Fantasy Football Week 4: Add and drop

Each week I’ll list the best widely available free agents for fantasy football — I define “widely available” as being owned in around half of all ESPN or Yahoo leagues — and some guys who are probably better off in the free agent pool than collecting dust on your roster.

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @UTEddieBrown if you have questions throughout the week.

Here’s my NFL Week 4 waiver wire cheat sheet for all league sizes and formats, with players you need to add, drop and stream in your fantasy football league:

ADD

— QB Justin Fields, Steelers (ESPN: 24%; Yahoo: 16%): Fields was my top target last week and his roster percentages actually dropped. I won’t take it personally. No worries. I’m assuming most people were dodging the matchup against a legit Chargers defense. However, all Fields did was complete 25-of-32 passes for 245 yards and score twice (one passing, one rushing) in another win. Remember, Fields finished as the overall QB6 in 2022 and was tied for 12th in fantasy points per game with Patrick Mahomes last season for the Bears. He had five games with 24-plus fantasy points compared to Mahomes’ one in 2023, and played three fewer games due to injury. Fields has led Pittsburgh to a 3-0 start, so I’m thinking Russell Wilson will continue to hold the clipboard even when he’s healthy. It’s clear Fields has grown as a passer, but it’s his rushing upside that gives him QB1 potential every week he’s under center.

— WR Jauan Jennings, 49ers (ESPN: 36%; Yahoo: 32%): I wrote last week if you watched the Super Bowl, you know what Jennings is capable of. Well, I’m not sure even I believed he was capable of dropping 11 receptions for 175 yards and three TDs on the Rams. “Dropping” is probably the wrong word because he was the only Niners’ pass-catcher who consistently caught Brock Purdy’s passes on Sunday. Methinks Jennings might have earned himself more targets with this performance, at least until San Francisco’s Avengers assemble again, i.e. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are all healthy. Jennings has WR3/flex upside until further notice.

— RB Bucky Irving, Buccaneers (ESPN: 33%; Yahoo: 36%): I’ve been beating the same drum since Week 1: Irving looks more explosive than Rachaad White. Through three weeks, Irving has 25 carries for 154 yards (6.2 yards per carry), while White has 31 carries for 67 yards (2.1 ypc). The rookie actually had more carries (9-to-6) and touches (12-to-11) than White in a surprising loss to the Broncos. It only seems like a matter of time before Irving is the team’s primary early-down running back, with White potentially relegated to passing downs.

— QB Sam Darnold, Vikings (ESPN: 16%; Yahoo: 30%): Only Lamar Jackson has more fantasy points at the position through three weeks. Darnold has thrown at least two TD passes in every game, and he’s done all this with Justin Jefferson missing parts of the last two games with a quad and finger injury, and primarily without Jordan Addison or T.J. Hockenson in the lineup.

— TE Cole Kmet, Bears (ESPN: 26%; Yahoo: 41%): I thought Kmet was the forgotten man in Chicago’s offense. Not anymore. He produced 10 receptions (11 targets) for 97 yards and a TD in the loss at Indianapolis. He still isn’t playing as much as last season, and I wonder if Caleb Williams will develop amnesia once Keenan Allen is healthy, but Kmet has two premium matchups the next two weeks — the Rams and Panthers, who have allowed the fourth-most and third-most fantasy points to tight ends.

— D/ST Vikings (ESPN: 20%; Yahoo: 53%): This is the top defense in fantasy through three weeks — averaging 16 points per game — and they deserve to be universally rostered. Brian Flores’ defense has essentially shutdown the 49ers and Texans the last two games. What more do you need?

— BONUS: WR Romeo Doubs, Packers (ESPN: 26%; Yahoo: 43%): No one runs more routes for Green Bay than Doubs, and he is second (behind Jayden Reed) in targets, receptions and receiving yards. He could very well be the top option in one of the league’s better offenses once Jordan Love returns (possibly this week).

— BONUS: RB Braelon Allen, Jets (ESPN: 28%; Yahoo: 36%): Allen is the RB17 in standard formats (RB15 in PPR) the last two weeks, both victories for New York. The rookie could have stand-alone value in games where the Jets are clear favorites. I’ll reiterate what I wrote last week: I don’t believe he’s an overall threat to Breece Hall, but he’s good enough to earn eight-to-10 touches per week and vulture an occasional TD from Hall. If Hall were to get hurt, Allen would have RB1 upside.

— BONUS: WR Xavier Legette, Panthers (ESPN: 20%; Yahoo: 10%): With Adam Thielen dealing with a hamstring injury and Andy Dalton turning back the clock, the dynamic rookie would see an increased role if Thielen misses time, and deserve flex consideration this week against the reeling Bengals.

— BONUS: RB Alexander Mattison, Raiders (ESPN: 30%; Yahoo: 31%): Mattison continues to hoard TDs in Las Vegas. He’s the overall RB21 in standard formats (RB22 in PPR) through three weeks, primarily because he’s hit paydirt in every game.

— BONUS: QB Geno Smith, Seahawks (ESPN: 28%; Yahoo: 43%): Smith is the overall QB9 through three weeks, even though he wasn’t really asked to do much in a victory over the Dolphins. This week will be a different story as Seattle travels to Detroit for a Monday night matchup.

— BONUS: WR Darnell Mooney, Falcons (ESPN: 63%; Yahoo: 26%): Mooney is the overall WR30 in standard formats (WR31 in PPR) through three weeks, but he’s been especially potent the last two games with 11 receptions (15 targets) for 154 yards and a TD.

— BONUS: RB Roschon Johnson, Bears (ESPN:

— BONUS: TE Tyler Conklin, Jets (ESPN: 28%; Yahoo: 15%): Conklin has played at least 90 percent of the Jets’ snaps in every game this season, and it finally paid off against the Patriots — he had five receptions (six targets) for 93 yards. Now, there’s certainly reason for caution, because he only had two receptions (four targets) for 16 yards in the previous two games, but it’s his QB that piques my interest here. Aaron Rodgers has a history of making tight ends relevant in fantasy, which means Conklin will be a streaming option when the matchup is right.

— BONUS: RB Cam Akers, Texans (ESPN: 35%; Yahoo: 46%): Akers scored the Texans only TD at Minnesota. Scoop him up and monitor the injury report to see if Joe Mixon or Dameon Pierce can go this week. Houston’s opponent this week, the Jaguars, are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to running backs.

— BONUS: TE Brenton Strange, Jaguars (ESPN: 13%; Yahoo: 22%): Strange caught Jacksonville’s only TD in a blowout loss at Buffalo, and has played well in Evan Engram’s absence. Engram suffered a similar hamstring injury in 2018, also during warm-ups, and missed two games, so it’s possible he returns this week after missing the last two contests. However, he is six years older and Father Time only complicates these sort of things as you age.

— BONUS: D/ST Saints (ESPN: 60%; Yahoo: 36%): New Orleans has the fifth-highest scoring defense in fantasy through three weeks. The Saints have allowed 10, 19 and 15 points while forcing seven turnovers and producing 11 sacks.

— BONUS: D/ST Titans (ESPN: 3%; Yahoo: 4%): If you’re streaming defenses, it makes sense to target the Artists Formerly Known as the Dolphins. Skylar Thompson looked overmatched at Seattle, and that was before he suffered a “pretty painful” rib injury, according to head coach Mike McDaniel. That leaves third-stringer Tim Boyle, or possibly Tyler Huntley, who was recently signed off the Browns’ practice squad.

DROP

— QB Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars: Lawrence is the overall QB27 through three weeks while only completing 52.8 percent of his passes. Something is terribly wrong in Jacksonville.

— RB Zamir White, Raiders: White’s touches have decreased in every game and he’s simply not getting the job done, while being vultured weekly by Mattison.

— WR Ladd McConkey, Chargers: McConkey had a solid debut in Week 1, but now it’s clear the Bolts are a run-first team with a hobbled Justin Herbert, who re-injured his ankle against the Steelers, and it looks like Quentin Johnston may be breaking out as the team’s No. 1 receiver.

— RB Jaylen Warren, Steelers: Warren has played below 40 percent of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps and saw Cordarrelle Patterson cut into that amount against the Chargers. There’s a chance he isn’t 100 percent healthy, but regardless, it’s hard to trust him until we seem him on the field more.

— RB Tyjae Spears, Titans: Spears’ upside as a receiving back remains, but Tony Pollard is approaching bell-cow status with 50 touches in three games, and Pollard has played well for the most part.

____