Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.
For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).
With that said, here are some running back waiver-wire options to consider heading into Week 4 (Yahoo! % rostered in parenthesis):
[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]
1. Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins (47 percent)
The answer to the Jordan Howard-versus-Matt Breida debate has turned out to be "neither." Well, the answer (among only those two backs) may be Howard due to his valuable goal-line opportunities, but Gaskin is clearly the team's running back to own.
Leading the backfield in workload in every game, Gaskins had a whopping 27 touches -- 22 carries and five receptions -- in Week 3. On the season, Gaskin has a total of 53 (60.9% of running back) touches, which compares to only 16 each (18.4%) for both Breida and Howard. Patrick Laird also has two touches (2.3%).
Even though Howard has vultured goal-line carries and should continue to do so as that is his primary role, Gaskins is unlikely to finish the season with no touchdowns assuming he continues to run circles around Howard and Breida in usage.
Despite having no touchdowns on the season, Gaskins is the RB25 in half-PPR scoring formats through Sunday Night Football. Especially in full PPR or half-PPR formats, his role as a receiver boosts his floor, however, as he has a minimum of four catches each week and a total of 15 through three games.
2. Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers (22 percent)
For as long as both Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are sidelined, Wilson remains a potential flex play. In Sunday's win over the Giants, Jerick McKinnon had 17 touches and Wilson had 15 touches. In Week 3, Wilson turned his 15 touches including three receptions into 69 yards and two touchdowns. It's unclear if Mostert, whose MCL sprain is "mild," will miss another game or not.
3. Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots (11 percent)
Heading into Monday Night Football, only Alvin Kamara has scored more fantasy points than Burkhead in Week 3. With James White out, the versatile back carried the ball six times for 49 yards and two touchdowns and added seven catches for another 49 yards and a score on 10 targets. If White returns in Week 4, Burkhead may not see 13 touches, but it could shape up to be more of a White (and Burkhead) game than a Sony Michel type of game against the high-powered Chiefs offense.
4. Carlos Hyde, Seattle Seahawks (18 percent)
The Seahawks have been letting Russ cook as Russell Wilson has opened the season with 14 passing touchdowns in three games. That said, the team is generally run-first and Chris Carson sustained a knee injury at the end of the Week 3 win over the Cowboys. The good news for Carson (and his fantasy owners) is that the injury isn't serious and he has a chance to play in Week 4.
If he's unable to go or the Seahawks are careful with Carson, Hyde could get a large workload in a game with the potential for positive game script as the Dolphins are currently touchdown underdogs in Week 4. Hyde had his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season with Houston last year.
- More Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 4
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