Fantasy Football Waiver Wire, Week 4: Last call on Khalil Herbert and other top pickups

If your rosters are loaded with little red Os and Qs and IRs following Week 3 ... well, you are definitely not alone. It was a rough weekend. We can't promise to fix all your fantasy issues, but we can offer a few potentially useful adds ahead of Week 4. Below you'll find a collection of approved pickups, all of them available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues. Let's begin with a running back who honestly should have been scooped up weeks ago...

Priority adds at running back

Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears (50% rostered)

If Herbert happens to remain unattached in your league, it's time to finally correct that oversight. He took over in Chicago's backfield after David Montgomery was injured on Sunday and he almost immediately found the end zone:

That was the first and arguably most impressive of Herbert's two touchdowns against the Texans. He finished with 157 rushing yards on 20 carries. Last season, during a four-game stretch in which Montgomery was sidelined, Herbert averaged 97 scrimmage yards and 22 touches per week. There is zero doubt regarding his ability to perform at a fantasy-relevant level, despite the otherwise dismal state of the Bears offense. Herbert deserves a substantial role even when Montgomery is fully healthy.

Recommended waiver offer, assuming $100 budget: Officially $31. But if you have a glaring need, get aggressive.

Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals (6%)

Joe Mixon was inefficient again on Sunday (12-24-0) and he picked up an ankle issue, which led to a greater-than-expected dose of Perine, who gained 61 yards on 11 touches. Cincinnati has a quick and daunting turnaround this week as the team faces Miami on Thursday night, so any lingering issue for Mixon is a concern (though the ankle isn't expected to be a significant worry). Perine seems likely to share the backfield responsibilities to some extent; we already know he's a capable receiver and a decisive no-frills runner. He's back on the radar, deserving deep league attention.

Offer: $6

Other running backs to add: Tyler Allgeier (he's no threat to 31-year-old Cordarrelle Patterson at the moment, but he is seeing regular touches as a rotational back), Justice Hill (in J.K. Dobbins' long-awaited return, Hill actually out-snapped him, 29 to 26; also, just look at this ridiculous piece of running), Rex Burkhead (he's not the most dynamic ball-carrier you're gonna see, but Dameon Pierce's recent ball-security issues should keep the vet relevant), J.D. McKissic (he has 13 catches on 16 targets over the last two weeks), Craig Reynolds (you probably can't add Jamaal Williams, but Reynolds is surely available and likely to get some run for however long D'Andre Swift is sidelined with a shoulder injury).

Wide receivers on the wire

Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (26%)

After a remarkably buzzy preseason, Doubs held a rotational receiving role for Green Bay to open the year. His snaps were limited in the season's first two weeks — 35 in the opener, then 25 against the Bears — but at least he was involved.

In Week 3, however, with Christian Watson and Sammy Watkins both injured and inactive, Doubs' services were desperately needed — and the rookie produced a near-flawless game. He caught all eight of his targets for 73 yards, with an early score included:

It felt like the sort of breakout that may rearrange the receiving hierarchy for the Packers. Doubs rarely came off the field against Tampa, playing 55 of 62 offensive snaps. The rookie has sticky hands and he's tied to a quarterback with pinpoint accuracy, so his situation is close to ideal. Targets won't be an issue if he continues to perform as he did on Sunday. It's hard to believe there isn't someone in every fantasy league who should be taking a flier on the rookie.

Offer: $16

George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers (40%)

If you've been dissatisfied with the level of fantasy production from Pickens in the opening weeks, it's understandable. Just please don't question his receiving aptitude:

Pickens drew a season-high seven targets on Thursday night, hauling in three for 39 yards and delivering the catch of the year. He's a size/speed combo player who rarely comes off the field for Pittsburgh, having played over 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps in each of the first three weeks. At some point soon, a breakout game is coming. We might need the Steelers to finally make the switch to Kenny Pickett at QB in order to unlock Pickens, but the rookie receiver's talent and upside are obvious.

Offer: $13

Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills (42%)

With the exception of the whole didn't-get-out-of-bounds thing (which may not have been the easiest task) at the end of Sunday's loss to the Dolphins, McKenzie was excellent in the heat at Miami. He caught seven balls for 76 yards and one TD on nine chances. We'd been waiting on a significant target total from Buffalo's slot receiver; now that it's happened, he really needs to be scooped up in a few additional leagues. Investing in the Bills offense seems like a decent idea.

Offer: $11

Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars (11%)

We all had jokes about Jacksonville's spending decisions at receiver during free agency, but the early returns have been excellent. Jones hauled in 10 of 11 targets in Sunday's decisive win over the Chargers, with a 14-yard score included. The Jaguars are averaging 28.0 points and 375.7 total yards per game, so this appears to be an offense that can support multiple fantasy weapons. Trevor Lawrence has taken the exact leap we should have expected under a real coaching staff. Jones should be considered a respectable PPR option moving forward; when the byes hit, he's likely to rank as a solid starter.

Additional wide receivers to consider: Mack Hollins (we're three games into his season and he's already reached a career-high in receiving yards; he's no more than the No. 4 option in theory, but he's seen 18 targets over the past two weeks), Michael Gallup (we appear awfully close to seeing his 2022 debut and it won't take him long to reestablish himself as the clear No. 2 receiving option in Dallas), Wan'Dale Robinson (he's a flier worth taking following Sterling Shepard's Monday night knee injury; New York clearly had big plans for the rookie entering the season), Russell Gage (he's coming off a heroic 12-catch game while battling injury, but he has almost no shot at seeing that sort of workload when Tampa's full receiving corps is healthy and active), Greg Dortch (he's caught 20 balls over three games and Arizona continues to deal with injury and suspension issues at receiver).

And a small batch of serviceable tight ends: Jelani Woods (the gigantic rookie is only rarely seeing the field, but he scored twice on his 16 snaps on Sunday), Evan Engram (had a touchdown wiped out by replay review flagrant replay overreach in the win against the Chargers), Robert Tonyan (the yardage totals have been disgusting so far, but he did see seven targets on Sunday against the Bucs), Logan Thomas (yeah, he was a notable dud in Week 3, but this is a talented receiver who's playing two-third of the snaps for Washington).

Quarterbacks to stream or stash

Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (22%)

OK, sure, Mariota is turning the ball over at an unacceptable rate and he may lose his starting job to a third-round rookie at some point. But if we can set those issues aside for a moment, let's try to focus on the positive aspects of Mariota's profile. He's the guy who gets to throw to Drake London and Kyle Pitts, which is nice. He's also a dual-threat QB who has rushed for 92 yards and a pair of scores over his three games. Atlanta is headed home to face a perfectly middle-of-the-pack Cleveland defense that isn't creating takeaways, so the upcoming matchup shouldn't scare you off. Mariota is a reasonable streaming option for those who can't commit to a single QB over a full season.

Offer: $4

Also on the approved list at QB: Jared Goff (he's averaging 250 and 2 TDs each week and hasn't yet produced a dud, and Seattle is up next), Geno Smith (hey, he's the guy who gets to throw to D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett), Matt Ryan (if it feels like it's the same rogues gallery of QBs each week around here ... well, you're not wrong).

For those streaming defenses

Miami Dolphins (15%)

The undefeated Dolphins did a pretty fair job against the Bills on Sunday, all things considered (with a huge assist to the scorching heat in Miami). This defense gets a tough assignment at Cincinnati on Thursday night, but they're facing a quarterback who's been sacked a league-high 15 times. Joe Burrow is a party of a player, but he also puts the ball at risk as much as any upper-tier QB. Miami has a decent shot at three or more sacks with a turnover or two.

Offer: $2

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