Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire: Khalil Herbert Headlines Must-Add Free Agents
Although the NFL season is less than a month old, the first quarter of the fantasy campaign is almost complete.
Managers should heavily consider benching or outright releasing players who have underwhelmed for three straight weeks. It’s time to start admitting that players who failed to have a noteworthy outing before October are squarely in the bust discussion and put claims in for steady producers.
With that in mind, here are five players you should consider adding. All suggested pickups are rostered in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (45 Percent Rostered)
The Detroit Lions’ explosive offense has been one of the most unexpected storylines of the season. The club is now averaging a blistering 31.7 points per game, the second-most in the league.
Quarterback Jared Goff is one of the main catalysts behind this development and has shown growth in his second season with the club after a rocky first year in the Motor City.
While he’s only completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 748 yards, Goff has thrown seven touchdowns (tying for the fifth-most in football) and has just two interceptions on 112 attempts.
He has a litany of viable pass-catchers surrounding him, including second-year sensation Amon-Ra St. Brown—who leads the team with 253 yards and three touchdowns on 23 receptions—and a rising star at running back in D’Andre Swift.
Goff could post higher point totals in the coming weeks if the Lions’ rushing attack gets stymied. Five of Detroit’s 12 total touchdowns, including two of the team’s three TDs in Week 3, have come on the ground, tying the club for the second-most rushing scores in 2022.
Considering the Lions defense is still a work in progress—Detroit is giving up the fifth-most yards per game and has conceded the most points in the league through three weeks—it's somewhat likely that Goff finds himself involved in plenty of shootouts this season.
Fantasy managers who are disappointed with their drafted QB, such as those who have been relying on Russell Wilson or Tom Brady, or simply want to prepare for upcoming byes in Week 6 should put a waiver claim in for Goff.
Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (49 Percent Rostered)
DraftKings DFS Value: $5,700
Khalil Herbert turned in one of the finest performances at the running back position in Week 3.
The Chicago Bears backup dominated the Houston Texans defense, rushing 20 times for 157 yards and a pair of touchdowns and adding an additional 12 yards on two catches.
The 24-year-old saw an unusually large workload after starter David Montgomery went down with knee and ankle injuries midway through the first quarter and did not return.
While head coach Matt Eberflus said that Montgomery is “good,” Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times noted that Montgomery will be day-to-day, and it remains uncertain if he’ll suit up for Chicago’s Week 4 matchup with the New York Giants.
Even if Montgomery does play, Herbert appears to have established himself as a must-start fantasy back and should see an uptick in volume.
Herbert is following up a strong rookie campaign (4.2 yards per carry) with an even better sophomore season. After a scintillating Week 3 showing, the Virginia Tech product is now averaging an incredible 7.3 yards per tote on the year.
The Bears are off to a 2-1 start despite quarterback Justin Fields throwing just 45 total passes. This rebuilding team is forging an identity around its potent rushing attack—one averaging 186.7 yards per game, the second-most in the NFL—and tough defense.
Herbert's role in this ground game makes him one of the top waiver-wire targets of Week 4 and a great pickup in any format.
He’ll be in the RB1 discussion for any games Montgomery might miss and still has plenty of flex appeal when sharing snaps with the starter.
Greg Dortch, WR, Arizona Cardinals (17 Percent Rostered)
DraftKings DFS Value: $5,000
Greg Dortch may not be a household name, but the Arizona Cardinals’ No. 2 wideout is quickly becoming a must-roster fantasy option.
Dortch has been having a steady number of targets over the first three weeks (7.7 per game) and has been highly productive with those looks.
The second-year receiver has tallied 20 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown already, a seemingly out-of-nowhere performance given the Wake Forest product had just three catches for 15 yards all last season.
There isn’t much competition for targets on Arizona's roster right now, either.
Marquise Brown (34 targets) is the clear-cut main option in the passing game, and Zach Ertz (25 targets) has been a reliable safety valve for Kyler Murray, but no other player has seen more than 15 targets.
Rondale Moore has been sidelined with a hamstring injury and could remain out until Week 5. A.J. Green (13 targets) hasn’t been much of a factor in his second season with the Cardinals. The other wideouts on Arizona's depth chart—Andy Isabella and Andre Baccellia—have combined for just 11 targets.
While Dortch could cool off a bit once superstar DeAndre Hopkins finishes serving his six-game suspension, there are at least three more weeks in which the 24-year-old should be a quality fantasy starter. That status makes him well worth a waiver-wire add in Week 4.
Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers (25 Percent Rostered)
DraftKings DFS Value: $4,500
The Green Bay Packers went into a tough Week 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without two of their top receivers but still came away with a victory largely thanks to a standout performance from rookie wideout Romeo Doubs.
The fourth-round pick had the best game of his career, reeling in all eight of his targets for 73 yards and a score. It became clear that the 22-year-old has earned the trust of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who targeted Doubs more than any other player.
Doubs stepped in with both Sammy Watkins and fellow rookie Christian Watson sidelined with injuries, and the Nevada product’s excellent showing may have earned him more work even after the pair returns to action.
While Watson, the No. 34 overall pick this year, drew more hype following the draft, Doubs has been the more reliable option. Watson had just three catches for nine yards in Week 2 before missing the showdown in Tampa with a hamstring issue.
Green Bay is still attempting to sort out its aerial offense in the wake of Davante Adams’ departure. It’s looked shaky out of the gate—the Packers are averaging a middling 228.7 yards per game through the air—but could improve with Doubs emerging as a much-needed playmaker.
Managers in need of a high-upside WR who they can keep on the roster long term should look no further than this up-and-coming talent.
Tyler Conklin, TE, New York Jets (21 Percent Rostered)
DraftKings DFS Value: $3,600
The New York Jets have thrown a surprising amount with Joe Flacco at the helm. The 37-year-old has tossed more passes than any other quarterback this year, amassing the fifth-most passing yardage and five touchdowns during a stint filling in for injured starter Zach Wilson.
One of Flacco’s go-to options in this pass-happy attack has been tight end Tyler Conklin, who has steadily improved his production each week. After catching four passes in the season opener, he’s added two receptions to his total in each of the last two games, culminating in a solid Week 3 outing in which he reeled in all eight of his targets for 84 yards.
The fifth-year veteran has been getting a steady number of looks throughout September and is now averaging eight targets per game heading into a Week 4 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His 24 targets are also the second-most on the team.
Conklin seems locked in as the No. 1 receiving TE on Gang Green’s roster. C.J. Uzomah, the other veteran tight end who was brought in this offseason, already missed a game with a hamstring issue and hasn’t been a factor when healthy.
Uzomah’s lone catch of 2022 came Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The current pecking order could see a shakeup with Wilson potentially making his 2022 debut this week, but Conklin has clearly been the more effective tight end through three games. He's earned a considerable role regardless of who is lining up under center.
While Conklin may not be carrying fantasy teams on his back, the 27-year-old can provide a reliable floor at a position where it is notoriously difficult to find week-to-week consistency.
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