There's no secret recipe or cheat code to winning in fantasy football, but being overly prepared at every stage of the season certainly boosts one's chances. The waiver wire gives us a constant opportunity to improve our team's short-term and long-term outlook, and anticipating breakouts can lead to fantasy championships. Our waiver wire watchlist ahead of Weeks 4 and 5 can help you spot potential free-agent sleepers like C.J. Stroud, Quentin Johnston, and Rico Dowdle, among others.
We've been telling you for two weeks — and season after season before this year — to make the most of your open roster spots or one of your opponents will. Try to anticipate who will be Week 5's top pickups after strong performances this weekend. By adding potential boom players as free agents before their breakouts, you find solid production without burning a valuable waiver claim or wasting FAAB money.
Even if your Week 4 waivers already processed, there might still be moves and improvements you can make. Maybe an impatient owner dropped an underperforming player from Week 3. Perhaps you suffered injuries to a skill position and need some depth. Or, maybe you're just being proactive about a particularly tough matchup or bye week one of your positional players has in Week 5 or 6. Regardless, our waiver wire watchlist will shine a light on the sleepers that most leagues leave in the dark.
What types of players typically draw attention and wind up on our waiver wire watchlist ahead of Week 4? Like last week, we're still looking at young players and injury replacements, especially if they look good or command more targets and touches than the first couple of games of the season. Certain handcuffs will also be high on waiver lists, especially if the veterans in front of them look underwhelming or overworked. And there will always be matchup-based streamers, especially at positions like QB, TE, and D/ST.
Weeks 4 and 5 mark the timeframe in which fantasy owners start playing matchups a bit more often. If you are, it's smart to plan ahead and get your first choice before other owners jump into the frenzy after new information emerges. Our waiver wire watchlist helps you think about the future while the rest of your league is thinking about the present.
WEEK 4 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
Some shallower leagues don't feature enough roster spots to really take advantage of "planning ahead," but for those in leagues that do, our week-ahead watchlist will be helpful all year long. Even though you won't pick up most (or all) of these players, it's worth watching their snap counts and target shares to file away for later.
Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Watchlist
Reminder: This list was put together in the lead-in to Week 4, looking forward to the players who could be popular waiver wire targets ahead of Week 5. If you have a roster spot to play with, these are free agent options you could grab early to beat the waiver buzz.
All these players are below 50 percent ownership on Yahoo unless otherwise specified.
Week 5 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: QB
WEEK 5 BYES: Browns, Chargers, Seahawks, Buccaneers
C.J. Stroud, Texans at Falcons in Week 5 (41 percent rostered)
Since so many fantasy owners wind up streaming quarterbacks around this time of year — either because of injuries, matchups, or byes — we'll start including each QB's matchup for the following week. In this case, Stroud called out to us because he has played quite well through three weeks and Houston has a fairly good matchup against a young Falcons squad.
Sure, Atlanta has improved mightily on the defensive side of the ball. Arthur Smith finally has an above-average pass-rush, and safety Jessie Bates has made a big impact in the Falcons' secondary. However, this is still a raw and sometimes unfocused unit, one that often gives up a key play at the worst possible time. It doesn't help that Desmond Ridder plays some of the most uninspiring quarterback in the NFL, so the Birds can't hold onto the ball or move the chains effectively.
Last week, Jared Goff netted 243 passing yards and a TD in Detroit's 20-6 win over Atlanta. One week prior, the Packers' Jordan Love tossed three TDs against the Falcons. With Stroud continually building on his chemistry with young Texans receivers Nico Collins and Tank Dell, Stroud could emerge as the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite in the coming weeks. He had 294 total yards and two TD passes last week against the Jaguars, and Houston faces an underwhelming Steelers secondary this week. Scoop Stroud up now!
Sam Howell, Commanders vs. Bears (18%)
Howell has endured some rough patches for Washington, but he has also had some moments in which he looked wise beyond his years. He put up 25 fantasy points against the Broncos in Week 2, and he should enjoy a bounce-back couple of weeks against the Eagles and Bears in the Commanders' next two matchups. Both those defenses rank among the five most generous to QBs, so Howell's ownership levels should jump up considerably by next Wednesday. Get ahead of the pack if you have Justin Herbert, Deshaun Watson, Geno Smith, or Baker Mayfield rostered and need a Week 5 QB stream while those other guys are on bye.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 5 QB STREAMS: Matthew Stafford, Rams vs. Eagles (48%); Bryce Young, Panthers at Lions (11%); Ryan Tannehill, Titans at Colts (6%)
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 5 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: RB
WEEK 5 BYES: Browns, Chargers, Seahawks, Buccaneers
Jaylen Warren, Steelers (55 percent rostered)
I know, I know — I'm including a guy who's owned in over 50 percent of leagues — but with good reason. Warren should be owned in 100 percent of leagues, and I'm gonna die on that hill because damn it, it's something I believe will happen! It's only a matter of time!
We're seeing Warren and Najee Harris come close to an even workload — and with how underwhelming Harris has been, Warren's opportunity to take over the Steelers' backfield should come sooner than later. He's already getting used on almost all passing downs, as he has superior blocking ability, better hands, and more open-field burst to rack up yards after the catch. Just wait until he starts scoring some TDs.
Invest in all the Warren stock you can, and sell sell sell on Najee. You won't regret it.
Ezekiel Elliott, Patriots (46%)
Zeke cracks the list because Rhamondre Stevenson has been utterly abysmal through three weeks, and we're not entirely sure it's all due to tough matchups. 'Mondre has averaged just 2.9 yards per carry, and last week, he caught just one of his four targets. Elliott, meanwhile, just turned 18 carries into 80 yards against a tough Jets defense and now has a revenge game against the Cowboys lined up in Week 4.
The RB2 in New England will always have value, especially for as long as the continually disappointing Mac Jones is under center. Make sure Zeke isn't floating around your wire unless you're the rare breed that's exploding with solid RB depth.
Rico Dowdle, Cowboys (8%)
Tony Pollard has been seeing insane volume through the first few games of the Cowboys' season, quite surprising considering he suffered a fractured fibula in the playoffs in January. He leads the NFL in rushing attempts (62) and touches (74), which also means he's a leading candidate for (a) injury or (b) the dreaded midseason wall.
Even if you don't roster Pollard, consider picking up Dowdle. He has been the clear No. 2 back in Dallas, and his role will expand if he continues netting 4.2 yards per carry and 5.4 yards per touch. If anything were to happen to Pollard, God forbid, you might have yourself a league-winning pickup.
MORE POTENTIAL RB PICKUPS: Justice Hill, Ravens (35%); Tank Bigsby, Jaguars (26%); Elijah Mitchell, 49ers (42%); Joshua Kelley, Chargers (46%); Jamaal Williams, Saints (49%); Matt Breida, Giants (26%); Latavius Murray, Bills (9%); Ty Chandler, Vikings (4%)
WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Week 5 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: WR
WEEK 5 BYES: Browns, Chargers, Seahawks, Buccaneers
Quentin Johnston, Chargers (47 percent rostered)
Last week, we strongly encouraged you to scoop up the Rams' Tutu Atwell, and the third-year man promptly netted 72 all-purpose yards and a TD against the Bengals. This week, we're advising you to stash Quentin "Don't call me Johnson" Johnston in the wake of Mike Williams' season-ending torn ACL.
Johnston might not have the immediate impact we expect out of Josh Palmer (59-percent rostered), but we like the rookie to eventually assume Williams' role. They're both big (around 6-4, 220 pounds), strong, and fast -- attributes that serve wideouts well in a Justin Herbert-led offense. With Keenan Allen slaying secondaries week in and week out, Johnston should be able to find himself open early and often in the Bolts' weekly shootouts.
Marvin Mims Jr., Broncos (38%)
Sean Payton and Joe Lombardi seem to have realized that (a) their team stinks and has to throw the ball a bunch to have a chance at winning and (b) Mims is a speed demon, much like the aforementioned Johnston.
The electric rookie has put up 34.4 half-PPR points over Denver's past two games, one of the lone bright spots in a two-week stretch that has seen the Broncos get outscored 105-53. If Russell Wilson continues connecting with Mims this weekend against a porous Bears secondary, the rookie burner will probably be closer to 75-percent rostered by this time next week.
Josh Downs, Colts (10%)
This may sound like an extreme flier, but Downs has looked really impressive as of late. He caught four-of-five targets for 37 yards in Week 2 and then a whopping eight-of-12 for 57 yards last week against a strong Ravens defense. He's just a stash for now, but if he keeps seeing volume and making the most of it, it might be time to get down with Mr. Downs.
MORE POTENTIAL WR PICKUPS: Skyy Moore, Chiefs (50%); Tyler Boyd, Bengals (37%); Treylon Burks, Titans (47%); Josh Reynolds, Lions (41%); Zay Jones, Jaguars (33%); Kendrick Bourne, Patriots (29%); Allen Lazard, Jets (24%); Jayden Reed, Packers (24%); Robert Woods, Texans (21%); Michael Gallup, Cowboys (18%); DJ Chark, Panthers (17%); K.J. Osborn, Vikings (11%)
WEEK 4 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
Week 5 Fantasy Waiver Wire Watchlist: TE
WEEK 5 BYES: Browns, Chargers, Seahawks, Buccaneers
Jake Ferguson, Cowboys at 49ers in Week 5 (47 percent rostered)
We featured Fergie here last week, and his ownership levels only increased by two percent. That's despite the fact he caught five-of-seven targets for 48 yards in Week 3 and scored a touchdown in Week 2. Look, the tight end position will always be a barren wasteland beyond the top tier, but players like Ferguson offer true upside as chain-movers and red-zone threats.
Luke Musgrave, Packers at Raiders (35%)
Musgrave has been on the field for over 85 percent of Green Bay's offensive snaps the past two weeks, and he seems to be developing a genuine rapport with first-year starting QB Jordan Love. The rookie tight end hauled in six-of-eight catches for 49 yards in a come-from-behind victory over the Saints last weekend, and now he draws the Lions in Week 4 and Raiders in Week 5. This dude might not be a must-start just yet, but he's certainly a must-own in all 12-team formats.
MORE POTENTIAL WEEK 5 TE STREAMS: Dalton Schultz, Texans at Falcons (38%); Zach Ertz, Cardinals vs. Bengals (28%); Logan Thomas, Commanders vs. Bears (4%)
Week 5 fantasy defense streamers and sleepers
WEEK 5 BYES: Browns, Chargers, Seahawks, Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins vs. Giants in Week 5 (50% percent rostered)
We get that the main story out of Miami this past weekend was the Dolphins putting 70 points on the Broncos (coming very close to an NFL record), but lost in all that madness is the fact that the Fins' D has only allowed 37 combined points over the past two weeks, thanks, in part, to five sacks and five takeaways in that span.
Xavien Howard remains one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and with a Week 5 meeting against the oft-sloppy Giants, we would be all over the Dolphins D/ST if we needed a solid stream.
Denver Broncos vs. Jets (39%)
Most will stay the hell away from this Broncos D after it got utterly embarrassed in South Beach, but we're buying low ASAP. Denver draws a down-and-out Bears squad in Chicago this weekend and Zach Wilson next week, so the sacks and turnovers should be plentiful. Bounce back, Broncos!
Washington Commanders vs. Bears (27%)
You had me at "Bears." Nothing is working right now in Chicago, and the Bears' opponents have feasted as a result. Washington's solid pass-rush should have some fun in this Week 5 home prime-time game.
Green Bay Packers at Raiders (26%)
At this rate, Josh McDaniels could be fired by Week 5, but the Raiders' issues won't be solved overnight. With Jaire Alexander likely giving his all to stop former teammate Davante Adams out wide, we're betting the Pack come away with at least 10 fantasy points.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Titans (12%)
Ryan Tannehill and the Titans have been so bad that even Derrick Henry looks pedestrian. The Colts, meanwhile, have shown significant improvements defensively since last season. This is by no means the best D/ST stream of the week, but you could do much worse than Indy at home in a divisional matchup.
Detroit Lions vs. Panthers (9%)
The Lions' offense tends to get all the hype, but Detroit's defense has been sneaky good this season, too. Aidan Hutchinson looks like a dark-horse Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and this secondary has actually held its own for large stretches, something we haven't been able to say in Motown for a long time. They can definitely take advantage of a rookie QB at home.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Texans (4%)
The Texans offense has improved substantially with C.J. Stroud under center, but Atlanta's defense has made big strides since last season, as well. The addition of Calais Campbell and David Onyemata on an already-underrated pass-rush has been huge, and Jessie Bates continues to make his mark on a young secondary that desperately needed his guidance. We can't prioritize the defense of a team that has Desmond Ridder at QB, but we can certainly tell you it's the strongest last resort of the week.
