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Week 4 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team
by Optimus Staff
We’re not going to block any kicks here, we promise. We’ve left all that trauma behind us.
We might, however, block you from spending too much on the wrong waiver wire bids. After all, it’s as much about the waiver wire bids you don’t make as it is about the waiver wire bids you do make. Case in point: If you were stingy with waiver wire bids the first two weeks, you have plenty of opportunity to jump on Trey Benson and/or Quinshon Judkins if they’re still on your waiver wire this week. Or better yet, you gobbled them up for cheap because you’re a devoted reader of this column.
Don’t believe me? Check out last week’s article to see how we’re doing: Week 3 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the guys you should be considering this week.
Week 4 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team
Quarterbacks:
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | Sleeper 30% | ESPN 37.3% | FAAB 15-20%
If you’re hunting for a QB on the waiver wire right now, you’re unlikely to find a better option than veteran Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford. Currently sitting at QB15, ahead of highly available QBs like Trevor Lawrence (QB21), Tua Tagovailoa (QB22) and Michael Penix (QB27), Stafford is mostly off managers’ radar due to age (37) and a bevy of back and arm injuries.
However, while Stafford may be a physical shell of his former self, he is producing this season, on the backs of veteran WRs Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, as well as RB Kyren Williams.
The Rams are coming off a near-win over the defending champion Eagles, with matchups looming against a middle-of-the-road Colts defense and a banged-up 49ers unit before heading to Baltimore in Week 6. It’s much easier for the Rams after that, and Stafford could slot right into your lineups for a fraction of what a lesser QB could cost you this week.
Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders | Sleeper 23% | ESPN 10% | FAAB 5-7%
A drubbing in Week 2 by a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense made many of us touting Raiders QB Geno Smith as a solid waiver add question our sanity. However, Week 3 saw the veteran rebound, turning in the QB3 performance* against a decent Commanders unit.
It won’t be all sunshine and rainbows for Smith the rest of the way, as this Vegas team is still rough around the edges and figuring out its identity under new head coach Pete Carroll. However, the veteran QB seems to be a part of creating that cohesiveness. They don’t have another matchup as tough as Week 2 until Week 10 in Denver. Smith won’t be a top-five QB option most weeks, but he has a higher ceiling than many available QBs on your waiver wire right now. It seems the consensus is remaining low on him, making Smith a low-priced option that is startable nearly every week in 2QB and Superflex formats.
*Pre-Monday Night Football
Running Backs:
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 60% | ESPN 54.8% | 75% FAAB
James Conner went down with a bummer of an injury (I won’t link the video due to the graphic nature), and Benson is the guy in line to soak up all the extra work. Hopefully, you bought in on him when I recommended him last week. This is the essence of “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” If you bought Trey Benson last week, you probably spent in the neighborhood of 15% of your FAAB at most. But yesterday’s price is not today’s price, and even 75% might be too little at this point.
A quick word of warning: Don’t expect Benson to suddenly ascend to weekly RB1 status or suddenly take all the work. While Benson did get 75% of the snaps post-Conner injury, Emari Demercado started getting work on passing downs. With that added to Arizona’s offensive struggles, just be sure you’re going in with your eyes open.
Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.2% | 0% FAAB
The “new Trey Benson” in Arizona post-James Conner injury. This is a depth-only move if you’re desperate for some sort of RB production because your roster just lost James Conner, Dylan Sampson, AND Tyrone Tracy. That’s the level of desperation you should be in for you to consider rostering Demercado. But with bye weeks on the horizon, you might be in just that situation.
Don’t spend any FAAB on his acquisition, but if you’re in the situation described above, you can pick him up for a nothing bid/after waivers have run.
Devin Singletary, New York Giants | Sleeper 2% | ESPN .4% | 0-1% FAAB
This is a little speculative, as we don’t know the extent of Tyrone Tracy’s injury, and Cam Skattebo is clearly the preferred RB for the Giants right now. After Tracy left the game, Skattebo played over 75% of the game’s offensive snaps. However, Singletary played almost 30% of the offensive snaps after the same point. There’s no reason to think Singletary will start getting work over Skattebo, but he will see consistent work throughout whatever time Tracy misses.
The Giants are a bad offense in the midst of a brutal part of their schedule, so don’t go breaking the bank or anything. But if your roster is suddenly hard up for RBs, Singletary is a fine speculative add for a super-low investment.
Wide Receivers:
Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans | Sleeper: 49.3% | ESPN: 20.9% | FAAB: 7-9%
The only thing that’s really worked in this passing game all season hasn’t been consensus fifth-round fantasy pick Calvin Ridley. He’s been a bust through three weeks with just eight receptions and 111 yards. It’s been Elic Ayomanor, who has been solidly efficient and very productive for the Titans. In Week 3, Ayomanor caught a touchdown for the second week in a row on a 4-38 line. While that’s not overly impressive, the role is growing, and consistency is a great thing for fantasy managers.
As the Titans and quarterback Cam Ward figure out who will be this team’s foundation in the rebuilding phase, we know it’s not going to be Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson. Hell, it may not even be Ridley. But Ayomanor is setting himself up to be just that. As Ward navigates being a rookie quarterback in the NFL and gets more comfortable, Ayomanor is going to come along for the ride. The good thing is that the team is letting Ward pass through it, with the last two games featuring 33 and 38 team pass attempts. Ayomanor may not be startable right now, but he has major upside for the second half of the season, so I want him on my bench rather than somebody else’s.
Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers | Sleeper: 12% | ESPN: 7.5% | FAAB: 4-5%
With Tetairoa McMillan as the locked-in top receiver for the Panthers, the team has struggled trying to get a consistent top option alongside him. Former first-round pick Xavier Legette has been awful, certified public accountant Hunter Renfrow is hit or miss, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders hurt his ankle in the Panthers’ Week 3 win and was spotted in a walking boot after the game. Maybe the answer was Jalen Coker all along?
Coker was solidly efficient last season and was ticketed to compete with the previously listed options for that role, but a late preseason quad injury put those dreams on the shelf. With a return near, Coker has a great opportunity to seize that role outright and could be the flanker in two-wide receiver sets in an offense that isn’t afraid to throw the ball, as we saw with 55 pass attempts in Week 2. Coker is somebody your leaguemates may have forgotten about, but don’t make that mistake. With a chance to be instantly startable in fantasy when he suits up, Coker deserves a spot on your bench.
Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks | Sleeper: 7.7% | ESPN: 1% | FAAB: 2-3%
Preseason darling Tory Horton has parlayed that work into a pretty sizable role in the regular season as well. He didn’t earn a target in Week 1, but he earned 65% of the routes. Last week, Horton’s routes came down to 51%, but he earned four targets, caught two of them for 32 yards, and scored his first touchdown. In Week 3 against the Saints, Horton delivered a nearly identical stat line, pulling down three receptions on four targets for 32 yards and scoring another touchdown.
His role grew to a season-high 76% routes, but he’s still not on the field in two-wide receiver sets; that role is still earmarked for Cooper Kupp. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba dominating everything for the Seahawks, a second target in this offense is welcome. That role in the long term is not for Kupp. But if Horton can get on the field in two-wide receiver sets, that role could eventually become his, and that could be realized sometime this season. Horton isn’t a priority add, but he’s somebody who has an intriguing profile that’s produced in the short-term, with more opportunity on the horizon if he keeps it up.
Tight Ends:
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots | Sleeper 41% | ESPN % | 7% FAAB
A top 20 tight end in PPR over the last 2 seasons, the 30-year-old Hunter Henry is still a solid safety blanket for Drake Maye in the passing game. Even if he doesn’t score two touchdowns every single week, you can’t be unhappy about a tight end who catches eight passes for 90 yards. Not many tight ends produce like this in fantasy football. Hunter Henry has an incredibly easy matchup on paper in Week 4 against the atrocious Carolina Panthers defense. If you’re struggling at tight end, then Henry makes a terrific streamer. If he has another blowup game against the Panthers, then sell him high!
Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers | Sleeper 2% | ESPN % | 3% FAAB
When the Chargers’ starting tight end, Will Dissly, was unable to suit up against the Broncos this past Sunday, the 5th round rookie out of Syracuse finally got the nod from coach Jim Harbaugh. No healthy scratch for Oronde Gadsden this time! He took full advantage of his receiving opportunities, catching 5 of 7 passes thrown his way for 46 yards. Even without finding the end zone, that’s just shy of 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues. If you are in a league with very deep benches, then grabbing Gadsden as a rookie stash would be wise. He has proven worthy of more playing time. It would not be surprising to see him take the Chargers’ starting job in December.
For More In-Depth Analysis, Check Out Our Waiver Wire YouTube Show:
Defense/Special Teams (D/STs):
Washington Commanders (@ ATL) | Sleeper 44% | ESPN 13.4% | FAAB 0-1%
The Atlanta Falcons’ offense was atrocious last week against a Carolina defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in nearly every defensive category. While they outpaced Carolina’s offense in yards (332 to 241), three egregious turnovers, including an 11-yard pick-six, sank their ship.
Washington’s defense isn’t stellar, but against a team with a young, error-prone QB, they won’t need to be. The Commanders are a solid streaming option against the Falcons in Week 4, but you can move on from next week for units with better matchups.
Los Angeles Chargers (@ NYG) | Sleeper 9% | ESPN 12.4% | FAAB 2-3%
The Chargers’ defense has been as expected behind the tutelage of head coach Jim Harbaugh. The team is sitting at 3-0 in large part because of a surging offense, but this defensive unit has been equally as potent, even in the absence of Khalil Mack this past week.
While Mack will miss the next three games on IR, the Chargers’ schedule should put you at ease, with a Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants, then Washington and Miami in Weeks 5 and 6. This unit is being slept on, and it’s likely not an expensive add for Week 4. However, it will be worth holding onto through at least Week 6.
Kickers:
Spencer Shrader, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper 35% | ESPN 28.8% | FAAB 3-5%
The Indianapolis Colts continue their remarkable start to the 2025 season, now sitting at 3-0 and are showing no signs of stopping. Kicker Spencer Shrader has benefited from this now high-scoring offense, and that’s all we want from a kicker.
The second-year kicker out of Notre Dame is currently ranked as the K1 and is 29th overall in total fantasy points through three weeks. Shrader presents a rare opportunity to ditch streaming the position for the rest of the season and lock down your kicker through the fantasy football championships.
Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings | Sleeper 13% | ESPN 6.5% | FAAB 0-1%
Maybe I’m just a nerd, but when a kicker walks in with a big leg in my… anyways, you know how the song goes. That kicker right now is the Vikings Will Reichard.
The second-year kicker out of Alabama has been perfect through three games, making all six of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards. While this offense hasn’t been prolific with second-year QB J.J. McCarthy behind center, for now at least, it’s veteran backup QB Carson Wentz. Like the man or not, he can move the ball down the field, and to Reichard’s benefit, he isn’t great at pushing it across the goal line.
While Shrader should be your top target at the kicker position right now, Reichard is a very good consolation prize if you miss out on the Colts wunderkind, and he should be essentially free.
We’re not going to block any kicks here, we promise. We’ve left all that trauma behind us.
We might, however, block you from spending too much on the wrong waiver wire bids. After all, it’s as much about the waiver wire bids you don’t make as it is about the waiver wire bids you do make. Case in point: If you were stingy with waiver wire bids the first two weeks, you have plenty of opportunity to jump on Trey Benson and/or Quinshon Judkins if they’re still on your waiver wire this week. Or better yet, you gobbled them up for cheap because you’re a devoted reader of this column.
Don’t believe me? Check out last week’s article to see how we’re doing: Week 3 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the guys you should be considering this week.
Week 4 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team
Quarterbacks:
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | Sleeper 30% | ESPN 37.3% | FAAB 15-20%
If you’re hunting for a QB on the waiver wire right now, you’re unlikely to find a better option than veteran Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford. Currently sitting at QB15, ahead of highly available QBs like Trevor Lawrence (QB21), Tua Tagovailoa (QB22) and Michael Penix (QB27), Stafford is mostly off managers’ radar due to age (37) and a bevy of back and arm injuries.
However, while Stafford may be a physical shell of his former self, he is producing this season, on the backs of veteran WRs Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, as well as RB Kyren Williams.
The Rams are coming off a near-win over the defending champion Eagles, with matchups looming against a middle-of-the-road Colts defense and a banged-up 49ers unit before heading to Baltimore in Week 6. It’s much easier for the Rams after that, and Stafford could slot right into your lineups for a fraction of what a lesser QB could cost you this week.
Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders | Sleeper 23% | ESPN 10% | FAAB 5-7%
A drubbing in Week 2 by a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense made many of us touting Raiders QB Geno Smith as a solid waiver add question our sanity. However, Week 3 saw the veteran rebound, turning in the QB3 performance* against a decent Commanders unit.
It won’t be all sunshine and rainbows for Smith the rest of the way, as this Vegas team is still rough around the edges and figuring out its identity under new head coach Pete Carroll. However, the veteran QB seems to be a part of creating that cohesiveness. They don’t have another matchup as tough as Week 2 until Week 10 in Denver. Smith won’t be a top-five QB option most weeks, but he has a higher ceiling than many available QBs on your waiver wire right now. It seems the consensus is remaining low on him, making Smith a low-priced option that is startable nearly every week in 2QB and Superflex formats.
*Pre-Monday Night Football
Running Backs:
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 60% | ESPN 54.8% | 75% FAAB
James Conner went down with a bummer of an injury (I won’t link the video due to the graphic nature), and Benson is the guy in line to soak up all the extra work. Hopefully, you bought in on him when I recommended him last week. This is the essence of “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” If you bought Trey Benson last week, you probably spent in the neighborhood of 15% of your FAAB at most. But yesterday’s price is not today’s price, and even 75% might be too little at this point.
A quick word of warning: Don’t expect Benson to suddenly ascend to weekly RB1 status or suddenly take all the work. While Benson did get 75% of the snaps post-Conner injury, Emari Demercado started getting work on passing downs. With that added to Arizona’s offensive struggles, just be sure you’re going in with your eyes open.
Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.2% | 0% FAAB
The “new Trey Benson” in Arizona post-James Conner injury. This is a depth-only move if you’re desperate for some sort of RB production because your roster just lost James Conner, Dylan Sampson, AND Tyrone Tracy. That’s the level of desperation you should be in for you to consider rostering Demercado. But with bye weeks on the horizon, you might be in just that situation.
Don’t spend any FAAB on his acquisition, but if you’re in the situation described above, you can pick him up for a nothing bid/after waivers have run.
Devin Singletary, New York Giants | Sleeper 2% | ESPN .4% | 0-1% FAAB
This is a little speculative, as we don’t know the extent of Tyrone Tracy’s injury, and Cam Skattebo is clearly the preferred RB for the Giants right now. After Tracy left the game, Skattebo played over 75% of the game’s offensive snaps. However, Singletary played almost 30% of the offensive snaps after the same point. There’s no reason to think Singletary will start getting work over Skattebo, but he will see consistent work throughout whatever time Tracy misses.
The Giants are a bad offense in the midst of a brutal part of their schedule, so don’t go breaking the bank or anything. But if your roster is suddenly hard up for RBs, Singletary is a fine speculative add for a super-low investment.
Wide Receivers:
Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans | Sleeper: 49.3% | ESPN: 20.9% | FAAB: 7-9%
The only thing that’s really worked in this passing game all season hasn’t been consensus fifth-round fantasy pick Calvin Ridley. He’s been a bust through three weeks with just eight receptions and 111 yards. It’s been Elic Ayomanor, who has been solidly efficient and very productive for the Titans. In Week 3, Ayomanor caught a touchdown for the second week in a row on a 4-38 line. While that’s not overly impressive, the role is growing, and consistency is a great thing for fantasy managers.
As the Titans and quarterback Cam Ward figure out who will be this team’s foundation in the rebuilding phase, we know it’s not going to be Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson. Hell, it may not even be Ridley. But Ayomanor is setting himself up to be just that. As Ward navigates being a rookie quarterback in the NFL and gets more comfortable, Ayomanor is going to come along for the ride. The good thing is that the team is letting Ward pass through it, with the last two games featuring 33 and 38 team pass attempts. Ayomanor may not be startable right now, but he has major upside for the second half of the season, so I want him on my bench rather than somebody else’s.
Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers | Sleeper: 12% | ESPN: 7.5% | FAAB: 4-5%
With Tetairoa McMillan as the locked-in top receiver for the Panthers, the team has struggled trying to get a consistent top option alongside him. Former first-round pick Xavier Legette has been awful, certified public accountant Hunter Renfrow is hit or miss, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders hurt his ankle in the Panthers’ Week 3 win and was spotted in a walking boot after the game. Maybe the answer was Jalen Coker all along?
Coker was solidly efficient last season and was ticketed to compete with the previously listed options for that role, but a late preseason quad injury put those dreams on the shelf. With a return near, Coker has a great opportunity to seize that role outright and could be the flanker in two-wide receiver sets in an offense that isn’t afraid to throw the ball, as we saw with 55 pass attempts in Week 2. Coker is somebody your leaguemates may have forgotten about, but don’t make that mistake. With a chance to be instantly startable in fantasy when he suits up, Coker deserves a spot on your bench.
Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks | Sleeper: 7.7% | ESPN: 1% | FAAB: 2-3%
Preseason darling Tory Horton has parlayed that work into a pretty sizable role in the regular season as well. He didn’t earn a target in Week 1, but he earned 65% of the routes. Last week, Horton’s routes came down to 51%, but he earned four targets, caught two of them for 32 yards, and scored his first touchdown. In Week 3 against the Saints, Horton delivered a nearly identical stat line, pulling down three receptions on four targets for 32 yards and scoring another touchdown.
His role grew to a season-high 76% routes, but he’s still not on the field in two-wide receiver sets; that role is still earmarked for Cooper Kupp. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba dominating everything for the Seahawks, a second target in this offense is welcome. That role in the long term is not for Kupp. But if Horton can get on the field in two-wide receiver sets, that role could eventually become his, and that could be realized sometime this season. Horton isn’t a priority add, but he’s somebody who has an intriguing profile that’s produced in the short-term, with more opportunity on the horizon if he keeps it up.
Tight Ends:
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots | Sleeper 41% | ESPN % | 7% FAAB
A top 20 tight end in PPR over the last 2 seasons, the 30-year-old Hunter Henry is still a solid safety blanket for Drake Maye in the passing game. Even if he doesn’t score two touchdowns every single week, you can’t be unhappy about a tight end who catches eight passes for 90 yards. Not many tight ends produce like this in fantasy football. Hunter Henry has an incredibly easy matchup on paper in Week 4 against the atrocious Carolina Panthers defense. If you’re struggling at tight end, then Henry makes a terrific streamer. If he has another blowup game against the Panthers, then sell him high!
Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers | Sleeper 2% | ESPN % | 3% FAAB
When the Chargers’ starting tight end, Will Dissly, was unable to suit up against the Broncos this past Sunday, the 5th round rookie out of Syracuse finally got the nod from coach Jim Harbaugh. No healthy scratch for Oronde Gadsden this time! He took full advantage of his receiving opportunities, catching 5 of 7 passes thrown his way for 46 yards. Even without finding the end zone, that’s just shy of 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues. If you are in a league with very deep benches, then grabbing Gadsden as a rookie stash would be wise. He has proven worthy of more playing time. It would not be surprising to see him take the Chargers’ starting job in December.
For More In-Depth Analysis, Check Out Our Waiver Wire YouTube Show:
Defense/Special Teams (D/STs):
Washington Commanders (@ ATL) | Sleeper 44% | ESPN 13.4% | FAAB 0-1%
The Atlanta Falcons’ offense was atrocious last week against a Carolina defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in nearly every defensive category. While they outpaced Carolina’s offense in yards (332 to 241), three egregious turnovers, including an 11-yard pick-six, sank their ship.
Washington’s defense isn’t stellar, but against a team with a young, error-prone QB, they won’t need to be. The Commanders are a solid streaming option against the Falcons in Week 4, but you can move on from next week for units with better matchups.
Los Angeles Chargers (@ NYG) | Sleeper 9% | ESPN 12.4% | FAAB 2-3%
The Chargers’ defense has been as expected behind the tutelage of head coach Jim Harbaugh. The team is sitting at 3-0 in large part because of a surging offense, but this defensive unit has been equally as potent, even in the absence of Khalil Mack this past week.
While Mack will miss the next three games on IR, the Chargers’ schedule should put you at ease, with a Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants, then Washington and Miami in Weeks 5 and 6. This unit is being slept on, and it’s likely not an expensive add for Week 4. However, it will be worth holding onto through at least Week 6.
Kickers:
Spencer Shrader, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper 35% | ESPN 28.8% | FAAB 3-5%
The Indianapolis Colts continue their remarkable start to the 2025 season, now sitting at 3-0 and are showing no signs of stopping. Kicker Spencer Shrader has benefited from this now high-scoring offense, and that’s all we want from a kicker.
The second-year kicker out of Notre Dame is currently ranked as the K1 and is 29th overall in total fantasy points through three weeks. Shrader presents a rare opportunity to ditch streaming the position for the rest of the season and lock down your kicker through the fantasy football championships.
Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings | Sleeper 13% | ESPN 6.5% | FAAB 0-1%
Maybe I’m just a nerd, but when a kicker walks in with a big leg in my… anyways, you know how the song goes. That kicker right now is the Vikings Will Reichard.
The second-year kicker out of Alabama has been perfect through three games, making all six of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards. While this offense hasn’t been prolific with second-year QB J.J. McCarthy behind center, for now at least, it’s veteran backup QB Carson Wentz. Like the man or not, he can move the ball down the field, and to Reichard’s benefit, he isn’t great at pushing it across the goal line.
While Shrader should be your top target at the kicker position right now, Reichard is a very good consolation prize if you miss out on the Colts wunderkind, and he should be essentially free.
We’re not going to block any kicks here, we promise. We’ve left all that trauma behind us.
We might, however, block you from spending too much on the wrong waiver wire bids. After all, it’s as much about the waiver wire bids you don’t make as it is about the waiver wire bids you do make. Case in point: If you were stingy with waiver wire bids the first two weeks, you have plenty of opportunity to jump on Trey Benson and/or Quinshon Judkins if they’re still on your waiver wire this week. Or better yet, you gobbled them up for cheap because you’re a devoted reader of this column.
Don’t believe me? Check out last week’s article to see how we’re doing: Week 3 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team. So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the guys you should be considering this week.
Week 4 Waiver Wire Adds For Your 2025 Fantasy Football Team
Quarterbacks:
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams | Sleeper 30% | ESPN 37.3% | FAAB 15-20%
If you’re hunting for a QB on the waiver wire right now, you’re unlikely to find a better option than veteran Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford. Currently sitting at QB15, ahead of highly available QBs like Trevor Lawrence (QB21), Tua Tagovailoa (QB22) and Michael Penix (QB27), Stafford is mostly off managers’ radar due to age (37) and a bevy of back and arm injuries.
However, while Stafford may be a physical shell of his former self, he is producing this season, on the backs of veteran WRs Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, as well as RB Kyren Williams.
The Rams are coming off a near-win over the defending champion Eagles, with matchups looming against a middle-of-the-road Colts defense and a banged-up 49ers unit before heading to Baltimore in Week 6. It’s much easier for the Rams after that, and Stafford could slot right into your lineups for a fraction of what a lesser QB could cost you this week.
Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders | Sleeper 23% | ESPN 10% | FAAB 5-7%
A drubbing in Week 2 by a tough Los Angeles Chargers defense made many of us touting Raiders QB Geno Smith as a solid waiver add question our sanity. However, Week 3 saw the veteran rebound, turning in the QB3 performance* against a decent Commanders unit.
It won’t be all sunshine and rainbows for Smith the rest of the way, as this Vegas team is still rough around the edges and figuring out its identity under new head coach Pete Carroll. However, the veteran QB seems to be a part of creating that cohesiveness. They don’t have another matchup as tough as Week 2 until Week 10 in Denver. Smith won’t be a top-five QB option most weeks, but he has a higher ceiling than many available QBs on your waiver wire right now. It seems the consensus is remaining low on him, making Smith a low-priced option that is startable nearly every week in 2QB and Superflex formats.
*Pre-Monday Night Football
Running Backs:
Trey Benson, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 60% | ESPN 54.8% | 75% FAAB
James Conner went down with a bummer of an injury (I won’t link the video due to the graphic nature), and Benson is the guy in line to soak up all the extra work. Hopefully, you bought in on him when I recommended him last week. This is the essence of “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready.” If you bought Trey Benson last week, you probably spent in the neighborhood of 15% of your FAAB at most. But yesterday’s price is not today’s price, and even 75% might be too little at this point.
A quick word of warning: Don’t expect Benson to suddenly ascend to weekly RB1 status or suddenly take all the work. While Benson did get 75% of the snaps post-Conner injury, Emari Demercado started getting work on passing downs. With that added to Arizona’s offensive struggles, just be sure you’re going in with your eyes open.
Emari Demercado, Arizona Cardinals | Sleeper 0% | ESPN 0.2% | 0% FAAB
The “new Trey Benson” in Arizona post-James Conner injury. This is a depth-only move if you’re desperate for some sort of RB production because your roster just lost James Conner, Dylan Sampson, AND Tyrone Tracy. That’s the level of desperation you should be in for you to consider rostering Demercado. But with bye weeks on the horizon, you might be in just that situation.
Don’t spend any FAAB on his acquisition, but if you’re in the situation described above, you can pick him up for a nothing bid/after waivers have run.
Devin Singletary, New York Giants | Sleeper 2% | ESPN .4% | 0-1% FAAB
This is a little speculative, as we don’t know the extent of Tyrone Tracy’s injury, and Cam Skattebo is clearly the preferred RB for the Giants right now. After Tracy left the game, Skattebo played over 75% of the game’s offensive snaps. However, Singletary played almost 30% of the offensive snaps after the same point. There’s no reason to think Singletary will start getting work over Skattebo, but he will see consistent work throughout whatever time Tracy misses.
The Giants are a bad offense in the midst of a brutal part of their schedule, so don’t go breaking the bank or anything. But if your roster is suddenly hard up for RBs, Singletary is a fine speculative add for a super-low investment.
Wide Receivers:
Elic Ayomanor, Tennessee Titans | Sleeper: 49.3% | ESPN: 20.9% | FAAB: 7-9%
The only thing that’s really worked in this passing game all season hasn’t been consensus fifth-round fantasy pick Calvin Ridley. He’s been a bust through three weeks with just eight receptions and 111 yards. It’s been Elic Ayomanor, who has been solidly efficient and very productive for the Titans. In Week 3, Ayomanor caught a touchdown for the second week in a row on a 4-38 line. While that’s not overly impressive, the role is growing, and consistency is a great thing for fantasy managers.
As the Titans and quarterback Cam Ward figure out who will be this team’s foundation in the rebuilding phase, we know it’s not going to be Tyler Lockett and Van Jefferson. Hell, it may not even be Ridley. But Ayomanor is setting himself up to be just that. As Ward navigates being a rookie quarterback in the NFL and gets more comfortable, Ayomanor is going to come along for the ride. The good thing is that the team is letting Ward pass through it, with the last two games featuring 33 and 38 team pass attempts. Ayomanor may not be startable right now, but he has major upside for the second half of the season, so I want him on my bench rather than somebody else’s.
Jalen Coker, Carolina Panthers | Sleeper: 12% | ESPN: 7.5% | FAAB: 4-5%
With Tetairoa McMillan as the locked-in top receiver for the Panthers, the team has struggled trying to get a consistent top option alongside him. Former first-round pick Xavier Legette has been awful, certified public accountant Hunter Renfrow is hit or miss, and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders hurt his ankle in the Panthers’ Week 3 win and was spotted in a walking boot after the game. Maybe the answer was Jalen Coker all along?
Coker was solidly efficient last season and was ticketed to compete with the previously listed options for that role, but a late preseason quad injury put those dreams on the shelf. With a return near, Coker has a great opportunity to seize that role outright and could be the flanker in two-wide receiver sets in an offense that isn’t afraid to throw the ball, as we saw with 55 pass attempts in Week 2. Coker is somebody your leaguemates may have forgotten about, but don’t make that mistake. With a chance to be instantly startable in fantasy when he suits up, Coker deserves a spot on your bench.
Tory Horton, Seattle Seahawks | Sleeper: 7.7% | ESPN: 1% | FAAB: 2-3%
Preseason darling Tory Horton has parlayed that work into a pretty sizable role in the regular season as well. He didn’t earn a target in Week 1, but he earned 65% of the routes. Last week, Horton’s routes came down to 51%, but he earned four targets, caught two of them for 32 yards, and scored his first touchdown. In Week 3 against the Saints, Horton delivered a nearly identical stat line, pulling down three receptions on four targets for 32 yards and scoring another touchdown.
His role grew to a season-high 76% routes, but he’s still not on the field in two-wide receiver sets; that role is still earmarked for Cooper Kupp. With Jaxon Smith-Njigba dominating everything for the Seahawks, a second target in this offense is welcome. That role in the long term is not for Kupp. But if Horton can get on the field in two-wide receiver sets, that role could eventually become his, and that could be realized sometime this season. Horton isn’t a priority add, but he’s somebody who has an intriguing profile that’s produced in the short-term, with more opportunity on the horizon if he keeps it up.
Tight Ends:
Hunter Henry, New England Patriots | Sleeper 41% | ESPN % | 7% FAAB
A top 20 tight end in PPR over the last 2 seasons, the 30-year-old Hunter Henry is still a solid safety blanket for Drake Maye in the passing game. Even if he doesn’t score two touchdowns every single week, you can’t be unhappy about a tight end who catches eight passes for 90 yards. Not many tight ends produce like this in fantasy football. Hunter Henry has an incredibly easy matchup on paper in Week 4 against the atrocious Carolina Panthers defense. If you’re struggling at tight end, then Henry makes a terrific streamer. If he has another blowup game against the Panthers, then sell him high!
Oronde Gadsden, Los Angeles Chargers | Sleeper 2% | ESPN % | 3% FAAB
When the Chargers’ starting tight end, Will Dissly, was unable to suit up against the Broncos this past Sunday, the 5th round rookie out of Syracuse finally got the nod from coach Jim Harbaugh. No healthy scratch for Oronde Gadsden this time! He took full advantage of his receiving opportunities, catching 5 of 7 passes thrown his way for 46 yards. Even without finding the end zone, that’s just shy of 10 fantasy points in PPR leagues. If you are in a league with very deep benches, then grabbing Gadsden as a rookie stash would be wise. He has proven worthy of more playing time. It would not be surprising to see him take the Chargers’ starting job in December.
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Defense/Special Teams (D/STs):
Washington Commanders (@ ATL) | Sleeper 44% | ESPN 13.4% | FAAB 0-1%
The Atlanta Falcons’ offense was atrocious last week against a Carolina defense that ranks in the bottom half of the league in nearly every defensive category. While they outpaced Carolina’s offense in yards (332 to 241), three egregious turnovers, including an 11-yard pick-six, sank their ship.
Washington’s defense isn’t stellar, but against a team with a young, error-prone QB, they won’t need to be. The Commanders are a solid streaming option against the Falcons in Week 4, but you can move on from next week for units with better matchups.
Los Angeles Chargers (@ NYG) | Sleeper 9% | ESPN 12.4% | FAAB 2-3%
The Chargers’ defense has been as expected behind the tutelage of head coach Jim Harbaugh. The team is sitting at 3-0 in large part because of a surging offense, but this defensive unit has been equally as potent, even in the absence of Khalil Mack this past week.
While Mack will miss the next three games on IR, the Chargers’ schedule should put you at ease, with a Week 4 matchup against the New York Giants, then Washington and Miami in Weeks 5 and 6. This unit is being slept on, and it’s likely not an expensive add for Week 4. However, it will be worth holding onto through at least Week 6.
Kickers:
Spencer Shrader, Indianapolis Colts | Sleeper 35% | ESPN 28.8% | FAAB 3-5%
The Indianapolis Colts continue their remarkable start to the 2025 season, now sitting at 3-0 and are showing no signs of stopping. Kicker Spencer Shrader has benefited from this now high-scoring offense, and that’s all we want from a kicker.
The second-year kicker out of Notre Dame is currently ranked as the K1 and is 29th overall in total fantasy points through three weeks. Shrader presents a rare opportunity to ditch streaming the position for the rest of the season and lock down your kicker through the fantasy football championships.
Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings | Sleeper 13% | ESPN 6.5% | FAAB 0-1%
Maybe I’m just a nerd, but when a kicker walks in with a big leg in my… anyways, you know how the song goes. That kicker right now is the Vikings Will Reichard.
The second-year kicker out of Alabama has been perfect through three games, making all six of his field goal attempts, including four from 50-plus yards. While this offense hasn’t been prolific with second-year QB J.J. McCarthy behind center, for now at least, it’s veteran backup QB Carson Wentz. Like the man or not, he can move the ball down the field, and to Reichard’s benefit, he isn’t great at pushing it across the goal line.
While Shrader should be your top target at the kicker position right now, Reichard is a very good consolation prize if you miss out on the Colts wunderkind, and he should be essentially free.
