2025 NFL fantasy football waiver wire, Week 4: Trey Benson, Elic Ayomanor among priority pickups

There might be some large holes on your fantasy roster as the dust settles from a wild Sunday in Week 3. Injuries to big-name players could have you questioning where to turn. But such is life in the NFL. A wise waiver wire strategy may be the difference between bouncing back or fading to the back of the pack before the calendar turns to October.

Heading into Monday night, here are my suggestions for Week 4, starting with my top 15 players to prioritize on the waiver wire, regardless of position.

The only rule here: Players must be rostered in less than 60 percent of NFL.com leagues to be eligible for the list.

And now, here are my top five waiver priorities by position:

QUARTERBACKS

Takeaways:

• It hasn't all been pretty from Geno Smith this season (I'll not soon forget his late-night clunker against the Chargers), but only Justin Herbert (860) has thrown for more yards than the Raiders' QB1 (831) heading into Monday night's game. In fact, Smith is the fantasy QB3 of Week 3 as of this writing (26.06 points). Vegas is set to host a Bears team that played better on defense against the Cowboys -- who were without CeeDee Lamb for most of the game -- but is still just a couple weeks removed from being spanked for 52 points by the Lions. If you're streaming QBs, Geno might be your best option.
• Matthew Stafford has steadily been outside the fantasy QB1 range with his performance so far this season (14.9 fantasy points per game), but you could do a lot worse for a QB2 on your roster. The Rams next host a Colts defense that's been stingy to this point, but Bo Nix finished as the fantasy QB12 of Week 2, when his Broncos visited Indy, and Stafford is capable of rewarding managers who stream him.
• I know it's hard to remove Week 1 from memory, but I feel good enough about Tua Tagovailoa's trajectory and Week 4 matchup to include him here. Miami will host the Jets, who have allowed a top seven fantasy QB in two of their first three games. Tua has returned to fantasy QB2 territory.
• I didn't expect to be suggesting Carson Wentz as a streaming option this season, but he's the fantasy QB11 of Week 3 heading into MNF after leading a blowout of the Bengals in his first start filling in for the injured J.J. McCarthy. Barring a return from J.J. in Week 4, Wentz has a favorable matchup against a Steelers defense that is allowing the fifth-most fantasy points per game to QBs this season.
• It might be time to pick up Jaxson Dart, if you play in the deepest of leagues and are so inclined.

RUNNING BACKS

Takeaways:

• Trey Benson will be the most popular pickup on the waiver wire this week, with James Conner set to undergo season-ending foot surgery after suffering a gruesome injury on Sunday. The next man up at running back for the Cardinals is off to a promising start this season, leading the team with 125 yards on 21 carries (6.0 YPC). He's made eight catches for 45 yards on 11 targets (42 routes), too. Benson is unlikely to become a true workhorse with Emari Demercado still playing a role, but Benson's volume should still see a significant jump now that Conner is sidelined indefinitely.
• Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the Commanders with 11 carries (39 yards) in the team's first full game without Austin Ekeler. I know Jeremy McNichols made more noise even though he played fewer snaps -- gaining 78 yards on four carries, including a 60-yard TD run -- but I don't expect the journeyman to pop a long TD run every week. Rodriguez's usage makes him the more appealing fantasy option moving forward, although one best left for deep leagues in a crowded backfield rotation that still features Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
• If you want a handcuff for De’Von Achane, Ollie Gordon II appears to be your guy. After a very quiet start to the season, the rookie toted the rock 9 times for 38 yards and a TD against the Bills. There's at least a glimmer of hope for this Dolphins offense heading into a matchup at home against a wobbly Jets defense.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Takeaways:

• Troy Franklin provided just two catches for 8 yards on Sunday after I backed him in this space a week ago, but I'm doubling down! While the production wasn't there against a tough Chargers defense, Franklin still finished Week 3 tied for the most snaps among Broncos wideouts, with the second-most routes, targets (another tie) and receptions. He's the clear No. 2 to Courtland Sutton, and I like his matchup in Week 4 against a Bengals defense that still has its share of issues.
• Elic Ayomanor has posted 13-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games, scoring a TD in each. The rookie hasn't had the huge game that gets everyone buzzing, but he should be on more rosters based on his promising start. He's the fantasy WR35 at the moment, placing him just behind Franklin, Mike Evans and DeVonta Smith in total points.
• Romeo Doubs was quiet (two catches for 25 yards) after I touted him here last week, but hey, I'm not a quitter. He still played the most snaps and ran the most routes of any Packers receiver and has a juicy matchup against a beleaguered Cowboys defense in Week 4. No team is allowing more fantasy points to WRs than Dallas so far.
• CeeDee Lamb is expected to miss at least the next two games with a high ankle sprain, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Jalen Tolbert should be the biggest beneficiary of Lamb's absence. Tolbert played nearly 90 percent of the snaps against the Bears after Lamb exited early. He made just 3 catches for 24 yards, but he was targeted 6 times (third-most on the team). Don't forget he did post 80-plus yards three times and scored seven TDs last season.
• We finally got to see what the Bears must have envisioned when they drafted Luther Burden III in April. He entered Week 3 with just two catches for 2 yards, but a 65-yard TD catch on a flea flicker propelled Burden to a three-catch, 101-yard day against the Cowboys. He also had a carry for 7 yards. Now, it's important to note he ranked fourth among Bears wide receivers in snaps and ran only eight routes. The volume isn't there yet, but he's still dripping with upside and is worth rostering in deeper leagues if you're willing to be patient.

TIGHT ENDS

Takeaways:

• It's been feast or famine for Hunter Henry so far this season, but even an occasional feast is more than most fantasy tight ends can provide. He went off for 29 fantasy points on Sunday, catching two TDs from Drake Maye, and is the fantasy TE3 on the season as of this writing. He was targeted four times in the red zone against the Steelers. If Maye is going to look his way with such frequency in money situations, Henry should be on more rosters.
• I get it if you're feeling disheartened after all the Harold Fannin Jr. hype (including from yours truly). He posted a season-low 5.5 fantasy points on Sunday, making 3 catches for just 25 yards. Yet, I'm still bullish long-term. As my colleague Michael Florio pointed out, he played 61 percent of snaps and lined up all over the field for Cleveland, which clearly values him as a versatile weapon. The Browns ran into one of the league's best defenses in Week 3, but I won't be surprised if Fannin bounces back in Week 4 against the Lions.

DEFENSES

Takeaways:

• After a monster afternoon against the Bengals, the Vikings have the No. 1 fantasy defense entering Monday Night Football. They'll now head overseas for back-to-back games, but with the Steelers (Dublin) and Browns (London) up next, it's not hard to imagine Brian Flores' crew still holding its perch when it returns home. Cleveland has yet to break 17 points in a game, and Pittsburgh has scored 38 total in the two games since its Week 1 outburst. If you're streaming defenses, pick up the Vikings while you can.
• Monday night has the potential to be ugly for the Lions' defense, with Lamar Jackson and Co. awaiting them, but the schedule eases up significantly after that game. Detroit hosts the low-wattage Browns in Week 4 and then visits a Bengals team that is searching for answers after getting crushed by the aforementioned Vikings in its first full game without Joe Burrow.
• Including the Titans' defense here is as big a dart throw as you'll see in this space. I know Tennessee just got cooked by Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor, but all three defenses the Colts have faced this season were promptly blasted into oblivion. Next up for the Titans are the Texans, who average a measly 12.7 points per game. Defenses are averaging 9 fantasy PPG against Houston this season. There's no need to rush to waivers for this crew, but if you feel like rolling the dice, Tennessee is an enticing deep sleeper.