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Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire: 5 Players Being Cut

Vaseline September 24, 2024

After Week 3, the NFL season is one-sixth of the way through its full 18-week season. For fantasy football players, the real roster contributors have begun to separate themselves from the pretenders as the preseason buzz dies down.

A few players in particular have not lived up to the pre-season hype. This could be due to injuries, new coaching situations or limited use due to to their teams’ reliance on other players on the depth chart.

Regardless of how they got here, there are more than a few players who are safe to cut from fantasy rosters for Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season. Here are five of the easiest candidates to cut as we look ahead to the Week 4 waiver wire.

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Players opting out via the waiver wire in Week 4:

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Even before Herbert re-injured his ankle in the Chargers’ 20-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, there were signs that his value as a fantasy quarterback was declining. In his first season under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles was a run-focused team.

The Chargers parted ways with their top two receiving targets this offseason, trading Keenan Allen to the Bears and cutting Mike Williams to save cap space. The team’s passing volume plummeted at the start of 2024 and has declined every week. Herbert has attempted more than 25 passes just once and has yet to throw for more than 145 yards in a game this year. Even if he plays in Week 4, his ankle injury will continue to hamper him and the Chargers’ passing attack.

Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

Brown was the subject of some offseason and preseason buzz as the incumbent running back on a Bengals team that just parted ways with Joe Mixon. Through two games – and ahead of “Monday Night Football”‘s Week 3 clash with the Commanders – free agent signee Zack Moss is the clear No. 1 option in Cincinnati’s backfield. The former Buffalo Bill has outscored Brown 24-10 through two weeks and outscored him 84-30.

It’s possible that Brown could become more productive later this year, but right now it’s clear that Moss is the backfield in Cincinnati.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

The 29-year-old Elliott simply isn’t the same running back he was when the Cowboys drafted him eight years ago. Those hoping for a career revival for “Zeke” when he returns to Dallas this year will only be disappointed.

Through three weeks, Rico Dowdle has 31 touches to Elliott’s 24, and the latter’s chances have steadily diminished each week. Elliott had 10 carries in Week 1, then six in Week 2, and then just three against the Ravens on Sunday. Part of that has had to do with the Cowboys’ playwriting in games they’ve trailed in recent weeks, but Elliott (3.3 yards per carry) also simply isn’t producing as much as Dowdle (3.8 YPC) when he gets the ball.

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Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans

The glimmer of hope that Spears would provide fantasy players after Derrick Henry’s departure was quickly dashed by two new arrivals: Titans head coach Brian Callahan and free agent Tony Pollard.

Pollard has been productive as the bell-cow tailback in Tennessee’s backfield, with 158 rushing yards on 39 carries for a 4.1 yards per carry average. Spears, meanwhile, has just 12 carries in three games for 48 yards, good for an average YPC of 4.0. While Spears has some upside as a receiving back, he currently isn’t capable of replacing Pollard for consistent, meaningful touches in Tennessee.

Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Like Herbert, keeping a Chargers wide receiver on the roster is tough as Los Angeles continues to feed JK Dobbins and his rushing offense. Keeping a rookie receiver who may have just lost his starting quarterback in that run-first offense is even tougher, especially as sophomore Quentin Johnston looks to break out as the team’s No. 1 receiver.

McConkey could prove to be an excellent fantasy receiver in the future or seasons, but there are still too many question marks at this point and there are still a number of attractive receivers (such as Johnston) who cannot be acquired via waivers.

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Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire: 5 Players Being Cut