Week 4 Fantasy Football Projections: Top Streaming Options for Byes

Week 4 brings the first bye weeks of the 2019 NFL season. For fantasy football managers, this means an additional layer of strategy now comes into play.

Both the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are on byes in Week 4, which means that standout fantasy players like Le'Veon Bell and George Kittle will be unavailable for your fantasy team. Guys like Matt Breida, Raheem Mostert and Marquise Goodwin will also be unavailable, which could leave you looking for a flex option.

Here, we'll run down some players who may be available on the waiver wire and who are worth streaming in Week 4. These players are available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues, according to FantasyPros, and many will be worth keeping beyond Week 4.

However, we will be looking specifically at Week 4 matchups here.

Quarterback: Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ben Margot/Associated Press

If you're in a deeper league, you may be looking to replace Jimmy Garoppolo for the week. Or you may still be looking for streamers to replace the likes of Cam Newton, Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger. Based on his Week 4 matchup, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is an interesting option.

Rudolph was solid, if unimpressive, in his first career start. He passed for 174 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against a very good 49ers defense. This week, he'll go up against a Cincinnati Bengals defense that has allowed an average of 406.3 yards and 27.7 points per game.

This will be the first home start for Rudolph, and let's not forget that he has weapons like JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Conner and Vance McDonald at his disposal.

The Steelers clearly believe in Rudolph. Otherwise, they wouldn't have traded away a first-round pick—and the possible chance of landing a new quarterback—for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick last week. Expect them to trust him with a full playbook against Cincinnati.

Rudolph is currently available in 87 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Running Back: Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

The New Orleans Saints have struggled to defend the run so far this season, allowing an average of 134.7 yards on the ground. This is why Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is a must-start in Week 4.

This is also why backup running back Tony Pollard is worth a look as a streaming option. He split time with Elliott against the Miami Dolphins and went off for 128 combined rushing and receiving yards and one touchdown.

The plan, it seems, will be to utilize both Elliott and Pollard moving forward.

"It's not me getting 30-35 touches a game anymore. It's us taking care of it together. It's going to definitely pay off," Elliott said, per Rob Phillips of the team's official website.

Expect Pollard to see something in the 10-15 touch range against the Saints. He is available in 82 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Running Back: Wayne Gallman, New York Giants

Whether you're looking to replace a player like Bell or Mostert for the week or are dealing with the loss of Saquon Barkley (ankle), New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman should be an option.

Gallman, who racked up 476 yards and 4.3 yards per carry as a rookie in 2017, should be the Giants starter while Barkley is out. Though he only had 13 yards on five carries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, Gallman is averaging 4.3 yards per rush again this season.

It may be worth keeping Gallman beyond this week, especially if you have Barkley on your roster. Last year's second-overall pick is likely to miss several weeks with a high ankle sprain:

This week, Gallman and the Giants will battle the Washington Redskins, who have allowed an average of 142 rushing yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry. Gallman is owned—likely as a handcuff—in just 4 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Wide Receiver: Mecole Hardman, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs rookie wideout Mecole Hardman is just now beginning to make his presence felt in the offense. The loss of wideout Tyreek Hill (shoulder) has opened the door for the Georgia product, and Hardman is emerging as a legitimate deep threat.

Over the last two weeks, Hardman has caught six passes for 158 yard and two touchdowns—with one score in each game. Hardman is likely worth a flex start for as long as Hill remains sidelined.

This week, the Chiefs travel to take on the Detroit Lions. While Detroit's defense has been good overall this season—it's allowing just 20.3 points per game—defending the pass has been a relative weakness. Opposing teams have averaged 269.3 yards passing per game against the Lions, an average that is likely to increase with Patrick Mahomes coming to town.

Hardman should be able to break one or two big plays against Detroit, and those plays could easily go for scores. Hardman is currently available in 51 percent of Yahoo leagues.

Wide Receiver: Phillip Dorsett, New England Patriots

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

The New England Patriots have dumped wide receiver Antonio Brown, which has re-opened the door for Phillip Dorsett. The former Indianapolis Colt caught four passes for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the opener—before Brown arrived—and had six catches for 53 yards and a score in Week 3.

This week, Dorsett's value comes in his projected role more than the matchup, specifically. The Buffalo Bills have been solid against the pass, allowing just 211.7 yards per game through the air. However, Dorsett is likely to see a large chunk of whatever passing yardage Tom Brady is able to accumulate.

In addition to parting with Brown, the Patriots are dealing with Julian Edelman's rib injury. The injury doesn't appear to be serious, but it could be a limiting factor.

Dorsett is worth keeping on your roster beyond Week 4, so value him as more than just a streaming option. He's owned in 32 percent of Yahoo leagues and should be a top priority when putting in waiver claims.

Tight End: Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks will look to regroup after their first loss of the season. Fortunately, they have a Week 4 matchup against the winless Arizona Cardinals. Tight ends have absolutely gashed those Cardinals so far this season.

T.J. Hockenson, Mark Andrews and Greg Olsen combined for 318 yards and four touchdowns against Arizona.

This makes Seahawks tight end Will Dissly a premium waiver-wire target heading into the matchup. The second-year player has emerged as Seattle's top receiving tight end and has caught 11 passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns over the past two weeks.

Dissly is currently available in 56 percent of Yahoo leagues. He is worth picking up for the remainder of the season and will certainly be worth starting in Week 4.