Week 4 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups: Chuba Hubbard & Christian Kirk

In Week 3 it seemed like quarterbacks were getting injured left and right. In Week 4 it seemed like wide receivers could not stay on the field. We will highlight some players to consider adding at that position, and others, who are still available in the majority of ESPN leagues. You can also use our Waiver Wire Pickups tool to help find viable NFL fantasy football options and determine how much of your FAAB you might need to use for each player.

Fantasy Football: Week 4 NFL Waiver Wire Pickups | ESPN

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (89% available)

The big injury news for Week 3 happened before Sunday’s slate even kicked off. Christian McCaffrey went down with a hamstring strain Thursday against the Texans and is expected to be out a few weeks. In his absence, Hubbard led the way with 11 carries for 52 yards. He also caught three of five targets for 27 yards. While he does have some competition, Hubbard should be the leader of the Panthers backfield until McCaffery returns.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 1 (13%-15% of FAAB budget)

Royce Freeman, Carolina Panthers (99% available)

Freeman is the other option that the Panthers have in their backfield. He carried five time for 17 yards once McCaffrey went down, and he also caught his lone target for 8 yards. After failing to live up to expectations with the Broncos, Freeman actually has a chance to fill an important role for the Panthers the next few weeks. Hubbard has the higher ceiling, but if he were to suffer any sort of injury, Freeman would be extremely busy.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 2 (8%-10% of FAAB budget)

Alexander Mattison, Minnesota Vikings (59% available)

Normally, Mattison does not receive much work behind Dalvin Cook. Across the Vikings’ first two games, he had a total of four carries for 13 yards. However, should anything happen to Cook, Mattison has shown that he can be extremely productive. That happened again Sunday when, with Cook (ankle) out, Mattison turned 26 carries into 112 yards. In addition to his work on the ground, he caught six of eight targets for 59 yards. Cook’s injury is not thought to be overly serious, so Mattison could return to a limited role as early as next week. However, adding Mattison now to the bench could pay off in a major way if Cook goes down again.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 3 (5%-8% of FAAB budget)

Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals (77% available)

DeAndre Hopkins (rib) was able to suit up Sunday, but he was not his productive self. He received six targets, finishing with a modest three catches for 21 yards. Kirk stepped up in his place, catching seven of eight targets for 104 yards. He had two touchdowns in Week 1 and has now finished with at least 65 yards receiving in all three games. As part of an explosive Cardinals offense, he can be productive on a weekly basis, even when Hopkins is completely healthy.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 4 (1%-3% of FAAB budget)

Emmanuel Sanders, Buffalo Bills (77% available)

The Bills demolished Washington thanks to Josh Allen throwing for 358 yards and four touchdowns. Sanders was one of his main beneficiaries, catching five of six targets for 94 yards and two touchdowns. He had at least six targets in all three games this season, so with Allen at the helm, Sanders has the ability to explode like he did Sunday in any given week.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 5 (1%-3% of FAAB budget)

Kadarius Toney, New York Giants (97% available)

It has been ugly for the Giants, who seem to find new ways to lose games each week. They are off to an 0-3 start, and now injuries are starting pile up. They lost two wide receivers Sunday, with both Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton suffering hamstring injuries. With how tricky hamstrings are, it would not be a surprise to see either or both sidelined next week. That might force the Giants to draw up more plays for the explosive Toney, who has mostly been an afterthought in their offense so far.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 6 (1% of FAAB budget)

Kalif Raymond, Detroit Lions (99% available)

The Lions almost pulled off a miracle against the Ravens but were thwarted by a 66-yard field goal by Justin Tucker as time expired. Their defense did an impressive job of holding the Ravens to 19 points, but their offense struggled to put points on the board. Raymond was one of their few bright spots, as he caught six of his 10 targets for 68 yards. With Tyrell Williams (concussion) on IR, Raymond could lead the Lions wide receiver group moving forward. His upside is still fairly limited, though, given how often they like to throw to tight end T.J. Hockenson and their running backs.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 7 (1% of FAAB budget)

Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team (96% available)

The bad with Heinicke against the Bills is that he finished with just 212 yards passing and two interceptions. The good was that he had two touchdowns through the air and one on the ground. He has four touchdowns passes across two games as a starter and is a viable option in what should be a favorable matchup against the Falcons in Week 4. Even with two of his top three wide receivers injured, Daniel Jones completed 24 of 35 passes for 266 yards against Atlanta on Sunday.

Week 4 Waiver Wire Priority: 8 (1% of FAAB budget)

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