Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Top Pickups for Week 4 - Thursday Update

There was unfortunately plenty of carnage at running back following a tumultuous Week 3. Miami RB Ollie Gordon immediately profiles as one of the more obvious waiver-wire pickups in recent memory with the season-ending injury De'Von Achane, but there are a handful of lesser-known targets to consider as well.

Reminder, the goal is to get you as prepared as possible to tackle the waiver wire each week, no matter the league format. And don't worry, I'll update this article each day reacting to any pesky injuries that crop up during the week and ways to rank the available players.

With every player writeup, we'll list a free-agent acquisition budget (FAAB) suggestion. Rather than a specific dollar value, it will be a percentage of your FAAB budget to make it easily applicable to every league no matter if you use, for example, $100 or $1,000.

Got questions on players? Let me know in the comments. 

TUESDAY UPDATE - Kalif Raymond, Keenan Allen

WEDNESDAY UPDATE - Alvin Kamara/Kendre Miller, Mike Gesicki

THURSDAY UPDATE - Austin Ekeler, Tyler Goodson, Tyreek Hill

QUARTERBACK

ALL LEAGUES

Marcus Mariota, Commanders - I understood on the surface why Mariota was a tough recommendation last week and I'll admit my confidence was shaken when word regarding the nor'easter threatened to impact the game in Washington. But we're talking about a hyper mobile backup who has recent starting experience and has looked good in his extended time on the field. In a lot of ways that should have been a layup identification for superflex managers and now the 32-year-old quarterback enters the scene as a legitimate QB1 play against the Colts defense this week. FAAB: 1 percent of budget

Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals - It shouldn't be that much of a surprise given last year, but Brissett quietly has QB1 production in two of three weeks this season. RotoWire colleague Jim Coventry repeatedly echoes the mantra "volume is king," and I can't think of a more apt confirmation of that philosophy than the Cardinals' offense, which is fifth in pass attempts this season. Among players with at least 80 attempts, Brissett ranks last in yards per completion (5.6), but it doesn't matter when he's chucking the ball at the rate he has been and that likely won't change this week against a Giants defense that lost star pass rusher Brian Burns (knee) for the season and could be out upward of seven secondary players in Week 4. FAAB: 1 percent of budget

DEEP LEAGUES

Jalon Daniels, Buccaneers - Baker Mayfield is expected to be out "at least three weeks" due to a dislocated thumb suffered in the Week 3 loss to the Vikings. Daniels started nearly 40 collegiate games in his six seasons with Kansas, so experience shouldn't necessarily be an issue. And in more than half of those games he registered at least 10 or more carries, something specifically useful for fantasy managers given his 4.65 speed. It's hard to rely on a rookie in his first professional start, but good news is that he's going against one of the league's worst defenses in the Packers. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, news and everything going on around the NFL, head to RotoWire's NFL Fantasy Football News Today or follow @RotoWireNFL on X.

RUNNING BACK

ALL LEAGUES

Ollie Gordon, Dolphins - The first truly devastating fantasy injury of the season hit Week 3 as top-16 redraft selection De'Von Achane suffered a torn ACL in Miami's loss to the Chiefs. Gordon finished with 17 carries and three targets in Achane's absence, which sure looks like gaudy volume on the surface, but context is necessary. The Dolphins only had three active backs on the roster,  and Jaylen Wright was inactive due to a foot injury. Miami will surely add depth in the subsequent days, but the key is that Gordon has never been much of a pass-catching back in his career (10  receptions in 20 games) and he could have that role chopped off by whatever new addition joins the team. He's only played 290 career snaps, so if the argument is "we don't know what Gordon is capable of," I'm more than open to that idea, and I imagine the 0-3 Dolphins are also comfortable expanding his boundaries somewhat too. The other part is that Miami's offense is just downright ugly and losing its most explosive player won't help things. Fortunately, the scheme almost necessitates Gordon getting a lot of carries almost to shield Malik Willis from passing too much, and that sort of game script can also keep the team close enough to funnel carries to the backfield, even if it's ineffective. If I told you Gordon could be a worse version of Quinshon Judkins  in Cleveland I don't think that would immediately have people willing to spend all of their FAAB like some bullish pundits suggest. But the 2025 sixth-round pick is going to see volume and will see it often in a season that should be about exploration for the Dolphins. It's up to you decide how fruitful that volume will be. FAAB: 39 percent of budget for Gordon, 1 percent of budget for Jaylen Wright

Braelon Allen, Jets - I slotted Allen here just so people could have context in shallower leagues. Breece Hall sustained a leg injury late in Sunday's loss to the Lions and never returned. Allen is rostered in 19 percent of Yahoo leagues, so if Hall does miss time, there will be decisions for fantasy managers to make. I worry Isaiah Davis and Kene Nwangwu could operate as a pass-catching tandem removing some of the PPR value that Allen would have in a larger role. The third-year back has been used sparingly in that sort of capacity so it's certainly possible he just becomes a three-down workhorse, but that was never his bread and butter dating to his time with Wisconsin. I'd rather have Gordon for his role longevity and his value in the offense even if on the surface Allen probably will be featured more often. FAAB: 22 percent of budget

Alvin Kamara/Kendre Miller, Saints - I've seen a handful of publications mention Kamara in their waiver wire pieces with Travis Etienne (hamstring) out for some time so I guess I'll throw the veteran in here, but realistically he hasn't been available for the majority of leagues since the start of the season. I would vault Kamara to the top of the heap if he's out there, but I'd find it more useful to have a conversation about Miller. I expect the Saints to do something close to a 50/50 split in terms of playing time, but every fruitful opportunity likely goes to the 31-year-old while Miller handles the majority of the between-the-tackle carries. That role isn't nothing and there's a handful of deep leagues where I'd personally would love to get in the range of six to eight touches on an offense that plays at the pace New Orleans does, but Miller is a far cry below what is a shockingly deep tier of available waiver RBs this week. FAAB: 17 percent on Kamara if available, 1 percent on Miller in deep formats

DEEP LEAGUES

Raheim Sanders, Browns - I had resisted the urge to include Sanders in the article the last two weeks after Dylan Sampson (knee) was placed on injured reserve and that decision appears to be unwise. Sanders has looked downright explosive as a pass catcher to the point where I have to imagine Cleveland will find ways to get him the ball more. I always get nervous recommending a RB that also returns kicks just because the nature of the position invites more injury risk, but he's also a really good one and could therefore score a cheap return TD too if you're really scrambling at the position. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

Austin Ekeler, Commanders - I didn't mean for the Week 4 last updates to be so veteran-centered, but with Rachaad White (shoulder) missing a second straight day of practice, I'm admittedly intrigued by the notion Ekeler would effectively fill in his role to a certain degree. Unless we get wind that White's injury could result in an IR stint this recommendation is admittedly only useful for the deepest of leagues, but the waiver appears very barren outside of the obvious names discussed earlier in the week. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

Tyler Goodson, Cowboys - It's always useful to shuttle your last-of-bench types on your roster, if only to speculate on who could be "this week's Jaylen Wright". It's worth noting the Cowboys made Emari Demercado a healthy inactive in favor of Goodson, who signed to the active roster two weeks ago. Javonte Williams has been scarely reliable during his stint with Dallas, but there's value in simply identifying a backup situation that could be fruitful if the worst circumstances occur. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

WIDE RECEIVER

ALL LEAGUES

Chris Bell, Dolphins - Bell made this list toward the end of the week once it became clear Caleb Douglas (ankle) would miss Week 3. The Louisville product responded with his best day as a pro (4-7-67) and played more than 70 percent of the offensive snaps. I think Brian Flores and the Vikings will absolutely eviscerate any semblance of a passing attack for the Dolphins in Week 4, but this is more of a long-haul recommendation given how we expect Miami's offense to look. FAAB: 3 percent of budget

Tre' Harris, Chargers - This section might as well be labeled "inexplicably bad offenses," but it's still noteworthy Harris now has two games with at least five targets. He posted career highs across the board (6-7-76) in Week 3, and it's encouraging that the Chargers are using the 2025 second-round pick as an extension of Ladd McConkey zipping him around on crossing routes when the other is not. Harris might not be an enticing waiver option considering the Chargers' trouble generating offense, but I expect plenty of passing by Justin Herbert as the team trails early again this week at Seattle. FAAB: 1 percent of budget

Mack Hollins, Patriots - I often pointed out the Patriots' comically easy schedule last year, but it was never an antagonistic thing when it came to Drake Maye. I have no idea why the Pro Bowl quarterback is struggling to the extent that he is, but the excessive issues have directly correlated into Hollins becoming a potential lock-and-load WR flex play. The 10-year vet has 12 receptions on 16 targets and certainly seems to be the only safety net for Maye when the game inevitably gets out of hand. I'd be more inclined to recommend Hollins as a waiver-wire pickup if not for A.J. Brown's high-ankle sprain, which seemed like it could be closer to the six-game timetable for return, but it's worth noting the Pro Bowl receiver has been walking without a limp and isn't spotting a brace anymore. I'd be surprised if Brown is anywhere close to the fantasy asset managers drafted him to be this year because of the injury, but his playing time caps the usefulness of Hollins. FAAB: 1 percent of budget

Kalif Raymond, Bears - I had ignored the 32-year-old as a funny Ben Johnson quirk for the first couple of weeks, but at this point it's clear Raymond is a legitimate factor in this offense. People will point to the fact that Johnson brought Raymond over from Detroit, and while that's fair to acknowledge, I just wonder if his speed is uniquely useful for the offensive scheme in the way that Luther Burden benefitted from DJ Moore's orbit last year. Whatever the case, Raymond now 21 targets through three weeks and has fewer than 80 yards receiving just once. If he's somehow available in your waivers, I think Raymond legitimately becomes a potential pick-up-and-play for subsequent weeks moving forward. FAAB: 7 percent of budget

Keenan Allen, Colts - I was curious how Indianapolis' offense would function without Alec Pierce (ankle). I figured the answer would be to lean heavily on Jonathan Taylor the way the Falcons lean on Bijan Robinson, but it turns out Shane Steichen is comfortable letting Keenan Allen and Josh Downs just feast on the short to intermediate routes. Maybe that was all the Texans defense would give, but Allen specifically feels a bit bulletproof for fantasy given he's tallied 20 targets through three weeks. He'll never be a red zone threat for this team and there's only so much the 34-year-old can do after the catch, but there's clearly some strategic value in a route runner that can get open in a precise manner and the scheme should weaponize it against a porous Commanders defense this week. FAAB: 1 percent of budget

DEEP LEAGUES

Ted Hurst, Buccaneers - I was prepared to have Hurst way higher on these rankings with Jalen McMillan undergoing an MRI to his knee, but that was before Baker Mayfield's (thumb) injury. The Buccaneers desperately need some offensive juice and the third-round rookie feels like a big-play threat waiting to happen. That neither Emeka Egbuka nor Chris Godwin can really gain any traction  is probably telling, but none of it matters now with Jalon Daniels as the quarterback for the foreseeable future. If you somehow have roster space to stash a player after the first three weeks of injury carnage more power to you. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

Christian Kirk and Brandin Cooks, 49ers - Mike Evans left the win Sunday with a rib injury, his third ailment since August. With San Fran already down Ricky Pearsall (knee), De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) and Demarcus Robinson (ankle) for the long term, the WR depth chart is only Deebo Samuel and a handful of over-drafted fruitless receivers in Jacob Cowing and Jordan Watkins. Kirk and Cooks might have something useful for fantasy managers in deep formats. Kirk is perpetually injured, but he could return off injured reserve in a few weeks. Cooks signed to the practice squad last week and likely needs to learn the playbook, but he's been productive at almost every stop of his career. The investment costs almost nothing, so best to be proactive now if you have an inclination on one of the vet SF wideouts. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

Tyreek Hill, FA - I'll be entirely honest that I know of basically two offenses that I would care about Hill landing on, but that doesn't appear to be the case for my other league mates since I saw him scooped up in the majority of my deep formats this week. Hill teased a possible landing spot earlier this week so I understand the rush to add him, but I assume he's effectively cooked after last year's gnarly lower-body injury.

I think I'm ready for some cold weather

— Ty Hill (@cheetah) September 30, 2026

I find this article to be at its most useful when it encompasses all the players you should be aware of, even if I personally disagree that they have legitimate fantasy value. FAAB: 0 percent

TIGHT END

ALL LEAGUES

Darren Waller, Panthers - All right, all right, I relent. If you read my column last week I was low on Waller who I called a "known name who is fools gold for fantasy managers." But with Jalen Coker now dealing with a quadriceps injury, Carolina is suddenly woefully thin at pass catchers of note. More important, the Panthers face Detroit's sieve-like pass defense this week, which means that any pass catcher likely has a pulse. FAAB: 4 percent of budget

DEEP LEAGUES

Noah Fant, Saints - Fant has now sandwiched two usable fantasy games with an absolute stinker against the Ravens in Week 2, a game that New Orleans kept close the majority of the way. The Week 4 matchup against the Falcons should be similarly close, but it's clear Fant is at minimum a weapon in the red zone having scored three touchdowns in that area through three weeks. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

Tyler Higbee, Rams - Consider this a Puka Nacua (groin) placeholder as reports suggest the All-Pro wide receiver "could" be available for Week 4, but the team hasn't ruled out surgery either. If that vagueness is as terrifying to you as it is to me, Higbee becomes attractive just by virtue of being the volume pass catcher of the Rams TEs. That's, of course, frustrating to Terrance Ferguson fantasy managers and any masochists trying to employ Colby Parkinson correctly, but there's obviously a relationship between Stafford and the team's longest-tenured Ram. Would I like to bet on that rapport coinciding with another useful fantasy performance against the Eagles next week? Obviously not, but I wouldn't have assumed he'd be deployed that way against the Broncos either. FAAB: 0 percent of budget

Mike Gesicki, Bengals - With the Bengals missing both Andrei Iosivas (thumb) and Colbie Young (knee) on Sunday, the offense transitioned to significantly more 12 personnel. I don't know many normal scoring formats where I'd be interested in Gesicki per say, but if he's the defacto No. 3 wide receiver for a team that comfortably is attempting 30-plus passes per game, there's almost a guaranteed safe amount of volume that gives a certain floor to a fantasy position that has suffered plenty of attrition due to injury. FAAB: 0 percent of budget