The 2018 NFL season is just three weeks old and while many might think it’s premature to start picking up people from their fantasy football waiver wire, they are wrong. Every year a no name blows up in Week 1 and ends up being a top-20 fantasy football player over the remainder of the season. So, instead of letting your competition beat you to the punch, use your fantasy football waiver wire to find the next big thing.
Let’s get things started by taking a look at some fantasy football waiver wire running backs for Week 4.
Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets
Isaiah Crowell scored two touchdowns in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, but Powell actually had more rushing yardage (73, to 34 for Crowell) on two fewer carries (14, to 16 for Crowell). Even with Crowell catching two passes to Powell’s zero in the tame, Powell (five catches in Week 2) is the superior pass catcher.
A tough matchup is coming in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But that may actually play into a bigger role for Powell, with the likelihood of a lot of shorter throws to make things easier on rookie quarterback Sam Darnold. Week 5 (Denver Broncos), Week 7 (Minnesota Vikings) and Week 8 (Chicago Bears) look similarly tough, but the same logic about shorter passes against a fierce pass rush applies.
A workload split with Crowell is not going away, and he’s the better bet for touchdowns. But Powell is a solid fantasy asset himself, especially as a flex option in PPR formats over the coming weeks.
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