10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets Heading Into Week 4

Week 3 is almost in the books, and with two Monday Night Football games still to come, we're already setting our sights on Week 4.

Early-season waiver wire pickups have the advantage of being on your roster for almost the entire fantasy season, giving them the potential to be among the most impactful transactions you'll make this year.

With that in mind, here are some of the best additions you can make to your squads heading into Week 4.

10 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Targets

Quarterbacks

C.J. Stroud, Texans

We're three weeks into the C.J. Stroud era in Houston, and things are going very well. When the Houston Texans drafted Stroud with the second overall pick in April's draft, there was some concern that their offense could take a conservative, run-heavy approach in new head coach DeMeco Ryans' first season.

With three games in the books, we can decidedly say that has not been the case. Stroud has attempted at least 30 pass attempts in each game and is averaging 40.3 pass attempts per game. He has completed 78 of 121 attempts (64.5%) for 906 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He ranks fourth in the NFL in passing yards, seventh in yards per attempt (7.5), and is one of only four signal callers to have started all three games this season and not thrown an interception.

In Tank Dell and Nico Collins, Stroud has two exciting, young pass-catchers who are also off to fantastic starts to their season. It's a small sample size, but the future looks bright for this passing game.

Short-term, Stroud may not be the best fantasy streamer facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, but he is still worth picking up and stashing for his long-term potential as a weekly option.

Others to Consider:

Russell Wilson (at Chicago), Matthew Stafford (at Indianapolis), Jameis Winston (vs. Tampa Bay)

Running Backs

De'Von Achane, Dolphins

De'Von Achane was included in this piece last week, and if he is still available, he should be your number one priority this week.

With Salvon Ahmed sidelined with a groin injury in Week 3, Achane got his first opportunity to see significant touches and absolutely crushed it.

Splitting touches with Raheem Mostert in Miami's 70-20 blowout win over the Denver Broncos, Achane finished the week as the highest scoring player at any position.

The 84th overall pick in April's draft, Achane's blazing speed was on full display as he racked up 203 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns on 18 carries. He was active in the passing game, as well, catching all 4 of his targets for 30 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. Mostert was also exceptional in both phases of the offense, totaling 142 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Achane's weekly volume going forward may be difficult to predict with Mostert leading the backfield, Ahmed's possible return, and the eventual return of Jeff Wilson starting in Week 5.

That should not concern us. Achane has shown what he is capable of and offers immense upside -- even on limited touches. Mostert also has a long history of missing time due to injury.

Splitting touches with Mostert, Achane has week-winning potential. If he ever takes over the lead role, he has league-winning potential.

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks

Kenneth Walker III continued his excellent start to the season in Week 3 with 156 total yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries and 3 receptions. While Walker remains in control of the Seahawks' backfield, Zach Charbonnet had his best week of the season, totaling 46 rushing yards on 9 carries and has now seen his touch count increase for a second week in a row.

Entering the season, there were concerns that his backfield would be a true committee after Seattle drafted Charbonnet in the second round of April's draft. Walker's impressive start to the season may have caused some fantasy managers to drop Charbonnet after that committee failed to materialize.

Like Achane last week, we want to try to be early on adding talented players with the potential to see their opportunities increase. If you have an open roster spot, Charbonnet is an excellent bench stash.

Tyjae Spears, Titans

In Week 3's loss to the Cleveland Browns, Derrick Henry turned 11 carries into just 20 rushing yards and did not see a target. Through three games, Henry is averaging 3.2 yards per carry, down from 4.4 last season, and has yet to reach the 100-yard mark, something he did nine times in 2022.

Cleveland's defense deserves most of the credit; they have allowed just 52 rushing yards per game this season, best in the NFL. However, Week 3 was a continuation of a worrying early-season slump for Henry, who is in the final year of his contract.

Tyjae Spears, a third-round pick in this year's draft, has 82 rushing yards on 15 carries this season (5.5 yards per carry) and is averaging 3.3 targets per game.

Henry has proven time and time again to be an exceptional running back and could certainly bounce back starting in Week 4. However, we have seen in the past that when a running back's play starts to decline, it can do so rapidly. With Henry set to hit free agency in 2024, the Titans may want to see what they in Spears.

For now, Spears is an excellent bench stash and should be rostered wherever he is available.

Others to Consider:

Matt Breida (vs. Seattle), Elijah Mitchell (vs. Arizona), Ezekiel Elliott (at Dallas)

Wide Receivers

Tank Dell, Texans

Last week's piece featured Tank Dell's teammate, Nico Collins. After a big Week 3, it is now Dell's turn in the spotlight.

Dell backed up his 7-reception performance in Week 2 with 5 catches on 7 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3.

The 69th overall pick in this year's draft now sits 11th in receiving yards (251), 13th in yards per reception (16.7), and 24th in receptions (15). Through three weeks, he has seen just two fewer targets than Collins and has just nine fewer yards.

Most importantly for Dell, the Texans' passing offense appears to be for real. Stroud has looked excellent, and there are no signs of Houston's surpassingly pass-heavy attack slowing down.

Of course, there will still be weekly variance, but Dell is an exciting young player with a significant role in a passing game that is trending in the right direction. Sign me up.

Josh Palmer, Chargers

Mike Williams was forced to exit Week 3's win over the Vikings with a knee injury and did not return. Early indications are that Williams' injury is serious and possibly season-ending.

Williams' 26 targets through three games were good for a 22.0% target share. If he is sidelined, it opens up a significant number of targets in one of the league's best passing games.

In the short term, Josh Palmer is in the best position to step into an increased role. Among wide receivers, Palmer is third on Los Angeles in targets with 13 and has hauled in 8 for 83 yards and a touchdown.

In Week 4, the Chargers get an exciting matchup against a vulnerable Las Vegas Raiders secondary. So far this season, the Raiders have allowed seven passing touchdowns and generated zero interceptions. Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson, and Josh Allen all threw for at least two touchdowns against Las Vegas.

Enter Justin Herbert, who is coming off a 3-touchdown, 405-passing-yard performance against Minnesota. Stepping into a larger role, Palmer is a high-ceiling option in Week 4 and could have long-term potential, as well, if rookie Quentin Johnston's early-season struggles continue.

Quentin Johnston, Chargers

Speaking of Johnston, he also has an opportunity to step up and fill the void left by Williams' absence.

Johnston, the 21st overall selection in the 2023 draft, was the second wide receiver off the board. His career is off to a slow start; through three weeks, he has been running firmly behind Palmer and has just 5 receptions on 8 targets for 26 yards.

Don't let that slow start stop you from adding Johnston. He should have every opportunity to live up to his draft capital and eventually surpass Palmer on the depth chart. Many fantasy football championships have been won by rookie wide receivers that start slow before establishing themselves as a significant contributor in the second half of the season. Entering Week 4 of his rookie season in 2021, Amon-Ra St. Brown had 6 receptions on 10 targets for 43 yards.

For the long run, Johnston is the best option to become a fantasy force in Los Angeles. He may not out-produce Palmer right away, but he is worth adding to wait and see and should be a priority target this week.

Adam Thielen, Panthers

With Andy Dalton under center in Week 3, Adam Thielen was busy against Seattle, catching 11 of 14 targets for 145 yards and a touchdown. Bryce Young is uncertain for Week 4 with an ankle injury.

In Week 4, Thielen will face a Vikings secondary that ranks inside the bottom 10 in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed. Mike Evans and DeVonta Smith had success against them in Week 1 and 2, respectively, and they just allowed Keenan Allen to catch 18 of 20 targets for 215 yards.

At age 33, Thielen is nowhere near the level of Evans, Smith, or Allen, but he still leads Carolina in target share (21.0%) and should be busy against Minnesota. Jonathan Mingo also might have picked up a concussion in Week 3.

Even if Young is back under center, Thielen is well-positioned to produce in the short term. If Young can start to make strides and live up to the potential that made him the first overall pick, there is long-term potential as a weekly WR3/flex option, as well.

Others to Consider:

Josh Downs (vs. Los Angeles) D.J. Chark (vs. Minnesota), Marvin Mims (at Chicago), Jayden Reed (vs. Detroit), Rashee Rice (vs. New York Jets)

Tight Ends

Taysom Hill, Saints

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury in Week 3 and was forced to exit the game. As of Monday morning, Carr is believed to have avoided a more serious, long-term injury but could still miss time. With Carr sidelined, Jameis Winston took the majority of snaps under center for New Orleans.

While Winston will be the starter, Carr's absence does open the door for Taysom Hill to see more touches in his jack-of-all-trades role. The bar for fantasy relevance at the tight end position is very low, and any increase in Hill's role puts him on the radar if he is tight end eligible in your league.

Others to Consider:

Gerald Everett (vs. Las Vegas), Luke Musgrave (vs. Detroit), Jake Ferguson (vs. New England)

Defenses

Los Angeles Chargers

After not recording a sack in their Week 1 loss to the Dolphins, the Los Angeles Chargers D/ST recorded five against the Titans in Week 2 and four in their win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3. They also have a pair of interceptions and fumble recoveries.

In Week 4, they will face a Raiders team that might be without Jimmy Garoppolo, who was evaluated for a concussion following Week 3's loss to the Steelers. Even if Garoppolo does play, there is plenty of opportunity for the Chargers defense. So far this season, Garoppolo leads the NFL in interceptions with six.

The Raiders have only allowed four sacks so far this season, and this game does have a high total (50.5), giving some cause for concern. That said, the Chargers are 4.5-point home favorites, and the turnover potential puts them in play as a streaming option.

Others to Consider:

Cincinnati D/ST (at Tennessee), Denver D/ST (at Chicago), Tampa Bay D/ST (at New Orleans)

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.