Week 4 Waiver Wire

Oh boy Week 3 saw the 1.01 in almost every league pull up lame early in the game and now Chubba Hubbard becomes a waiver priority. Last call on Tim Patrick! With KJ Hamler blowing out his ACL and Juedy still yet to be activated off IR the big 6’4″ 212 lb 27 year old finds himself as a must own player. All this and more is described by the TSF crew below!

Chuba Hubbard, RB

With the injury to CMC, Hubbard is the next man up, and as such begets this week’s lionshare of your FAAB bids. While this is likely a temporary fill in, likely 2-3 weeks tops, we have seen the finicky nature of hamstring injuries in the past. One run can cause a flare up and CMC misses the rest of the season. So, with all that being said, Hubbard should be in line to garner a healthy portion of your FAAB if the CMC owner was too dumb to handcuff him already! I joke, I kid, I jest…. but seriously we say this every year, get your handcuffs so you don’t have to drop a billion dollars on them when your starter goes down. Hubbard hasn’t been a stud by any means this year so far, and there is still the looming threat of Royce Freeman who simply won’t die, but volume equals opportunity which equals production in Fantasy Football, so bid accordingly.

Week 3 stats: 9.4 points (11 rushes 3 catches 79 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $13 – $25

Tim Patrick, WR

3 straight double digit point games? Check. Big alpha style WR? Check. Offense that is clicking under Teddy Bridgewater? Check. What else do you need to see out of Tim Patrick before you are going to believe us that he is legit and needs to be added to your roster? He has played so consistency since taking over last year that I’m stunned to see his ownership at only 23%. That number should realistically be closer to 70%, especially given the Jeudy injury from week one and the Hamler torn ACL this past week. Their pass catchers are down to Sutton, Patrick, and the TEs… and that’s it. I’d authorize you to spend up on Patrick this week, as even when Jeudy returns I believe he has earned an increased role in this offense.

Week 3 stats: 12.3 points (5 catches 98 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $8 – $14

Christian Kirk, WR

Part of me wanted to just copy and paste what I wrote Week 2 about Kirk, but I figured that was a little harsh since a lot of you listened as he moved from 14% owned 2 weeks ago to the 51% mark he sits at now. He isn’t the elite name, and maybe he isn’t even the elite talent of some of the other guys in the league or even as talented as some of the other guys on this list… but I don’t care, he’s in a situation in Arizona where they clearly intend to throw the ball quite a bit and finally embody the Air Raid Offense we’ve been promised under Kingsbury for years now. Right now, D-Hop, AJ Green, Kirk, and Rondale Moore are all rosterable, with the latter two being more in the boom or bust category for now. But last weeks double digit performance brings Kirk to 2 solid weeks out of 3 total, so I’m choosing to ride his hot hand this week. His role is too prominent in a pass heavy offense to see him under 70% ownership.

Week 3 stats: 13.9 points (7 catches 104 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $6 – $12

Zack Moss, RB

After starting the season as a healthy scratch, Moss has shown up the past two weeks and found his way into the endzone in both contests. In Week 3, he even out-carried Devin Singletary and out-touched him in the passing game as well. Right now, I would say he is the back to own and certainly the safer back to start out of the Bills backfield. While nothing is guaranteed with either of these guys, gun to my head, I’m taking Moss in a plus matchup coming against the Texans where the Bills should be up and looking to control the ball early.

Week 3 stats: 16.6 points (13 carries 3 catches 91 total yards 1 TD)

FAAB Bid: $6 – $9

Emmanuel Sanders, WR

If you read the ‘Players to Pick Up Now’ article last weekend, I hope you took the advice and picked up Manny Sanders. The point of the article is to give you a list of players to pick up now before they blow up. This helps you save your FAAB the following week in case a player does, in fact, go off. Sanders went off on Sunday and had 2 TDs on 5 targets and just under 100 yards. Sanders did not do much the first two weeks, but with his snap percentage so high, it was only a matter of time until he had himself a game. Now Cole Beasley went back to doing Beasley things and was peppered with 13 targets, so I am not sure Sanders overtakes him, but Sanders would be the favorite (besides Diggs) in the redzone for WRs. With bye weeks coming up soon, he is a great player to fill those bye week needs.

Week 3 stats: 23.9 points (5 catches 94 total yards 2 TDs)

FAAB Bid: $4 – $9

Cole Beasley, WR

Talk about a guy who has been up and down this season. What we do know about Beasley is that he is a WR who thrives on volume. In the contests where he saw 13 targets (Weeks 1 & 3), he posted double digit points and was a viable start in fantasy lineups. In Week 2, he failed to see even half that many targets, and he turned in a forgettable 5-ish point week. Well, as with all the Bills this week, he gets a favorable matchup with Houston and should be in for another big workload. Emmanuel Sanders has come on strong, but I believe that he, Beasley, and Diggs can all co-exist and maintain value in this offense with Josh Allen under center. The RBs aren’t a huge factor in most weeks for this team, so supporting 3 WRs is very possible.

Week 3 stats: 15.3 points (11 catches 98 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $2 – $7

Dalton Schultz, TE

Coming off a monster 2 TD performace in MNF, Schultz is likely to get a few bids from the teams streaming TEs who are looking for one guy who can finally stick. Schultz has a clear role in the offense, and with Cooper underwhelming the last two weeks and Gallup still on IR for the time being, Schultz should see his role remain steady at least for the time being. I wouldn’t authorize you to break the bank on a guy who has yet to perform on a consistent basis, but a healthy FAAB bid for a position in Fantasy Football that can be hard to come by feels appropriate.

Week 3 stats: 23 points (6 catches 80 total yards 2 TDs)

FAAB Bid: $2 – $6

Curtis Samuel, WR

A guy we were hyped about when he signed with Washington, but he has yet to be healthy in the offseason or the regular season. He is set to come off the IR this week and could play as soon as Week 4. This may be a player people forgot about, but he should slide into the number 2 role behind Terry McLaurin. With everyone running out and throwing money down to get Hubbard this week, maybe you can tilt and grab Samuel as he should be a decent piece to this offense who needs WR help.

Week 3 stats: INACTIVE

FAAB Bid: $2 – $6

Hunter Renfrow, WR

Renfrow has done well on very little opportunity. He plays right around 50% of snaps, but already has 22 targets in his first 3 weeks. Could you imagine if he played more than half the snaps?? I am a big Bryan Edwards fan, but he seems to only do work very late in games and that is something I cannot trust. Renfrow is a smart player and knows where to be every time he goes out for a route. He may not give you those massive weeks, but should be a safe floor player and is becoming a nice flex option in 12-team leagues.

Week 3 stats: 16.2 points (5 catches 77 total yards 1 TD)

FAAB Bid: $2 – $6

A.J. Green, WR

Green has seen 6 targets in every single game this season and he has been moving up each week. Rondale Moore was the big-name last week, and although I do think Moore will be better in fantasy, he should be viewed more as a boom or bust in the early part of the season. Green has played right around 80% of snaps and went over 100 yards last week. I am not going to tell you to start him this week, but pick him up on the cheap and see if his role stays consistent.

Week 3 stats: 13.7 points (5 catches 112 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $2 – $5

Peyton Barber, RB

Josh Jacobs has been out the last 2 weeks, and Barber has filled in nicely in his absence. In Week 2, he did not do much as he only ran for 32 yards, but he did carry the rock 13 times. In Week 3, we all thought Drake would get more work, but they gave Barber 23 carries! He took those for 111 yards and a TD while catching 3 balls for 31 yards in the air. He is not a world beater, but what we know in fantasy is that volume is king. And if Jacobs ends up missing anymore time, Barber should be a decent flex play in Week 4.

Week 3 stats: 21.7 points (23 rushes 3 catches 142 total yards 1 TD)

FAAB Bid: $2 – $5

Sam Darnold, QB

Perhaps surprisingly, Darnold currently sits at QB12 on the season, so add him to the list of guys that have succeeded after getting the Adam Gase stink off himself. He hasn’t had the monster 40+ point game that some of the other top guys have, but he has been consistently around the 20 point mark, highlighted by his 25 point game this past week against the Texans. He draws the Dallas defense this week, which, though improving, isn’t quite there yet in terms of a defense I would fear. Plus, with Darnold at QB12, that literally means he is starting caliber in any 12 team league. So do yourself a favor, and quit holding onto the Matty Ices ‘s of the world and drop that loser for this winner.

Week 3 stats: 25.26 points (304 passing yards 8 rushes 11 rushing yards 2 TDs)

FAAB Bid: $1 – $5

Mike Gesicki, TE

I mentioned it on the last podcast that when Jacoby came into the game he looked to Gesicki right away, and that held true in Week 3 as Gesicki saw 12 targets, catching 10 of them for 86 yards. If you need a streamable TE for the short term, Gesicki should be a solid option.

Week 3 stats: 13.6 points (10 catches 86 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $2 – $4

Dawson Knox, TE

The Bills are apparently our featured offense of the week as they take on Houston in Orchard Park in Week 4. Knox has increased his fantasy output each week this season, and has found the endzone in back to back games. Allen looks for the athletic TE when he needs a play made, and this is a great position to be in for Knox. If he can continue to take his limited touches for scores, he will be, at worst, a streaming option at TE based on weekly matchups. If he keeps it going, he could eventually become a staple of your starting lineup, yet I don’t think he’s there quite yet. Much like Dalton Schultz, we need to see it on a more regular basis, but I like what I’m seeing out of both guys. Chuck a few bucks and get your TE of the week locked up.

Week 3 stats: 12.9 points (4 catches 49 yards 1 TD)

FAAB Bid: $1 – $3

Royce Freeman, RB

Now we do believe that Hubbard is the guy to own and grab off the waiver wire, but there is still a chance that Freeman gets some work in this offense. He did very little with his 6 touches last week, but perhaps another week practicing with the starters since CMC is out may be good for him. In case you miss out on Hubbard, toss a a buck or two his way in case he ends up having a bigger role than we think.

Week 3 stats: 3 points (5 rushes 1 catch 25 total yards)

FAAB Bid: $1 – $3

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR

No one wants MVS, but sometimes we have to do things we don’t like. If you are looking for a playmaker, MVS seems to be hitting his stride. You have to have an iron stomach to play MVS though, 3.2 points Week 1 with 8 targets, 0 points Week 2 with 4 targets, and then 13.4 points in Week 3 because of a a big TD catch. If you are in a deep league and need a weekly dart throw type of player, look no further. He is on the field quite a bit, never seeing below 60% of the Green Bay offensive plays. MVS provides a WR2/3 ceiling every week with an irrelevant floor.

Week 3 stats: 13.4 points (3 catches 59 total yards 1 TD)

FAAB Bid: $1 – $3

Taylor Heinicke, QB

In a not so shocking turn of events, Heinicke has posted 20+ point games in back to back weeks. Sure, this past week he struggled a bit with INTs against the Bills, but he still threw for 2 TDs and added another on the ground using his legs. He isn’t the most conventional QB in the league, but he gets it done with his dynamic style and continues to impress. He draws the ATL defense, who just put a halt to the NYG offensive attack, but I think they struggle much more with the WFT this week, especially if Curtis Samuel makes his return off IR. Monitor that situation closely, because he could be the game changer this offense needs right now. In 2QB formats, Heinicke is an obvious start, so if he’s floating around out there you need to nab him right now.

Week 3 stats: 22.88 points (212 passing yards 2 TDs 2 INTs 8 rushes 21 yards 1 TD)

FAAB Bid: $0 – $2