MIAMI, Sept. 24 (UPI) — Andy Dalton, Rico Dowdle and Chase Brown are among my fantasy football waiver wire priorities for Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season.
Sam Darnold, Chuba Hubbard and the Tennessee Titans defense/special teams are among my other targets.
Injuries, breakout performances and other factors have cleared the way for several players to warrant a spot on fantasy football team benches or maybe even in starting lineups.
My waiver wire priorities each carry an ownership percentage of 60% or less. Here are my top players to add and top players to drop for Week 4:
ALL-ADD TEAM
QB | Andy Dalton, Sam Darnold; RB | Rico Dowdle, Chuba Hubbard; WR | Wan’Dale Robinson, DeAndre Hopkins; TE | Cole Kmet; D/ST | Tennessee Titans; K | Matt Prater
HONORABLE MENTIONS
QB | Justin Fields; RB | Chase Brown, Bucky Irving; WR | Jerry Jeudy, Darnell Mooney; TE | Noah Fant; D/ST | Houston Texans; K | Greg Zuerlein
TOP DROPS
QB | Gardner Minshew; RB | Jaleel McLaughlin; WR | Josh Palmer; TE | Taysom Hill; D/ST | Los Angeles Chargers; K | Graham Gano
QUARTERBACK
Several veteran passers emerged as fantasy football assets through the first three weeks of the season, including Andy Dalton, Sam Darnold and Justin Fields. I think all three players can be used, depending on their matchups, if you need a streaming starter.
Darnold is a Top 5 fantasy football quarterback this season. He threw four touchdown passes in Week 3 and should remain in lineups for teams desperate for quarterback production.
This week, Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings will face the Green Bay Packers, who allowed multiple passing scores in two of their first three games. They also surrendered an average of 247 passing yards in those games.
I expect Darnold to throw multiple touchdown passes and to eclipse 250 passing yards in this matchup. He will be among my Top 10 options for Week 4.
Dalton is my other top quarterback target this week. The veteran passer helped turn around the Carolina Panthers offense in Week 3, with 319 passing yards and three scores in a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
This week, Dalton and the Panthers will face one of his former teams, the Cincinnati Bengals, who just allowed 254 passing yards and three total scores to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Dalton should find the end zone multiple times in this matchup. He is a worthy Week 4 streamer.
RUNNING BACK
This week’s running back targets are a mix between long-term lottery tickets and plug-in-and-play options. Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard likely has the most immediate value. Hubbard was the No. 5 fantasy running back in Week 3, when he gained169 yards from scrimmage and a score on 26 touches.
This week, the Panthers will face a Bengals team that allowed three scores to running backs through their first three games. The Bengals haven’t given up a lot of yards to the position, but I like Hubbard’s chances to score in this matchup. He will be a low-end RB2 or flex play.
Dallas Cowboys ball carrier Rico Dowdle is a bit more of an under-the-radar option, but I love his long-term outlook.
Ezekiel Elliott is still the starter in Dallas, but Dowdle continues to eat into his workload and is the more explosive player. Elliott played 51% of the snaps, compared to Dowdle’s 44% clip in Week 1. Since then, Dowdle held a 44% to 28% edge in snaps, including a 46% to 19% advantage in Week 3.
Dowdle also logged 13 touches, compared to just four for Elliott in Week 3. He out-touched the veteran 11-8 in Week 2. Look for this trend to continue in Week 4 when the Cowboys face the New York Giants. Dowdle is a bit of a risky start in Week 4, but worth adding to your bench.
WIDE RECEIVER
Wan’Dale Robinson and DeAndre Hopkins are my top wide receiver targets this week, but both are touchdown-or-bust plays. Hopkins totaled just two catches for 17 yards through his first two games of the season. He bounced back with six catches for 73 yards and a score in Week 3.
This week, Hopkins and the Tennessee Titans will meet a struggling Miami Dolphins team. Look for Titans quarterback Will Levis to air it out in Monday Night Football in Miami Gardens, Fla. Hopkins is a sneaky WR3 play in leagues with at least 14 teams.
Robinson is another low-end WR3 option. The Giants veteran drew 24 targets through his first three appearances of the season. He logged 15 catches for 123 yards and a score over that span.
Robinson is tied for 15th in targets and should continue to draw looks in Week 4 against the Cowboys. I expect at least five catches for 60 yards for Robinson, who could find himself in WR2 territory if he reaches the end zone.
TIGHT END
Cole Kmet is my top tight end target. The Chicago Bears veteran finished second among tight ends in fantasy points in Week 3, with a 10-catch, 97-yard, one-score effort against the Indianapolis Colts.
This week, the Bears will face a Los Angeles Rams defense that allowed the fourth-most receiving yards to tight ends through three weeks. Kmet remains a mid-range TE1 until further notice.
