Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups: Available Sleepers in Most Yahoo Leagues
You're running out of time to give your fantasy football roster a lift ahead of the weekend portion of Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season.
The good news is you shouldn't have to spend too much time mulling over your options, because the waiver wire isn't exactly loaded with intriguing options. The not-so-great news is the same limited supply, since you don't have many directions to turn to fill any vacancies.
There are a few sleepers out there, though, and they're all available in 50-plus percent of Yahoo leagues, per FantasyPros. We'll spotlight our favorite target at each of the three marquee positions.
Quarterback: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (50 Percent Rostered)
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Jared Goff is, admittedly, pretty "meh" for fantasy purposes.
That's more of a season-long outlook, though. As a plug-and-play candidate, he can treat you just right if you time those spot starts correctly.
In Week 2, for instance, he torched the Washington Commanders with four touchdown passes. Could he have similar success in Week 4?
It will be tough with Amon-Ra St. Brown battling an ankle injury, although Detroit could be more pass-heavy than most weeks if D'Andre Swift is sidelined by ankle and shoulder injuries. The Lions also draw a decent matchup with a Seattle defense allowing the most passing yards per attempt (8.8) and 12th-highest completion percentage (66.3).
Running Back: Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks (49 Percent Rostered)
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In general, the options at running back aren't great this week, but perhaps they look better in your league. While the following players are too rostered to qualify for this list, make sure you double-check that Jamaal Williams, Khalil Herbert and Alexander Mattison aren't hiding in plain sight on your waiver wire.
Assuming that trio is off limits, though, your best bet might be a dart throw at Kenneth Walker III.
Now, let's stress the fact this is absolutely a gamble. And, so far, the payoff hasn't been great. Through two games—he missed Week 1 with a hernia injury—he has just seven carries for 29 yards and five receptions for 19 yards. His next touchdown will be his first. No matter if you're chasing volume or efficiency, Walker hasn't provided much of either.
Still, Seattle liked him enough to spend this summer's 41st pick on him, and it might want to see some return on that investment. It's not like Rashaad Penny is dazzling as a featured back, and the Seahawks have shown zero interest in involving him in the passing game. Walker seems like he'll get a good opportunity sooner than later, and if it happens this week, he could really capitalize on a date with a Detroit defense allowing the most fantasy points to the running back position, per Yahoo.
Wide Receiver: Richie James, New York Giants (10 Percent Rostered)
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New York's passing offense is the kind that, at first glance, you're probably best to avoid in fantasy. Daniel Jones has just 560 yards and three touchdowns through three games, the offensive line can't keep him upright and the injury bug keeps limiting his options at receiver.
Sterling Shepard was likely lost for the season to an ACL tear. Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Wan'Dale Robinson (knee) both look unlikely to suit up Sunday.
All of that said, there's enough opportunity to make at least one pass-catcher fantasy-relevant, and Richie James has as good of a chance as anyone to be that player.
He already paces the offense in catches (14) and ranks second in both targets (17) and yards (146). He is explosive enough to handle punt return duties, and New York has even given him a couple of carries already. The Giants need someone who can take some of the defensive heat off of Saquon Barkley, and if they decide James is that someone, he could see a slew of chances to produce.
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