Welcome to week four of the fantasy football season, this is where it officially starts, here on a waiver wire Tuesday. You're either licking your wounds or basking in the afterglow of a win, hopefully it was a win.

This season seems like a microcosmic of a couple big players absolutely going off each week or on the other hand you've got irrelevant guys having big weeks. So, if you've had these big/irrelevant players who have gone off you should generally be okay record wise, if you haven't you're probably somewhere near the basement of your league.

We've also talked about getting to a player trend before they actually become a trend and this week lets talk about setting yourself up for bye-week success. The bye-weeks begin in week five this year instead of week 4 as they did last year. This week should give you a good look at who you may have on a bye-week and what to do as contingency plans for them.

Therefore, take a look at your players, starters and reserves alike, and determine who's on a bye and if you'll have a replacement for them or not. If not, I'd suggest jumping on a player on the waiver wire this week who may be able to help you next week that could plug right in for your bye-week player.

This whole process may take a little bit of time but trust me, it'll be worth it in the long run.

Quarterback:

Tyrod Taylor (BUF, 10.9% Owned in ESPN Leagues):

With so many "top" quarterbacks struggling early in this season I'm shocked that Tyrod Taylor is so readily available in ESPN Leagues. Taylor's a duel threat quarterback who can beat a team with his arm and his legs. Look what he did just last week against one of the most vaunted passing defenses in the NFL. He accumulated 213 pass yards along with two touchdowns and zero interceptions which amounted to just over 17 fantasy points. He's got two tough road match-ups coming up in ATL and then in CIN but again he can beat a team in multiple ways.

 

Running Backs:

Chris Carson (SEA, 42.6% Owned):

If it wasn't clear who's going to be the number one early down back in this Seahawks offense, it is now, it's Chris Carson. Former starter, Thomas Rawls totaled one snap while Carson and C.J. Prosise handled the rest of the running back work. Expect the passing down situations to be handled by Prosise but everything else should be handled by Carson. We know Head Coach Pete Carroll loves this rookie, and you should too. Pick him up if available!

D'Onta Foreman (HOU, 5.5% Owned):

Last week we talked about handcuffing players and I think we can add Foreman to the list in Houston. So far this youngster has been successful spelling a slow starting Lamar Miller and if things don't pick up he could be eating more and more into his playing time. In addition, if there's an injury issue at all with Miller than you can look at Foreman to jump right into the starting roll. Last week he rushed the ball eight times for 25 yards and caught two of three passes for 65 yards making a couple big plays in the passing game.

Corey Clement (PHI, 0.1% Owned):

Boy, Darren Sproles had himself one heck of a tough day on Sunday with breaking his arm and tearing his ACL... This leaves the Philadelphia Eagles with no legitimate pass catcher out of the backfield. The early leader in the clubhouse seems to be Wendall Smallwood for replacement duties. However, I have a feeling in a deeper league Corey Clement could become useful and carve out a roll for himself in this offense. In fact, he did score himself a touchdown on Sunday, look out for this rookie to potentially make some moves with an opportunity.

 

Wide Receivers:

Devin Funchess (CAR, 11.2% Owned):

The Carolina play makers have been dropping like flies lately. First, tight end Greg Olsen with a broken foot and on Sunday Kelvin Benjamin left the game early with a knee injury. We're not exactly sure how serious the knee injury is for Benjamin but Devin Funchess benefited from the lack of those two play makers. He received ten targets from Cam Newton but was only able to connect on four of those targets for 58 yards. Cam Newton hasn't been as efficient as owners would have hoped but if you're looking for a wide-out with opportunities in front of him make sure you're taking a flier on Funchess.

Allen Hurns (JAX, 11.5% Owned):

The loss of Allen Robinson was a big one for this Jacksonville offense but with loss comes opportunity for others to step up. Two years ago Allen Hurns was a touchdown machine when he hauled in 10 of them. Last season was a disappointment for Hurns and the entire Jaguars team but hopefully this year will play out differently. Hurns seems to be getting back to his TD ways, scoring one in each of the last two weeks, and he's only one off the pace he had all of last year (3). Expect him and Marquise Lee to have an impact in the passing game for the Jags moving forward.

Robert Woods (LAR, 5.1% Owned):

Robert Woods had a heck of a game in week three last Thursday but was mostly overshadowed by the night fellow wide-out Sammy Watkins had. Watkins is in concussion protocol which could lead to more opportunities for Woods. However, even if Watkins is healthy the spotlight for opposing defenses will be on him and continue to allow Woods to do his thing flying under the radar in this revamped offense.

 

Tight End:

Charles Clay (BUF, 9.5% Owned):

Charles Clay is a very underrated option for tight ends and I can't seem to figure out why... There aren't a ton of options in this Buffalo passing attacking and he's been one of the most consistent play makers for Tyrod Taylor over the past couple of seasons. This season, with an offensive turnover as far as pass catchers go, Clay has remained a constant and will continue to be one as this season goes along. If your tight end position is in flux with under performers or an injury go grab Clay.

 

 

For all my sports posts and to hear my inner sports thoughts, make sure to keep up with me on Twitter and Facebook. Thanks, -G

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