Week 4 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Sleepers Who Will Help You Survive Injuries

As we head into the end of the first quarter of the 2011 NFL season your team may have been ravaged by injuries. So what, on draft day you thumped your chest around because you drafted Jamaal Charles, Michael Vick and Kenny Britt, and now you have to listen to your league blasting you on the message board.  

Well, we are here today to let you know that your season is not over. Take a moment to collect your thoughts, refocus and get ready to fix your team with these free agents.  

Nate Washington, Wide Receiver, Tennessee Titans 

If you are a Kenny Britt owner, as I am, you are upset that one of the hottest receivers in the first two weeks of the season is now done for the year. Nate Washington is now the No. 1 receiver on the Titans, had a good season going before the Britt injury and has a quarterback who has two 300-yard passing games this year.  

On the season, Washington leads the Titans in receptions with 21, he’s been targeted by Hasselbeck for a team-high 27 times and is second in receiving yards with 258. The only knock on Nate is that he has only found the end zone once this year.  

Michael Bush, Running Back, Oakland Raiders 

This is a stretch, but this is more of a depth move. In three games this year Bush has found the end zone twice. As long as Darren McFadden is the starter in Oakland, Bush will be his back up. But, in McFadden’s four previous years he has yet to play a full season.  

It’s hard to predict injuries, but McFadden was injured in the preseason, is battling a hamstring injury now, and he’s missed time every year he’s been in Oakland.  

Mark Sanchez, Quarterback, New York Jets 

For a team that in previous seasons has been known for running the ball, the Jets have done a 180 this year. In two games this year Sanchez has games of 335 and 369 yards passing on 43 and 44 passing attempts for two touchdowns.  

It seems that the Jets are starting to shy away from the running game this year. Sanchez has receivers plus a reliable tight end to throw to this year. The bad about Sanchez is that he has thrown an interception in each game this year.  

Jason Hanson, Kicker, Detroit Lions

We’ll close out these wavier wire acquisitions with a kicker. Yes, a kicker who has been around since 1994. He’s been with the Lions since that time and has been a solid fantasy kicker for the last 17 years.  

Hanson is a perfect 8-for-8 this year in field goals with two of them coming from 50 yards or more. In the past, the Lions were a joke of a team with a terrible offense. Not this year, as the Lions are 3-0, have one of the best offenses in the league, and will get Hanson a lot of opportunities to score points this year.  

Hanson is on pace this year to have a 132-point season, which will tie a career high. 

Twitter: @tjmcaloon