Three weeks of NFL play are officially in the books, which means it’s time for fantasy football players to start worrying about bye weeks. Gone are the days where you could just coast by on a strong draft. Now more than ever, you’ll need to search the waiver wire for all the best available running backs. Heading into Week 4, you should set your eyes on Wayne Gallman, Jamaal Williams, and Darrel Williams.
Note that in order to make this list, the player had to be available in over 50% of fantasy leagues. If you’re in smaller leagues, there may be better players available. Make sure to check your waivers to see if there are any diamonds in the rough before submitting your claims.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Quarterback Waiver Wire Streams
Week 4 Defense Streams
Wayne Gallman, Jamaal Williams Highlight Fantasy Football Week 4 Running Back Waiver Wire Claims
Wayne Gallman
Saquon Barkley suffered an ankle injury in Week 3, and it doesn’t look like he’ll be back on the field any time soon. The star running back needed help getting off the field and came back to the sideline with a walking boot and crutches. Barkley suffered a high ankle sprain and probably won’t be on the field for Week 4.
As of this posting, Wayne Gallman is the only other running back on the roster. The Giants will undoubtedly add another running back between now and Week 4, but Gallman’s going to see the majority of the work. New York won’t utilize him in the same manner as Barkley, but he’s going to have a starter’s workload behind an underrated offensive line. Based on opportunity alone, Gallman should be an RB2 moving forward.
Jamaal Williams
Nobody likes that Jamaal Williams is on this list. In a perfect fantasy world, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur would use Aaron Jones as the unquestioned lead back. However, that’s clearly not going to happen. Williams actually saw more touches than Jones in Week 3 and, to his credit, was the more effective back against the Broncos. Matt LaFleur already went on record to say that he wants Jones and Williams to have an equal amount of opportunities in this offense, so you should expect 10-15 touches from Williams moving forward.
Williams and the Green Bay Packers face off against a banged-up Philadelphia Eagles defense on Thursday Night Football. Given the short week, it’s unlikely that’s Philadelphia’s injured squad improve on their recent defensive shortcomings. You shouldn’t start Williams unless you’re in a ridiculously deep league, but he’s worth a bench spot in most formats.
Darrel Williams
Keep an eye on the injury situation here. Last week, I wrote an article detailing what to expect from Darwin Thompson if Damien Williams didn’t play. Turns out, Darrel Williams received the opportunity I had projected onto Thompson. The second-year running back ended his night with 62 rushing yards, five receptions, and 47 receiving yards while serving as LeSean McCoy’s backup.
If Damien Williams misses Week 4, you should expect similar results. Kansas City takes on a solid Detroit Lions defense next week, but nobody is capable of stopping this ridiculous unit. As long as Darrel Williams sees time on the field, he’s going to have some fantasy relevance. He’s not going to give you RB1 upside, but he’s a smart flex play in deeper leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Claims
Quarterback Waiver Wire Streams
Week 4 Defense Streams
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