Fantasy Football Week 4: Waiver Wire Pickups
By Dan Thomas
The waiver wire is what will end up making or breaking your fantasy football season. Here are a few players that could help you off the wire in Week 4.
Just like we saw last week, a few key running backs around the NFL were bit by the injury bug. Now some undervalued and under-owned players will have significant roles moving forward. Both in fantasy football and in real life.
For these purposes, we will being using Yahoo! Fantasy Football as a guideline. Any player that is 50 percent owned or less is eligible.
Now, onto the vaunted waiver-wire!
5. Orleans Darkwa, RB — New York Giants (3% Owned)
In Week 3 Giants starting RB Rashad Jennings missed the game due to a thumb injury he suffered in Week 2. Backup RB and passing-down specialist Shane Vereen stepped in and stepped up with 13 touches, 95 yards and 1 touchdown. It looked as if Vereen was going to carry some significant fantasy football value.
That was until he tore his triceps during the game.
The injury is expected to cost Vereen at least two months and possibly the season. In short, he’s worthless to you from a fantasy football perspective.
The next man up for the Giants is former undrafted back Orleans Darkwa. In Week 3 he finished with 11 touches, 62 yards and 1 touchdown. Jennings will more than likely be back in Week 4, but Darkwa should have a role.
If Jennings thumb injury lingers Darkwa could have a valuable role for the rest of the season. Not to mention, it’s entirely possible Jennings suffers another kind of injury at some point. In his seven-year career, he has only played a full 16-game slate just once.