X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Week 4 Wide Receivers: Waiver Wire Pickups, Adds & Rankings Tiers

This week, we will take a look at seven sleeper wide receivers, each of whom have worked their way into the number two receiver role on their respective teams.

All of these wideouts are young and seem to have made large improvements as of late, either at the end of last year or over the first few games this season.

While none of these guys are the primary target on their respective teams, none of them have to deal with pressure from the top cornerback on opposing teams, further heightening their value.

 

Top Wide Receivers for Week 4 Waiver Wire

Cecil Shorts III (WR, HOU) - 14% Owned

Between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, the Texans have the most passing attempts of any team in the NFL through Week 3. That might change once Arian Foster returns, but Cecil Shorts should still see his fair share of looks. His 29 targets place him 15th among wide receivers in all of football, tied with Odell Beckham Jr., but second on his own team, behind emerging star DeAndre Hopkins. Shorts has yet to score a touchdown and hasn't come up with big yardage plays yet, but given his volume of targets, he can be a viable pickup in a deep PPR league.

 

Allen Hurns (WR, JAX) - 17% Owned

Allen Hurns has been the most efficient receiver for the Jaguars so far this season, catching 11 of his 15 targets for 198 yards. In a full slate of games, that adds up to over 1,000 yards. The Jaguars have not had a player manage 1,000 receiving yards since Jimmy Smith in 2005. Interestingly, Hurns, Jacksonville's leading receiver in 2014, is not currently atop the receiving leaders for his own team. Allen Robinson appears to be in the midst of a breakout season. However, while Robinson may take some passes away from Hurns, he should also distract the opposing team's top cornerback, leaving Hurns with lighter coverage. If Blake Bortles can play at a respectable level, Hurns should see enough targets to warrant an add in very deep leagues.

 

Rishard Matthews (WR, MIA) - 23% Owned

Over the first three weeks of the season, Rishard Matthews has emerged as a clear WR2 in Miami behind Jarvis Landry. The fourth-year wideout caught 41 passes in 2013, but only reeled in 12 passes from Ryan Tannehill last season. Through three games, Matthews already has 16 receptions for 262 yards and three touchdowns-- his previous single-season high was two touchdowns. He currently owns a two-game 100-yard streak, and having only reached the 100-yard mark once prior, it seems as if he is fully cemented in the fantasy-relevant category. As Tannehill's deep threat, Matthews should continue to produce, with a chance to see the end zone on a weekly basis.

 

Marvin Jones (WR, CIN) - 36% Owned

Also in his fourth season, Marvin Jones appears to have surpassed Mohamed Sanu as the second wide receiver in Cincinnati behind A.J. Green. Jones grabbed five of his eight targets on Sunday, collecting 94 yards and a touchdown in the process. If Andy Dalton continues to play as well as he did in Week against the Ravens, Jones should continue to put up big numbers. Jones was a hot commodity late in 2013 after posting 122 yards and four touchdowns in Week 8 against the Jets, but missed all of 2014 with an ankle injury and fell off the radar heading into 2015. He is in a contract season, and displayed that same talent we saw two years ago this past weekend against Baltimore.

 

Donte Moncrief (WR, IND) - 67% Owned

Donte Moncrief is another young wide receiver climbing the depth chart in recent weeks. Moncrief is currently benefitting from a struggling Andre Johnson, who put up a goose egg in the receptions column in Week 3. As the Colts' number two wideout behind T.Y. Hilton, Moncrief has racked up 200 yards and three scores in three games. In fact, his 17 receptions to date even top Hilton's 15. As Luck continues to find his rhythm and return to top form, Moncrief will reap the benefits. The second-year receiver is especially enticing in Week 4, as the Colts face a Jaguars secondary that just surrendered 358 passing yards to Tom Brady and company.

 

Michael Crabtree (WR, OAK) - 68% Owned

Michael Crabtree is the oldest receiver mentioned in this article, but like the others, he has recently emerged as a reliable fantasy option. The 28-year-old former Texas Tech standout is attempting to reinvent himself in Oakland after an erratic six-year stay across the bay with the 49ers, and was immediately thrust into the second wideout spot on the Raiders' depth chart, behind rookie Amari Cooper. Second-year signal-caller Derek Carr is coming into his own, and has shown the ability to spread the ball around-- 13 players have at least once reception this year, tied for the most in all of football. Crabtree only surpassed 1,000 receiving yards once -- in 2012 -- but is on pace to come awfully close to the milestone number in his first year with his new team.

 

Martavis Bryant (WR, PIT) - 86% Owned

Martavis Bryant is unique among this group because he had solidified himself as the WR2 in Pittsburgh last season. However, Bryant was suspended for the first four games of 2015. He should reclaim that role upon return in Week 5. The excitement surrounding his return may be diluted with the news of Ben Roethlisberger's knee injury, but that shouldn't scare fantasy owners away. Michael Vick can still be a capable passer, especially with Le'Veon Bell's ability to take pressure off of the quarterback. Bryant is an incredible deep threat, with the size, speed and separation skills to beat many top cornerbacks, let alone any team's number two defensive back. There's no reason he should be available in any league, let alone 14% of them. Pick him up immediately if he's still out there.

 

While Moncrief, Bryant and Crabtree should be rostered in every 10-team league or larger, Hurns, Shorts, Matthews and Jones are all viable options moving forward and can be rostered in 12-teamers. They all possess talent and are in ideal situations. Playing behind a top-level wide receiver, each of these wideouts have the opportunity to perform without the pressure of a top cornerback. If any of these guys are unowned in your league, be sure to scoop at least one of them up, rather than, let's say, rostering DeAngelo Williams, Darren McFadden or Duke Johnson.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NFL35 mins ago

NFL, NFLPA Agree To Salary Cap Of $279.2 Million In 2025
NFL43 mins ago

Will Johnson Won't Work Out At NFL Combine
NFL49 mins ago

Kenneth Grant Dealing With Hamstring Strain
NFL56 mins ago

Mason Graham Will Only Do Bench Press At NFL Combine
NFL1 hour ago

Abdul Carter Won't Need Surgery
Detroit Lions1 hour ago

Lions To Release Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Ryan Clifford1 hour ago

Belts Home Run For First Spring Hit
New Orleans Saints1 hour ago

Saints Meet With Cam Ward
Minnesota Vikings1 hour ago

Christian Darrisaw Doing Well In His Recovery
Seattle Seahawks2 hours ago

Seahawks Give Rayshawn Jenkins Permission To Seek A Trade
Dallas Cowboys2 hours ago

DeMarcus Lawrence Is 100 Percent Healthy
Curtis Mead2 hours ago

Swinging A Hot Bat This Spring
Matthew Stafford2 hours ago

Resolution Should Come By End Of Combine
Franco Aleman2 hours ago

Undergoes Hernia Surgery
Marcelo Mayer3 hours ago

Homers, Collects Three RBI In Three-Hit Day
Samuel Basallo3 hours ago

Blasts His First Home Run Of The Spring
Brett de Geus3 hours ago

Marlins Claim Brett De Geus Off Waivers
Seth Martinez3 hours ago

Designated For Assignment
Tyler Soderstrom3 hours ago

Could See Opportunities Behind The Plate
José Caballero3 hours ago

X-Rays Come Back Negative On Jose Caballero
Nacho Alvarez Jr.3 hours ago

Exits Thursday's Game With Wrist Injury
Jake Lamb3 hours ago

Battling Tight Quadriceps
Norman Powell5 hours ago

Uncertain For Friday
Collin Sexton5 hours ago

Might Return On Friday
John Collins5 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Wendell Moore Jr.5 hours ago

Ruled Out On Thursday
Cleveland Browns5 hours ago

Myles Garrett "Not Open" To A Contract Extension
DaQuan Jeffries6 hours ago

Returning On Thursday
Deshaun Watson6 hours ago

Wasn't Doing "Anything Nefarious" During Achilles Re-Tear
Seth Curry6 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Thursday
Lauri Markkanen6 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
LaMelo Ball6 hours ago

Won't Play Versus Dallas
Bradley Beal6 hours ago

Downgraded To Out On Thursday
Jamal Murray6 hours ago

Cleared To Face Milwaukee
Aaron Gordon6 hours ago

Available On Thursday
Dwight Powell6 hours ago

Available On Thursday, Will Play 10-12 Minutes
P.J. Washington6 hours ago

Ruled Out On Thursday
Cole Anthony7 hours ago

Slated To Suit Up On Thursday
Christian McCaffrey7 hours ago

49ers Think Christian McCaffrey Will Participate In "Parts" Of Offseason Program
Bradley Beal7 hours ago

Downgraded To Questionable Versus Pelicans
Freddie Freeman7 hours ago

To Have His Ankle Taped Through All-Star Break
José Ureña7 hours ago

Mets Sign Jose Urena To Minor-League Deal
Jusuf Nurkić8 hours ago

Jusuf Nurkic Questionable For Thursday Against Dallas
Max Pacioretty8 hours ago

Likely To Return On Friday
Noah Juulsen8 hours ago

Likely Out For The Rest Of The Season
Javier Báez8 hours ago

Javier Baez To Serve As DH On Friday
Trent Frederic8 hours ago

Considered Week-To-Week
Matt Vierling8 hours ago

Dealing With Shoulder Injury
LaMelo Ball8 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Thursday
Eetu Luostarinen8 hours ago

Returns For Stanley Cup Finals Rematch
Andrew Benintendi8 hours ago

To Miss 4-6 Weeks With Fractured Hand
Jason Zucker8 hours ago

A Game-Time Decision Thursday
Timothy Liljegren8 hours ago

Available Against Canadiens
Eric Gordon8 hours ago

Undergoes Successful Surgery On Right Wrist Wednesday
Robby Fabbri9 hours ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Lance McCullers Jr.9 hours ago

To Throw Live Batting Practice On Saturday
Bryce Harper9 hours ago

To Return On Friday
Ryan Helsley9 hours ago

Cardinals Haven't Had Contract Talks With Ryan Helsley
Carlos Estévez9 hours ago

Carlos Estevez Battling Back Tightness
Stone Garrett9 hours ago

Nationals Designate Stone Garrett For Assignment
Kansas City Chiefs10 hours ago

Chiefs Will Place Franchise Tag On Trey Smith
Travis Kelce11 hours ago

"Coming Back For Sure"
Darnell Nurse11 hours ago

Not Playing On Thursday
Roman Josi11 hours ago

Not Suiting Up On Thursday
Matthew Tkachuk11 hours ago

Not Playing On Thursday
Kirby Dach12 hours ago

Ruled Out For Thursday
Michael Bunting12 hours ago

To Be Sidelined Indefinitely
J.T. Miller12 hours ago

Not Practicing On Thursday
Buffalo Bills12 hours ago

Cole Bishop Could Be A Starter In 2025
Buffalo Bills12 hours ago

Bills Expect Matt Milano To Return In 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers12 hours ago

Buccaneers Giving Lavonte David More Time To Make A Decision
Matthew Stafford13 hours ago

Saga Should Reach Resolution By March 14
NFL13 hours ago

Travis Hunter Wants To Play Both Ways
P.J. Washington16 hours ago

Questionable Thursday
Jalen Suggs16 hours ago

Remains Out On Thursday
Cole Anthony16 hours ago

Listed As Questionable For Thursday
Quinn Hughes18 hours ago

Tallies Game-Winning Helper In Return
Conor Garland18 hours ago

Leads Vancouver To Victory
Martin Necas18 hours ago

Tallies Three Helpers On Wednesday
Nathan MacKinnon18 hours ago

Scores Twice In Victory
Kyle Connor19 hours ago

Scores Goal No. 31 On Wednesday
Connor Hellebuyck19 hours ago

Sharp On Wednesday
Emiliano Grillo1 day ago

Out Of Form Ahead Of Cognizant Classic
Sam Ryder1 day ago

A Course Horse For PGA National
Matt Kuchar1 day ago

An Intriguing Option At Cognizant Classic
Roman Josi1 day ago

Considered Day-To-Day
Noah Dobson1 day ago

Expected To Return On Thursday
Cameron Young2 days ago

A High-Risk, High-Reward Play At PGA National
Taylor Pendrith2 days ago

Is An Enticing Play At Cognizant Classic
Gary Woodland2 days ago

Aiming For Bounce-Back Performance At PGA National
PGA2 days ago

Kris Ventura A Value Pick At The Cognizant Classic
PGA2 days ago

Niklas Norgaard Making Third PGA Tour Start At Cognizant Classic
Erik Van Rooyen2 days ago

Looking For Sustained Success At PGA National
Jordan Spieth2 days ago

Looking To Bounce Back In Cognizant Classic Debut
Seamus Power2 days ago

A Risky Play With Upside At PGA National
Andrew Novak2 days ago

Searching For Consistency At PGA National
Denny McCarthy2 days ago

Eyeing First Career Victory At PGA National
Min Woo Lee2 days ago

Aims To Keep The Momentum Going At PGA National
Chris Kirk2 days ago

A Wild Card At PGA National
Mark Hubbard2 days ago

Trending In The Wrong Direction Ahead Of Cognizant Classic
Alex Smalley2 days ago

Continues To Impress Ahead Of The Cognizant Classic
Taylor Moore2 days ago

Continues Playing Well Heading To Cognizant Classic
Justin Lower2 days ago

Misses Cut At Mexico Open
Max Greyserman2 days ago

Hitting Stride Heading To Cognizant Classic
Jake Knapp2 days ago

Posts Solid Finish At Mexico Open
Song Yadong3 days ago

Gets Back In The Win Column
Henry Cejudo3 days ago

Suffers Third Straight Loss
Brendan Allen4 days ago

Drops Decision At UFC Seattle
Anthony Hernandez4 days ago

Extends His Winning Streak
Jean Matsumoto4 days ago

Suffers First Career Loss
Rob Font4 days ago

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Melsik Baghdasaryan4 days ago

Gets TKO'd At UFC Seattle
Jean Silva4 days ago

Gets First-Round Finish At UFC Seattle
Alonzo Menifield4 days ago

Edges Out Split Decision At UFC Seattle
Julius Walker4 days ago

Defeated In His UFC Debut
Kyle Busch4 days ago

Leaves Atlanta With His First Top-10 Finish Of 2025
Kyle Larson4 days ago

Scores The Best Drafting-Track Finish Of His Career At Atlanta
Ryan Blaney4 days ago

Rallies Back To Score A Finish Of Fourth At Atlanta
NASCAR4 days ago

Despite Rarely Factoring For The Lead, Bubba Wallace Has Great Points Day
Ross Chastain4 days ago

Chances For Victory End After A Bump From Carson Hocevar
Ricky Stenhouse Jr4 days ago

. Recovers From Causing Daytona Big One To Finish Fifth At Atlanta
Carson Hocevar4 days ago

Earns Best Career Finish
Ryan Blaney5 days ago

The Heavy Favorite To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Larson5 days ago

Can Kyle Larson Finally Get A Good Finish At The New Atlanta?
Chase Elliott5 days ago

Can Win This Weekend
William Byron5 days ago

Don’t Overlook William Byron At Atlanta This Weekend
Austin Cindric5 days ago

Looking To Contend Once Again At Atlanta
Ross Chastain5 days ago

Will Start Deep in the Field at Atlanta
Daniel Suarez5 days ago

Looking To Continue Magic At Atlanta
Christopher Bell5 days ago

An Obvious DFS Pick At Atlanta
Denny Hamlin5 days ago

Is One of the Top DFS Options Of The Week For Atlanta Lineups
Joey Logano5 days ago

Is One Of The Favorites To Win At Atlanta
Kyle Busch5 days ago

Expect Kyle Busch To Compete For The Win At Atlanta
Ty Gibbs5 days ago

Should Not Be Overlooked For Atlanta DFS Lineups
Tyler Reddick5 days ago

Should Fantasy Players Roster Tyler Reddick At Atlanta This Week?
Alex Bowman5 days ago

Is Alex Bowman Worth Rostering For DFS Lineups At Atlanta?
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Tetairoa McMillan - College Football DFS Lineup Picks, NCAA CFB, NFL Draft Prospect

2025 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings: Top 50 Players for Fantasy Football (Pre-Combine Analysis)

The 2025 NFL Draft is universally considered a "down year." However, casual fans and followers need to understand what this phrase means. When analysts consider this group a "down" or "disappointing" class, it has nothing to do with the group's depth. The depth is tremendous. What is "down" about this class is the top-end "blue […]


Chuba Hubbard - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Top 10 Dynasty League Risers: Players to Target in Fantasy Football Drafts (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football is a game of consistent change. Players see their fantasy value rise or fall every year. Sometimes, players go from bench options to must-start superstars. Other times, players go from weekly starters to untradable bench fodder. Let’s look at 10 players who saw their dynasty fantasy football value rise following the 2024 […]


Colston Loveland - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL Rookie Tight Ends - 2025 Fantasy Football Dynasty Outlooks

Last year's NFL Draft class was loaded at the quarterback and wide receiver positions. Meanwhile, the tight end position had only one prospect guaranteed to have fantasy value. Brock Bowers had an outstanding rookie season despite being in an extremely unfriendly fantasy football situation. The former Georgia star ended the year as the TE1, averaging […]


Isaiah Bond - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

2025 NFL Draft Wide Receiver Prospects: Early Fantasy Football Rookie Preview

Last year’s wide receiver rookie draft class was one of the best in recent memory. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze were top 10 picks. Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Ricky Pearsall, and Xavier Legette were first-round selections. While some of the first-round picks had poor fantasy rookie seasons, Nabers and Thomas […]


Cam Skattebo - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 NFL Draft Analysis: Early Breakdown of Top Running Back Prospects for Fantasy Football

Fantasy players have heard the hype surrounding the 2025 NFL Draft running back class for over a year. While the 2024 running back class lacked significant fantasy upside, this year’s unit might be the best in recent memory. Last year, Jonathon Brooks was the only running back drafted in the first two rounds. However, many […]


Ashton Jeanty - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Dynasty Mock Draft: NFL Rookie 12-Team Staff Mock (1QB)

It's NFL Draft season, which means our fantasy focus can finely turn entirely toward dynasty leagues. No more wasting time on games that "matter" and weekly matchups. Now is the time to bargain, borrow, and beg for draft picks that may ever turn into anything. In other words, it's time for what we dynasty dogs […]


Keon Coleman - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Dynasty Fantasy Football Sells - 2nd Year Players To Trade Away

Don’t look now, but we are only a few days away from the start of the 2025 NFL Combine. It’s an exciting time of year for dynasty fantasy football managers. The NFL Draft is quickly approaching, and that means dynasty rookie drafts will soon follow. While you should generally exhibit patience with your young players, […]


Jerry Jeudy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Biggest Wide Receiver Breakouts - Fantasy Football Outlooks for 2025

The best fantasy football players can sometimes identify potential breakout candidates before the season. These players aren't necessarily going high in drafts, but they have the upside to finish at the top of their respective positions. There are always a few breakout candidates at every position each year.  That was no different at the wide […]


Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, WR, Waiver Wire, NFL DFS, Rookies

NFL Rookies That Flopped - Early Fantasy Football Outlooks for 2025

The NFL is a tough business. While it is always exciting to watch young rookies enter the league and succeed immediately, the reality is that most players require at least a year or two of development before they pan out and start producing for fantasy football. Some players seem like surefire successes and flop, while […]


Jayden Daniels - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlooks: 2nd Year Player Rankings

While the fantasy football world is focused on the 2025 rookie class, let’s look back to last year’s group. The 2024 rookie draft class might be the best in history. Several rookies became fantasy superstars in their first year in the NFL. Now that we have a year’s worth of data in the books, let’s […]


DK Metcalf - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

Blockbuster NFL Trade Ideas That Could Shake Up Fantasy Football

The start of the 2025 NFL offseason is just around the corner. While free agency and the NFL Draft are the highlights of the offseason, the trade market can be the most exciting. NFL teams have become more aggressive in making trades over the past few years. Fans have seen some massive blockbuster trades over […]


Jameson Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Breakout Wide Receivers - Fantasy Football Outlooks for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jameson Williams, more

This series continues to roll on with Part 2 of our breakout receivers. First, we must define what a breakout is. For this series, there will be two criteria a player can meet to qualify for breakout status. The first is a player who solidly outplays their ADP and preseason expectations. This is that preseason […]


Luther Burden - College, NCAA, Draft, Prospects, CFB, Missouri

2025 Fantasy Football WR Rookie Rankings (Pre-NFL Draft) - Tetairoa McMillan, Luther Burden III, Emeka Egbuka, and more

Everyone wants to talk about the running back and tight-end position this season, especially when it comes to fantasy football. Sure, the wide receiver position doesn't have the elite prospects it had in the past, but that doesn't mean there aren't some receivers available who can't impact fantasy rosters heading into 2025. The picture is […]