In week 4, we saw big-name running backs like Nick Chubb and Austin Ekeler go down with multi-week injuries. The issue with these guys is their backups are likely already rostered in most leagues. Still, if you were unfortunate enough to lose a top player to injury, you have to find a way to fill that gap. There are still some usable options available in most leagues that we should prioritize and, while it was the running backs who suffered notable injuries, the top waiver priorities are wide receivers.
PPR waiver wire targets
- Laviska Shenault (JAX WR) – For whatever reason, Laviska Shenault is only rostered in 27% of ESPN leagues. This number needs to be much higher. He has received 11 opportunities (targets plus carries) in each of the last two games, and is going to continue to be heavily utilized on offense for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Shenault is seeing 21% of the air yards and 15% of the targets on a team that should play from behind regularly.
- Brandon Aiyuk (SF WR) – Aiyuk once again makes the waiver wire additions for the third week in a row. You should have snagged him by now but, if you haven’t, make sure you do this week. Aiyuk flashed his speed and athleticism on a 38-yard TD run Sunday night against the Eagles, when he hurdled a defender to get into the end zone. Kyle Shanahan will continue to find creative ways to get the ball into his hands. Similar to the way Deebo Samuel was used last year (and will continue to be used this year), Aiyuk will be called upon both as a target in the short pass game and for rush attempts on end-arounds. Aiyuk owns 17% of the target share for the 49ers, leading them in red-zone targets with 4.
- Tee Higgins (CIN WR) – The Cincinnati Bengals have embraced a youth movement this year, electing to keep veteran John Ross inactive the last few weeks in favor of the talented rookie Tee Higgins. Over the last three weeks, Higgins has seen six, nine, and seven targets respectively, and the Bengals’ defense is bad enough that they should rarely play with a lead. This results in higher pass game usage for the offense and more targets to go around. Higgins is also second on the team in red zone targets with 4. The other notable trait for Higgins is his depth of target sits around 15 yards, which is good for 27% of the Bengals’ air yards. Not only is there high volume now for Higgins, but the quality of targets is also high.
- Chase Edmonds (ARI RB) – I mentioned Edmonds as a stash and hold last week, and I am bumping him up to more of a priority add here. Kenyan Drake left last week’s game in the 4th quarter with an injury and, while it may not be serious, he has been abysmal to start the year. In the last two weeks, Drake has been in two of the most favorable matchups he will see all year – against the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers – and he failed to produce in either contest. Perhaps the biggest red flag of Drake’s usage moving forward is his lack of pass-game involvement. Per PFF, Drake ran zero routes in week 4 while Edmonds ran 15. If this turns into the same scenario as last year – when Drake took the keys to the offense away from David Johnson in the middle of the season – and Edmonds returns the favor, you are looking at a league-winning waiver pickup. I put Edmonds below the wide receivers on this list solely due to the fact that the transition hasn’t happened yet. You should be able to get him for less FAAB or a lower priority claim than if he were announced as the starter. Personally, I wouldn’t wait any longer to snag him because if he takes over for Drake, he is going to be the hottest waiver add we have seen all season.
- Dalton Schultz (DAL TE) – I wrote about Schultz after week 2 when he took over for the injured Blake Jarwin. Surprisingly, Schultz is still rostered in only 33% of leagues on ESPN. Considering how many points the Dallas defense should continue to give up, Schultz is a no-brainer based on volume. It also helps that he plays in the NFC East. The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Football Team are all near the bottom of the league in defending the tight end position, and the Cowboys are still set to play each of them twice.
Non-PPR waiver wire targets
As we know, touchdowns are much more valuable in non-PPR leagues, and the high volume pass catchers are much less valuable. This fact will change around some of the rankings for our waiver wire targets. This week’s non-PPR adds are going to be the same as the PPR adds due to injuries around the league. However, some guys get a slight boost or downgrade due to reliance on pass catching or TDs.
- Tee Higgins (CIN WR) – Higgins gets the top non-PPR spot for me heading into week 5. His deep targets and red zone usage mean he doesn’t need a high volume of targets to pay off consistently in this format. Long receptions and touchdowns will add up quickly.
- Brandon Aiyuk (SF WR) – The San Francisco 49ers did get Deebo Samuel back, but this offense is known to spread the ball around and target playmakers. Deebo’s return to the lineup should actually help Aiyuk, who will likely have more room to operate while receiving less of the focus of opposing defenses.
- Laviska Shenault (JAX TE) – Shenault gets bumped down in non-PPR formats as his red zone usage hasn’t really been anything spectacular. He is still worth an add because of his consistent opportunities over the last couple weeks, as mentioned above.
- Chase Edmonds (ARI RB) – Edmonds really is the top add for me in all formats this week, but I put him down here at number 4 because I think you can get away with spending less on him since he hasn’t been named a starter over Drake (yet). Based on how bad Drake has been through the first 4 weeks, I think it is inevitable for Edmonds to supplant him at some point.
- Damien Harris (NE RB) – Harris has begun taking over the early down carries for Sony Michel, who is on injured reserve. Harris only gets a priority spot in non-PPR formats because he likely will see a very limited pass-catching role with Rex Burkhead and James White in the mix on passing downs. Regardless, Harris’ return to the lineup for early down work – and likely goal line work – is worth an add in this format.
- Dalton Schultz (DAL TE) – Tight ends that catch TDs are a premium in non-PPR formats. In addition to the other factors mentioned above, Schultz currently leads the Cowboys in red zone targets with 5, so that vaults him into consideration for a top add this week.
Top streaming QB options
- Teddy Bridgewater (CAR) – Teddy Two-Gloves gets the top streamer QB spot for me this week, facing an Atlanta Falcons defense that has notably given up leads through opposing pass games. Without Christian McCaffrey, the Carolina Panthers have less of an incentive to run the ball, and this matchup already warrants more passes as Atlanta is a worse defense against the pass than against the run. Teddy threw the ball 37 times in week 4 while leading the Arizona Cardinals for the entire game. The Atlanta offense should be able to put up points against a Carolina defense that has been decent against the run and bad against the pass, forcing Teddy to keep the volume high against a secondary that allowed top 5 QBs in weeks 1-3.
- Derek Carr (LV) – Any QB facing the Kansas City Chiefs will get streamer consideration. While the Chiefs’ defense has been good – especially against the pass – the amount of points the KC offense puts up on a weekly basis forces opposing teams to throw for higher volume as they are typically trailing. Carr has thrown for 2+ TDs in each of his last 3 games. The one time he didn’t hit that mark was a game the Raiders controlled from start to finish using Josh Jacobs. While the Chiefs did keep Lamar Jackson and the Ravens at bay in week 3, Justin Herbert (in his NFL debut) threw for 311 yards and a score against KC in week 2. Carr is a volume play as he should be trailing for most of this game.
Top streaming defense options
- LA Chargers defense – There aren’t many good streamer defense options this week, as most of the best matchups feature defenses that are already rostered. With this in mind, the Chargers’ defense is by far the most talented unit available, and their matchup with the Saints isn’t too worrisome. New Orleans could get Michael Thomas (ankle) back for this game, but his effectiveness remains to be seen. Regardless, the Chargers have a good pass rush and one of the better cornerback units in the league. As long as they can contain Alvin Kamara, they should be able to make life tough for Drew Brees on Sunday. Before the 38-point outburst by the Bucs in week 4, the Chargers had only allowed 23 points or less in their first 3 games, racking up 6 sacks. They were also able to salvage their week 4 with a pick-6.
- Cleveland Browns defense – The Browns are among the top teams in the league in getting after the quarterback, notching three sacks in all but one game so far (a game in which they still had two sacks). The Colts want to play slow, and Philip Rivers will make mistakes when under pressure. The Colts have eclipsed the 20 point mark in just two of their four games so far this year, and they are known more for their rush attack than pass attack, which plays into the strength of the Browns’ defense as Cleveland ranks 9th in adjusted line yards per Football Outsiders.
