Yet another week of fantasy football action is in the books, as owners everywhere look to the waiver wire the best available quarterback pickups. Looking around the league shows that players like Joe Burrow and Ryan Fitzpatrick offer the best chance of positive performance moving forward.
Note that in order to be eligible for this list, the player needs to be available in at least 50% of ESPN leagues. Obviously, there is some variation from league to league, so make sure to peruse all available players before making your claims. There could be better players available in your specific league that didn’t qualify for this list.
Week 4 Waiver Pickups: Running Back – Wide Receiver – Tight End – Quarterback – Defense
Joe Burrow, Ryan Fitzpatrick Highlight Fantasy Football Week 4 Quarterback Waiver Wire Pickups
Joe Burrow
Burrow might not be the most efficient quarterback yet, but he has the volume to be an every-week play for fantasy. The reigning first-overall pick had another great fantasy performance in Week 3, completing 31 of his 44 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He did this all against a solid Philadelphia secondary, and he should be able to do it again in Week 4.
Quite frankly, the Cincinnati Bengals present the perfect combination of offensive weapons and terrible defense. Tyler Boyd, Tee Higgins, and A.J. Green form a solid receiving trio that are more than capable of making plays on their own. The defense, meanwhile, can’t stop anything and will force Burrow into pass-happy game scripts. He should have another strong performance against a below-average Jacksonville Jaguars defense.
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick knows how to hang around in a shootout, and he should be playing catch up all day long in Week 4. Fitzpatrick and the Miami Dolphins face off against Russell Wilson and the white-hot Seattle Seahawks. Wilson is playing on another level right now, and Miami won’t stand a chance of stopping him. This means Fitzpatrick will have to throw early and often, and Seattle’s secondaries is one of the worst in the league. This is another smash matchup with tons of scoring opportunities, and Fitzpatrick should be able to make his fantasy owners proud. After all, garbage time points still count.
Baker Mayfield
After a terrible start to the season, Baker Mayfield is starting to bounce back. Last week, the Cleveland Browns quarterback completed 16 of his 23 passing attempts for 156 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. This obviously isn’t anything special, but it didn’t need to be. Cleveland had full control of the game throughout the contest and had the luxury of using the running game to wind down the clock.
That luxury won’t exist in Week 4. Mayfield and the Browns face off against Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have one of the best passing attacks in the league complemented by one of the worst secondaries. This should be an absolute bloodbath, as Mayfield will have to throw constantly to keep up with Prescott. Dallas didn’t have a single cornerback in the top 100 in PFF coverage grade prior to their battle with the Seahawks, and that probably won’t change when the grades come in for Week 3. Mayfield shouldn’t have too much trouble going blow for blow with Prescott.
Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback when he has two reliable options. Fortunately, those two options appear to be present in Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson. Cousins took some time to find his form without Stefon Diggs, but those growing pains appear to be a thing of the past. Thielen is still his reliable self, but Jefferson went off to the tune of seven receptions, 175 yards, and a touchdown. While he obviously won’t be that good on a regular basis, the talent is there for him to be a week-in, week-out reliable weapon for Cousins.
This receiving duo gives Cousins all the talent he needs to put up a good game against the Houston Texans. The Texans have one of the least talented rosters in the league and an elite quarterback in Deshaun Watson. Watson will ensure Houston scores points, and Houston’s terrible defense ensures that Cousins can go blow-for-blow with Watson.
Week 4 Waiver Pickups: Running Back – Wide Receiver – Tight End – Quarterback – Defense
Main photo:
Embed from Getty Images
