RADIO
Mike Washington Jr. a High-Upside Handcuff for Week 4
Las Vegas Raiders running back Mike Washington Jr. belongs in the high-upside handcuff tier heading into Week 4. Washington only carried five times in Sunday's 35-27 win over New Orleans, but he turned those chances into 54 yards and his first NFL touchdown, including a 36-yard scoring run in the third quarter. He now has 15 carries for 102 yards through three games, but Ashton Jeanty remains the clear lead back and has handled 76 touches while playing nearly 79% of the offensive snaps. That leaves Washington with very little standalone value for now. The appeal is what could happen if Jeanty misses time. Washington sits directly behind him on the depth chart and has already shown enough explosiveness to make that potential workload interesting. He is not a priority add for managers chasing immediate production, but he is one of the better running back stashes available in leagues with room for a handcuff.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Saints Unsure if Travis Etienne Jr. Will Go on Injured Reserve
New Orleans Saints running back Travis Etienne Jr. (hamstring) will be "time lost" with the hamstring that he aggravated in the Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, head coach Kellen Moore told Mike Triplett of NewOrleans.Football. Etienne's specific timetable for a return is currently to be determined, and the Saints are unsure if he will be placed on Injured Reserve, which would require him to miss at least four games. The 27-year-old former Jacksonville Jaguars RB has had a rough start to his first year in the Big Easy, and now he could miss at least four games. Through his first three contests with New Orleans, Etienne has 128 rushing yards on 30 carries (4.3 yards per carry) while adding 11 catches on 13 targets for 51 yards through the air. Etienne must be stashed in all fantasy leagues while he recovers, and the good news is that he had a season-high 13 carries for 57 yards in the Week 3 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders before injuring his hamstring. For however long Etienne is out, Alvin Kamara and Kendre Miller will have added fantasy appeal. Kamara, who missed Week 1 with a knee injury, is still rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues.
Source: NewOrleans.Football - Mike Triplett
Source: NewOrleans.Football - Mike Triplett
Luke Dehnicke Is Worth Adding After Indiana Breakout
Northwestern tight end Luke Dehnicke finally turned his early-season role into a breakout at Indiana, catching seven passes for 140 yards in Friday's 29-23 loss. The performance pushed him to 11 receptions for 208 yards through three games, with five of those catches gaining at least 15 yards. The first two weeks were much quieter, so one huge night should not automatically make Dehnicke a set-and-forget starter. The Week 5 setup is interesting, though. Penn State visits Northwestern after allowing Wisconsin tight end Jacob Harris to catch five passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Dehnicke is a strong waiver add and a viable Week 5 streamer, especially for managers replacing a tight end on bye. The upside is real, but another solid target week would make the rest-of-season case much stronger.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Josh Oliver to Miss the Rest of the Season With Torn Biceps
Minnesota Vikings tight end Josh Oliver (biceps) suffered a torn biceps muscle in the Week 3 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday and needs season-ending surgery, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Oliver will miss the rest of the 2026 regular season, and he will be a long shot to return if the Vikings have a deep playoff run. The 29-year-old former third-round selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019 from San Jose State was not on the fantasy football radar as a pass-catching TE, but he was extremely valuable to the Vikings' offense as a blocker. His 2026 season will end after just three games and three catches (five targets) for 46 yards. Oliver did have seven combined touchdowns for the Vikings in 2024 and 2025, but he has never surpassed 28 receptions or 258 receiving yards in a single season since making his NFL debut with the Jaguars in 2019.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Micah Parsons Not Ready to Practice This Week
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday that All-Pro pass-rusher Micah Parsons (knee) will not practice this week, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. Parsons has not experienced any setbacks as he continues to recover from a torn ACL that he suffered in December of last year, but the Packers will not open his window to return from the Physically Unable to Perform list. All along, Parsons has been targeting a potential return on Oct. 18, which would allow him to face off against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Barring a setback with his rehab, he has a very good shot at returning by that date. The 1-2 Packers could really use a game-wrecking pass-rusher like Parsons back in the fold with their offense struggling to sustain drives early in the season. Before suffering his season-ending knee injury last year, the 27-year-old five-time Pro Bowler had 12.5 sacks and 41 tackles (19 solo) in 14 games in his first season with the Packers. For his elite pass-rushing skills, Parsons should be stashed in IDP fantasy leagues as he nears his 2026 debut.
Source: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
Source: ESPN.com - Rob Demovsky
Jacob Harris Has Become a Strong Week 5 Add
Wisconsin tight end Jacob Harris has done enough over the past two weeks to move into the Week 5 waiver conversation. He followed three catches for 89 yards against Eastern Michigan with five receptions for 105 yards and the game-winning 72-yard touchdown at Penn State. Harris now has 11 catches for 203 yards this season, with 194 of those yards coming in the last two games. That recent usage is more convincing than chasing one isolated big play, especially at a thin fantasy position. Wisconsin hosts Michigan State next, giving Harris another playable spot after his role expanded against Big Ten competition. He is a strong waiver add and one of the better Week 5 tight end streamers, but the early-season volume is still too light to call him a must-add.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Bucs to Lean on Jalon Daniels for the Next Three Weeks
For at least the next three weeks, rookie undrafted quarterback Jalon Daniels will start under center for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after starter Baker Mayfield suffered a dislocated right thumb late in the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, according to the NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. In relief of Mayfield on Sunday, Daniels went 0-for-3 passing with an interception, so it was an inauspicious start to his NFL career. His interception came on a Hail Mary attempt as time expired in the fourth quarter. Daniels has plenty of athleticism -- he has a strong arm and plenty of scrambling ability -- but his lack of accuracy will be a problem in his first extended run as a starter in the NFL for an 0-3 team. Daniels will make the first start of his career in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, and he will only be in play as a desperation QB2 option in deep superflex leagues. The Packers' defense/special teams unit will be a popular streaming option this week.
Source: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
Source: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
Jackson Harris' Breakout Creates Real Waiver Appeal
LSU wide receiver Jackson Harris finally broke through against Texas A&M, catching six passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns in the 35-6 win. Harris now has 11 receptions for 280 yards and two touchdowns through four games after entering Saturday with only five catches. Trey'Dez Green's knee injury opened more opportunity, and Lane Kiffin said Harris had shown the traits LSU expected when it brought him in from Hawaii. RotoBaller's Week 5 waiver column expects more deep opportunities as the offense settles in. McNeese is next, so game script could limit volume, but Harris has played his way into strong-add territory rather than being only a one-week streamer.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Baker Mayfield to Miss "A Minimum of Three Weeks"
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (thumb) will miss "a minimum of three weeks" with a dislocated right thumb that he suffered on Sunday in the Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, head coach Todd Bowles told Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network. The Bucs will not place him on Injured Reserve as of now, and the Bucs will lean on undrafted rookie QB Jalon Daniels as the starter, beginning with a Week 4 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Mayfield received good news from his MRI exam, as tests showed that he did not suffer a fracture or any tendon or ligament tears. However, he is still going to miss some time over the next couple of weeks, so fantasy managers in two-QB superflex leagues are going to need to adjust. If Mayfield heals quickly and properly, he could be in play to make his return for a Week 7 divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers. After an injury-plagued and disappointing 2025 campaign for the 31-year-old, Mayfield is off to a bad start in 2026, going 0-3 and throwing for 615 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions in his first three games.
Source: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
Source: NFL Network - Cameron Wolfe
A.J. Brown Walking Around Without a Limp
New England Patriots wide receiver A.J. Brown (ankle) walked through the team's locker room without a limp on Monday, according to Taylor Kyles of Patriots CLNS. Brown was wearing cleats with a small ankle wrap. The Pro Bowl wideout was placed on Injured Reserve on Sept. 12 after suffering a dreaded high-ankle sprain in the season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Brown will not be officially allowed to resume practicing with the Patriots again until Week 6, but he is apparently making excellent progress and could be ready to be activated from IR as soon as he is eligible. Receivers Romeo Doubs, Mack Hollins, and DeMario Douglas have been on the field more in the last two weeks with Brown sidelined, but New England's aerial attack has really struggled under quarterback Drake Maye. The Patriots, who are now 1-2 through three weeks, cannot get Brown back soon enough. The 29-year-old three-time Pro Bowler caught three of four targets for 26 yards in Week 1 before injuring his ankle. Brown should be stashed in an IR spot in all fantasy football leagues.
Source: Patriots CLNS - Taylor Kyles
Source: Patriots CLNS - Taylor Kyles
Caden High Is More Than a Touchdown Chase
Stanford wide receiver Caden High has produced every time he has been on the field this season. He caught four passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's comeback win over Georgia Tech after posting six catches for 92 yards against Miami and five for 43 yards and a score at Duke. That gives High 15 receptions for 226 yards and three touchdowns in three appearances. Stanford's passing game also took a major step forward with Davis Warren throwing for 396 yards against Georgia Tech. High is not listed among RotoBaller's top Week 5 wide receiver waiver targets, so he belongs below the tier occupied by names such as Cayden Lee and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt. He is still a strong add in deeper CFF leagues and a viable standard-league pickup ahead of the trip to Wake Forest.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Texans Hopeful to Get Nico Collins Back This Week
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said he is hopeful to get wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) back for the team's Week 4 contest against the Dallas Cowboys, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Collins suffered a Grade 1 hamstring strain in practice several weeks ago and has missed the last two contests. However, if he can get through a good week of practice and return to the field, he could be in play to suit up this Sunday against Dallas. The Texans, who have started 0-3 on the year, really need to get their No. 1 wideout back in the fold to have a shot at turning their season around quickly. The 27-year-old former third-rounder in 2021 from Michigan caught seven of his 10 targets for 75 yards and his first touchdown of the season in the season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. When Collins is back in action for the Texans, he will immediately return to being a must-start in all traditional fantasy football lineups as quarterback C.J. Stroud's top option in the passing game.
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Source: KPRC 2 Sports - Aaron Wilson
Kayden Dixon-Wyatt Has Immediate Starting Value
USC wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt keeps turning opportunities into production. The true freshman caught seven passes for 114 yards and a touchdown against Oregon, raising his season line to 25 receptions for 372 yards and three scores through five games. He has at least three catches in every game, and RotoBaller's Week 5 waiver column gives him immediate starting value for receiver-needy teams with Trent Mosley banged up. Washington visits USC next, and there is no reason to treat Dixon-Wyatt as a speculative stash after five straight useful performances. USC still has other talented pass catchers, but he has already shown he can keep earning work in that group. Dixon-Wyatt is a priority waiver add with a realistic path to staying in fantasy lineups.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tre Tucker Remains Fantasy Viable After the Return of Pro Bowl TE
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker was unable to follow up on his 119-yard, one-touchdown performance from Week 2, but despite the return of All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers (knee), he remained involved in the team's Week 3 win over the Saints. Tucker saw the second most targets on the team, racking up 43 yards on four receptions, and his role appears secured, particularly with second-year wideout Jack Bech (forearm) reportedly headed to injured reserve with a broken forearm. Bowers' 12 targets, 10 receptions, and usage across the formation in his first game back from injury proved emphatically that the offense will run through the third-year tight end as long as he stays healthy, but Tucker should still see enough work to keep him rosterable in full-PPR leagues. As the presumed second option in the passing game, Tucker offers a usable floor while still having the big-play potential to deliver the occasional splash week.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Joseph Williams Has Become a Priority Pickup
Colorado wide receiver Joseph Williams has become difficult to leave on waivers. He caught 11 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown at Baylor, giving him 22 receptions for 361 yards and four scores through four games. Over the past three contests alone, Williams has 20 catches for 338 yards and all four of those touchdowns. Colorado has scored only twice over its last two games, and Williams caught both scores, so the offense's problems have not stopped the ball from finding him. Texas Tech visits Boulder in Week 5, a tougher matchup than some of his early-season spots, but the role is strong enough to trust. Williams is a priority add and has moved into weekly starting consideration rather than streamer territory.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
