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Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire: Replacements at Running Back and Pass Catcher

Braelon Allen and Jaylen Wright lead the running back options on the Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire. Keenan Allen and Darren Waller are top targets among pass-catchers as injuries impact rosters.

CBS Sports·Sep 29, 2026·via CBS Sports

Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire: Replacements at Running Back and Pass Catcher

Injuries hit us hard once again in Week 3, and Fantasy managers will look to the waiver wire for help. Running back is the biggest concern now after De'Von Achane (ACL) was lost for the season, and we also don't know when Breece Hall (thigh) and Travis Etienne (hamstring) will return to the field. We also had some big injuries at receiver with Justin Jefferson (ankle), Mike Evans (ribs) and Jalen Coker (quadriceps) all getting hurt in Week 3. All three appear to have avoided serious injuries, but we're not sure if any of them will play in Week 4. Baker Mayfield (thumb) was the biggest injury at quarterback, and he's expected to miss at least three weeks. And while we avoided a major injury at tight end, there are streaming options to consider for Week 4, as well as DST and kicker options. This is a good week to spend some FAAB on running back replacements like Braelon Allen (49 percent rostered on CBS Sports), Jaylen Wright (7 percent), Ollie Gordon II (3 percent) and Alvin Kamara (68 percent). Keenan Allen (29 percent) is likely the best receiver you'll find in the majority of leagues. Still, I love several tight ends this week, including Darren Waller (26 percent) and Kenyon Sadiq (44 percent). Remember, bye weeks start in Week 5, so now is a good time to plan ahead on the waiver wire. We don't like injuries, but players who benefit with more playing time can help win Fantasy leagues. You don't want to miss out on any potential league winners.

Editor's note: For this waiver wire column, we are only looking at players rostered in less than 65 percent of CBS Sports leagues.

QB | RB | WR| TE

Week 4 Waivers

Quarterback Running back Wide receiver Tight end

WAIVER WIRE

Quarterbacks

Injuries: Baker Mayfield (thumb), Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Jayden Daniels (elbow) Check to see if available in shallow leagues: Kyler Murray (77 percent rostered) and Sam Darnold (66 percent). It's been a rough start to the season for Murray, who suffered a concussion in Week 1 against Green Bay, missed Week 2 at Chicago and then lost Justin Jefferson (ankle) for Week 3 at Minnesota. I still expect Murray to be a borderline No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues, and I would add him where available heading into Week 4 against Miami, especially if Jefferson is able to play. ... Darnold returned in Week 3 at Washington from his one-game absence with a hip injury and scored 35.7 Fantasy points. He has the chance for another solid outing in Week 4 against the Chargers, and Darnold might have to carry the offense with the run game struggling. Darnold and Drew Lock have combined for 614 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions in the past two games. Drop candidates: Drake Maye (98 percent rostered), Justin Herbert (93 percent) and Baker Mayfield (77 percent). I still have faith that Maye and Herbert will be fantasy-relevant this season, but you can drop them for quarterbacks who are performing better heading into Week 4. Maye has scored 11.8 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row, and you can't start him in Week 4 at Buffalo. Hopefully, when A.J. Brown (ankle) is healthy, we'll see the best of Maye to close the season. The schedule also starts to improve in Week 5 when he faces Las Vegas, the Jets, Chicago, Miami, Green Bay and Detroit for six games in a row. ... Herbert has scored 15.3 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row. He has a brutal stretch of games coming up with Seattle in Week 5, Denver in Week 6, a bye in Week 7, the Rams in Week 8, Houston in Week 9 and Baltimore in Week 10. I'm not sure when you'll be excited to start Herbert in those matchups. ... Mayfield (thumb) is out for at least three weeks, and I'm not sure you'll start him when healthy. He has scored 14.2 Fantasy points or less in all three games this season.

Add in this order:

Week 4 Waiver Priority List

Jacoby Brissett

ARI Arizona

• #7

Age: 33 • Experience: 11 year

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

@ NYG ARI -1 O/U 44.5

OPP VS QB

21st

QB RNK

14th

ROSTERED

23%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

652

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

18.8

In Week 3 at San Francisco, we got the Brissett performance we've been waiting for when he was 38-of-52 passing for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, and he added a rushing touchdown for 29.6 Fantasy points. He has two favorable upcoming matchups at the Giants in Week 3 and against Detroit in Week 4, and Brissett is worth using as a low-end starter in all leagues in those outings. He should be added for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAAB.

Marcus Mariota

WAS Washington

• #8

Age: 32 • Experience: 12 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

vs IND IND -3.5 O/U 47

OPP VS QB

28th

QB RNK

16th

ROSTERED

YTD Stats

PAYDS

294

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

18.6

Mariota would be No. 1 on this list if he were guaranteed to start in Week 4 against the Colts, but Jayden Daniels (elbow) is expected to practice, which gives him a chance to play. That said, if Mariota does start against Indianapolis, then he's worth using as a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues and should be added for up to 5 percent of your remaining FAAB. Mariota just scored 26.4 Fantasy points in Week 3 against Seattle, and the Colts are No. 5 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks this year.

Geno Smith

NYJ N.Y. Jets

• #7

Age: 35 • Experience: 14 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

@ CHI CHI -3.5 O/U 42.5

OPP VS QB

12th

QB RNK

18th

ROSTERED

19%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

783

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

19.6

Smith is coming off his best game in Week 3 at Detroit with 32.1 Fantasy points, and he's worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues in Week 4 against Chicago. The Bears are No. 9 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and the Jets might have to rely more on Smith with Breece Hall (thigh) out. Smith is worth adding in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.

Daniel Jones

IND Indianapolis

• #17

Age: 29 • Experience: 8 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

@ WAS IND -3.5 O/U 47

OPP VS QB

31st

QB RNK

ROSTERED

41%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

611

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

11.4

Jones has yet to have a good Fantasy outing with 13.4 points or less in all three games, but his best performance could happen in Week 4 against Washington. The Commanders are No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Jones is worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues. He should be added where needed for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.

Kirk Cousins

LV Las Vegas

• #8

Age: 38 • Experience: 15 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

vs KC KC -4.5 O/U 47.5

OPP VS QB

1st

QB RNK

24th

ROSTERED

28%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

661

RUYDS

-2

TD

INT

FPTS/G

24.9

Cousins has thrown three touchdown passes in all three games this season against Miami, the Chargers and New Orleans, and he scored at least 26.2 Fantasy points in each of his past two outings. Brock Bowers made his 2026 debut in Week 3 against the Saints, and Cousins now has an elite weapon to use in the passing game. It doesn't appear like Fernando Mendoza will start any time soon, and Cousins is worth adding in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB. I don't love his next two games against Kansas City and New England, but Cousins could continue to surprise us like he has on more than one occasion this year.

Deshaun Watson

CLE Cleveland

• #4

Age: 31 • Experience: 10 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

vs PIT PIT -2.5 O/U 38.5

OPP VS QB

4th

QB RNK

22nd

ROSTERED

29%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

587

RUYDS

105

TD

INT

FPTS/G

21.3

Watson has played well in the past two games, and he is worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues. He should be added where needed for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB. Watson has scored at least 23.7 Fantasy points in each of his past two games against Tampa Bay and Cleveland, and he's averaging 35 rushing yards per game for the season. He doesn't have an easy matchup in Week 4 against Pittsburgh, but Watson could surprise us again with another solid performance on Thursday night. He also faces the Jets in Week 5, which is a more favorable matchup if you're looking ahead.

Michael Penix Jr.

ATL Atlanta

• #9

Age: 26 • Experience: 3 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

@ NO NO -2.5 O/U 48.5

OPP VS QB

22nd

QB RNK

ROSTERED

18%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

256

RUYDS

-2

TD

INT

FPTS/G

16.2

Penix had a solid 2026 debut in Week 3 at Green Bay with 16.1 Fantasy points and hopefully, he'll continue to improve as the season goes on. He's worth using as a low-end starter in deeper leagues, and he should be added for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB. His upcoming schedule isn't the best, but he could be started in deeper formats if needed in Week 4 at New Orleans.

Aaron Rodgers

PIT Pittsburgh

• #8

Age: 42 • Experience: 22 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

@ CLE PIT -2.5 O/U 38.5

OPP VS QB

19th

QB RNK

ROSTERED

15%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

700

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

15.8

Rodgers just had his best game of the season in Week 3 against Cincinnati with 28.7 Fantasy points, and hopefully, he can build off that performance heading into Week 4 at Cleveland. It's not the easiest of matchups, but Rodgers could be useful in Week 5 against Indianapolis. He's worth stashing in deeper leagues for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB.

Jameis Winston

NYG N.Y. Giants

• #19

Age: 32 • Experience: 12 yrs.

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

vs ARI ARI -1 O/U 44.5

OPP VS QB

29th

QB RNK

ROSTERED

16%

YTD Stats

PAYDS

229

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

4.3

Winston had a down game in Week 3 against Tennessee with just 6.1 Fantasy points, but the weather wasn't ideal in his first start in place of Jaxson Dart (knee). Winston is expected to remain the starter despite the Giants adding J.J. McCarthy via a trade from Minnesota on Monday, and New York's upcoming schedule is great, with games against Arizona, Washington and New Orleans in the next three weeks. Winston is worth adding for 1 percent of your remaining FAAB in deeper leagues, and he could be started if needed against the Cardinals in Week 4. In Superflex and two-quarterback leagues, you can stash McCarthy (3 percent rostered) in case he eventually takes over for Winston later in the year.

Jalon Daniels

TB Tampa Bay

• #10

Age: 23 • Experience: Rookie

Weekly Breakdown

MATCHUP

vs GB GB -4 O/U 39.5

OPP VS QB

16th

QB RNK

ROSTERED

YTD Stats

PAYDS

RUYDS

TD

INT

FPTS/G

-1.1

Daniels will start for Baker Mayfield (thumb) for potentially the next three games, and Daniels is worth adding in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues for up to 15 percent of your remaining FAAB. He has two decent matchups in Week 4 against Green Bay and Week 5 at Dallas before facing Pittsburgh in Week 6, and then we'll see if Mayfield can return. Daniels could help Fantasy managers with his rushing ability and hopefully, he can overcome Tampa Bay's struggling offensive line. Ideally, Daniels plays well against the Packers, and then we can start him in Week 5 against the Cowboys if needed.

Case Keenum

CHI Chicago

• #11

Age: 38 • Experience: 14 yrs.

Weekly B

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/football/news/week-4-2026-waiver-wire/)._