Most weeks, the waiver wire pickups at quarterback are really just glorified streamers. But the Week 4 waiver wire does have one player who might just be an every-week starter. We now have three weeks’ worth of data and can start to form stronger opinions on the season-long fantasy football value of these players. With that in mind, let’s examine a couple of potential QB targets on the wire this week.
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Top QB Waiver Wire Targets in Week 4
More Waiver Wire Targets: WRs | TEs | RBs
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (19% Rostered)
The rookie signal-caller in Houston is legit. Stroud lit up the Jaguars in Week 3, completing 20 of 30 passes for 280 yards and two touchdowns. That’s consecutive 20-point games for Stroud.
MORE: Early Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
The schedule is decent, with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons coming up, but this is about Stroud being a legitimate startable quarterback for the rest of the season. It’s not a certainty, but after this performance, now is the time to make the move if you need a QB.
FAAB Recommendation: 4-6%
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0% rostered)
It’s time for a good old-fashioned revenge game, folks. Jameis Winston is now set to be the starting QB for the New Orleans Saints in Week 4 due to Derek Carr’s injury, and he gets a matchup against the porous Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary.
While it’s still a complete unknown as to how exactly Winston will perform in this game, he has plenty of playmakers who can help take the pressure off of him. There’s a strong chance that he ends the week as a top-12 QB for fantasy, and he’s available everywhere.
— Analysis by Kyle Yates
Which QBs Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Jared Goff or Dak Prescott?
Through three weeks, Dak Prescott has been very underwhelming. Seeing him thoroughly fail against what is supposed to be the worst team in the NFL was incredibly disappointing.
Jared Goff is not blowing the doors off of anyone, though. In a plum home matchup against the Falcons, he threw for just 243 yards and a touchdown while adding one on the ground. Goff has definitely been better than Prescott, though.
What this comes down to is purely matchups. There is no clear answer as to who the better fantasy QB is. Both of these guys are on the QB1/2 border. The answer to which one you should roster is whoever has the better matchup in the week you need to start him. Both are more streamer than every-week starter.
Should You Roster Trevor Lawrence or Kirk Cousins?
I can’t imagine anyone is dropping Trevor Lawrence just yet. It’s only been three weeks, and it’s not as if he’s been a total disaster. But he certainly hasn’t built upon the strides he made in the second half of last season. In fact, Lawrence has regressed considerably.
The issue with Kirk Cousins is always the same. He’s going to give you back-end QB1 numbers. No more. No less. It’s what he does every year. But the way he does it is by mixing in some really strong outings. If Lawrence is not going to display that ceiling we saw last season, then he’s just a worse version of Cousins.
MORE: Fantasy Buy Low, Sell High Week 4
This one comes down to what you believe. Do you think Lawrence can turn it around? If not, then Cousins is undoubtedly the safer option. We know he won’t completely fail — he’s done it for too long. But he’s never going to be a difference-maker at the position. Are you willing to take the shot Lawrence can still become that? Right now, I am, but my confidence is certainly wavering.