Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 4 pickups feat. Carson Steele, Rome Odunze, and more
The fantasy football season-long grind rolls along at Sportskeeda after the conclusion of two Monday Night Football games to finish a wild week full of upsets and outstanding rookie performances. We'll take you through the best options for running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends to assist you in optimizing your fantasy rosters for Week 4 and beyond.
The primary goal is to utilize your bench spots to put yourself in the best possible position each week and give your future self the flexibility to achieve fantasy greatness. We cast a wide net of possible additions, considering all players under a 70% ownership threshold on popular fantasy sites like ESPN and Yahoo! Sports. Each player will be accompanied by a FAAB (Free Agent Acquisition Budget) to guide your spending decisions for Week 4.
Top Fantasy Football Waiver Wire pickups for Week 4
Waiver Wire Running Backs for Week 4
1] Carson Steele, Kansas City Chiefs
ESPN 58% | Yahoo! 63% | FAAB Range 15-25%
At this time last week, the fantasy community was speculating who would be the best Kansas City running back to add to replace injured star Isiah Pacheco. Undrafted rookie Carson Steele and veteran Samaje Perine were the two obvious targets widely available, with former star Kareem Hunt being added to the practice squad late in the week.
We recommended Steele as the primary benefactor of the Pacheco injury last week, and he was featured in our running back section. Only Seattle's Zach Charbonnet was ahead of him in our waiver wire rankings among running backs below the 70% threshold in ESPN and Yahoo! leagues. We hope you made room for Steele on your bench, as he is now the top available player in any position heading to Week 4 action.
Unsurprisingly, Steele's snap percentage jumped from 22% to 62% in Week 3 against Atlanta on Sunday Night Football. Steele's role expanded from short yardage packages to early-down and red-zone situations — the latter being the most important. Despite Steele not recording a single explosive run of 10-plus yards or more with his 17 rushing attempts, he impacted the game between the tackles and kept the offense on the field with six first downs and 72 yards on the night.
Through three games, Steele leads all Chiefs players with four rushing attempts in the red zone but still hasn't found paydirt in his young career. That could all change this weekend as Kansas City will visit a Los Angeles Chargers team that could be without stars Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, safety Derwin James, and both starting offensive tackles this weekend. The Chargers haven't allowed a 100-yard rusher yet, but that could change with a severely banged-up team without most of its star power. Steele could be in line for some positive game script on the road and a prime candidate to reach the end zone for the first time in his career. He is a must-add and will remain the preferred option as long as Pacheco is out.
2] Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
ESPN 33% | Yahoo! 35% | FAAB Range 15-25%
Rookie Bucky Irving is turning heads in Tampa Bay and fantasy football with his limited opportunities this season and deserves to find some fantasy rosters this week. The Buccaneers were stunned by a struggling Denver squad, but Irving provided some spark on a Sunday to forget. Irving led the backfield with nine carries and 70 rushing yards while adding three catches for 14 yards despite playing 24 fewer snaps than starter Rachaad White. White finished with an inefficient 17 rushing yards on six carries but did contribute five catches for 18 receiving yards in the passing game.
Offensive coordinator Liam Coen has consistently split the Buccaneers' backfield 75%-to-35% of the snaps in favor of White in the first three games of the season, and the veteran should continue to receive a majority share of the work early on. White still makes defenders miss with a 24% avoided tackle rate but hasn't had much room to operate with -0.3 yards before contact average in three games.
Irving has recorded just one avoided tackle on the season but has enjoyed a 3.0 yards before contact average in his 25 total carries. That could explain why Irving has 80 more rushing yards than White despite six fewer carries this season. Still, Irving has had four explosive runs of 10 or more rushing yards compared to one for White. White is still the preferred option near the goalline, with five red zone carries to Irving's one.
Fantasy managers should monitor this backfield situation closely in case Coen starts giving Irving a more significant share of the workload. It would be wise to have Irving on your bench if that happens soon, as he elevated himself as one of the premiere stashes in fantasy football.
3] Braelon Allen, New York Jets
ESPN 28% | Yahoo! 36% | FAAB Range 5-10%
Speaking of premiere stashes, rookie Braelon Allen continues to turn in impressive performances playing behind one of the best fantasy running backs in Breece Hall. Allen turned 14 touches into 55 rushing yards and three catches for 13 receiving yards last week on Thursday Night Football. For our Week 3 waiver wire article, Allen was featured as a priority waiver wire pickup but remained well below the 70% threshold in both ESPN and Yahoo! leagues heading into Week 4.
Allen has already scored two touchdowns so far this season and has amassed 170 rushing yards while turning 19 targets into 16 catches for 120 receiving yards. The rookie appears to be involved in the weekly game plan despite only playing 18%, 35%, and 32% of the offensive snaps through three games.
In the last two weeks, New York offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has trusted the bruising back with one goalline attempt in each game. Allen is creeping closer to flex territory and should be on fantasy rosters if anything happens to Hall. The Jets will be on extra rest heading into a favorable matchup against the Broncos in Week 4.
Waiver Wire Wide Receivers for Week 4
1] Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears
ESPN 69% | Yahoo! 74% | FAAB Range 15-25%
One of the funniest moments in Week 3 came when top-10 draft picks and teammates Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze connected on their first touchdown as professionals. After Odunze secured a fourth-quarter strike from Williams on the edge of the endzone, he tucked the football in his arms and went straight to the sideline with Williams on his tail. Williams was there to congratulate him but also wanted the football but realized what had happened. It was both of their first touchdowns as pros. So, who gets the ball for their trophy case?
We still don't know. But what's undeniable is that it was the best performance of both of their young professional careers. Williams finished with 363 yards and two touchdowns, while Odunze broke out with six catches for 112 yards and that memorable touchdown. After two weeks, Odunze only had three catches for 44 receiving yards and might have been dropped in shallower leagues. Those impatient managers should be upset that they dropped the top priority for wide receivers heading into Week 4.
Odunze's situation is interesting, with veteran Keenan Allen nursing a heel injury and unable to suit up for the last two weeks. Since Allen's absence, Odunze's snap percentage has elevated from 77% to 94% and 99%. Odunze played an outstanding 89 offensive snaps last Sunday, led the team with 11 targets, and caught his one red zone target.
How will this receiver corps look once Allen is ready to return? Will Allen be prepared to return to practice this week and regain his role in the offense? If Allen can't go again, Odunze should be in a prime position facing a Los Angeles Rams secondary that has given up five catches, 121 yards, and a touchdown to Jameson Williams; four catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns to Marvin Harrison Jr.; and 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns to Jauan Jennings last week.
2] Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers
ESPN 36% | Yahoo! 31% | FAAB Range 10-20%
Do you know that double identity meme where two Spider-Man characters point at each other? We saw the NFL version of that meme last week with both banged-up squads in San Francisco and Los Angeles facing each other in the NFC-West clash. The Rams were missing key players from both sides of the ball, headlined by its Pro Bowlers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua.
Meanwhile, the 49ers line up its best 53 without marquee players Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle. Even without the typical star power between these two rivals, NFL fans were treated to an excellent game highlighted by a stellar performance by five-year veteran Jauan Jennings who finished with a team-high 12 targets and turned them into 11 catches for 175 yards and three scores.
After three weeks, Jennings has been the team's leading receiver in targets (21), receptions (18), receiving yards (276) and owns the only three touchdowns for 49ers receivers this season. Only Brandan Aiyuk has more red zone targets in Kyle Shanahan's offense after three games. Jennings has taken advantage of his opportunities with a short-handed lineup, as he recorded the highest snap percentage by any pass catcher last week.
We shouldn't expect this kind of production every week — especially when Samuel and Kittle return to the starting lineup. Expect Jennings to fall back into his usual WR3 role and play closer to 50% of the offensive snaps when the 49ers get their playmakers back. Suppose Samuel and Kittle were to miss next week. In that case, Jennings has a chance to be productive once again against a New England secondary that has given up 12 catches and 129 yards to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, ten catches for 129 yards and a touchdown to DK Metcalf, and receiving touchdowns to Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard this season.
3] DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans
ESPN 67% | Yahoo! 56% | FAAB Range 5-10%
DeAndre Hopkins is a prime example of why you shouldn't panic too early in the fantasy season. Benched — we can understand. But dropped? Be careful who you let go to the waiver wire early in the season. After two weeks, the former All-Pro had just two catches for 17 receiving yards but returned to his vintage self with seven catches for 73 yards and a touchdown last week.
The Titans still appear to be easing Hopkins into the season with a season-high 46% of the offensive snaps against the Packers last Sunday, but he leads the team with 16 targets and 136 receiving yards this season. Hopkins also leads the team with two red zone targets despite playing the four-most snaps among all Tennessee receivers. Even Treylon Burks has had more offensive snaps than Hopkins this season, but look for that change when he gains more confidence with the knee injury he sustained before the regular season.
Hopkins will get an extra day of rest as it faces a Miami team on Monday Night Football who is reeling from losing both quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson, in consecutive weeks to injury.
Waiver Wire Tight Ends for Week 4
1] Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
ESPN 28% | Yahoo! 14% | FAAB Range 3-5%
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers enjoyed his best game as the Jets signal caller on Thursday Night Football last week, and it lifted Tyler Conklin's status in fantasy football. The veteran tight end caught five balls for 93 scoreless yards on the night as he worked the intermediate areas of the field against New England.
Conklin is the undoubted starter for New York, as he has turned in 90%, 93%, and 92% of the offensive snaps this season and was the only tight end to record a catch until Jeremy Ruckert caught two passes last week. Conklin was targeted in one of Rodgers' six red zone targets against the Patriots; however, he shouldn't be relied on to get into the end zone often.
The last time Conklin scored a touchdown was in Week 8 in 2022. Conklin will have an advantageous matchup next week against a Denver defense that gave up seven receptions and 47 receiving yards to Cade Otton in Week 3.
2] Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
ESPN 26% | Yahoo! 40% | FAAB Range 3-5%
Rome Odunze wasn't the only pass catcher to benefit from Caleb Williams's best day as a pro. Veteran tight end Cole Kmet turned 11 targets into ten catches for 97 receiving yards and a touchdown. Kmet benefited from the Bears losing Keenan Allen to a heel injury and saw his usage increase from 48% to 77% and 81% of the snaps the previous two weeks.
Kmet is tied with DJ Moore for the team lead in red zone targets with three and owns 17 of the 22 targets to Chicago tight ends this season. When Allen returns to the lineup, it could be the end of this recent production, but until then, Kmet should be an option against a visiting Los Angeles Rams defense this weekend.