Waiver Favors™: 2021 Week 4 Fantasy Football Pickups

By Ha Kung Wong  Week 3 Fantasy Football Pickups

Twitter: @FBGarbageTime

As I do every year over the last 9 years, I’m here to help with waiver wire adds via my weekly Waiver Favors™ article!  And I’m assuming if you’re reader right now, you’re in your fantasy football playoffs, so congratulations!

I’ll make a couple suggestions for after Week 3 of the 2021 fantasy football season that hopefully will keep your team running.  You’re welcome.  Again.

As usual, all pickups are available in at least 50% of Yahoo standard fantasy football leagues (with some minor exceptions) as of Sunday evening.

Players I’ve suggested before that deserve a look again this week include:

• Michael Carter – RB – New York Jets
• Darnell Mooney – WR – Chicago Bears

And here are some new players I’m recommending this week:

Sam Darnold

QB – Carolina Panthers – 37% Owned

OK, so I may have been slow to jump on the Sam Darnold bandwagon, but consider me now convinced.  Sam Darnold completed 26 of 39 passes for 301 yards, 2 passing TDs, and 2 INTs, rushing 6 times for 35 yards and 2 rushing TDs in Week 4.  You might be shocked to hear this, but Darnold now has the MOST rushing TDs in the NFL of any player in the NFL (7).  That’s a big deal, considering most leagues have rushing TDs worth more than passing TDs.  The Panthers love to going fast tempo and Darnold is really benefiting from it.  He’s had at least 279 passing yards in all 4 games this season, and his TD upside is just through the roof.  Go get him if you need a QB in all 12-team leagues or any two QB leagues.

Kenneth Gainwell

RB – Philadelphia Eagles – 29% Owned

We were big on Kenneth Gainwell when he was drafted by the Eagles, but Miles Sanders was there and we were unclear how time would be split.  But as of Week 4, the pendulum might have moved towards Gainwell.  He rushed three times for 31 yards and caught 6 of 8 targets for 58 yards and he soundly out-touched and out-played Miles Sanders.  Sanders is likely to stay involved, so don’t expect consistency from Gainwell every week, but he’s very talented and trending in the right direction, so you’re opportunity to pick him up is coming to an end.  Feel free to stash him in all 12-team leagues or deeper, or in any league if you’re a Miles Sanders owner.

Damien Williams

RB – Chicago Bears – 7% Owned

David Montgomery is the hands-down lead back in Chicago and had a huge performance in Week 4.  But he also had what looked like a potentially problematic knee injury and left the game in the 4th quarter.  Damien Willams stepped in and rushed 8 times for 55 yards and a TD, adding 2 receptions for 15 receiving yards.  Sure, it was the Lions defense, but don’t forget how great Williams was in Kansas City two years ago, and he has potential to be an every-down back in an improving Bears offense.  All David Montgomery owners should pick him up, and anyone looking to speculate on a potential starting RB in most 12-team leagues.

Samaje Perine

RB – Cincinnati Bengals – 2% Owned

Joe Mixon went down with an ankle injury and now we’re being told that it’s a low ankle sprain.  That shouldn’t keep Mixon out for long, assuming no other issues pop up, but Samaje Perine got all the carries after Mixon went out in Week 4 and would likely lead the backfield if Mixon misses time.  Definitely worth a pick up if you’re a Mixon owner, and for anyone else in need of a RB over the next 1-2 weeks.

Jamison Crowder

WR – New York Jets – 19% Owned

Wow, the Jets beat the Saints!  I certainly didn’t see that coming.  And Zach Wilson looked like the guy we thought he would be pre-season.  I still like Corey Davis best in terms ofr targets on the team, but now that Jamison Crowder is back from injury, he looks to be getting tons of attention as well, catching caught 7 of 9 team-leading targets for 61 yards.  Wilson likes targeting his slot receiver, and Crowder clearly benefitted from that.  Go ahead and give him a look in all 12-team PPR leagues or deeper.

Quintez Cephus & Khalif Raymond

WR – Detroit Lions – 16% & 1% Owned

With all the injuries, the Lions receiving core is a bit of a mixed bag.  But we’re seeing a few guys step up, including Quintez Cephus and Khalif Raymond.  Cephus was on the roll in Weeks 1 and 2 totaling 7 receptions on 13 targets for 75 yards, 2 TDs and a 2-point conversion, but then disappeared in Week 3 with only 1 target, only to bounce back in Week 4 catching 4 of 5 for a team leading 83 yards.  Raymond didn’t do much in Weeks 1 and 2, but then had 10 targets in Week 3 and then broke out catching 3 of 6 targets for 46 yards and two TDs in Week 4.  It’s unlikely you’ll have any consistency here from week to week, but there’s certainly some value as the bye weeks come up in 14-team leagues or deeper.

Randall Cobb

WR – Green Bay Packers – 6% Owned

No, I don’t think there’s a Randall Cobb revival in the works.  But with Aaron Rodgers, you just never know, and it’s not like he had many reliable targets past Davante Adams and Robert Tonyan.  Cobb had 5 receptions for a team-leading 69 yards and 2 TDs in Week 4, and he can do that on any given Sunday, so why not stash him for the bye weeks in 14-team leagues or deeper?