The fourth week of the NFL season is here and that means fantasy football is getting ready to heat up again and with three matchups already gone by, some owners are scrambling for points and some of the best waiver pickup options as free agents in some leagues includes names like Jason Snelling, Donnie Avery, Bilal Powell, Denarius Moore and Josh Gordon as well as Jonathan Franklin and Willis McGahee.
Free agent pickups can be the best way to find hidden talent in fantasy football and the top pick up this week is Jason Snelling, as Steven Jackson will be out for the Falcons this weekend for Sunday night football against the Patriots and along with Jacquizz Rodgers, he could have a solid game. Rodgers is likely gone from most leagues, but owners have left Snelling on the market and after getting a score last week, he could continue that trend.
While Snelling had just two carries against the Rams in Week 2, he made four catches for 41 yards and he has proven to be a good receiver out of the backfield like Rodgers, as he has made 10 catches already this season. Last week Snelling had four catches for 58 yards and a touchdown and he also added 53 yards on 11 carries for a solid 4.8 yards per carry and now he could get the bulk of the touches against the Patriots depending on how effective the running game is early.
With Jackson out at least a couple more weeks with an injury, it's worth it to try and get Snelling as well as Rodgers if he is also available. Speaking of running backs, another solid option for Week 4 is Jets back Bilal Powell, as he has been getting the bulk of the carries for the team, including last week when he touched the ball 29 times rushing and receiving.
The Jets expected to be more of a rushing team this season and they are a surprising 2-1 with Geno Smith and one reason has been due to the effectiveness of the running game. Powell has made eight catches this season for 66 yards and he has rushed for over 220 yards and a score this season already. Last week he averaged over five yards per carry against the Bills while rushing for 149 yards on 27 attempts and that came after he got 25 attempts over the first two games.
Bowell is a solid back and he has increased his carries and yardage in each of the first three games this year and he could have a solid game against the Titans this week, who are also 2-1. The Jets have used Powell effectively in their two wins, as he has 178 yards in those games. Jonathan Franklin is on a bye this week for the Packers, but he could be a nice option going forward if Eddie Lacy or James Starks are out for any period of time, as he rushed for over 100 yards and scored a touchdown last week.
Donnie Avery and Josh Gordon are the top WR pickups this week, as each went for over 100 yards last week and Gordon ended up with double-digit catches in his return from suspension. The Chiefs play the weak Giants this weekend and he could be a nice play. Denarius Moore also is a solid option.
