Recommended Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups

It can take a few weeks for a fantasy manager to understand how their team has come together. It’s a solid enough sample size that can help dictate where the roster needs to improve, and where it stands to excel on a weekly basis. Here are some moves to consider during the waiver period ahead of Week 4’s games.

Starting Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams went down with a knee injury on Sunday that is feared to be season-ending. This means that other Los Angeles pass catchers have the chance to become fantasy relevant for the next few months. Palmer is the safest bet to replace Williams, as he logged four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.

While Palmer is more of a sure thing given his familiarity with the Chargers’ scheme, Johnston may be the more tantalizing pickup. Los Angeles selected him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and may look to infuse their offense with the talent they believe he has. Johnston has been an afterthought of the offense thus far, but might erupt with the added opportunity.

There’s a good chance that the Chiefs defense and special teams may not be available in your league, considering that many may have scooped them up to deploy against the Chicago Bears. Kansas City goes up against a New York Jets offense that has struggled since the injury to Aaron Rodgers. Run to the wire to pick them up if they’re not currently owned.

The Broncos are going to have a tough time bouncing back from their historic loss to the Miami Dolphins, but there was one shred of positivity. Rookie wideout Marvin Mims continued to make plays, and may be a more pivotal part of the team’s attack moving forward. Mims took a kickoff return the distance, which gives him appeal on special teams as well.

McKinnon caught nine touchdowns out of the backfield a year ago in Kansas City, which seemed like something that couldn’t be repeated this year. With an uncertain group of receivers, McKinnon may push to reach that total once again. The running back hauled in two touchdown passes on Sunday, showing his continued rapport with quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

The kicker had a phenomenal day on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, including booting the game winner in overtime. That was Gay’s fourth made field goal from over 50 yards in the game, which set an NFL record. His confidence on long tries should benefit fantasy owners as well, as many leagues reward kickers with extra points for making kicks over 50 yards.

A decimated Ravens backfield might have become even more banged up on Sunday. Already without J.K. Dobbins and Justice Hill, Gus Edwards suffered a potential concussion this week. Carries were allocated to veteran backs Kenyan Drake and Melvin Gordon. If Hill and Edwards can’t play in Week 4, it may be worth taking a flier on Gordon, since Drake lost a fumble in Week 3.

The Panthers may need to have an awkward conversation this week about how they want to operate moving forward. Carolina looked much better with Andy Dalton under center this week than Bryce Young. The veteran passer also unlocked wide receiver Adam Theilen, who caught 11 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown.

Achane came out of nowhere to have one of the best fantasy lines of the NFL season on Sunday. The rookie recorded 203 yards rushing and two touchdowns, to go along with four catches for 30 yards and another two touchdowns. He only had two NFL touches prior to Sunday’s explosion. He still figures to share time with Raheem Mostert, but needs to be rostered.