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RotoBaller staff's fantasy football Week 4 waiver wire pickups for 2026. Expert advice for waiver wire RB, WR, TE, QB targets from Phil, Dan, Craig and John.
Only three weeks of the NFL season are in the books, yet there are already tons of injury concerns to be aware of, and roster depth is already being tested. We're back to assist with your free-agent acquisitions with our Week 4 RotoBaller staff waiver wire picks, including Alvin Kamara, Pat Bryant, Brenton Strange, and Sam Darnold.
Pivoting when your players are injured, underperforming, or on a bye (soon) is always the name of the game in fantasy football, and we're here to guide your waiver-wire decisions. Note that these are deeper selections, so some of the more trendy and obvious Week 4 targets aren't listed here.
Our RotoBaller experts Phil Clark, John Johnson, Craig Rondinone, and Dan Fornek are here to help you identify the top RB, WR, TE, and QB targets ahead of Week 4.
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Running Backs Waiver Wire Week 4
Selections By Phil Clark
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
The trajectory of Kamara‘s value has risen rapidly since he was inactive during the Saints’ season opener (MCL Sprain).
Kamara reignited his relevance after returning to New Orleans’ backfield rotation in Week 2, while leading the Saints in carries (nine) and rising among the top four at his position in both targets (six) and receptions (five). However, Kamara has also vaulted among this week’s top four waiver wire options at his position, after Travis Etienne Jr. suffered a hamstring injury in Week 3.
Kamara operated with a 32% snap share when New Orleans hosted Las Vegas. He also accumulated nine attempts, 36 rushing yards, ran 12 routes, and secured his only target. Etienne registered a 38% snap share in Week 3 before his injury. He also led the Saints’ backfield in carries (13), rushing yards (57), and secured two targets.
Kendre Miller was a healthy inactive in Week 2, but he resurfaced to register a 19% snap share in Week 3. Miller also accumulated six touches/19 total yards during the contest.
Etienne’s status should be monitored as the week advances. However, Kamara’s potential to seize a sizable workload during any absence by Etienne has launched Kamara among this week’s top priorities from the waiver wire.
Kaelon Black, San Francisco 49ers
Black remains embedded among the premier handcuff options that remain available on the waiver wire. Kyle Shanahan’s utilization of Black in a rotation with Christian McCaffrey also makes it premature to dismiss Black’s prospects of securing standalone value as his rookie season progresses.
Black has now secured a 31.7% snap share. He has also accumulated 25 attempts and 107 rushing yards since Week 1. That includes the season-low 16% snap share that Black registered when San Francisco hosted Arizona in Week 3. Black also assembled 17 rushing yards with his four attempts.
McCaffrey registered a season-high 62.3% snap share in Week 3. However, he is averaging 38 snaps per game, which is well below his average last season (54.8). There has been a similar decline in attempts per game (11.7) and rushing yards per game (55.3) in comparison to 2025 (18.3 attempts/70.7 yards).
Even though McCaffrey is not stockpiling touches to the degree that he was during 2025, there is still ongoing potential for him to be forced to the sideline that is inherent in his role as San Francisco’s lead back.
Black is primed to operate as the short-term RB1 in Shanahan’s attack if that scenario occurs. That justifies prioritizing Black as a roster addition in leagues where he remains available.
Emmett Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
Kenneth Walker III will enter Week 4 with a 75.3% snap share. He is leading all backs in rushing yards (360), is second in targets (18), and anyone who secured him during draft season continues to benefit from his enormous workload as Kansas City’s primary back. Johnson’s usage is restricted as Walker stockpiles carries. However, Johnson has already become cemented as a valuable handcuff while operating in his role as the Chiefs’ RB2.
Johnson is also capable of providing RB3/flex production if he is entrusted with a higher percentage of touches in his current role as his rookie season advances. Johnson has registered a 26.3% snap share during Kansas City’s first three contests.
He has also carried 16 times, generated 56 rushing yards, while running 26 routes, averaging 3.2 yards per route run, and assembling 64 yards as a receiving weapon.
Johnson is the unequivocal RB2 for the Chiefs, as Brashard Smith will not challenge him for that role. Johnson’s capabilities as a three-down back would propel him into RB2 territory for fantasy managers if Walker is inactive during any upcoming matchups.
That has launched Johnson among the top tier of backs to secure on this week’s waiver wire.
Wide Receivers Waiver Wire Week 4
Selections By John Johnson
Pat Bryant, Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos knocked off the Los Angeles Rams in a shocking upset on Sunday Night Football in Week 3. Their offense came alive after looking completely dead in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and second-year pro Pat Bryant caught his first touchdown of the season in the win. It's plausible to believe that he'll be the eventual Courtland Sutton replacement at X for the Broncos while WR Jaylen Waddle flips between Z and slot positions. Bryant is 6-foot-2 and 204 pounds while Sutton is 6-foot-4 and 216 pounds, so there's a bit of a size difference, but Bryant has been showing flashes.
Sutton is still clearly ahead of Bryant in target priority, but he's also 30 years old and nearing the end of his career. He's been much less productive this season than he was last, too, and it seems unlikely that they'll hand him a big contract extension considering how much they paid Waddle.
Tre' Harris, Los Angeles Chargers
Harris led the Chargers in receiving in their third straight loss to start the 2026 NFL season. He caught six of his seven targets for 76 yards in the contest. Interestingly, though he played only 58 percent of offensive snaps compared to Chargers WR1 Ladd McConkey's 88 percent, McConkey only had five targets in the game.
The Quentin Johnston experiment still isn't going great -- the fourth-year WR caught three of his four targets for 40 yards in easily his best game of the season, but still has just 64 receiving yards on the year, which is less than Harris had in this one game.
Clean route by Tre' Harris@LACvsBUF on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/mqJUheqaS4— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
Harris was known as a solid route-runner in college, though he didn't have elite athleticism to go along with it. All he needs to do to beat out Johnston is get open and catch the ball, though, as Johnston still has severe struggles with body control and contested catch ability.
Chris Bell, Miami Dolphins
Bell, a rookie who suffered a season-ending injury in his final season of college, appears to be back to close to full health. He caught four of his six targets for 67 yards in Week 3, leading his team in receiving against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The first-year pro was touted as an excellent yards-after-catch threat coming out of college, and he made one highlight play in particular that cemented that belief. He caught a well-timed pass on a slant route and took it down the field for an explosive gain.
Chris Bell showing off his speed 💨@KCvsMIA on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/tNbGIYPEGf— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
At 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, he looks like a tank with the ball in his hands. Perhaps Miami will continue feeding him short-area targets that let him run after the catch, in which case he'll be a solid pickup for a bench stash. WR Caleb Douglas (ankle) was out with an ankle injury in Week 3, but Bell should be a starting receiver for this team even when Douglas returns.
Tight Ends Waiver Wire Week 4
Selections By Craig Rondinone
Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars
Brenton Strange has not gotten out of the blocks like Carl Lewis in his prime. Seven receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown in three games is not impressive. Strange will continue to be one of Trevor Lawrence’s favorite targets, though.
He also gets to face a Cincinnati defense this week that just made Aaron Rodgers look 15 years younger than he is this past weekend. Picking up Strange in a PPR league is not the worst idea in the world.
Terrance Ferguson, Los Angeles Rams
The L.A. Rams and N.Y. Jets are battling to see who can have the most tight ends on a roster with a reception. Terrance Ferguson is going to be a big help in that battle, although he got nicked up on Sunday night against Denver. This allowed Tyler Higbee to steal tight end targets and a touchdown. If Ferguson is healthy and ready to go in Week 4, he is the best Rams tight end to grab and one of the better ones overall on the waiver wire.
Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals
The good-week-bad-week pattern continues for Mike Gesicki. Had 78 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, didn’t even have a target in Week 2, and provided 37 yards and a TD in Week 3. That might mean you skip picking him up until before Week 5, especially since this weekend he is stuck facing Jacksonville’s staunch pass defense.
Joe Burrow finds a WIDE OPEN Mike Gesicki for the TD 🏈@CINvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/6uQMynVQ8n— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
Quarterbacks Waiver Wire Week 4
Selections By Dan Fornek
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks' loss to the Washington Commanders was one of the most surprising results of Week 3. However, lost in the result was the fact that Darnold returned to the starting lineup after missing most of the first two weeks of the season with a glute injury.
Darnold had highs and lows in his return under center. The veteran quarterback completed 31 of 45 pass attempts for 379 yards and four touchdowns in a game that featured bad weather. Unfortunately, he also threw two interceptions, one on a tipped pass and another that led to a pick-six that ultimately proved to be the difference on the scoreboard.
Darnold ➡️ JSN in the end zone!@SEAvsWAS on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/qtO0Jf44MB— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026
The Seahawks will look to get back in the win column against a reeling Los Angeles Chargers team in Week 4. The Chargers defense held their own against Josh Allen through the air in Week 3 (204 yards passing with two interceptions), but allowed Brissett and Cousins to throw for 530 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception over the first two weeks of the season.
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Many believed that Deshaun Watson was a temporary starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns after an uneven training camp. However, the veteran quarterback has done enough to keep earning starts while leading the Browns to a 2-1 record.
Watson isn’t producing gaudy passing numbers to start the 2026 season, averaging just 195.6 passing yards per game. However, he’s started the season with five passing touchdowns and just one interception. Watson is also showing a willingness to run this season, racking up 24 carries for 105 yards in two games.
The rushing production, while modest, has helped Watson score at least 16 fantasy points in three straight games, including two straight 20+ point performances.
Cleveland has difficult matchups on the horizon against the Steelers, Jets, and Ravens, but his willingness to rush, combined with explosive, young pass-catching weapons like Harold Fannin Jr., KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston, makes him an interesting quarterback in fantasy regardless of the matchup.
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones has struggled over his first three games returning from a 2025 Achilles injury, throwing for just 611 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. Jones hasn’t looked great, but it’s worth noting that the Colts' first three games came against three teams with high-end defenses (Baltimore, Kansas City, and Houston) capable of giving any offense fits.
Starting Jones is risky, but he will have major upside in Week 4 against the Washington Commanders. The Commanders secured their first win of the season in Week 3, but still struggled to stop Seattle’s offense through the air. Through three games, the Commanders have given up 861 passing yards and 11 touchdowns while generating just two interceptions.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
Trying to decide who to pickup off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool here:
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Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for Alvin Kamara, Kaelon Black, Emmett Johnson, Pat Bryant, Tre' Harris, Chris Bell, Brenton Strange, Mike Gesicki, Terrance Ferguson:
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