Waiver Flavor: Week 4 FAAB Report

Week 4 starts tonight and with it we get our first look at Michael Vick starting in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger who is expected to be sidelined for the next 4-to-6 weeks.  Vick saw himself claimed in just over 20% of fantasy leagues this week as bye weeks and injury replacement boosted his value.  In this addition of the FAAB Report we take a closer look at what players were the most added heading into Week 4 and what their outlook is for the coming weeks.

Quarterbacks

Derek Carr, OAK- Carr saw his average ownership in standard leagues nearly double this week as he jumped from just under 20% to just under 45% ownership.  Carr’s value increase comes on the heels of consecutive performances where he threw for over 300 yards and at least two touchdowns.  Week 4 brings about the first wave of bye weeks where two of the top scoring quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Marcus Mariota will be riding the bench sending their owners looking for a replacement.  Carr has a very favorable matchup in Week 4 against the Bears but things do get a bit tougher from there as the Raiders face the Broncos, Chargers and Jets which all have a solid secondary and will be a true test as to whether or not Carr has taken that next step in his development.

FAAB Bid- $15-$20

Andy Dalton, CIN-  Like Carr, Dalton saw his ownership in standard leagues nearly double this week as he now finds himself owned in nearly 70% of fantasy leagues after being owned in under 40% heading into Week 3.  Dalton has ranked among the top scoring fantasy quarterbacks through three weeks, throwing for 866 yards and eight touchdowns.  A favorable matchup against the Chiefs await Dalton in Week 4 but that is followed up with games against the Seahawks and Bills before the Bengals head into the bye week.  A healthy A.J. Green is a tough man to stop which should allow Dalton to continue to put up some decent fantasy numbers but he is certainly a risky play during Weeks 5 and 6 given the opponents.

FAAB Bid- $15-$20

Tyrod Taylor, BUF- Taylor saw his ownership jump to just over 70% heading into Week 4 as the Buffalo quarterback has been outstanding through three games, throwing for 714 yards and seven scores while adding 96 yards and a touchdown on the ground.  Of the two previous quarterbacks mentioned in this article Taylor has the most favorable of schedules coming up as the Bills draw the Giants in Week 4 and then face off against the Titans, Bengals and Jaguars before heading into their Week 8 bye.  Taylor’s ability to scramble should allow for a decent floor level of production but fantasy owners should take caution given that through three games he has completed a ridiculous 74.4% of his passes which would have topped the league in 2014.

FAAB Bid-$20-$25

Michael Vick, PIT- Vick went from nearly 0% ownership to just over 20% ownership thanks to the injury suffered by Ben Roethlisberger.  Vick now quarterbacks an offense with great weapons like Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell in Week 4 against a Ravens defense that has been torn to shreds over the past two weeks.  It was not too long ago that Vick was a top fantasy quarterback while playing for Chip Kelly and the Eagles but with his age he has become much more injury prone.  I expect the Steelers to keep the playbook simple for Vick given the short week but he could still be in for a productive day if the Ravens struggles continue.  Roethlisberger has a timetable of 4-6 weeks which would put Vick’s upcoming opponents as the Ravens, Chargers, Cardinals, Chiefs, Bengals and Raiders which is really a mixed bag making Vick at best a matchup play.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Running Backs

Karlos Williams, Buf- Williams saw a nearly 50% jump in his ownership heading into Week 4 thanks to LeSean McCoy’s balky hamstring which may force him to sit out against the Giants.   Even as a backup this season Williams has brought plenty of fantasy value as he finds himself ranked as the 10^th highest scoring back this season.  Williams draws a favorable Week 4 matchup against the Giants who have allowed the fifth most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

FAAB Bid- $15-$20

Chris Johnson, ARI- Johnson saw his ownership rate increase by nearly 20% following his impressive Week 3 output against the 49ers where he ran for 110 yards and two scores on 22 carries.  These new owners for Johnson are likely late to the party as Andre Ellington is set to return in Week 4 and will cut into some of Johnson’s production even with Head Coach Bruce Arians proclaiming Johnson will see between 15-20 carries a game with Ellington back.  A surprisingly favorable Week 4 matchup against a Rams defense which is typically stingy against the run but has struggled this season is on deck so Johnson could be in line for another nice game.

FAAB Bid- $10-$15

Thomas Rawls, SEA- With Marshawn Lynch questionable for Week 4 with a hamstring injury Rawls has seen his ownership increase to just under 25% in standard leagues after he rushed for 104 yards on 16 carries against the Bears in Week 3.  It was an interesting move to see Rawls lead the backfield with the presence of Fred Jackson on the depth chart but it seems as if the Seahawks are content with Jackson in the passing catching role and will use Rawls as their early down back if Lynch is unable to go.  There is certain short term value with Rawls but as soon as Lynch is ready to go it is back to the bench.

FAAB Bid- $5-$10

Wide Receivers