Be Careful Targeting This Fantasy Football Pickup For Week 4

Our worst fears were confirmed yesterday: De’Von Achane is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Fantasy football is a forward-thinking game, though, so we must quickly move on.

The question on everyone’s mind is how much to spend on Ollie Gordon, who will easily be the most popular Week 4 waiver wire add.

To answer this question, let’s use the tried-and-true SWOT analysis to help us out (I’ll have the TPS report for you shortly, as well) …

Strengths: Gordon is the clear No. 2 RB on the Dolphins. He was the only RB to receive a carry after Achane left the game in Week 3. As an early-declare prospect out of OSU, he hit a 2,000 scrimmage-yard season.

Weaknesses: He plays on one of the worst offenses in football with very little play volume. As a between-the-tackles grinder, he could easily lose pass-catching work in trailing game scripts—of which there will be many—to another back on the roster (more on that in a sec).

Opportunities: There is clearly rushing volume up for grabs here. Go take a look at your waiver wire and show me another RB who is going to project for 10+ touches a game for the rest of the season. I’ll wait …

You’re back? Ya, like I said …

Threats: RB Jaylen Wright was inactive in Week 3 with a foot injury, so Gordon got all of the carries by default. The team is also very likely to call up Jarquez Hunter from the practice squad and/or sign another body. This could easily devolve into a committee situation.

Summary: It is extremely unlikely that Gordon is a league-winner, but if you are someone hurting at RB or in a deep Guillotine League^TM where options are thin, Gordon is worth a strong bid. His high-end outcomes could put him on the RB2 radar.

So how to play it?

Read this article: What To Do If You Drafted De'Von Achane
Then read this article: Fantasy Football Waiver Wire For Week 4
Put in bids for Gordon that are proportional to how desperate you are for RB help (consult our waiver wire tool for exact % recommendations tailored to your league)
Put in a secondary bid for another RB who is available in 48% of leagues and is also likely stepping into an expanded role for the next month.

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There’s a peace of mind that comes with knowing you have certain players on your fantasy roster. That Joe Burrow-Ja’Marr Chase stack is just so sweet. See Bijan Robinson in that RB1 slot, you can just write him down for 100+ scrimmage yards and a couple TDs. And Trey McBride, just chalk him up for 10+ targets and elite WR numbers out of the TE slot.

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Around the Watercooler

It’s on to Week 4, and your favorite football nerds are back and bringing you the latest news, content and memes from the NFL universe …

💪 Is this QB a starting option in place of disappointing early picks? Live the stream.

🩸 First-round WR on a hot offense … but is he droppable?

😱 The Giants get their QB! Click this for a jump scare.

🤔 Looking for an RB to sub in for a week or two? Maybe more.

👎️ See ya in a month, Baker? An update on Mayfield’s thumb injury.

🚂 This RB just keeps chugging along. No frills, just production.

🏴‍☠️ Could you snap up this WR on a surprise 3-0 team? Raid the competition.

🤝 What can we do about this underperfoming TE? Selling a once-hot QB?

🤷 Jalen Coker is questionable for Week 4. Honestly, good news all things considered.

✈️ A young TE may have arrived. And has a good matchup this week.

🤢 Breece Hall is week-to-week. Here are the details.

🏈 Make sure to grab his backup. Just in case.

🚑️ As if it could get any worse for Travis Etienne … it does.

⬆️⬇️ Why is Dante Moore taking a tumble among draft prospects? Darian Mensah is moving up.

The No. 1 Utilization Takeaway From Week 3 Is …

Quick, someone cue up the Michael Scott meme where he’s running around the office yelling, “It’s happening! Everybody stay calm!” Well, who can stay calm when the No. 3 pick in the draft Jeremiyah Love has announced his presence with authority to the NFL? His Sunday performance against the 49ers may just be the tip of the iceberg for what’s to come, as Dwain McFarland has the lowdown on all things on the Cardinals’ rookie RB. To quote the Beatles, “All you need is Love.”

ANOTHER YOUNG RB SOLIDIFIES HIS ROLE

Stream the Bills DST for Week 4

Forget about the 31 points allowed to the Texans in the opener. The Texans? Giving up the same total to the Lions in Week 2 is more understandable. The Lions score on anybody. Then again, it makes total sense to stream their DST for Week 4. It’s surprisingly the opponent—the Patriots—so says Jonathan Fuller:

“In Week 4, the Bills get to face the NFL's interception leader, Drake Maye. The Patriots offense has been below average at both passing and running the ball, and their deep passing attack, which was so effective last year, has essentially disappeared. This is a home game for Buffalo, and the early line has them favored by 7 points, which is a positive sign for the Buffalo defense. If the Bills control this game the way Vegas thinks they should, they can force Maye to drop back more than the Patriots would like, creating opportunities for the sacks and turnovers that make for big DST scores. I'm not quite putting Maye and the Pats in the favorable matchup column yet, but they certainly aren't a matchup to avoid, and this game checks all the boxes that I like to see when streaming a defense.”

MORE WEEK 4 STREAMERS

Week 3 Overreaction: Time to Bench Maye?

Ready to overreact to the Week 3 winners and worries, the growing list of injuries, and maybe even an early look at the waiver wire? And could you afford to keep starting Drake Maye? That’s what Kendall and Pete have for you and more in the latest edition of the Fantasy Life Show. Catch all the episodes on the Fantasy Life Show YouTube channel by subscribing today.

PUT THE MORTGAGE ON THIS MVP TICKET?