Week 4 fantasy football waiver wire must-adds

There were plenty of letdowns and injuries to go around in Week 3 of the NFL season. Every Tuesday, we will dive into a handful of the top fantasy football pickups available that week and why they could be of value for fantasy owners looking to give their teams an extra boost.

Here are the top waiver-wire adds for Week 4:

1. Tank Dell, WR, Houston Texans (Rostered in 30% of fantasy leagues)

Dell has had a monster two weeks, racking up 12 receptions, 251 yards and two touchdowns, including his five-catch, 145-yard, one-touchdown performance against Jacksonville last week. He could be primed for another big game this week against a Steelers defense that ranks 28th against WRs.

The 23-year-old rookie has some competition on his own team (Nico Collins has 15 receptions, 260 yards and a touchdown through three games), but Dell has seemingly been C.J. Stroud’s favorite target ever since OTAs. If he’s still available, Dell is 100% worth adding for owners needing upside at WR2 or some consistency at the flex position.

2. C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans (Rostered in 35% of fantasy leagues)

Stroud's strong rapport with Dell and Collins has helped him to solid numbers in his first three games. Stroud ranks fifth in the NFL in passing yards (906) and he’s tied for the fourth-most pass attempts (121) and has the 10th-best passer rating (98). He’s also one of five QBs to play in all three games this season and not throw an interception.

The 21-year-old rookie has put together two great performances back-to-back, and he’s definitely worth adding for owners battling injuries or inconsistency at QB. Stroud could be worth a gamble this week against the Steelers if you’re desperate enough, but it’s certainly a high-risk, high-reward play. If Stroud plays like he has in Weeks 2 and 3, he could be approaching borderline QB1 potential down the road. Right now, he’s worth at least stashing on the bench just in case.

3. Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (Rostered in 45% of fantasy leagues)

The days of Najee Harris as Pittsburgh’s lead back may be coming to an end. Sure, Harris has double the amount of carries Warren does, but the 24-year-old is seeing plenty of action as a receiver out of the backfield (11 receptions on 15 targets for 100 yards), and he is becoming a bigger part of the Steelers' offensive game plan each week (his carries and touches have increased each game.)

Warren is worth taking a flier on this week against the Texans as a desperation RB2 or a flex start. Pittsburgh ranks 29th against RBs, so expect Warren to see at least six to eight carries and an additional four or five targets as a receiver.

4. Marvin Mims, WR, Denver Broncos (Rostered in 10% of fantasy leagues)

There are not a lot of positives in Denver right now, but Mims’ play is one of them. The rookie wideout leads the NFL in yards per reception (27.9) and yards per route run (7.2) and is a big play waiting to happen. Mims has had three receptions of 38 yards or more in the last two weeks, including a 53-yarder and 60-yarder against Washington two weeks ago.

Though he only has one touchdown, his deep-threat ability could lead to Sean Payton taking a few more shots down the field. The Broncos are a middle-of-the-pack offense and desperate to find a spark, and Mims could be just the guy to give it to them. While Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton are ahead of him on the depth chart, Mims is worth taking a flier on for owners looking for big-play potential from their flex position.

5. Joshua Palmer, WR, Los Angeles Chargers (Rostered in 10% of fantasy leagues)

After Mike Williams’ season-ending ACL injury, Palmer is sure to be a bigger part of the Chargers third-ranked passing offense. He’s coming off his best game of the season, catching four passes for 66 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings last week, and he can easily step into L.A.’s No. 2 receiver spot and allow rookie Quentin Johnston to ease his way into a bigger workload as well.

Palmer has been targeted just 13 times through three games, but if he picks up Williams’ slack (nine targets, six receptions, 83 yards per game) as expected, he instantly becomes a viable WR2 fantasy option or a flex starter.

Honorable mentions

Joshua Dobbs, QB, Arizona Cardinals: Dobbs is worth a look for a team in desperate need of a QB. He’s been sacked just five times, hasn’t thrown an interception and is good for around 200 yards of offense, give or take 25 yards or so.

Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers: Thielen’s 20 receptions rank in the top 12 of the league and he’s one of eight WRs to average eight or more targets per game.

Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers: Musgrave is coming off his best game of the year and tied for the team lead in targets (20) and receptions (11). It’s just a matter of time before he finds the end zone.