Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups Highlighted by Ollie Gordon II, Braelon Allen, Kirk Cousins

Fantasy managers could probably use some good news after an injury-riddled start to Week 3 of the 2026 NFL season.

Here's the best we can muster: Bye weeks don't start until Week 5.

So, hey, things could be (and unfortunately will be) even harder to manage if (when) navigating around both the injury-bug attacks and empty slots on the schedule. For now, let's find some plug-and-play replacements available in 50-plus percent of leagues (per FantasyPros) for some of these injured stars.

Ollie Gordon II, RB, Miami Dolphins (1% Rostered)

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The Dolphins reportedly lost star running back De'Von Achane to a knee injury for the season, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter. That's a crushing blow for a rebuilding roster that was already woefully short on playmakers.

In the fantasy world, though, it's also opportunity's knock for the proverbial next man up—in this case Gordon, who immediately handled 17 carries and three targets in Achane's absence.

That kind of volume is impossible to ignore. It's also maybe the only thing propping up Gordon, who is averaging fewer than three yards per carry for the second time in as many NFL seasons.

Still, volume can trump efficiency in fantasy, as Gordon himself just showed. Those 20 touches Sunday yielded 55 scrimmage yards and a score, making him a top-15 fantasy running back this week.

Braelon Allen, RB, New York Jets (17% Rostered)

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Breece Hall suffered a thigh injury Sunday and never returned. The chance that Hall misses any time moving forward should make Allen a priority target this week.

Allen had already been involved even when Hall was healthy. Allen handled 10 carries in the season-opener (and turned them into 40 yards) and scored a touchdown in Week 2.

He has also impressed in spot duty before. As a rookie fourth-rounder in 2024, he delivered 334 rushing yards, 19 receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns.

Now, Allen won't hold fantasy value beyond being a handcuff if Hall avoids any absences, so there is a bit of risk in adding him. That said, Allen might fill feature-back duties if Hall is shelved, so the reward outweighs that risk and then some.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Las Vegas Raiders (17% Rostered)

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With injuries piling up at the quarterback position, there's a decent chance you could find yourself in the market for a stopgap signal-caller.

How good would it feel to fill that void with a quarterback who has thrown three touchdowns in every game he's played this season? Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Well, apparently not, as Cousins' first three contests with the Raiders have all featured three touchdown strikes.

Can he keep this up for an entire season? Certainly not. But could he stretch this hot streak out for another couple of weeks? Maybe. He has been this productive so far, so who's to say this streak is guaranteed to end in Week 4? No one you should take fantasy advice from, that's for sure.

Don't hold Cousins' struggles over the past two seasons in Atlanta against him. He has historically been a quality quarterback, and he is posting some of the best stats you'll find at the position. His nine touchdown passes are tied for the league lead, and his 67.4 completion percentage sits eight-highest among the 16 quarterbacks with 90-plus pass attempts.