5 Best Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups For Week 4

Welcome to The Big Lead's weekly fantasy football waiver wire column. It pairs wonderfully with our weekly start 'em, sit 'em columns. Just in case you wanted to satisfy the fantasy itch to the fullest extent possible.

Here are the best five waiver wire pickups for Week 4. (All stats via ESPN PPR Leagues)

Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (Available in 74 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Herbert had a massive day after David Montgomery went down against the Texans on Sunday, recording 157 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Montgomery is "day-to-day" as things stand so Herbert's long-term value is still in question. But the worst-case scenario here in terms of fantasy is that Herbert splits carries with Montgomery for the next few weeks. The best-case is Montgomery sitting out and Herbert gets the starting gig. Either way, definitely worth the waiver pickup.

Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers (Available in 83 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Doubs was a popular pick to benefit from significant Aaron Rodgers targets this season and finally delivered on the hype last week against the Bucs, posting an eight-catch, 73-yard, one-touchdown line for the Packers. He was aided by the absence of Christian Watson but draft position and depth doesn't matter nearly as much as Rodgers' trust, and Doubs' performance on Sunday went a long way towards earning that. His week-to-week production may fluctuate but Doubs is a great long-term pickup considering how available he is right now.

Jamaal Williams, RB, Detroit Lions (Available in 59 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

Williams isn't exactly a fantasy football secret given he's now in Year 2 of vampiring touchdowns from D'Andre Swift but his value is on a swift rise. The Lions enjoy the NFL's best run game and Swift has a shoulder injury that Dan Campbell said could be a problem for a while. Whether Swift sits for a few weeks or splits carries, Detroit has proven to be a prolific enough offense that Williams is worth a waiver claim regardless. This week could prove especially fruitful with a visit to Seattle and their 29th-ranked fantasy rushing defense.

Russell Gage, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Available in 44 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

As you can see, Gage isn't as available as guys normally are on this list. But what we saw last week in Tampa indicates he's worth it anyway. Gage got a hilarious 13 targets and caught 12 of them for 87 yards and a TD. He won't see that kind of attention with Mike Evans set to return but he clearly has Tom Brady's trust, which is worth quite a bit in fantasyland. The Bucs will likely have to throw the ball a lot to keep up with the Chiefs this week and KC's defense ranks 20th in points given up to wideouts this year, so it's a good matchup on top of everything else.

David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns (Available in 67 Percent of ESPN Leagues)

It seems Njoku's breakout is finally coming courtesy of Jacoby Brissett. Brissett targeted the Browns tight end 10 times last week and Njoku caught nine of them for 89 yards and a TD. It seems Brissett zeroes in on Njoku or Amari Cooper whenever he's forced to pass the ball, and this week's matchup against Atlanta (31st in points given up to tight ends this year) is favorable. Worth striking while the iron is hot here, given we have no idea how Deshaun Watson will look when he comes back in a few months.