While rules and scoring aren’t uniform across all fantasy football leagues, there are critical details no matter if an owner plays at ESPN, Yahoo or anywhere else.
Chief among those details? The fact that the waiver wire is a key component to a championship.
Fantasy owners can be the best drafters and know how to pick the guy or gal most susceptible to making a boneheaded trade. But the season is a lengthy one and even the best teams need reinforcement.
Week 4 offers plenty of breaks for fantasy owners in need, as a look at some of the top adds shows:
Those ownership percentages at ESPN speak for themselves. Over at Yahoo, Cleveland Browns wide receiver Terrelle Pryor and Chicago Bears running back Jordan Howard lead the way with more than 312,000 adds. Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph is the next closest with more than 162,000.
Indeed, it is an incredible week to have a need. Here is a closer look at some of the top names to know.
Dwayne Washington, RB, DET (20.3 percent owned)
With Ameer Abdullah lost to injury, it was only a matter of time before the Detroit Lions gave Dwayne Washington some run.
A seventh-round rookie might not sound like the most appealing add right now, sure. But the Washington product has slowly started to take things over for the ineffective Theo Riddick, who just rushed 10 times for nine yards in a loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Rotoworld’s Evan Silva explained it best:
Washington looks like the latest example of why owners should never fret if they lose a running back. The position is so deep a seventh-round player could now take every-down duties on a prolific offense.
Just in time, too, because the Lions next get the Chicago Bears, who have now allowed 20 or more points to two opposing backfields in a row.
Orleans Darkwa, RB, NYG (5.1 percent owned)
Injury has struck the New York Giants as well and has a sneaky name looking like a good add on the wire.
This time it is Orleans Darkwa, who will see plenty of run with Shane Vereen lost for the season. While NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said there is “optimism” Rashad Jennings will return this week, Darkwa will still see a major uptick in usage.
That is nothing but a great outlook for owners in need. Darkwa took 10 carries for 53 yards and a score last week, good for 11 points. He hadn’t scored in the two weeks prior, but it is clear an expanded role will help the versatile back put up numbers.
Darkwa doesn’t have the best matchup against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4, but he is more of a long-term add with a huge chunk of the backfield now belonging to him.
Jamison Crowder, WR, WAS (11.1 percent owned)
Savvy owners will take huge advantage of the majority ignoring Jamison Crowder’s role with the pass-happy Washington Redskins.
Many only look at the final tally, which is a mistake. Sure, Crowder only has outings of five, nine and 13 points so far. But he also has target counts of 10 and seven twice, which actually ties him with fellow wideout DeSean Jackson and tight end Jordan Reed.
Crowder has now scored in two consecutive games. His 13 points last week were great, but look even better when one factors in he had a 50-yard punt return, a missed catch five yards from scoring and a deep play ruined by pass interference. There’s this usage nugget as well, per NFL.com’s Matt Harmon:
From the looks of the usage, Crowder will continue to be one of the most important players on the Washington offense and a steady fantasy contributor.
It is quickly getting to the point where there is no excuse for Crowder to sit available in any league.
Kyle Rudolph, TE, MIN (40.7 percent owned)
Many likely gave up on the aforementioned Rudolph when Minnesota starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater went down with an injury.
The situation looked dire, especially because newly acquired signal-caller Sam Bradford didn’t suit up in Week 1, helping the star tight end go on to score only six points.
Bradford started in Week 2 and things couldn’t look more reassuring, though. Rudolph has now scored in two consecutive games, going for nine and 13 points and planting himself second in scoring overall at the position.
The early signs hint at Rudolph being one of the most consistent scorers with a great floor at the position. For owners who know tight end, any safe space with a consistent floor is perhaps more rare than anything in fantasy football.
Maybe it doesn’t keep up, but Rudolph is worth the stash on the seemingly strong chance it does.
All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
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