Fantasy Football Breakout Candidates for Week 4

October 2, 2026

Kipp's fantasy football breakouts, sleepers, must-starts for Week 4 of 2026. You should target these emerging players with big upside and start them with confidence.

Welcome to Week 4 of our fantasy football breakout candidate piece for the 2026 NFL season. Each week, we will do our best to point you in the direction of the emerging players that are not only top pickups, but could see their fantasy values surge by the end of the weekend.

All players listed in this article are rostered in less than 65% of fantasy football leagues, but I try to find players who are more widely available when I can.  Therefore, some of the guys on this list may be lesser-known, but that does not mean they cannot have an impact for your squad in future weeks.

As this article is published each and every Friday, this list should be helpful for additions in the current week as well as ones to consider for the following week. Let's dive in!

Week 4 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints - 62% rostered

Kamara may be getting older and near the end of his career, but he can still provide plenty of value to your roster as a bench player. He came back from injury in Week 2 and has seen nine carries in each of the previous two games, and while he has amassed just 51 rushing yards, the volume is good to see.

He has also earned seven targets, hauling in six receptions for 12 yards. Kamara has seen 43 snaps over the previous two weeks, which is second on the team at the running back position behind only Travis Etienne.

While Kamara may be a bit slower than he once was, if he continues to average close to 10 carries per game and continues to see targets in this solid offense, he could make for a nice candidate to start on your roster come bye week season. With Etienne now on the IR, Kamara could be in store for a very productive stretch.

Ollie Gordon II, Miami Dolphins - 62% rostered

Ollie Gordon could be in line for a huge role with the Miami Dolphins now that De'Von Achane has gone down for the season with an ACL tear. That being said, you better go out and try to pick him up the instant you read this, as he likely became rostered during your waiver claim period.

Gordon immediately stepped in last week against the Kansas City Chiefs and carried the ball 17 times for 41 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also hauled in three receptions on three targets for 14 receiving yards. Prior to last week, Gordon had carried the ball just three times in total and had seen only 15 snaps.

Last week, he saw 55 snaps compared to Jaylen Wright's zero. Gordon is undoubtedly going to be the lead back in Miami moving forward. While Jaylen Wright will certainly get more action than he has seen recently, Gordon is the one you need to prioritize for your roster.

Ollie Gordon II gets the Dolphins on the board 🗣️@KCvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/LLDxI8lIHN

— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026

More RB Options:

• Woody Marks, Houston Texans - 53% rostered

Week 4 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders - 42% rostered

Tre Tucker and the Las Vegas Raiders have been rolling so far in 2026. This season, Tucker is averaging five targets per game. He has turned those targets into 11 receptions for 189 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Tucker has also seen the most total snaps on the Raiders' receiving depth chart through the first three weeks; however, I will point out that he saw one fewer snap than Jalen Nailor in each of the previous two weeks. That being said, he is still seeing 18.6% of Kirk Cousins' targets, which has him ranked in the 74th percentile.

Tucker has also been involved in deeper pass plays, which should help increase his value. Currently, he sits with an aDOT of 16.9 yards, which ranks in the 95th percentile. He is also averaging 93 air yards per game, which ranks in the 90th percentile. This has translated into Tucker hauling in three receptions of 20+ yards and two receptions of 40+ yards thus far.

This Raiders squad has been fun to watch, and adding Tucker to your roster could prove to be quite fruitful as we move through the season.

Kirk Cousins with a rocket to Tre Tucker for a Raiders TD 🚀

LVvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/YztxEx5znr

— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

Keenan Allen, Indianapolis Colts - 41% rostered

Keenan Allen is not getting any younger, but he is still heavily involved in his new offense in Indianapolis. While I did not have high expectations for Allen this season, he is surpassing the expectations I did have. Through the first three weeks of the season, he has turned 20 targets into 13 receptions for 100 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Allen has also been consistent with targets, as he has seen at least five targets in all three games, and he has also hauled in six receptions in two of three games. Overall, he is third on the team in snaps behind Josh Downs and Laquon Treadwell. When the Colts are at full health, meaning Alec Pierce is present, it is still likely that Allen will remain third in snaps.

Back in Week 1, this was the case, and Allen received 36 snaps and hauled in six receptions for 32 receiving yards. That being said, I would be remiss if I did not point out the fact that Allen currently has an aDOT of just 4.9 yards, which ranks in the 4th percentile.

While Allen will not be a deep threat anymore, he should be consistent and can be a bigger red zone target for Daniel Jones. Jones has also gotten familiar with Allen rather quickly, as Allen has a current target share north of 18%. He makes for a nice addition if you need depth when bye weeks roll around.

He has a favorable matchup this weekend against the struggling Commanders secondary.

Daniel Jones finds Keenan Allen to extend the @Colts' lead@HOUvsIND on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8si5LbFiTY

— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026

Kalif Raymond, Chicago Bears - 34% rostered

Kalif Raymond has been much busier in the Bears' offense than I would have expected heading into the 2026 season. Overall, he has seen 21 targets through the first three games. He has turned these targets into a whopping 19 receptions for 214 receiving yards and one touchdown.

On Monday night against the Eagles, Raymond had his best performance of the season, hauling in six receptions for 90 receiving yards and a score. He is now firmly established in this Bears' passing game and has accounted for 25% of the targets, which ranks in the 91st percentile. He is also targeted rather densely, as he has been targeted on 28.9% of his routes run, which ranks in the 96th percentile.

Raymond also has ties with head coach Ben Johnson from Detroit, where Raymond served as a capable third wide receiver. He is doing more than that currently with the Bears, however. Whether or not this level of production continues is yet to be seen, but he makes for a very nice depth addition to your roster in an offense that should be even more explosive once Caleb Williams returns.

KEENUM FINDS RAYMOND FOR A 41-YARD TD 🐻@PHIvsCHI on ESPN
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Q3YWUsEgp1

— NFL (@NFL) September 29, 2026

More WR Options:

• Kayshon Boutte, Houston Texans - 20% rostered
• Jakobi Meyers, Jacksonville Jaguars - 52% rostered

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