By Alex Gregory
This is not the week to be desperate for waiver wire help because, well, there is none. I’ve said this in previous weeks but there’s no sense in reaching for help that doesn’t exist. Unless you already own C.J. Anderson and have room for a handcuff, Jamaal Charles isn’t going to add anything to your team. Yes, he saw the same number of touches as Anderson, but was on the field for 27 fewer plays. Same can be said for the Brandon Oliver’s and D’Onta Foreman’s of the world. They’re either handcuffs or you’re a bad person who’s rooting for a significant injury.
The only player offering any meaningful long-term value who isn’t already spoken for in a normal sized league is Wendell Smallwood, who should be the biggest beneficiary of Darren Sproles’s gruesome multi-limb injury. This is one of those weeks where the most valuable pickup will probably come on a Thursday afternoon or Sunday morning when injury updates are provided and a key starter looks doubtful or out.
Key Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
Wendell Smallwood (RB, Eagles) – Smallwood will lose almost every goal line carry to LeGarrette Blount, but seems destined to pop-up frequently between the 20s. Smallwood carries more value in full or .5 point PPR, but should still be relevant and a nice bye-week replacement in standard leagues. While he likely won’t be as active as Sproles was through the air, he was already likely going to get a similar amount of rushes and his snap share will only grow given the Eagles’ current RB situation. He’s worth an add and probably a little patience in case he takes off in the coming weeks.
Sterling Shepard (WR, Giants) – Shepard is probably already gone in most leagues, but looks like he could be the number two receiver in the Giants disappointing offense, considering Brandon Marshall’s play thus far. Keep in mind, the Eagles have a disastrous secondary outside of Malcom Jenkins, so don’t expect last week’s production on a regular basis. That said, the Giants have zero run game and with Odell Beckham Jr. drawing extra coverage, opportunities for Shepard exist.
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Year-To-Date Duds For Consideration
Martellus Bennet (TE, Packers) – Bennet has been a letdown for the Packers so far as he and Aaron Rodgers seem unable to get on the same page. Bennet, however, has been targeted fairly regularly and as the TE market has been worse than usual, he’s certainly a consideration for the desperate. The Packers have a generally banged-up receiving corps and you have to figure the law averages sees Bennett breaking a few more tackles or snagging some classic 2 yard TE TDs in what is already a top 2 or 3 passing offense. Charles Clay is probably a better option if he’s available but he really shouldn’t be at this point. Evan Ingram, who was recommended last week, is another option for the TE needy.
Marvin Jones Jr. (WR, Lions) – Jones hasn’t exceeded 3 catches in a game this season but his playing time has been steady (97% of snaps in Week 3) and you’d expect Matt Stafford to find him with a little more frequency. The Lions need to stop throwing the ball to Eric Ebron and his dreadful Sunday performance might finally be the straw that sends the camel to the bench. Don’t expect the same Jones Jr. we saw in the first few weeks of 2016, but something closer to 4-5 catches, 65+ yards and the occasional TD seems more likely than 3 catches for 24 yards.
Streamers Delight
Jaguars D/ST – The Jaguars win the award for most unpredictable team of 2017 after an absolute stomping of the Ravens in London. The defense is undoubtedly talented, and the only real impediment is the shaky QB play of Blake Bortles. A dream matchup awaits against the usually hapless Jets.
Lions D/ST – The Lions defense has been as opportunistic as any in 2017 and is worth starter consideration against a Vikings team who will likely be stuck starting career backup Case Keenum, not that Sam Bradford should threaten anyone other than the inept Saints defense.
Popular Meh Pickups
Devin Funchess (WR, Panthers) – Funchess could barely do anything against the Saints in Week 3 with 4 catches on 10 targets. Carolina’s offense hasn’t exactly been humming and a slight uptick in targets with Kelvin Benjamin sidelined shouldn’t lead to much in terms of fantasy value.
Andre Ellington (RB, Cardinals) – 10 touches for 81 yards could be his best showing of the season. Ellington saw 60 percent of the snaps in Week 3 against the Cowboys due to game flow, but don’t expect even this middling production moving forward. I wouldn’t feel good about any Cardinals RB at the moment. There’s not much else out there so if you’re desperate it might be a worthwhile stretch of a flex option against bad teams but don’t expect long-term value.
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