Week 4 Waiver Wire – NFL Fantasy Football – 2025

DFS Army’s Gthom goes over the waiver wire targets for this week. These waiver wire targets are normally available in 50-percent of ESPN leagues.

Follow Gthom on the cesspool they call X, or Twitter, or whatever it’s called @GarettThomas.

 

QUARTERBACKS

 

Marcus Mariota (WAS) – 8% Rostered

Mariota filled in for injured QB1 Jayden Daniels and dominated for fantasy purposes. His final stat line was 207 passing yards, 40 rushing yards on six carries, one rushing touchdown and one passing touchdown. That generated 20.58 fantasy points and makes Mariota a weekly streaming option and a solid second quarterback in 2QB leagues.

There was a report that Daniels’ knee is restricting lateral movement. Additionally, he did not participate in practice in any capacity leading into Week 3. All this creates doubt about Daniels playing in Week 4, but that can change quickly. Daniels is a gritty player and played through injury last season, so expect him to go if he can.

In the meantime, Mariota is a solid streaming quarterback for any format. The Commanders will take on the Falcons defense in Week 4, which will also be an indoor game, and there will be a “revenge game” narrative for Mariota.

Geno Smith (LV) – 10% Rostered

Garbage time helped Smith finish with a solid 26.06 fantasy points in Week 3. This came on the back of 289 passing yards, five rushing yards and three touchdowns in a loss to the Commanders. Through three weeks, Smith has posted up-and-down fantasy production, highlighting his volatility.

The long-time veteran stays on fantasy radars in Week 4 because he will be facing a weak Chicago Bears defense that has allowed 22.6 fantasy points per game to the quarterback position in 2025, the fourth-highest clip in the NFL. With the Raiders playing at home and indoors, it points to Smith being a solid streaming option for Week 4, despite opening as underdogs.

Low-End Streaming Options at Quarterback

1. Justin Fields** (NYJ) or Tyrod Taylor (NYJ) @ Miami Dolphins
2. Tua Tagovailoa (MIA) vs New York Jets

 

 

RUNNING BACKS

 

Trey Benson (ARI) – 55% Rostered

Benson will be the first big-ticket waiver player of the 2025 season, which comes after a nasty season-ending injury to James Conner.

While operating in the backup role for the Cardinals in 2025, Benson maintained a 5.95 yards-per-carry average across 21 carries. Additionally, he can operate as a receiving back. This season he has amassed eight catches for 45 receiving yards.

Benson is worth spending up to 40 – 50% in FAAB leagues or burning a high-priority waiver position. Expect other backs to be mixed in with Benson (Emari Demercado and maybe another back), but he should be getting the bulk of the workload going forward.

The second-year back will face an uphill battle against the Seahawks in Week 4, but Benson will operate as an RB2 or fringe RB1 until further notice.

Running Back Handcuffs with Low-End FLEX Usage

1. Bhayshul Tuten (JAC) – 48% Rostered
2. Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – 34% Rostered
3. Kareem Hunt (KC) – 24% Rostered
4. Kenneth Gainwell (PIT) – 27% Rostered
5. Brian Robinson Jr. (SF) – 46% Rostered

Deep League Running Backs or Stash Only Candidates

1. Jeremey McNichols (WAS) – 3% Rostered
2. Tyjae Spears (TEN) – 28% Rostered
3. Chris Rodriguez Jr. (WAS) – 2% Rostered
4. Ollie Gordon II (MIA) – 23% Rostered
5. Emari Demercado (ARI) – 1% Rostered
6. Kyle Monangai (CHI) – 8% Rostered
7. Woody Marks (HOU) – 8% Rostered
8. Braelon Allen (NYJ) – 29% Rostered
9. Blake Corum (LAR) – 12% Rostered
10. Hassan Haskins (LAC) – 1% Rostered

 

 

WIDE RECEIVERS

 

Tre Tucker (LV) – 2% Rostered

Three touchdowns will grab the attention of everyone, especially when you have played at least 90% of your team’s offensive snaps every week. Tucker amassed a huge fantasy day after finishing with eight catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns while adding one carry for four rushing yards.

There may be more meat on the bones for this fantasy player as well. Last week he saw eight targets and in Week 3 he saw nine more, and he also found the end zone in Week 1.

Tucker has gone through hot streaks before, but he has never reached a score like this. In 2024, Tucker had 22.6 PPR points in Week 3, 15.4 in Week 4 and 15.2 in Week 12. As much as he is on the field, he needs to be rostered going forward, especially in 12-team leagues and deeper.

Cedric Tillman (CLE) – 44% Rostered

Everything about this Cleveland offense hit a wall in Week 3 when it played a tough Packers defense. Tillman finished with three catches for 26 yards, hauling in all three of his targets, but the offense mustered 221 total yards in a slow-burn 13-10 win. Tillman was only behind WR1 Jerry Jeudy in snaps among all pass catchers.

The Browns will travel to face the Lions in Week 4. While the Detroit defense is to be respected, its offense is powerful enough to consistently score points, which forces opposing teams to pass the ball to keep up the pace. This game environment makes Tillman a FLEX-worthy player. Going back to last season, the Lions have allowed an average of 39.15 PPR points per game to the receiver position, a very high amount compared to league averages.

Troy Franklin (DEN) – 49% Rostered

Franklin put up a dud this week against the Chargers, but he did get an open opportunity in the end zone that he dropped. Had he caught his touchdown, it would have been a positive day for fantasy managers. Instead, Franklin finished with two catches for eight yards on four targets.

Managers need to expect volatility when playing Franklin. The Broncos’ offense will not always create two fantasy-relevant receivers each week. To Franklin’s demise, teammate Courtland Sutton seemed to absorb most of the usage in Week 3.

Mangers will be hoping that Franklin gets back on track in Week 4 when he takes on the Bengals.

Eric Ayomanor (TEN) – 8% Rostered

He scored his second touchdown in as many weeks, and through three games, he is the most reliable pass catcher in Tennessee (which does not say much). He finished with four catches for 38 yards and one touchdown in a loss to the Colts.

Ayomanor has not been on the field as much as you would like for a fantasy outlook, but he is getting things done for the Titans’ passing attack at the moment. Expect Ayomanor to be a FLEX option that lacks a fantasy floor going forward.

Tyquan Thornton (KC) – 2% Rostered

The 2022 second-round pick finished Week 3 with five catches for 71 yards and one touchdown. Just last week, he posted two catches for 59 yards and one touchdown as well. It may be touchdown dependent, but Thornton has gotten it done over the last two weeks, especially compared to the other healthy pass catchers in Kansas City.

Thornton will be a fantasy-relevant player as long as Xavier Worthy is out. Even once Worthy returns, which is very likely in Week 4 or Week 5, there is a chance that Thornton remains the WR2 in this offense. He out-snapped fellow receivers Marquise Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster in Week 3, and tight end Travis Kelce looks like a shell of his former self.

Calvin Austin III (PIT) – 11% Rostered

Austin is profiling as a low-floor, big-play receiver who can go for a touchdown any week, which puts him into the mix for deep-league managers. He is averaging 15.75 yards per catch and already has two touchdowns on the season. Managers looking to play Austin in Week 4 will likely be hoping for production, because he will face a very tough Vikings defense that has only allowed 19.2 PPR points to opposing wide receivers, a league-best average.

Romeo Doubs (GB) – 33% | Dontayvion Wicks (GB) – 4% Rostered

The Packers’ offense got stuck in a rut in Week 3, which was against one of the toughest defenses in the NFL, the Browns. Green Bay totaled 230 offensive yards as a team. This trickled down for fantasy purposes, as Doubs and Wicks finished with 4.5 and 4.1 PPR points, respectively. It was actually Wicks who drew four targets to Doubs’ two.

Both players remain highly volatile; some weeks they will produce little, while other weeks they may surprise with meaningful fantasy points. The key takeaway is that they are tied to an offense that carries significant upside each week, making them worth chasing in deeper formats despite the inconsistency.

Doubs and Wicks continue to be options for fantasy managers needing help with receiver depth. Doubs can be a 10-team league dart throw any week, while Wicks should be left for 12-team leagues or deeper formats. Neither player carries much of a floor, which makes them less attractive than other waiver options.

Hunter Renfrow (CAR) – 2% Rostered

Renfrow is a desperate deep-league PPR flier who may become irrelevant once other receivers get healthy. He operates in the slot role for the Panthers, which bodes well with quarterback Bryce Young’s preference.

Renfrow finished with two catches for six yards on four targets against the Falcons in Week 3, but the Carolina offense only needed to generate 224 total yards to route their opponent 30-0. The Panthers typically trail in their games, which can lead to heavier passing action. Renfrow will look to get back on track during Week 4.

 

 

TIGHT ENDS

 

Hunter Henry (NE) – 49% Rostered

The veteran tight end dominated the Steelers’ defense by posting eight catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 11 targets. Just last week during Week 2, he nearly laid an egg on fantasy managers with one catch for nine yards against a porous Miami Dolphins defense. Expect up-and-down finishes for Henry, but this 29-point PPR effort represents his ceiling and its not likely we see repeat performances like this. Henry certainly needs to be rostered in all leagues due to the bond with his quarterback and the scarce fantasy options at tight end.

Harold Fannin Jr. (CLE) – 40% Rostered

There are so many pass-catching options in Cleveland that when the offense struggles, none of the options are likely to be good for fantasy purposes. We saw that play out in Week 3 when Fannin finished with three catches for 25 yards against a tough Packers’ defense.

The rookie tight end’s breakout season may be on hold indefinitely. Fannin still plays fewer snaps than the TE1 for this team, and this is the second consecutive week he has posted a low 60 percent snap rate (after being in the 70 percent range in Week 1).

Fannin should be on rosters for 12-team leagues—the Browns have been creative in using him, which shows their staff is designing plays for him—but he may be more of a deep-league flier or stash candidate at a position with very scarce options. As the season progresses, we could very easily see more of Fannin, but for now, adjust expectations.

Brenton Strange (JAC) – 21% Rostered

The Jaguars’ offense continues to feed their secondary pieces instead of fantasy stud Brian Thomas Jr. That benefits role players like Strange, who finished with six catches for 61 yards on seven targets. He is a PPR-only option, and if the Jaguars start force-feeding Brian Thomas Jr., then role players like Strange may have less of a fantasy floor.

 

 

DEFENSES TO STREAM

1. Lions D/ST vs Cleveland Browns
2. Chargers D/ST @ New York Giants
3. Steelers D/ST vs Minnesota Vikings
4. Rams D/ST vs Indianapolis Colts