This isn’t the most loaded week for waivers in fantasy football, but it is important to see if certain players have been dropped in your league. And with bye weeks approaching, it is even more important to remain active on the waiver wire.
At FTN Fantasy, we have a Waiver Wire Tool that ranks the top waiver adds of the week and recommends the amount of FAAB you should use on each player. And every Tuesday, I’ll break down the top five players listed in the tool, giving you the best case for each highly ranked player. With all of the key injuries impacting fantasy rosters, being able to add key players off waivers is as crucial as ever.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Week 4
1. Carson Steele, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Yahoo! 63%, ESPN 58%
Life without Isiah Pacheco began for the Chiefs Sunday night, and Steele benefited the most. The rookie logged 64% of the snaps and handled 18 of the 27 running back touches for the Chiefs. He looked solid, constantly churning out positive yardage up the middle and, as expected, received the goal-line work. Veteran Samaje Perine played every snap of the two-minute drill and most third downs, but 15-18 touches should be in Steele’s range for the time being.
2. Rome Odunze, WR, Chicago Bears
Yahoo! 74%, ESPN 69%
Odunze has been dropped in some leagues, so if he’s out there, make sure you change that. He had his breakout game Sunday, hauling in six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. Odunze ran a route on all but one dropback and played all but one snap this weekend, which tells me his MCL sprain is a thing of the past. We’ll see what happens when Keenan Allen (heel) returns but as long as he is sidelined, Odunze makes for a strong flex play, especially with matchups against the Rams, Panthers and Jaguars up next.
3. Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Yahoo! 35%, ESPN 33%
Irving continues to make the most of his opportunities and is reportedly in line for more work going forward. He out-carried Rachaad White on Sunday and has simply been the more efficient player on a per carry basis this season. Irving has four runs of 10-plus yards on 25 carries to just one for White on 31 rushes. This could become a 50/50 split in Tampa Bay and with White rostered in 100% of leagues, Irving should be too.
4. Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Yahoo! 31%, ESPN 36%
Did you watch him Sunday? Jennings exploded for a career day, hauling in 11-of-12 targets for 175 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams. Of course, it came in a contest without Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, so we obviously have to temper expectations for the rest of the season. But if you are 1-2 or 0-3 and need help at wide receiver, Jennings has to be on your radar. He’ll be a borderline top-30 wideout if Samuel and Kittle remain sidelined for Week 4.
5. Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Yahoo! 29%, ESPN 16%
Darnold s coming off a four-touchdown game, and simply put, has been a top-five NFL quarterback through the first three weeks. Kevin O’Connell and Jusin Jefferson are amazing, Aaron Jones is playing well, and the Vikings will get Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson back. There’s a lot to like with Darnold. Minnesota faces Green Bay and the Jets before a Week 6 bye. But after that? Lions, Rams, Colts, Jaguars. Yes, please.
Check the FTN Waiver Wire Tool for the full Week 3 waiver wire advice.