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Jackson Sparks' deeper-league waiver wire pickups and fantasy football sleepers for Week 4. His top free agent options for 14-team fantasy leagues or deeper.
Three weeks down. 15 more to go. In deep leagues, the waiver wire will begin to be ultra-thin as the season turns a month old. That said, there are a few chances remaining to stash a high-end running back handcuff or pick up young pass-catchers with upside. The early part of the season is the most crucial time for waiver wire moves in deep formats, so let's waste no time getting into the top pickups ahead of Week 4.
The top waiver wire adds are often obvious for traditional 10 and 12-team leagues, but a larger pool of players is in consideration in leagues of 14 people or more. Some of these Week 4 deeper-league waiver wire suggestions will have value right away, while others are simply bench stashes that could help your fantasy team in the future. We won't cover chalk pickups like Tank Dell and De'Von Achane in this article.
Without further ado, here are the top deeper league waiver wire targets for Week 4, including Roschon Johnson, Zach Charbonnet, Quentin Johnston, Gerald Everett, Rico Dowdle, and more.
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Running Back Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Elijah Mitchell has not posted fantasy-relevant numbers just yet, but does San Francisco really want to give Christian McCaffrey 23-plus touches per game all season? Either the team will dial back CMC's workload and get Mitchell involved, or CMC could run into injury issues, making Mitchell a must-start. If your league mates are dropping him, pick him up.
Roschon Johnson saw 10 total RB opportunities (rushes plus targets) compared to Khalil Herbert's nine in Week 3. The two are locked in a classic timeshare, but the rookie could begin to overtake the majority of the backfield as the season moves forward. His ceiling will be limited on one of the worst offenses in football, but the Texas product is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and has 11 targets on the season. Efficiency and pass-catching can get it done.
Zach Charbonnet turned 10 touches into 45 yards in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers. Charbonnet played on 44% of the team's offensive snaps, while Kenneth Walker was at a 49% snap rate. Could this gap continue to close as Seattle implements a one-two-punch backfield? He has plenty of upside if so.
Rico Dowdle rushed four times for 21 yards and caught three passes for 25 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Will he be a consistent fantasy producer? No. Would he have RB1 upside if something happens to Tony Pollard? Yes. Pick him up accordingly.
Kendre Miller rushed nine times for 34 yards and caught one pass for no gain in his NFL debut. It was far from an impressive start to a career, but he could have upside as Alvin Kamara's handcuff moving forward. Jamaal Williams (hamstring) is on Injured Reserve, so Miller should continue to see touches. Tony Jones Jr. will likely become irrelevant for fantasy football.
Tank Bigsby scored a touchdown in Week 3 and is likely going to continue to mix in near the goal line for the Jaguars. He is a deep league standard option, but it's too early to trust him in lineups.
Latavius Murray scored his second touchdown in as many weeks and is occupying the Bills' short-yardage role that many thought Damien Harris would have. You can't rely on touchdowns in fantasy football, but he could be worth stashing as a handcuff to James Cook.
Jeff Wilson Jr. is on Injured Reserve with rib and finger injuries and is an afterthought after Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane scored four touchdowns each in Week 4. However, the Dolphins backfield could be a three-man committee when Wilson returns to action as soon as Week 5.
Note: Any direct backup running back, especially one in a good offense, should be considered a bench stash in deep leagues.
Wide Receiver Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Quentin Johnston is still just the No. 3 wide receiver for L.A. after Mike Williams suffered a torn ACL. However, the rookie first-round pick now has the chance to beat out Joshua Palmer for the No. 2 role. This is no guarantee, but if it happens, he could have a massive second half of the season with Justin Herbert dishing him the football.
Marvin Mims Jr. caught two passes for 113 yards and a touchdown in his second NFL game in Week 2. He only saw two targets, which won't get it done consistently in fantasy football, but he could ascend to Russell Wilson's preferred deep option moving forward.
Michael Gallup caught six of his seven targets for 92 yards in the Week 3 loss to the Cardinals. Brandin Cooks was projected to be the No. 2 wideout for Dallas, but he's looked well beyond his prime thus far this season. If Gallup has a big game again, he won't be available for much longer.
Rondale Moore and Michael Wilson both delivered chunk plays in the upset over the Dallas Cowboys. Moore is being used in a gadget role, while Wilson led the team in receiving yards in Week 2 and Week 3. We still need to see a little more out of them before putting them in lineups, but they both enter the waiver wire watchlist.
Wan'Dale Robinson returned from a torn ACL in Week 3 and caught four passes on five targets for 21 yards, despite playing limited snaps. The offensive line of the Giants isn't making things easy for Daniel Jones, so Robinson could become a favored option for his quarterback in the short-to-intermediate passing attack.
Robert Woods was an afterthought this offseason after a mediocre season with the Tennessee Titans in 2022. Everyone is high on Tank Dell and Nico Collins, but the crafty veteran Woods has been quietly productive. He's hauled in 15 passes on 25 targets for 165 yards. In deep PPR formats, he has at least low-end streaming value.
Tight End Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues
Jake Ferguson has drawn 18 targets in three weeks and plays in one of the best offenses in the NFL. He checks the boxes of a fantasy tight end with upside. He should be rostered in 14-team leagues.
Luke Musgrave has 11 catches on 15 targets for 124 yards through his first three NFL games. He's a super athlete without much experience. When he does settle in and develop as a route-runner, massive boom weeks could be in the works.
Gerald Everett has only seen 12 targets so far this year. However, he could be the sneaky beneficiary of Mike Williams (knee) being out of action. In Justin Herbert's pass-happy offense, he has plenty of spike-week upside. Donald Parham Jr. has caught three touchdowns, but Everett is still the primary pass-catching tight end in L.A.
Quarterback Waiver Wire Targets For Deep Leagues/2-QB Leagues
Andy Dalton threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns in his first game as a Panther. If Bryce Young (ankle) is out again in Week 4, Dalton draws another favorable matchup with the struggling Vikings' secondary.
Jameis Winston is the Saints' starter once again, at least in the absence of Derek Carr (shoulder), who is considered week-to-week. You can do much worse than a supporting cast of Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara.
Brian Hoyer will start for the Raiders if Jimmy Garoppolo doesn't clear concussion protocol in time to face the Chargers in Week 4. Though his upside is limited, any starting quarterback is worth adding as a one-week streamer in superflex or two-QB formats.
Jacoby Brissett is not the starter in Washington, but after Sam Howell threw four interceptions against the first good defense he faced in Week 4, how long will he remain the starter? Brissett has upside in the Commanders' offense if Howell is benched at some point.
Malik Willis or Will Levis could be the Titans' starter before we know it. Ryan Tannehill looks well beyond his prime, and the Titans will turn to one of their young arms if the season gets out of hand. Stash one of them in two-QB formats.
Mike White is worth stashing in two-QB leagues. If Tua Tagovailoa misses any time this year, he could be a solid QB2 given the offensive firepower that would surround him.
Jake Browning is the Bengals QB2. Joe Burrow has been dealing with lingering lower-body injuries and is at risk of getting more banged up every time he takes the field. That said, Browning is worth grabbing in deep two-QB leagues. We've seen more surprising things than Browning delivering for fantasy football while throwing to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
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