Fantasy Football Week 4: Waiver Wire Pickups

4. Dwayne Washington, RB — Detroit Lions (23% Owned)

Lions starting running back Ameer Abdullah suffered a foot injury back in Week 2. It was widely expected he was going to miss Week 3 and possibly more time. Then on Wednesday, September 21 he was placed on injured reserved.

The direct and main beneficiary to this injury was passing-down specialist Theo Riddick. His bump in playing time and carries was a given. However, there was concern about his ability to be an early-down running back.

Then in Week 3, those concerns were validated.

Riddick saw 10 carries against the Green Bay Packers but could only managed nine yards rushing. Rookie Dwayne Washington also saw 10 carries, but he was able to produce 38 yards on the ground. Now I’m not going to pretend 3.8 YPC is something to brag about, but compared to Riddick’s 0.9 YPC, it’s a lot better.

He should start to see an increased role on first and second down while also serving as the team’s goal line option. Washington’s value is a lot higher in standard leagues compared to PPR but he is worth owning in all leagues. With all the RB injuries around the NFL and with bye weeks starting this week, Washington could be a starting option in lineups as soon as Sunday.