Week 4 Waiver Wire: Underrated Skill Position Players Worth Adding

Bye weeks have arrived. That means fantasy football owners will spend a lot of time over the next few months searching their league's waiver wire looking for replacement players who they hope will perform better than the replacement referees.

With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the best options available for Week 4. All of them are capable of filling a starting lineup hole in the short term and can be kept on the bench to use if needed down the line, as well.

RB: Daniel Thomas, Miami Dolphins

Even though Miami Dolphins starter Reggie Bush was able to avoid significant injury after missing the second half last week, Thomas should still be on the fantasy radar. He racked up 11 points after taking over backfield duties.

Thomas looked like a fantasy star in the making early last season before Bush took over as the starter and finally enjoyed a breakout season. It relegated Thomas to backup duty and eliminated most of his value.

While Bush will be the go-to guy when healthy, he's still a small back, which makes him prone to injuries. If he misses any time, now or later in the season, Thomas will immediately become a must-start fantasy player.

WR: Andrew Hawkins, Cincinnati Bengals

It's surprising Hawkins hasn't received more attention. He has scored at least eight fantasy points in all three games, establishing himself as the Cincinnati Bengals' No. 2 receiver behind A.J. Green. That's enough to make him a valuable commodity.

The Bengals haven't been getting much return on investment from the ground game with offseason acquisition BenJarvus Green-Ellis averaging less than four yards per carry. In turn, Andy Dalton has been forced to throw more often.

Since the Bengals have been able to pick up two straight wins with the strategy, they will probably remain more passing-oriented for the time being until the running game sorts itself out. That helps Hawkins and his fantasy owners.

TE: Scott Chandler, Buffalo Bills

Ryan Fitzpatrick is usually looking in Chandler's direction when the Buffalo Bills get in the red zone. He already has two touchdowns in three games and ranks third in overall targets behind Steve Johnson and Donald Jones.

He's not a flashy player, and the chances of him exploding for a monster game are slim. That said, those type of players are rarely available on the waiver wire. Chandler is a consistent producer who can provide a nice boost when he scores a TD.

Production from the tight end position is tough to come by as veteran fantasy owners know. Taking a chance on a player like Chandler with high red-zone upside is often the best choice during bye weeks.