Waiver Wire Targets 2016 Week 4

By Armando Marsal
Armando Marsal Week 3 was not as injury filled as the two previous weeks, but we still saw several injuries that may affect fantasy owners. For those who have been affected by all the injuries, the waiver wire is the way to go. In addition, the bye weeks begin this week as the Packers and Eagles have this week off. So if you need players to fill in for some of the guys you may have on bye, the waiver wire could be helpful. Let’s take a look at some players you may want to target on waivers.

Quarterback


Joe Flacco – Ravens: Flacco is coming off of a poor performance, but has a very good matchup against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4. If you’re streaming quarterbacks, he is up there on the list of quarterbacks to consider. The Raiders are allowing 344.3 passing yards per game and have surrendered seven passing touchdowns. Flacco has attempted at least 40 passes in each of the last two games. For those who have Aaron Rodgers on bye this week, Flacco is a very good plug in play. If he is available in your leagues, you should strongly consider him.
Others to consider: Trevor Siemian –Broncos, Carson Wentz - Eagles

Running Back


Jordan Howard- Bears: Jeremy Langford is expected to miss 4-6 weeks with an ankle injury. In his absence, Howard is expected to receive the bulk of the carries. In Week 3, Howard stepped in for the injured Langford and carried the ball nine times for 45 yards. He also caught four of his six targets for 47 yards. He played in 49 snaps last game and could have a big role in this offense moving forward. He should be a top priority this week.

Orleans Darkwa – Giants: Shane Vereen is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he will undergo a triceps surgery. Rashad Jennings missed Week 3 with a thumb injury and is questionable for Week 4. This leaves us with Orleans Darkwa to potentially have an expanded role this week. Even if Jennings plays, Darkwa will have be involved. He ran for 53 yards on 10 carries and scored a touchdown in Week 3 against the Redskins. He also caught a pass for nine yards. If you are a Jennings owner, you definitely want to add Darkwa, but even if you are not, he is worth adding.

Christine Michael - Seahawks: Chances are he is not a free agent in your fantasy leagues, but if he is, go get him right now. Michael is not the most talented running back, but he is going to get a lot of carries in the upcoming weeks. Thomas Rawls is expected to miss a few weeks with an injury and Michael is expected to start in his place. He ran 106 yards and scored two touchdowns in Week 3 against the 49ers. He should be the number one priority off of waivers this week.

Others to consider: Cameron Artis-Payne – Panthers, Dwayne Washington – Lions, Kenyan Drake – Dolphins, Jerick McKinnon – Vikings, Darren Sproles/Wendell Smallwood - Eagles

Wide Receiver


Terrelle Pryor – Browns: Pryor is coming off of a monster game against the Dolphins. He caught eight passes for 144 yards and also ran for a touchdown. The Browns used Pryor at quarterback in some plays, one of which was the one he scored a touchdown in. Chances are they will implement this into their game plan moving forward. This means that his upside is now higher than it was at the start of the season. In addition, he has been targeted 24 times in the last two games. His role on this offense is significant. A player with this type of volume should not be a free agent in your fantasy leagues.

Jamison Crowder – Redskins: Crowder has now scored in consecutive weeks. He has caught six passes in two of the first three games and is averaging 8.3 targets per game. He has accounted for 20.7 percent of the Redskins targets. If you are in a PPR format league, Crowder can provide some consistent production so long as his role remains the same. He can be a viable flex option for those dealing with injuries and also now with the start of the bye weeks.

Sammie Coates – Steelers: Eli Rogers suffered a toe injury in Week 3 and was unable to return to the game. At this time, it is unknown how severe the injury is. What is known is that Coates could benefit from a Rogers absence. There was high expectations for Coates heading into the season, but he has disappointed so far. This could be a second chance to live up to those expectations. He is a burner that can stretch the field and offers big play ability. He has at least 50 receiving yards in each game this season, but has not caught more than three passes in a game.
Others to consider: Quincy Enunwa – Jets, Phillip Dorsett – Colts, Cole Beasley – Cowboys, Michael Thomas – Saints, Justin Hardy - Falcons

Tight End


Eric Ebron – Lions: I will continue recommending Ebron until he is owned in most leagues. He continues to be a consistent contributor on a weekly basis. He has also seen an increase in targets each week. In the season opener he received five targets, in Week 2 he received seven, and last week he received eight. In PPR formats, he has topped nine fantasy points in each game and has scored double-digit fantasy points in two of the three games. This is a pass first offense and a team with a bad defense so they should be playing catchup often this season. The volume should remain consistent for Ebron. He should be the top tight end coming off of waivers.

Others to consider: Kyle Rudolph – Vikings, Cameron Brate – Buccaneers

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on the Twitter machine: @Armando_Marsal