The Week 4 waiver wire is filled with some rookie wide receivers who have the potential to take flight. We now have three weeks’ worth of data and can start to form stronger opinions on the season-long fantasy football value of these players. With that in mind, let’s examine a couple of potential WR targets on the wire this week.
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Top WR Waiver Wire Targets in Week 4
More Waiver Wire Targets: QBs | TEs | RBs
Tank Dell, Houston Texans (30% Rostered)
RB Noah Brown going on IR opened the door for Tank Dell to assume a starting role in Houston’s three-receiver sets. I don’t think Brown is getting his job back.
The rookie posted his second straight 20-point week. He caught five passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in a blowout win over the Jaguars. There should be more volume in more competitive games.
Dell has to be considered a weekly WR3 at this point and must be added in all leagues.
FAAB Recommendation: 20-25%
Adam Thielen, Carolina Panthers (46% Rostered)
It’s actually surprising that Adam Thielen isn’t rostered in more than half of Yahoo leagues. He may be old, but he’s the Panthers’ clear WR1.
Thielen had a mammoth day against the Seahawks, catching 11 of 14 targets for 145 yards and a garbage-time touchdown. It was Thielen’s best fantasy outing since 2020.
After a dismal Week 1, Thielen has scored over 50 fantasy points over the past two weeks. He has to be considered an every-week WR3 at this point. Pick him up.
FAAB Recommendation: 20-25%
Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers (41% Rostered)
I remain unimpressed by Romeo Doubs. Nevertheless, he saw 12 targets on Sunday. That has to count for something.
Doubs has benefited from operating as the WR1 without Christian Watson. The true WR1 was close to returning this week, but I surmise the Packers held him and RB Aaron Jones out due to the short week.
MORE: Early Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
It’s possible Doubs ends up being useless when Watson returns, but you have to take the chance now.
FAAB Recommendation: 10-12%
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers (21% Rostered)
I still really like Jayden Reed. He’s made some impressive catches in his three career games.
This week, Reed caught three of seven targets for 63 yards. It’s unclear what his role will be when Watson returns, but I’m willing to bet on talent here.
FAAB Recommendation: 4-6%
Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (2% Rostered)
Rookie wide receivers often start coming on later in the season. We may have seen the first signs of that happening for Josh Downs already.
Downs caught eight of 12 targets for 57 yards. Most notably, he vastly outplayed WR Alec Pierce, who has just 76 receiving yards so far this season.
If Downs takes over as the WR2 in two receiver sets, he could be startable. Now would be the time to get ahead of the game and stash him.
FAAB Recommendation: 3-5%
Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs (26% Rostered)
Odds are, the answer to which Chiefs WR to roster is none of them. It’s probably just TE Travis Kelce and a random guy each week. But if one guy could potentially break through, it would be the rookie.
We know Skyy Moore can’t play, and we know what Marquez Valdes-Scantling is. Kadarius Toney barely has a role, and Justin Watson is just a role player. The answer to which Chiefs WR to roster is either no one … or maybe Rashee Rice.
The rookie caught five of seven targets for 59 yards against the Chicago Bears in a game that was never competitive. Given the typical rookie progression, he’s worth taking a stab at to see if he can surge over the second half of the season.
FAAB Recommendation: 2-4%
Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys (18% Rostered)
It was an uneventful start to the season for Michael Gallup. He caught just one pass in each of the Cowboys’ first two games.
Week 3 did not go well for the Cowboys, losing to the worst team in the NFL. However, it went as well as could be expected for Gallup.
He caught six of seven targets for 92 yards — his best outing since 2021.
I’m not exactly sure Gallup has overtaken Brandin Cooks as the WR2, but I also wouldn’t expect a repeat performance. This was a unique game situation. With that said, Gallup has been a fantasy WR3 in the past, so I would be remiss not at least to mention him.
FAAB Recommendation: 1-2%
DJ Chark, Carolina Panthers (10% Rostered)
This is another example of me listing a player because I feel I have to. D.J. Chark saw 11 targets against the Seahawks, but Andy Dalton also attempted 58 passes. That’s two games worth of throws.
Chark only caught four of them, but he did manage 86 yards and a nice touchdown.
He looks good, but he is in a rotation behind Adam Thielen. If you need a desperation body in a Flex spot, you could certainly do worse than Chark, but he is not a priority add off the Week 4 waiver wire.
FAAB Recommendation: 1-2%
Josh Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers (2% Rostered)
It is quite interesting that WR Quentin Johnston can’t usurp Josh Palmer for the Chargers’ WR3 role, but it’s a reality. As a result, Palmer deserves some attention.
In an excellent game environment, Palmer caught four of seven targets for 66 yards and a touchdown. It was his first even remotely fantasy-relevant performance of the season and was buoyed by a 30-yard tip-drill touchdown. I don’t actually think he can be relevant with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen on the field, but that’s no longer the case.
With Williams done for the year, Palmer is the new WR2 in a Justin Herbert offense. I like him far more than Johnston. He is definitely worth a pickup.
FAAB Recommendation: 8-12%
Which WRs Should You Roster in Fantasy Football?
Should You Roster Josh Palmer or Jaxon Smith-Njigba?
After three weeks, it’s abundantly clear that Jaxon Smith-Njigba poses absolutely zero threat to the roles or target shares of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. That doesn’t mean his role won’t increase, but it makes it difficult for fantasy managers to just sit and wait, knowing he’s not close to being startable.
Palmer has been the Chargers’ WR3 all season, playing ahead of Johnston. With Williams likely done for the season, Palmer is now poised to start in two-receiver sets.
MORE: Fantasy Buy Low, Sell High Week 4
The answer to this one comes down to what your fantasy team needs. JSN has a much, much higher ceiling, both in terms of what his talent can do and the potential for a Metcalf or Lockett injury. Palmer is the better start right now.
If you need someone you can plug and play immediately, Palmer is the far superior option, especially short term. If your starting lineup is good and you have some depth pieces, then JSN remains the better stash due to his second-half-of-the-season upside.
Should You Roster Jayden Reed or Treylon Burks?
Last year, we saw Treylon Burks play as a rookie. His performance did not indicate he would ever become a fantasy-relevant asset. Now, that doesn’t automatically make Reed the superior option. However, we do not yet have evidence one way or the other.
In this case, I would much prefer the unknown upside of Reed over the known lack of upside of Burks. To be clear, I’m not saying Burks never had upside — he did — he just didn’t have it anymore after his rookie season.
Reed has played well over the first three weeks of the season. He can maintain a key role in the Packers offense even after Christian Watson returns, largely because I believe he will eventually overtake Romeo Doubs. I much prefer Reed to Burks.