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Fantasy Football: Early waiver wire pickups for Week 4

It's never too early to look toward your next matchup and a chance to bolster your fantasy football lineups. Here are two options to consider on the waiver wire ahead of Week 4.

Khalil Herbert, RB, Chicago Bears (48 percent rostered)

Consider this your final call on Herbert, who not only took over for an injured David Montgomery in Week 3, but who absolutely SHOWED OUT in the process.

Montgomery was ruled out early during the game with what's being reported as knee and ankle injuries, and Herbert — a sixth-round draft pick in 2021 — came in and took over the run game. Herbert ultimately finished with a monstrous line: 20 carries, 157 yards and two touchdowns (he also caught two balls for 12 yards).

Certain sections of the football community have long suspected that Herbert might actually be a better overall running back than Montgomery; his workout metrics do sing in comparison to Monty's. If the incumbent starter is going to miss any period of time, we're about to find out just how good Herbert actually is as part of a super run-heavy Bears offense. Herbert will likely be the top pickup of the week — don't leave him on the waiver wire.

Alexander Mattison, RB, Minnesota Vikings (54% rostered)

While we normally always keep this column to players under 50 percent rostered, we'd be remiss if we didn't flag Alexander Mattison, who might be available in one out of every two leagues.

Dalvin Cook was ruled out against the Lions in the third quarter with a shoulder injury — an ailment that has caused him troubles throughout his career. Enter Mattison, one of the more valuable backup runners in fantasy football.

Mattison took over for Cook and rushed seven times for 28 yards and a strong touchdown run.

There's not much to say here; we've seen the Mattison show before and we know how good he can be with a full workload. We're not sure if Mattison will miss time or be limited if he can suit up in Week 4, so Mattison should be widely rostered across fantasy leagues.