The injuries keep mounting in the NFL, but the values and the transactions that can help elevate your team the most may be found heading into Week 4. There are some running backs I am adding off of waivers for every manager regardless of need. Their costs vary depending on your FAAB budget, but they can all impact your team as soon as this week. Additionally, heading into one of the final weeks of the season before bye weeks hit, I have some key trade-for and trade-away targets to prepare you to capitalize on current values. Take a breath–it’s not over for your team. We got this. Now settle in, and let’s make five moves to help you win THIS week.
More than just your standard waiver wire article, 5 Moves to Make will highlight players to watch, cut, and trade for, as well as players you should prioritize before waivers run. It’s your one-stop shop for improving your team week to week. I am excited to bring this article to QB List, and you can look for it EVERY SINGLE TUESDAY MORNING!
Now grab your caffeine, put on your do not disturb Teams and Slack statuses, and let’s get better for Week 3 together.
1. Add Braelon Allen
Braelon Allen has looked like Breece Hall lite so far this season. The fourth-rounder out of Wisconsin has passed the eye test and made an impact in the box score, posting 96 rush yards and 45 receiving yards while scoring 2 touchdowns. He has done all of this on just 25 total touches. Oh, and did I mention that he is the youngest player in the NFL? Allen is officially in handcuff+ territory. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the classification, Handcuff+ running backs are RB2s on their depth chart who are FLEX viable in fantasy football while the RB1 is healthy and has top 15 running back potential should the RB1 miss any time. Spend it all on Braelon Allen if he is available.
2. Add Bucky Irving
Somehow, Bucky Irving is still available in a ton of leagues across all platforms. Irving is averaging over 6.0 yards per carry thus far. In Week 3, he handled over 50% of the rushing snaps with a healthy Rachaad White. The knock on White was always how much he struggled in the run game, and he’s displayed that same inefficiency so far this season, averaging just 2.1 yards per carry. Irving has been the perfect fit for the Buccaneers’ offense this season by adding some much-needed chunk plays in the run game. The part where this gets interesting is Irving also had a 10% target share in Week 3. He was a notable pass catcher in college and looked to be bringing that to his NFL game as well. Right now, the only edge White has over him is his understanding of pass blocking. That is not a guarantee that it will be enough to keep Irving off the field all season long. Todd Bowles has already said Irving has earned more playing time. If he were to approach a 50/50 timeshare with White, Irving would be in RB2 conversations. Irving may break the budget type of player if you aren’t able to snag Allen in this waiver cycle, especially for those managers who are desperate at the running back position.
3. Add Roschon Johnson
A name known in dynasty circles but a lesser-known commodity in redraft leagues, Roschon Johnson is an excellent addition to the end of your bench. The good news is that you don’t need to spend any FAAB, and you can wait until waivers run in most cases. He is a free running back addition. The case for Roschon is clear: he was the best running back for the Bears in Week 3.
Week 3 Bears RB PFF Grades:
75.1 Roschon Johnson
55.9 Khalil Herbert
51.5 D'Andre SwiftSafe to say Roschon has earned more snaps and playing time. pic.twitter.com/UU6LFwPeGJ
— Nick Whalen (@_NickWhalen) September 23, 2024
Johnson compiled 62 total yards and caught four passes while only playing 37% of snaps. The Bears’ play call and personnel usage have been awful (welcome to the Shane Waldron experience). Still, Roschon deserves more work and should have an opportunity to shine again in Week 4 against the injury-riddled Los Angeles Rams defense.
4. Buy JK Dobbins
JK Dobbins predictably had a down game against the Steelers. The former Raven battled his way to 55 total yards while adding three receptions. The counting stats weren’t there for Dobbins, but he played the most snaps of any game this season (65%). Not only that, but he also out-touched Gus Edwards 18 to 3, finally putting that 50/50 timeshare in his rearview mirror. Next week, he has another tough matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, but after the bye, he gets Denver and Arizona. I am kicking the tires on a trade right now, but if all else fails, you have two weeks to make a move before he BOOMS again.
5. Sell Tyreek Hill/Jaylen Waddle
The Miami Dolphins wide receivers are sell-low candidates, as they will only continue to see their stock plummet. Not only did they lose Tua Tagovailoa, but now Skylar Thompson looks unlikely to suit up for at least Week 4. Both Hill and Waddle have receiving yard highs of less than 50 yards when catching passes from non-Tua Quarterbacks for the Dolphins. The volume will be down and the quality of targets will also be signifcantly worse. I am selling both players. Below are some names I would look at targeting for each receiver.
Tyreek Hill trade targets:
Derrick Henry
Alvin Kamara
Drake London
DJ Moore
Diontae Johnson++
Garrett Wilson
Chris Olave
Jaylen Waddle trade targets:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
George Pickens
Keenan Allen
Brandon Aiyuk
DeVonta Smith
Jameson Williams
Zay Flowers
Tony Pollard
Brian Robinson
Joe Mixon
Rhamondre Stevenson
JK Dobbins
Photos by USA Today | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)