Why are all the quarterbacks getting hurt?
That's a question we've heard several times over the last 8-10 days and to be honest: we don't have an answer. It seems like an epidemic with Ben Roethlisberg, Drew Brees and Tony Romo - all Top 10 QBs - sidelined. Mix in Jay Cutler's injury and the inefectiveness of some top QB options like Andrew Luck, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewter and the quarterback position is an absolute mess.
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That's why we have five QBs to target on the waiver wire heading into Week 4.
Remember: This is also the first week teams are on a bye.
1. Karlos Williams, RB, BUF
Williams has a touchdown and double-digit fantasy points in every game as a pro. What's not to like? The rookie certainly looks like a steal for the Bills as a fifth-round pick and he could be a steal for your fantasy team, as well. LeSean McCoy is clearly not healthy and there's talk of the Bills shutting him down for at least one week to get his hamstring healed. If that happens in Week 4, Williams suddenly becomes a borderline Top 10 running back with a great matchup against the Giants. Either way, he's absolutely worth owning in just about any format for his upside and situation. (Tony Andracki)
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2. Tyrod Taylor, QB, BUF
How this guy is owned in only 44 percent of ESPN leagues is beyond me. I don't get it. He's currently the fifth-ranked fantasy QB, putting up back-to-back 24+ point games. Everybody knew he could run and now he's showing he can pass, too, with seven tuddies through the air in three games. He's not necessarily a must-start in every league and every format each week, but he's absolutely worth owning as at least a backup or a matchup play, especially with all the QBs out injured. (Andracki)
3. Joe Flacco, QB, BAL
Flacco has never been a top tier fantasy quarterback, but there's no reason why he should currently be sitting on the waiver wire in your league, especially with a plethora of injuries to starting quarterbacks and bye weeks upon us. Flacco has put together consecutive 20-point games and draws a brutal Steelers defense in Week 4. He's a must-start in Week 4. (Scott Krinch)
4. Andy Dalton, QB, CIN
I can't believe I'm hopping on the Dalton train but I am. There are a lot of injured quarterbacks out there and Dalton may be the best quarterback available on waivers. He's on fire to start the season, recording multi-TD games in all three starts so far. He's got his dominant receiver in AJ Green going and Marvin Jones, Tyler Eifert and Gio Bernard are guys that have benefited from Dalton's success. While he may not go for almost 400 yards every week like he did last week he should be a quality QB2 option for you for the rest of the year. (John "The Professor" Paschall)
5. Rishard Matthews, WR, MIA
Sure, I may not have added him in a lot of my leagues last week but at least I told YOU to do that. Matthews already leads the Dolphins in touchdowns with three while guys like Jarvis Landry, Lamar Miller and Jordan Cameron have zero. He's been the one surprising bright spot in an underwhelming Dolphins offense so far. For whatever reason, Ryan Tannehill looks to Matthews in the red zone and though he's second on the team in targets to Landry, he averages 16.4 YPC compared to Landry's 9.6. If you have a banged up receiver group, Matthews is a great pickup. (Paschall)
6. Derek Carr, QB, OAK
Here's another guy who absolutely needs to be owned, at least as a bye week fill-in or injury replacement. Carr has two straight games of multiple TDs, 300+ yards and 20+ fantasy points. Now he draws a great matchup against the Bears in Week 4. Keep in mind, you won't want to start him Week 5 against the awesome Broncos pass defense and the Raiders are on a bye in Week 6, so that is two weeks in a row where he can't help you. (Andracki)
[MORE - Fantasy Football: 12 waiver wire targets for Week 3]
7. Michael Vick, QB, PIT
OK, so his trial run didn't go so well on Sunday when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a nasty-looking injury in the third quarter. Vick entered the game, went 5-6 for 38 yards and fumbled once. Now he's got a short week to get ready for the 0-3 Ravens on Thursday, which doesn't make him a stellar fantasy play in Week 4. But look at the weapons Vick, 35, has around him. Le'Veon Bell is back, Antonio Brown hasn't slowed down one bit, Martavis Bryant will return from his suspension and the Steelers defense has been atrocious, giving the Pitt offense more time on the field. Vick has to stay out of his own way and let his weapons do what they do and he's going to return borderline-QB1 value the next four-to-six weeks with Big Ben out. Pick him up now to start him Week 5 on Monday night against the Chargers. (Mark Strotman)
8. Ty Montgomery, WR, GB
It's almost unfair how Ted Thompson finds wide receivers in the second and third rounds of drafts. He appears to have done it again with the addition of Montgomery, who in the last two games has caught all six of his targets for 51 yards and a score. Not huge numbers, and likely not fantasy-starting numbers, but Davante Adams re-injured his ankle early in Monday night's win over the Chiefs and Eddie Lacy is still banged up. With the way Aaron Rodgers is playing, it's worth owning as many Packers wide receivers as you can. Montgomery is locked in as the 4th WR on the depth chart, though that could change if Adams misses time. And if he does, Montgomery would be a sneaky WR3 play against an atrocious 49ers defense. To note, Montgomery has also fared well as a kick returner, ranking third in the NFL with a 31.5-yard average. He could break one soon and tally your squad some extra points. (Strotman)
9. Lance Dunbar, RB, DAL
No, he's not going to be stealing carries from Joseph Randle anytime soon, considering he has two carries this season, but if you're in a PPR league Dunbar needs to be on your roster. The fourth year running back out of North Texas hasn't found the end zone yet. However, he has registered 21 catches for 215 yards through three games, making him a Top 12 fantasy running back in 2015. He doesn't need to be a high priority claim on the wire this week, but if he passes through then go get him right away. (Krinch)
10. Thomas Rawls, RB, SEA
All Rawls is right now is a handcuff to Marshawn Lynch, but a darn good one at that. When Lynch left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, all the rookie did was carry the ball 16 times for 104 yards, showing that same type of violent running that has made Lynch one of the best running backs in the league. Rawls has surpassed Fred Jackson on the depth chart, and with Lynch set to undergo an MRI, he's somebody you need to keep an eye on if he's available in your fantasy league. (Krinch)