Waiver Wire Teases - Players To Avoid Or Not Overspend On

September 29, 2020

Scott Engel's fantasy football players who could be waiver wire busts or waste your FAAB dollars in Week 4. Don't overspend on them, and fade these free agents.

Remember when Nyheim Hines was the hottest pickup in Fantasy Football in Week 1? He was supposed to be the next Austin Ekeler, but he completely disappeared a week later. Fantasy players have also been teased by the likes of Benny Snell Jr., and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who has proven to be a waiver wire bust prior to this season.

You must be very careful to not overreact to splashy fantasy outings from players who don’t have much of a track record of previous success or are not ticketed for consistent roles in the offenses of their NFL teams. Fantasy players also often speculate on potential waiver sleepers who often turn out to be non-contributors. Your priority waiver claims and FAB dollars are important. So we want to make sure you don’t overspend our use a priority pick on a player who may not be worthy. You should temper expectations on unproven or less established performers who suddenly bust out.

We are not suggesting the players on this list should be fully avoided or it is impossible for them to build on surprising short-term outings. But do not make them priority claims or overspend on them. They may be more likely to burn you than help you.  The rundown includes both players coming off surprising outings and others who you may be speculating on. Some of the lesser players on this list may not be worth rostering if you have to drop a respectable bench option.

Potential Waiver Wire Teases - Week 4

Rex Burkhead, RB, NE: He was the No. 2 scorer at running back in Week 3, but savvy fantasy players know a different RB could shine in any given week for New England. Anyone remember Jonas Gray? Plus, James White and Damien Harris could both be back soon.

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR/RB, CHI: Some may speculate that the season-ending injury to Tarik Cohen could give Patterson some more opportunities for offensive touches. Maybe so, but he won’t get enough quality work to make any sort of Fantasy impact.

Travis Homer, RB, SEA: Carlos Hyde will be the lead ball carrier while Chris Carson is out, that is why the Seahawks signed him. Homer is a complementary and third down back with very limited Fantasy appeal.

Chris Thompson, RB, JAC: He caught five passes in Week 3, but James Robinson dominates the quality touches in the Jaguars backfield and Thompson is no longer the same potentially explosive performer he was a few years ago.

La'Mical Perine, RB, NYJ: He carried seven times in Week 3, but as long as Adam Gase is still the head coach, Frank Gore will remain ahead of the rookie on the depth chart, and Le'Veon Bell is returning soon.

Anthony McFarland Jr., RB, PIT: We saw some glimpses of him as a ball carrier in Week 3, but if James Conner goes down again, the RB touches may split between McFarland and Benny Snell.

Cedrick Wilson, WR, DAL: While everyone was expecting CeeDee Lamb to torch the Seahawks, Wilson spoiled the projected Fantasy fun, unexpectedly catching five passes for 107 yards and two TDs. He still figures to be nothing more than Dallas’ No. 4 WR, though, and his Week 3 outing will soon be forgotten.

Greg Ward Jr., WR, PHI: He stepped up for the receiver-needy Eagles on Sunday, catching eight passes for 72 yards and a TD. But Ward has been called on to play a larger role in the passing game before and has shown almost no big-play ability and he is just a decent chain-mover. He produced seven catches for 61 yards in his best outing last year but only caught three balls for 24 yards when he was needed the most in the NFC Wild Card game. There is zero upside here with a strong chance of a disappearing act at any time.

Hunter Renfrow, WR, OAK: After flashing late last season, Renfrow re-emerged in Week 3, catching six passes for 84 yards and a TD. But once Henry Ruggs returns, his role in the passing game could be reduced again.

Randall Cobb, WR, HOU: He caught four passes for 95 yards and a TD in Week 3. But his best seasons are already behind him and Cobb totaled just 82 yards in his first two games of the season.

Kalif Raymond, WR, TEN: This downfield ace finished with 118 yards on just three catches on Sunday, with receptions of 61 and 44 yards. He is nothing more than an occasional deep ball specialist, though, and should not be rostered in any leagues.

Gabriel Davis, WR, BUF: The somewhat unheralded rookie caught four passes for 81 yards in Week 3. But he will continue to be lower on the receiving depth chart and you cannot expect frequent Fantasy contributors.

Jimmy Graham, TE, CHI: The former Fantasy star caught five balls for 60 yards and scored twice in Week 3. But he had just 43 receiving yards in his first two games and is mostly just a short yardage scoring specialist at this point of his career. He is either end zone or bust and only a mid-range Fantasy TE2 at best. Think of Graham as you would Jordan Howard, a goal-line only RB.

Tyler Kroft, TE, BUF: He caught two TD passes on Sunday, but he has teased briefly before in his career, only to quickly return to irrelevance. He was filling in for an injured Dawson Knox, who does not contribute much himself.

Jace Sternberger, TE, GB: Some of the Fantasy players who targeted Sternberger as a possible sleeper in the preseason may have gotten a bit excited on Sunday when he caught three passes for 36 yards. Robert Tonyan, however, has emerged as Green Bay’s No. 1 pass-catching TE for now and may not budge from the spot for awhile.

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