2025 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire and Yin & Yang Tight End Week 4: Woody Marks, Darren Waller

Three weeks is a big tourney point in fantasy football when it comes to data. One week of NFL football can be a fluke. That means that, if you have two weeks with one being good and the other being bad, either one of those weeks could have been the fluke. With three weeks, though, we can potentially establish some trends. It’s not perfect by any means, but it can be a big turning point in separating the breakouts from the fakeouts.

So, as Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season approaches, it's time to dive into the 2025 Fantasy Football waiver wire Week 4 options to get your team back on the right track (or keep it there). We’ve seen some key injuries recently, like the ones to James Conner, Najee Harris, and a slew of quarterbacks, and that can change the fantasy landscape. We’ll do our best to let you know where and when to strike!

Don't miss out—Go All-Pro today and head over to Fantasy Alarm's League Sync Waiver Wire Tool right now to uncover the top waiver wire pickups tailored specifically to your leagues. Additionally, if you're an All-Pro subscriber, unlock the exclusive Streamers & Stashes article for even deeper insights on hidden gems ready to stash for the long haul.

2025 Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Week 4 Top Targets

As always, our waiver wire discussion will be split into two articles. This is the main article, which covers the top players to add at each position, as well as an update to our Yin & Yang Tight End strategy. The second article, found here, is our Streamers and Stashes article that covers the deeper, more nuanced plays for Fantasy Alarm Members!

NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire Quarterbacks

Geno Smith - Las Vegas RaidersYahoo: 28% | ESPN: 10% | Sleeper: 23%

I’ll go on record here saying it’s not that great of a week on waivers at the quarterback position. Hopefully, you grabbed Daniel Jones as he’s been our top add in this article in all three of the first iterations. But he’s now owned on about ~70% of the platforms out there, so he’s no longer a waiver wire option.

There are a lot of guys out there that are in the Geno Smith range of guys. But Geno Smith has a couple of things going for him. First, he’s kept things afloat and pretty fantasy-relevant despite not having Brock Bowers at full strength. Along with being a new QB to the team, that leaves some room for upside as he gets on the same page with everyone. The second his his matchup for this week, where he gets the Chicago Bears. If you plan to start them this week, this is probably the guy.

Waiver Priority: Late or free add

FAAB: 0-5% (more if he starts for you right away)

Matthew Stafford - Los Angeles RamsYahoo: 31% | ESPN: 37% | Sleeper: 31%

The glaring problem with Matthew Stafford is that he doesn’t run. He ran for 200 yards once, and that was almost a decade ago. He hasn’t run for 100 yards in half a decade. So far this year, he has -8 rushing yards. He had 1 rushing TD over the last nine seasons. I think you get the point.

What he does offer is a decent floor. In previous years, they would simply run in the redzone with Kyren Williams and hope for the best. Now, with Davante Adams to go along with Puka Nacua, they have legitimate redzone passing options. Stafford is capable of throwing for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns in any given week, but he should at least throw for 200 and 1-2 in most. So that is something.

Waiver Priority: Low or Free Add

FAAB: 0-5% (more if he starts for you right away)

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Sam Darnold, Bryce Young, Aaron Rodgers, Carson Wentz

NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire Running Backs

Trey Benson - Arizona CardinalsYahoo: 52% | ESPN: 55% | Sleeper: 60%

This guy has been in our article every week for good reason. And, obviously, given the circumstances, his name has to be mentioned up front even if he’s already rostered in many leagues by now. James Conner is expected to miss the rest of the season, so if Trey Benson is somehow out there still, drop the whole bag on him.

Waiver Priority: High Priority

FAAB: 50-100%

Woody Marks - Houston Texans Yahoo: 9% | ESPN: 9% | Sleeper: 19%

Woody Marks made his first appearance in the article last week. Here’s what we said.

Dameon Pierce being inactive gave us a hint that something might be in store for Woody Marks this week. And that hint turned out to be true as Marks snaps on the first drive, and that carried into the second. They decided to actually give the rookie some meaningful looks here.

And yes, Nick Chubb still led the backfield and scores. But Marks looked more efficient and explosive. He also had a 37-yard reception, which could see him push Dare Ogunbawale for snaps there. It's rare we have a guy that could actually take over a starting backfield, so Marks needs to be rostered just to see.

Well, this week Marks DID push Dare Ogunbawale for snaps. In fact, he took ALL the snaps from Ogunbawale as he didn’t appear for a single offensive snap. Now, Marks has a role of his own, and he could continue to push Nick Chubb for carries on the early downs as well. The snap share this week was 33 for Chub, 30 for Marks. So he needs to be added, as this is one of the rare occasions a guy could outright take over a backfield.

Waiver Priority: Medium Priority

FAAB: 15-20%

Chris Rodriguez - Washington Commanders, Yahoo: 5% | ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 10%

This play is pretty simple. Many folks expected Bill Croskey-Merritt to take the job and run away with it, with Brian Robinson Jr gone and Austin Ekeler out for the season. But that’s not quite what happened here.

Austin Ekeler had been starting and also getting pass-down work. Jeremy McNichols did not get the starting nod, but he did get the pass-down work that Ekeler was getting. Instead of Bill Croskey-Meritt getting the start, Chris Rodriguez was activated after being inactive, and HE got the start. Then Bill Croskey-Merritt came in last and also played about 30% of the snaps. The job was split into three ways.

Now, that sounds pretty bad. But when it comes to these uncertain backfields, we need to give ourselves any and all possible shots at upside.

Waiver Priority: Late or Free Add

FAAB: 0-5%

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Tyjae Spears (IR stash), Kyle Mongangai, Jeremy McNichols, Tahj Brooks

NFL Week 4 Waiver Wire Wide Receivers

Elic Ayomanor - Tennessee Titans Yahoo: 21% | ESPN: 21% | Sleeper: 50%

Who you go after this week really depends on what you need. For me, Elic Ayomonar still represents the best combination of floor and upside. The floor comes from his 7, 6, and 5 targets in his first three weeks. The touchdowns have been gravy, but he’s been fairly reliable in terms of targets.

The upside comes from the natural unknown of rookies, and in this case, we have a double dose. There is a real world where both Cam Ward and Elic Ayomanor are still getting acclimated to the pro game. Rookie quarterbacks are obviously going to have an adjustment period, and though Ward has made some nice plays, he has had a tendency to put a little too much mustard on the ball. Same with wide receivers - even the great Amon-Ra St. Brown didn’t break out until Week 11 or so. Ayomanor can be started at this stage, and he’s also a viable stash, which makes him the top add.

Waiver Priority: Medium Priority

FAAB: 10-15%

Christian Kirk - Houston Texans Yahoo: 34% | ESPN: 22% | Sleeper: 47%

Christian Kirk is definitely less of a stash and more of a guy you add if you need to start them right away. We had mentioned him in previous iterations of this article, mainly because no one was really running away with the WR2 job. The rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel could not surpass veterans like Xavier Hutchinson or Justin Watson for snaps. But Christian Kirk did immediately in his return.

In his first game back, Kik played 42 snaps and ran 33 routes, which was second only to Nico Collins’s 54 snaps and 38 routes. His 8 targets were also second to Collins’s 11. Our only knock on Kirk is that he was not a true full-time WR, as he primarily lined up in the slot for three WR sets while other guys played in two WR sets. That might change, but that’s what makes him more of the safe guy you add to start for you now vs. some pick that carries monster upside. We kind of know what Christian Kirk is.

Waiver Priority: Medium Priority

FAAB: 10-15%

Luther Burden - Chicago BearsYahoo: 11% | ESPN: 9% | Sleeper: 25%

If you are looking for the opposite here, the fun upside pick that you absolutely cannot start in your lineup right now, that’s Luther Burden. He finally got a shot to show what he could do this weekend, and he certainly flashed. But he still only played 17 snaps and ran 9 routes. And, shockingly, that’s the most he’s played this year.

Perhaps the injury to Colston Loveland could open up some extra slot snaps if Loveland misses a ton of time. But the reality with Burden is that he probably needs an additional catalyst for upside, in the form of an injury or trade to DJ Moore or Rome Odunze. Still, we’ve seen rookies slowly claw their way into bigger roles and prove that they are too good to keep off the field. And Burden is a second-round pick of the new regime with a lot of explosive upside. So, if you are looking for the pick with the most upside to stash for later, it might be him.

Waiver Priority: Low Priority

FAAB: 0-5%

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Brandon Aiyuk (move to IR spot), Jalen Coker, Tory Horton, Arian Smith

NFL Week 4 Waiver and Yin & Yang Tight End

Chig Okonkwo - Tennessee Titans, Yahoo: 31% | ESPN: 15% | Sleeper: 30%

Juwan Johnson has finally been added in enough leagues to get the respect he deserves. If Hunter Henry was dropped in your league, I’d first check there. If not, then we are going with a guy we have been consistently monitoring and listing in this article as an option for multiple weeks now - Chig Okonkwo.

So far, Chig Okonkwo has consistently played a decent snap share and had good route participation. He’s now gotten 4, 6, and 6 targets in his three games, which offers a decent floor. In each of those three games, he has caught more passes for more yards as he and Cam Ward get on the same page. But there’s also something lying in wait beneath those surface stats - his speed. Chig runs a 4.52 forty, which is the same as George Kittle and represents 97th percentile speed. In any given week, he could break off the big one. That’s an extra layer of upside that you don’t get from a lot of these slow and steady tight ends.

Waiver Priority: Low Priority

FAAB: 5-10%

Brenton Strange - Jacksonville Jaguars, Yahoo: 25% | ESPN: 21% | Sleeper: 30%

To me, the slightly more boring version of Chig Okonkwo would be Brenton Strange. He plays primarily inline tight end, just like Cade Otton and Tyler Higbee in past iterations of Liam Coen’s offense. But that does lend to a pretty big snap share.

Right now, while Brian Thomas Jr struggles and Travis Hunter works his way into a full-time role, Strange offers a decent floor. But his ceiling in this scheme isn’t super high, and he doesn’t really have the athleticism to rip off big chunk plays. If one of Brian Thomas or Travis Hunter were to go down with an injury, he’d be more appealing week to week. But, like I said, you could do worse for a floor play.

Waiver Priority: Late or free add

FAAB: 0-5%

Darren Waller - Miami Dolphins, Yahoo: 5% | ESPN: 11% | Sleeper: 9%

It’s a long shot. But I have him stashed in a few leagues. I think it’s easy to forget that this guy just took a year off. In his last year in the league, he played 12 games and got 75 targets for 52 receptions and 552 yards. It’s not fair to just extrapolate that out, but if you did, that’s a 100 target pace for nearly 800 yards. This guy was still playing some decent ball; he was just dealing with serious injuries and some mental health issues as well.

This Dolphins team is a disaster right now. Who’s to say he can’t carve out a role? Everyone is trying to make the Dolphins a candidate to trade Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle - what if that happens? In deep leagues, I’m going to take a look. The TE position is full of low upside and great mysteries - I’ll take a shot on the mystery box from time to time. The Dolphins' tight ends only have 2 catches so far this year, so the job is his right away.

Waiver Priority: Late or free add

FAAB: 0-5%

**Check the bottom of the article for free rest of season half PPR tight end rankings with our Yin & Yang tight end chart!**

NFL Week 4 Waiver DST

New England Patriots DST, Yahoo: 15% | ESPN: 42% | Sleeper: 21%

After generating 9 sacks over the first two games, the Patriots shocked us by not getting to Aaron Rodgers once (especially given how often he has been sacked in his first two games). That happens sometimes, but they still managed to drum up an interception for the third week in a row.

This week, the Patriots get the lowly Carolina Panthers, so they are back on the menu for sure. Unfortunately, they face the Buffalo Bills after that, but then have a stretch against the Saints, Titans, and Browns, which are all useful matchups. I don’t like rostering two defenses, but I might just roll the dice against the Bills and carry on if I get a good week for New England DST this week. They’ve been pretty decent, and we expect them to get Christian Gonzalez back soon enough.

Carolina Panthers DST, Yahoo: 0% | ESPN: 0% | Sleeper: 0%

This isn’t a great defense by any means. But they have back-to-back decent matchups against the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins. The AFC East teams not named the Buffalo Bills seem to be going out of their way to turn the football over lately. So you could get a couple week stream here.

Honorable Mention or Deep League Options: Las Vegas Raiders vs. CHI, Miami vs. NYJ (then CAR)

NFL Week 4 Waiver K

Matt Prater - Buffalo Bills, K, Yahoo: 36% | ESPN: 53% | Sleeper: 47%

Prater finally missed his first field goal this week after being perfect through the first two weeks. He’s still a good kicker for one of the league’s best offenses, but remains low-owned as we expect Tyler Bass back at some point. I don’t think folks realize that going on the IR means you have to miss four games, not that you are guaranteed back after four games. Prater is currently the 6th highest scoring kicker on the season, so I’ll keep rolling him out as long as I can - he gets the Saints this week, then the Patriots the next week.

Brandon McManus - Green Bay Packers, K, Yahoo: 14% | ESPN: 13% | Sleeper: 19%

Having the late field goal blocked was bad luck. That prevented yet another solid day for McManus. As long as the Green Bay Packers are a solid team, McManus will be a reasonable option. He gets the Cowboys this week in their dome, but has his bye week after, so this is only a one-week play.

NFL Yin & Yang Tight End Rankings

As promised, here are our Yin & Yang tight end rankings. This has been our bread and butter the last few years, and how we find breakout tight ends. Here is how the chart works.

If you have someone in the “standalone” section, then great - you don’t need to roster another tight end outside of injury and bye week. Outside of that, we are rostering two. We are looking for someone “safe” to start while stashing the most high-risk, high-reward option, trying to find a breakout.

The tight ends in red are injured and at risk of missing time. If you can put them in an IR spot, great. If not, you may have to prioritize either a Yin or Yang tight end ranked above them to start for you.

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