Time to Bench These Players? + Week 4 Waiver Wire Must-Adds | Fantasy Focus
The crew recaps a rough Monday Night Football beatdown of the Eagles by Case Keenum's Bears, breaks down what J.J. McCarthy's benching for Jameis Winston means for Giants pass-catchers down the line, and dives into a gnarly Week 4 waiver wire where three starting running backs (Breece Hall, Alvin Kamara/Travis Etienne, Devon Achane) are all out or dinged up. They close with a 'Fish or Cut Bait' segment weighing whether to keep starting struggling names like Drake Maye, Kyle Pitts, and Cortland Sutton.
This episode of Fantasy Focus Football mixes breaking news reaction (the Giants' surprise QB swap, Justin Jefferson's ankle) with a grim Week 4 waiver board dominated by injury-driven running back committees, and closes with a lineup-triage segment sorting struggling skill players into "keep starting" versus "bench for now" buckets. The through-line: with three starting backfields (Jets, Saints, Dolphins) suddenly murky and several high-pedigree skill players underperforming, the hosts argue patience and matchup-chasing matter more than panic this week.
The arguments
The Giants trading a fifth-round pick for J.J. McCarthy is a dynasty-relevant dart throw, not a Week 4 story. Jameis Winston stays the starter for now, but Daniel Dopp relayed stats from Kyle Soppy showing McCarthy ranked sixth in passer rating to tight ends last year and dead-last (33rd) throwing to backs/receivers, making Isaiah Likely a name to watch once McCarthy eventually starts. Michael Clay noted McCarthy went 3-0 against the NFC East in his limited starts, while the group agreed his 6.7 YPA/58% completion efficiency with 11 TDs-12 INTs last year is mediocre but not disqualifying for future dynasty value.
Justin Jefferson's ankle status directly dictates the Week 4 Vikings WR plan. Ian Rapoport reported clean imaging and a chance to play Sunday against Miami, but the hosts flagged a recent pattern of similar early-week optimism collapsing into missed games. Their instruction: start Jefferson if he's active; if he sits, Jordan Addison (coming off a 20-point week) becomes a strong start in a plus matchup.
The Bears' pass-catching hierarchy needs a reset after Caleb Williams' injury-marred, weather-hampered outing. Field Yates and Clay agreed it's too early to draw final conclusions on Bears players given Williams has effectively played one real game, but they split the pecking order clearly: Luther Burden is the Bears receiver they trust most and should be in lineups; Kalief Raymond is outproducing Rome Odunze in targets and is more startable right now; Odunze is unstartable despite talent and hope for a breakout once fully healthy; Colston Loveland is a fringe TE1 at best, in a tier with Dalton Schultz/Hunter Henry, given only four targets on 34 attempts. Yates floated an uncomfortable Marvin Harrison Jr. comparison for Odunze given his slow start relative to preseason hype.
The Eagles' passing offense is broken beyond the quarterback, and Saquon Barkley's role has been diminished. Jalen Hurts has fallen to fringe QB1 territory with minimal rushing production, and the hosts pointed to Andy Dalton's goal-line interception and Hurts' concussion check as the game's turning point against a Bears defense missing key pieces. Barkley remains excellent on a per-carry basis (over five yards per carry) but isn't getting goal-line work (still ceded to the tush push) or receiving work (negative receiving yards in multiple games), which caps his weekly ceiling; Dontavian Wicks is viewed as a boom-bust complementary piece rather than a real second option behind DeVonta Smith.
Week 3's top-five fantasy quarterbacks (Purdy, Darnold, Geno Smith, Brissett, Keenum) prove matchup volatility, not talent, is driving quarterback scoring. The hosts explicitly said not to claim any of those backups off waivers generally, using the results to argue that streaming decisions should hinge on opponent rather than name recognition — a theme they carried into naming this week's actual streamer targets.
Three simultaneous backfield injuries (Breece Hall, Alvin Kamara-less Saints via Travis HN—Kendre Miller/CJ Donaldson mess, Devon Achane) make this a rough, low-conviction waiver week at running back. Braylon Allen is the top priority add (played all 17 snaps after Hall's injury, favorable Bears run defense) but won't crack either host's top-20 RB4 ranks; Alvin Kamara is the priority Saints add despite being one of the league's least efficient backs, with Kendre Miller and CJ Donaldson complicating the picture and Atlanta's strong run defense looming; Ollie Gordon is a deep-league-only flyer given Miami's brutal remaining stretch (Minnesota, Cincinnati, bye). Both hosts agreed the best value add of the week isn't any of these players but Zach Charbonnet as a rest-of-season stash, and separately, streaming quarterbacks (Marcus Mariota vs. Indianapolis, Jacoby Brissett vs. Giants/Lions, Kyler Murray still available in 40% of leagues vs. Miami) and Jets rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq (already ninth in fantasy points per game at the position) as the week's cleanest adds.
Several struggling skill players get graded "fish" (keep starting) versus "cut bait" (bench, don't drop) in the closing segment. Drake May and Bo Nix both stay rostered on upside (May's rushing pace, prior top-three fantasy finish; Nix's rising passing volume) but get benched as Week 4 starters in favor of matchup plays. Jameson Williams and Quinshon Judkins remain must-starts despite poor results because opportunity (30+ snaps weekly for Williams, 17-20 touches for Judkins) hasn't translated to production yet. Kyle Pitts is downgraded to barely rosterable after his snap share and target share both collapsed compared to last season. Cortland Sutton is bench/flex-only, not droppable, given his continued end-zone target usage. Kenny Gainwell is a stash-only insurance handcuff behind an injury-prone Bucky Irving.
What it means for your roster
- Add Braylon Allen and Alvin Kamara as top-two waiver priorities this week, but treat both as flex-only plays, not confident starters, given crowded backfields and tough Week 4 matchups (Chicago run defense favors Allen; Atlanta's stingy run D is a red flag for Kamara).
- Prioritize Zach Charbonnet as the single best rest-of-season stash available this week over any of the injury-replacement backs — both hosts ranked him above Allen/Kamara/Gordon for long-term value.
- Claim Kenyon Sadiq now if available; the hosts view him as a potential top-five rest-of-season tight end given Mason Taylor's absence and thin Jets pass-catching corps.
- Stream Marcus Mariota over Drake May this week (vs. Colts) and consider Jacoby Brissett as a two-week streamer (Giants, then Lions); Kyler Murray (vs. Miami) is another matchup-driven add despite 40% rostership.
- Bench Drake May and Bo Nix as starters but hold both on your roster — May's buy-back window is targeted around Week 7 (post-Bills/Raiders/Jets stretch), while Nix needs to show more rushing before trusting him as a weekly starter.
- Do not drop Jameson Williams, Quinshon Judkins, or Cortland Sutton despite poor box scores; opportunity (snaps/touches/targets) hasn't dried up for any of them, and the hosts specifically warn against being the manager who cuts a player right before his breakout game.
- Downgrade Kyle Pitts to bench/streaming-caliber only; his collapsed snap and target share (66% snaps/8% target share vs. last year's 90%/23%) make him barely worth a roster spot in shallower leagues, and the hosts said they'd rather roster Kenyon Sadiq.
“Man alive to matchups matter.” — Mike Clay
Players in this episode
↓ Out for the season; despite being one of the league's most talented backs, he'd been remarkably inefficient in a struggling Dolphins offense.
→ Under 10 fantasy points in each of his first three games; too talented to cut, but hosts are benching him short-term in favor of Mariota, expecting improvement once the brutal early schedule eases.
↓ Referred to as 'Zhier Ian Price' in transcript (Seahawks RB) has fumbled in two of three games and is a non-factor; benched as a starter until he earns back trust, especially with Charbonnet's return looming.
↓ Left Monday's game with a lower-body injury and is considered week-to-week, opening the door for Braelon Allen.
↓ Out with a hamstring injury, expected to miss multiple weeks, opening committee touches for Kamara, Kendre Miller, and C.J. Donaldson.
→ Six straight games under 11 fantasy points, averaging 3.0 YPC with no touchdowns and minimal goal-line work; hosts say he must be kept rostered but isn't reliably startable yet.
→ Trending up with a 24-point week three, but limited rushing gives pause; hosts are benching him as a starter this week (at San Francisco) while remaining confident long-term.
→ Has scored fewer points than expected through three weeks despite heavy snap usage; hosts remain buy-low believers given his big-play role and Detroit's easy remaining schedule.
↓ Nearly unusable with snap share and target share cratering (target share down from 23% to 8%); hosts say he's droppable and already being cut in some leagues, with Kenyon Sadiq preferred over him.
↓ Disappointing with only 8 catches through three games (WR73), but showed improved target share (23%) last week; hosts are split, with one suggesting cutting him and another keeping him rostered as a flex.
→ Snap share dropped from 50% to 44% despite being a good insurance option behind Jaylen Warren; hosts are confused why he isn't getting more touches and are benching him.
↑ Still available in 40% of leagues and gets a great matchup vs. Miami this week, a potential breakout streaming spot.
↑ Viewed as the most valuable rest-of-season waiver add at RB, seeing 15+ carries a game with no one else emerging; should be added even above short-term fill-ins like Kamara/Allen if you don't need immediate help.
↑ (see waiver note) Also discussed as the reason Kenneth Walker/Charbonnet dynamic remains unresolved; a key rest-of-season stash.
↑ Looked fantastic in his return and is already ninth in fantasy points per game at TE; hosts say he should be rostered in every league and could be a top-five rest-of-season tight end.
→ Considered the priority Saints RB add with Travis Etienne out, but expectations are low since he's become one of the league's least effective backs; more of a flex option in 12-team leagues.
↑ Played all 17 snaps after Breece Hall's injury and is the top priority waiver RB add this week, though his career efficiency (3.7 YPC) tempers expectations.
↑ Solid streaming option for two weeks given upcoming matchups vs. the Giants and Lions.
↓ Forced into a large role after Devon Achane's injury but has shown little (2.7 YPC career) and faces a brutal stretch (Minnesota, Cincinnati, bye); not a top-30 RB for hosts.
↑ Filling in for Jayden Daniels, considered a top streaming option this week facing Indianapolis, with rushing upside that could push him to 20+ fantasy points.
→ Played zero snaps after Hall's injury despite previously splitting reps with Allen, raising concern he could still steal work later.