for the Rams but had a big bust game in week 2 with just 1 catch.  

Last week, Los Angeles seemed determined to get him involved on screen passes and in the red zone.  

Look for more of that this week as they will need his playmaking ability against the Cardinals.  

Higbee looks better this week than Kyle Pitts against Washington or Robert Tonyan against the Steelers.  

Summary Week 4 Waiver Wire

Both of these tight ends are in tough matchups where they may struggle to get involved in the offense.  

Pitts has yet to find the end zone in his rookie year, and Tonyan has accumulated just 66 total yards in 3 games.  

Not good for 2 tight ends who were drafted in the top 10 of the position.  

Some tight ends who look better than Higbee this week are Noah Fant and George Kittle who finally had a good game in week 3 and will look to build on that in week 4.