Fantasy Football Week 4: Waiver-Wire Pickups, Rankings and Stat Projections

The 2020 NFL season has been an unpredictable ride thus far, both in real life and in the world of fantasy football. The Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles—two playoff teams from a year ago—remain winless, Carson Wentz has been a disaster and undrafted Jacksonville Jaguars rookie James Robinson might be the biggest fantasy star of the opening month.

Injuries have only added to the wackiness, as fantasy studs like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Michael Thomas and George Kittle have all missed time—and Barkley is already out for the season.

Knowing which players can be relied upon each week is becoming a difficult challenge, but we're here to help. Here, you'll find a look at the top fantasy options for Week 4—based on factors like projected role and defensive matchup—along with statistical predictions and potential waiver-wire targets to consider.

Quarterback

1. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: 350 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, 4 TD

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: 300 passing yards, 75 rushing yards, 3 TDs

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: 300 passing yards, 60 rushing yards, 3 TDs

4. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals: 275 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, 3 TDs

5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: 350 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, 2 TDs

6. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers: 350 passing yards, 20 rushing yards, 2 TDs

7. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: 300 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, 2 TDs

8. Cam Newton, New England Patriots: 200 passing yards, 60 rushing yards, 2 TDs

9. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: 310 passing yards, 2 TDs

10. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams: 300 passing yards, 2 TDs

Waiver-Wire Target: Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was a major disappointment over the first two weeks of the season, but he rebounded to a degree against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He still tossed two interceptions, but he also threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns.

If you're in need of a streaming quarterback for Week 4, Cousins is perhaps the most enticing option likely available. He has a matchup with the Houston Texans, who have allowed a whopping 123 points through three weeks. With rookie wideout Justin Jefferson finally starting to break out—we'll get to him shortly—Cousins' fantasy stock could be on the rise.

With favorable matchups against the Seattle Seahawks and Atlanta Falcons in Weeks 5 and 6, Cousins is also a viable bye-week option for those planning ahead.

Cousins is rostered in just 26 percent of Yahoo leagues and 15 percent of ESPN leagues.

Running Back

1. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers: 3 receptions, 175 total yards, 2 TDs

2. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints: 8 receptions, 150 total yards, 2 TDs

3. Kenyan Drake, Arizona Cardinals: 6 receptions, 130 total yards, 2 TDs

4. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys: 6 receptions, 130 total yards, 2 TDs

5. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings: 8 receptions, 160 total yards, 1 TD

6. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: 2 receptions, 140 total yards, 2 TDs

7. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans: 2 receptions, 150 total yards, 1 TD

8. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers: 6 receptions, 110 total yards, 1 TD

9. James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars: 4 receptions, 130 total yards, 1 TD

10. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: 2 receptions, 130 total yards, 1 TD

Waiver-Wire Target: Jeff Wilson Jr., RB, San Francisco 49ers

Those looking for a short-term streaming option or potential bye-week replacement should take a flier on San Francisco 49ers running back Jeff Wilson Jr. He's not likely to remain a key piece of the offensive puzzle all season, but as long as Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman are sidelined, Wilson should be a viable fantasy option.

Against the New York Giants in Week 3, Wilson rushed for 15 yards and caught three passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Wilson has another enticing matchup upcoming against the struggling Philadelphia Eagles. If San Francisco can get ahead early, expect Wilson and Jerick McKinnon to get plenty of work while closing out the game.

Wilson is rostered in just 22 percent of Yahoo leagues and 14 percent of ESPN leagues.

Wide Receiver

1. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers: 9 receptions, 150 yards, 2 TDs

2. DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals: 11 receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD

3. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 8 receptions, 130 yards, 1 TD

4. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks: 7 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD

5. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints: 8 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD

6. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys: 7 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

7. DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins: 7 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD

8. Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons: 7 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD

9. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers: 6 receptions, 115 yards, 1 TD

10. Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears: 6 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD

Waiver-Wire Target: Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Jim Mone/Associated Press

We already touched on Jefferson a bit, but it's worth mentioning his breakout Week 3 performance in more detail. The LSU product romped over the Titans defense to the tune of seven catches, 175 yards and a touchdown.

"It was pretty special to watch him play the way he played today," fellow wideout Adam Thielen told KFAN Radio (h/t The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski).

Jefferson isn't going to have such a gaudy stat line every week, but as previously mentioned, he has some extremely favorable matchups pending. He's worth starting over the next few weeks, and there's a good chance he's available.

Jefferson is rostered in 30 percent of Yahoo leagues and 34 percent of ESPN leagues.

Tight End

1. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers: 8 receptions, 140 yards, 1 TD

2. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs: 8 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

3. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens: 7 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD

4. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders: 7 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

5. Noah Fant, Denver Broncos: 6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD

6. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles: 7 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD

7. Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers: 7 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD

8. Mike Gesicki, Miami Dolphins: 6 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD

9. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions: 6 receptions, 90 yards, 1 TD

10. Jonnu Smith, Tennessee Titans: 7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD

Waiver-Wire Target: Mo Alie-Cox, TE, Indianapolis Colts

Though Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox went off for five catches and 111 yards in Week 2, he remains widely available. He's rostered in just 9 percent of Yahoo and ESPN leagues.

Don't expect Alie-Cox to remain available for long, though. He had another strong outing in Week 3, catching three passes for 50 yards and a touchdown. He has obvious chemistry with quarterback Philip Rivers and should remain a key piece of the passing attack even after Jack Doyle (knee/ankle) is back to 100 percent.

Doyle was active against the New York Jets in Week 3 but did not log a reception.

While Alie-Cox faces a tough Chicago Bears defense in Week 4, he's a great claim-and-stash candidate and a solid addition for any manager lacking at the position.

*Yahoo and ESPN roster percentages from FantayPros