Ivan Herrera 
As Week 3 of the NFL season has come and gone, fantasy football managers are already looking to make adjustments to their rosters. Injuries, surprising performances, and emerging talents often prompt the need for some shrewd waiver wire pickups. Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire pickups, along with a few honorable mentions to keep an eye on. This week’s edition of Waiver Wire Pickups will feature a lot of emerging rookies.
1. Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, WR, Houston Texans (Rostered%: 23.3 ESPN, 48 Sleeper, 32 Yahoo)
The rookie’s role with the Texans offense has increased since Week 1. In the past two games, he has 17 targets for 12 catches, 217 yards, and two scores. In Week 3, Dell led the team in targets (7) and played a season-high in snaps. After the first three weeks of the season, Dell has accounted for 27% of the total WR targets for Houston. With CJ Stroud’s performances improving as the season moves along, Dell’s targets should continue to increase.
2. De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins (Rostered%: 16.1 ESPN, 47 Sleeper, 42 Yahoo)
If you listen closely, you can probably hear the sound of Achane scoring again against Denver. Achane had the breakout game a lot of people thought he’d have coming into his rookie campaign. He finished Sunday’s game with 203 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Achane played only seven fewer snaps than RB1 Mostert this past week. I don’t think Achane will have another game like Sunday again, but he showed how explosive he is with the ball, and that part of Sunday he should be able to replicate all season long.
3. Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (Rostered %:.7 ESPN, 5 Sleeper, 4 Yahoo)
Palmer should see an uptick in work as Mike Williams has been ruled out for the year. This past Sunday against the Vikings, Palmer ran a route on all 10 drop-backs after Williams left the game. With the Chargers’s offense going through the arm of Herbert, Palmer should be heavily involved, playing alongside Kenaan Allen. Rookie Johnston should also see an uptick in work, but Palmer’s established relationship with Herbert should give him the edge.
4. Josh Downs, WR, Indianapolis Colts (Rostered%: 3.2 ESPN, 12 Sleeper, 2 Yahoo)
Another rookie WR is starting to see an uptick in workload as the season goes on. Downs is still the WR3 in Indianapolis, but he has had a better start to the year than Pierce, who is listed as the WR2. In the first three weeks of the season, Downs has doubled the number of targets compared to Pierce. It is only a matter of time until Downs has the breakout game that will get him into the WR2 role. Downs isn’t a must-play going into Week 4, but managers should stash him now before he has his breakout game.
5. Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers (Rostered%: 54 ESPN, 58 Sleeper, 48 Yahoo)
This past weekend, we saw Thielen return to the receiver we saw during his time in Minnesota. He finished Week 3 with 11 catches on 14 targets. He is being helped out by having veteran Andy Dalton at QB, but when rookie Bryce Young comes back, he shouldn’t see a dip in his production as he looked like he established himself as the security blanket for Panther QBs.
6. Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers (Rostered %: 13.3 ESPN, 25 Sleeper, 18 Yahoo)
Musgrave has looked good in his first three NFL games. The rookie TE has seen the third most targets on Green Bay with 15. In Week 3, Musgrave saw a season high of eight targets, but unfortunately, he wasn’t able to produce many yards as he finished with only 49 on six catches. The rookie might see a slight dip in workload as Watson is close to returning, but as the TE1 for Green Bay, he should see an uptick in production once Watson gets going and starts demanding all the attention from defenses.
7. Jameis Winston, QB, New Orleans Saints (Rostered%:.1 ESPN, 2 Sleeper, 0 Yahoo)
With the shoulder injury to Carr, Winston becomes the starting QB in New Orleans. While Carr is expected to come back at some point this season, Winston is a viable replacement for him. He threw for 101 yards this past weekend in relief of the injured Carr. Winston has shown throughout his career that he likes to sling the ball, and with players like Shaheed and Thomas on the squad, he has weapons to target. He is better used as a backup for fantasy leagues. But in deep or super flex leagues, Winston is a better option.
8. Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (Rostered%: 62.4 ESPN, 63 Sleeper, 56 Yahoo)
Warren saw a solid increase in rostered% between the end of Week 2 and the start of Week 3, but he is still widely available in a lot of leagues. In Week 3, he once again showed he was the more efficient runner, as he averaged 4.7 yards per touch compared to Harris’s 3.4 yards per touch. While it would be hard for Warren to take over the starting role this early into the season, he can take it over in a few weeks if he continues to prove to HC Mike Tolim that he is the better of the two backs. For now, fantasy managers should stash Warren and wait for him to take over.
9. Calvin Austin, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers (Rostered%: 1.5 ESPN, 6 Sleeper, 2 Yahoo)
Another Steelers player who was able to make the most of his playing time, Austin, looks to become a contributor with Pittsburgh. On Sunday night, Austin was targeted six times, which tied him for the team lead alongside WR1 George Pickens. With Dionte Johnson on the IR, Austin is starting to see an increase in his role as he is leading Allen Robinson in targets and sits only behind Pickens for team lead in targets through three weeks. Austin is a deep league player right now, but as his role grows, he can be a WR2 on fantasy teams thanks to the explosiveness he has shown.
10. Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans (Rostered%: 15.8 ESPN, 33 Sleeper, 24 Yahoo)
With King Henry dealing with an injury, Spears has taken over the backfield, as he has outscored Henry in two of the first three games. With Henry on the roster, Spears will continue to be more of a stash play, but he has shown the explosiveness with the Titans he had while at Tulane, so as the weeks pass, Spears role can see an increase.
- Jake Ferguson, TE, Dallas Cowboys (Rostered%: 19.8 ESPN, 34 Sleeper, 41 Yahoo): Ferguson has seen 18 targets in three weeks. He ranks second behind only Lamb in targets and is tied with two others for team lead in receiving touchdowns.
- Kendre Miller, RB, New Orleans Saints (Rostered%: 20.4 ESPN, 46 Sleeper, 34 Yahoo): With Williams on IR, Miller should act as the RB2 with Kamara coming back from suspension.
- Donald Parham, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (Rostered%: .4 ESPN, 2 Sleeper, 1 Yahoo): Parham is still TE2 for the Chargers but he has seen work near the red zone which has seen him catch three touchdowns in three games. He is more of a option in deeper leagues but worth a stash in every league.
In the world of fantasy football, being proactive on the waiver wire can often be the difference between success and failure. These Week 4 waiver wire pickups, along with the honorable mentions, should help you strengthen your roster as the season progresses. Make sure to prioritize your team’s specific needs and potential long-term upside when making your choices.
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