Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Pickups: 'Handcuff' RBs Brandon Oliver, Wendell Smallwood emerge as Melvin Gordon, Darren Sproles injured

Some weeks there are all kinds of important injuries, emerging handcuff RBs, and breakout performances from must-have sleepers; other weeks have you saying, "Gee, I hope I get Kenny Britt when waivers clear tonight." This is one of those weeks, as Britt, Darren Oliver, Wendell Smallwood, and Sterling Shepard are among the top fantasy waiver wire pickups for Week 4.

Unless you worried about handcuffing C.J. Anderson with Charles or getting a stranglehold on targets in Cleveland with Britt, there isn't much to be excited about. Melvin Gordon's nagging knee issues makes Oliver an intriguing option, but chances are, most owners will opt to save their waiver claim and instead dig through the rubble in free agency.

The good news is there are several streamable D/STs this week, plus a bunch of tight end fill-ins if you're still dealing with injuries or just looking for a matchup-based option. Unfortunately, you're likely not going to find a long-term fix for your team's problems.

MORE: Full Week 4 waiver wire list | RB handcuff chart

Top fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 4

Unless otherwise noted, only players owned in fewer than 50 percent of Yahoo leagues considered.

Branden Oliver, RB, Chargers. Melvin Gordon entered Sunday's game against Kansas City with a nagging knee injury, and he apparently aggravated it before halftime, as Oliver took over running back duties for most of the second half. The diminutive scat back only managed 36 total yards on 12 touches -- and most important, Gordon did briefly return to the game -- but Gordon's knee injury could be more than a one-week thing, so Oliver could be a factor going forward.

Wendell Smallwood, RB, Eagles. Smallwood should have been on your radar after LeGarrette Blount's benching in Week 2, and he should be on your team after Darren Sproles hurt his wrist in Week 3. To be fair, Blount was back in the mix against the Giants, running 12 times for 67 yards and a TD, but Smallwood equaled him in carries and had four more yards. And even though Smallwood only had one catch on two targets, he's much more likely to be involved in the passing game than Blount. Corey Clement, who scored in Week 3, is also going to get touches as a runner and receiver, but Smallwood has a little more upside right now.

MORE: Full Week 4 waiver wire list

Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants. Shepard is doing what many thought Brandon Marshall would do in New York. He's getting a good amount of targets (10 in Week 3), including some around the goal line. He's also capable of making big plays, as shown by his 133 yards against the Eagles. Shepard has now gotten at least eight targets in two of the first three games, and the return of a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. might actually help him in terms of softer coverage.

Jamaal Charles, RB, Broncos. There were no indications that C.J. Anderson suffered a serious injury against the Bills, but Charles wound up receiving one more carry (9 to 8) and totaled 20 more rushing yards and a TD. Anderson was great in the first two games, so it seems unlikely he's losing his job or even about to fall into a timeshare with Charles, but it would be foolish to ignore the Week 3 stats. At the very least, Charles is a must-have handcuff.

WEEK 4 RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Kenny Britt, WR, Browns. Last week it was Rashard Higgins; this week, it's Britt. Is it even worth rostering a Browns' receiver? Maybe not, but there are plenty of targets available, and as we saw in Week 3 from Britt, good games are possible (54 yards, TD, 10 targets). Higgins, who had 95 yards in Week 2, disappointed with just 10 yards against the Colts, but he still received a respectable six targets, so he's not off the radar yet. But the momentum has swung back to Britt, at least for this week.

For more potential waiver wire pickups, including D/ST streaming options for Week 4, TE sleepers, potential WR3s, and more, check out our full waiver wire list.