Footballguys Fantasy Football Show: Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups (2025)

Hosts: Dave Kluge & Alfredo Brown
Release Date: September 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode is a deep dive into the most intriguing Week 4 waiver wire pickups for fantasy football managers, featuring comprehensive analysis, humor, and nuanced discussion from hosts Dave Kluge and Alfredo Brown. They detail their preferred waiver adds, give context on player workloads and team situations, and offer candid opinions on hype vs. substance. Clear FAB ($) advice, player tiers, and risk levels pepper the episode, along with their trademark banter and memorable quotes.

Skip to timestamps for discussion on specific players or topics. Ads, intros, and outros are omitted for your listening and reading efficiency.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Elite Waiver Adds: Trey Benson Stands Alone

[02:29 - 05:15]

• Trey Benson (Arizona Cardinals)
  • If available, drop "80, 90, maybe even 100%" FAB. ["This doesn't come around often...drop it all on." – C, 03:11]
  • Talented, fast (4.4 forty), with big-play upside in a run-heavy scheme.
  • Unlikely to be on waivers in most leagues, but "if he is, let us know what kind of league that is" [03:11].
  • Rest-of-season potential: “Plug-and-play RB2 with RB1 upside, very similar to what we were getting from James Connor.” [04:38]

2. Recurring Waiver Targets: Priority Reminders

[05:15 - 07:38]

• Blake Corum (Rams)
  • Looks better than Kyren Williams in every metric but is still a contingency/handcuff as McVay loves Kyren.
  • FAB: Priority stash, but not a break-the-bank option.
  • “Blake Corum is handily outplaying [Kyren Williams]. All that being said, I don’t think it really matters because this is Sean McVay…” [05:45]
  • Similar logic for Alec Iomanor, Brenton Strange, Kenneth Gainwell, Kendre Miller—if available, worth a look, but not main focus.

3. Wide Receivers to Stash — High Upside Youngsters & Speculative Breakouts

Luther Burden (Chicago Bears)

[08:49 - 13:27]

• Available in ~75% leagues, 3-101-1 line last week, saw usage jump.
• Risky stash: “A lot more risk here than other analysts lead you to believe...very crowded offense.” [08:49]
• FAB: 15-25% suggested as stash, not start. ["I don't think that you can advocate for picking Burden up and starting him next week..." – C, 10:51]
• DJ Moore trade rumors could unlock Burden’s upside.
• Bears/Lions rookie usage parallels noted (“If you look at Amon-Ra St. Brown’s rookie season...things can change so drastically in any given week.” [13:09])

Tory Horton (Seahawks)

[14:04 - 17:05]

• Three TDs in last two games, medical red flags cost him in the draft, but talent is evident.
• Could take over as secondary target from a fading Cooper Kupp.
• FAB: 2–5% in shallow, up to 10% in deep leagues. ["I'm not dumping a ton of money, but in deep leagues, 10%..." – C, 16:13]

Taekwon Thornton (Chiefs)

[19:29 - 23:32]

• Massive air yards share (6th in NFL), deep threat for Patrick Mahomes while Worthy/Rice are out.
• "Any given week can go off for 60 yards and a touchdown." [21:25]
• FAB: Not an all-in bid, but viable as a flexible high-upside stash.

Trey Tucker (Raiders)

[24:23 - 27:14]

• WR spike week caution: "It is not responsible to go out and spend a ton of FAAB on a guy like Trey Tucker..." [26:10]
• Hosts advise letting someone else chase the breakout.

Parker Washington (Jaguars)

[27:15 - 30:33]

• Intrigue due to chaotic roles and offense lacking clear identity, but… "I almost like Parker Washington more than Trey Tucker—is that crazy?" [27:22]
• Trevor Lawrence and coaching staff both under scrutiny, making all JAX pass-catchers risky.

4. Running Back Stashes — Injury Contingent & Trend Watch

Ollie Gordon (Dolphins)

[17:05 - 19:25]

• Snap count rising, fits power-run identity Fish need.
• Comparable to "Blake Corum" – non-starter for now but could become relevant quickly.

Woody Marks (Texans)

[35:59 - 39:35]

• “He’s got juice that Nick Chubb doesn’t” [36:11]
• Texans offense is bad, but if game scripts go pass-heavy, Marks could get passing-down work.

Commanders RB Three-Headed Monster (Jeremy McNichols / Chris Rodriguez / Jecori Kroski-Merritt)

[39:35 - 44:45]

• All three must be rostered in deep leagues; roles split (goal line, receiving, explosive plays).
• Hosts prefer McNichols slightly for PPR, Rodriguez for possible full workload.
• "If you combine these guys into one, we’d have Bijan Robinson 2.0" [45:10] — hilarious summary.

Taj Brooks / Amari Di Mercado (Bengals/Cardinals)

[45:14 - 49:34]

• Next men up after injuries, Brooks gets the hosts' vote for “$1” stashes if you’re desperate. ["You know the answer here, it's Taj." – C, 45:59]

5. Speculative QB/TE Adds and Analysis

Carson Wentz (Vikings, Superflex leagues only)

[49:34 - 54:34]

• "I think a lot of people just overlooked Carson Wentz...this might not be just a two-week thing." [51:47]
• JJ McCarthy "fraud watch" ongoing; O’Connell’s language about Wentz problematic for McCarthy’s job security.

Isaiah Likely (Ravens, TE)

[54:34 - 57:29]

• “Pick him up. Sure. Stash him... not clamoring.” [55:24]
• The Mark Andrews panic is likely premature; expect stat “balance restored” soon.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On FAB Rage:
  "The move with Trey Tucker is like you put in that hundred percent bid and you screenshot it and then you drop it in your fantasy group chat and say, who's going to beat me on this one? Then you cancel your bid." — C, [26:10]

• On Bears Hope:
  "Maybe this was such like a good dominant win that it can have the inverse effect where it’s like, hey, now we’re feeling ourselves. Now we can go out and beat like good NFC teams." — C, [13:27]

• Practice Truths:
  "Context gets thrown out the window when you’re talking, like, fans...if Carson Wentz looks good over these next two weeks...then they put J.J. McCarthy back out there on the road against Cleveland and he doesn’t look good..." — C, [53:01]

• On Three-Man Committee Headaches:
  "They are all fine and it's a three headed backfield. McNichols gives you the passing upside, Rodriguez the goal line, Merritt the explosive play…You combine these guys into one, we'd have Bijan Robinson 2.0." — B, [45:14]

• QB Fraud Watch:
  "[Trevor Lawrence] might be a fraud. It might be froud time for him. Fraud Watch 2025." — B, [41:45]

Timestamps: Who, What, When

| Timestamp | Segment/Player | Why It Matters | |-----------|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------| | 02:29 | Trey Benson | Elite, all-in FAB add if available | | 05:45 | Blake Corum | Pure handcuff, stash not start | | 08:49 | Luther Burden | High-variance WR stash, watch DJ Moore trade news | | 14:04 | Tory Horton | Red zone and return game involvement, possible breakout | | 19:29 | Taekwon Thornton | Deep threat for Mahomes, 50%+ air yards | | 24:23 | Trey Tucker | Regression risk, do not overspend | | 27:15 | Parker Washington | Deep-league toss-up, Jags offense in flux | | 17:05 | Ollie Gordon | Flex stash, Miami run game identity | | 35:59 | Woody Marks | Texans passing down back, trending up | | 39:35 | Commanders RBs | All three stashable, committee situation | | 45:14 | Taj Brooks/Amari Di Mercado | RB stashes, contingency value | | 49:34 | Carson Wentz | Superflex speculative add | | 54:34 | Isaiah Likely | TE stash, but don't overreact |

Players to DROP

[58:13 – 61:01]

• Najee Harris (injured)
• C.J. Stroud (1QB, maybe QB3 in superflex)
• Adam Thielen, Evan Engram, Jonnu Smith, Dylan Sampson (RB) — now just a deep-league handcuff

Fantasy Advice & Summary Table

| Player | FAB (%) | Recommended Action | Risk/Reward | Additional Notes | |-----------------------|----------|---------------------------|------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Trey Benson | 80-100 | All-in if available | High reward, rare opportunity | Fully trust as plug & play RB2+ if he's on waivers | | Blake Corum | 10-20 | Priority handcuff | Injury required | Rams loyal to Kyren Williams | | Luther Burden | 15-25 | Stash, not start | High variance, upside | Usage watching, monitor DJ Moore situation | | Tory Horton | 2-10 | Deep stash | Risky upside | Needs volume or Kupp injury | | Taekwon Thornton | 2-10 | Flexible, temporary start | High ceiling, may fade | Deep threat for Mahomes, role could vanish | | Ollie Gordon | 5-10 | Watch list, deep stash | Flex play, injury upside| Miami run game revitalization possible | | Woody Marks | 1-2 | Deep PPR stash | Pure speculative | Houston changing RB split | | Commanders RBs | 2-10 | Stash all in deep formats | 3-way committee risk | No clear lead, all should be owned | | Taj Brooks/Di Mercado | 1 | Dollar stash only | Team-dependent value | Injury away, low-cost flyers | | Carson Wentz | 1-2 | Superflex only | Short-term value | McCarthy could retake job at any time | | Isaiah Likely | 1 | Speculative TE | Mark Andrews must miss | Don't over-invest |

Episode Tone

• Insightful, Realistic, Humorous:
  The hosts poke fun at fantasy group chat shenanigans, poke holes in trendy pickups, and inject self-deprecation and Bears/Bengals fan pain throughout.
• Cautionary and Analytical:
  They warn against overpaying on flavor-of-the-week spike performances and urge patience/stash plays on high-upside talents.
• Conversational & Entertaining:
  Banter about coffee, combine speeds, and even deep dives on coaching/QB “fraud watches” pepper the conversation.

For More:

• Watch for late-breaking news, especially on injury situations, before finalizing waiver claims.
• Adjust FAB based on league size, roster settings, and need.
• Future episodes: Waiver recaps, flex options, start/sit, and sleeper picks coming up later this week!

Memorable Mic Drop:
"If you combine these guys into one, we'd have Bijan Robinson 2.0." – B, [45:10]