It’s ugly out there, no doubt about it. But that’s football. We’re going to have injuries. We’re going to have bad matchups. And soon enough? We’re going to have bye weeks. That’s why we have a separate article for Week 4 fantasy football streamers.

And we also have one for Week 4 fantasy football stashes. Not every team is in the same place right now. So not every team should be focusing on the same players. This article is primarily geared for folks in deeper leagues that have serious holes in your roster. 

 

 

 

Do you have Jordan Love or Tua Tagovailoa stashed away in an IR spot? We’ve got QB streamers. Did you go Zero RB but haven’t quite hit on some backs to start yet? We’ve got RB streamers. Are you in a deep league with 3 flexes? We’ve got WR streamers. Are you in literally any fantasy league with a TE spot? Well, you probably need a TE streamer. We’ve got that. 

Fantasy Football Streamers For 2024 NFL Week 4

This article works in conjunction with our Waiver Wire Adds and Stashes articles. 

The waiver wire article includes the best players to pick up in general - they have both short term and long-term upside. But they might not be available, or you might get outbid. In our waiver wire stashes article, we look at longer term options. But those aren’t guys you can necessarily start this week. The Week 4 fantasy football streamers article is this one - guys that you can reasonably acquire off the wire AND potentially start this week. 

We know that folks play in varying league depths so we’ll include any players that MIGHT be available (especially for really good matchups). And we’ll throw some honorable mentions in there for the really deep leagues. So, let’s dig into the Week 4 Fantasy Football Streamers!

Week 4 QB Streamers

Justin Fields - Pittsburgh Steelers, Yahoo: 16%| ESPN: 24% | Sleeper: 27%

We had him in the Streamers article last week and he paid off with the rushing TD this week. This week we included him in the top Waiver Wire article because he just might keep this job with the team starting 2-0. 

But the conservative approach is to view him as a streamer that offers mobile upside while keeping in mind that his leash is quite a bit shorter than almost every other QB with Russell Wilson waiting in the wings. 

Geno Smith - Seattle Seahawks, Yahoo: 43% | ESPN: 28% | Sleeper: 40%

It might have to be shallower formats but he’s rostered in less than 45% of leagues on all three major platforms we looked at - especially ESPN. We like the way Ryan Grubb’s offense has looked so far and this week Geno gets the Detroit Lions. 

Detroit has been susceptible out of the slot so far this year so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Geno and Jaxon Smith-Njigba connect on some plays. Not to mention, DK Metcalf has been a monster regardless of matchup. 

 

 

 

Week 4 RB Streamers

Rico Dowdle - Dallas Cowboys, Yahoo: 41% | ESPN: 38% | Sleeper: 50%

Check the Week 4 Waivers article for our full thoughts on Dowdle. If you need someone to actually start for your fantasy team right now, he’s the only “starting” back that’s owned in less than 50% of leagues. 

Bucky Irving - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Yahoo: 35%| ESPN: 33% | Sleeper: 44%

Like Dowdle, Bucky is in our full Week 4 Waiver write up so make sure to check that out. Bucky Irving has already been seeing opportunity and, given what Todd Bowles has said, that opportunity could grow. He’s officially hitting the point where we can throw him in some lineups if need be. 

Emmanuel Wilson - Green Bay Packers, Yahoo: 3% | ESPN: 2% | Sleeper: 6%

I’m not proud that I had to start Emmanuel Wilson in a league that isn’t even super deep last week. But the injuries to Kenneth Walker and Joe Mixon put me in a tough spot. And, luckily, Wilson was there on the wire in a week where Josh Jacobs was banged up. We got lucky and he scored.

But that is the quintessential essence of the streamer, isn’t it? We’re looking for any narrative that gives us some floor and a shot at upside. The Packers are down both Marshawn Lloyd and AJ Dillon. Wilson HAD to play some, regardless of the status of Josh Jacobs. ANd he made the most of those opportunities. As long as they continue to go ultra thin with the RB depth chart in Green Bay, Wilson has to be involved. And, if Jacobs goes down, there is upside there.

Cam Akers - Houston Texans, Yahoo: 46% | ESPN: 20% | Sleeper: 58%

Technically, Dare Ogunbawale is the pass down back. But this week, even with the Texans playing way from behind, that really just meant more pass-blocking snaps for Ogunbawale. He blocked on 12 pass plays. When you boil down the usage, Ogunbawale ran 16 routes and had zero carries, Akers ran 15 routes and had 9 carries. That makes Akers the guy we want.

Now, this only remains the case as long as Joe Mixon and Damieon Pierce are both out. But we don’t know for sure how long that will be. So Cam Akers is on the streaming radar until then. If we get a positive game script here, Akers could be a nice spot start. 

Justice Hill - Baltimore Ravens, Yahoo: 13% | ESPN: 10% | Sleeper: 29%

We need a pretty specific game script here for Justice Hill to make some bigger noise. And that would include the run being shut down where the Ravens have to throw. Which certainly did not happen this past week. 

But maybe against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4 we see more action for Hill. The Ravens just gave him a contract extension and he’s gotten at least 6 touches in every game so at least you know he’s going to get the ball some. 

 

 

 

Week 4 WR Streamers

Jauan Jennings - San Francisco, Yahoo: 32%| ESPN: 36% | Sleeper: 44%

We wrote about him in the Week 4 Waiver Wire article but he really is more of a Streamer than a true waiver add. As we mentioned, the fullback usage means highly consolidated snaps. As long as Deebo is out, Jauan Jennings is a great start. When he returns, Jennings likely goes back in the bottle.  

Michael Wilson - Arizona Cardinals, Yahoo: 9% | ESPN: 12% | Sleeper: 54%

Michael Wilson actually has a full-time role opposite Marvin Harrison Jr so he could be considered a streamer at any time. And that is especially true to this week where the Cardinals face the Washington Commanders. The Commanders are dead last in DVOA vs. WRs where they are currently ranked 28th vs WR1s and 30th vs WR2s. Michel Wilson is pretty square WR2 here.

On top of all that, Greg Dortch is dealing with a hamstring injury and Trey McBride landed in concussion protocol. Those guys don’t necessarily need to be out or even limited for Wilson to be a good play this week but it’s something to keep in mind. It’s a good spot. 

Xavier Legette - Carolina Panthers, Yahoo: 7% | ESPN: 6% | Sleeper: 15%

As long as Tee Higgins misses games, we like what we see from Yoshi. He can play outside in the Tee Higgins split end role and has a knack in the end zone. He likely goes back in the bottle when Higgins returns and the Bengals are hopeful that the extra day off will have Higgins ready for Monday Night Football. Which makes it hard to rely on Iosivas. But we could get one more week. 

Jalen Nailor - Minnesota Vikings, Yahoo: 11% | ESPN: 4% | Sleeper: 22%

Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson will be back eventually. That puts a damper on the long-term upside for Jalen Nailor. In the short term though it looks like he’s the second target here for Justin Jefferson. 

With Sam Darnold playing at a high level so fair, we have to see how we can leverage that situation. And Jalen “Nail Gun” Nailor has scored a touchdown in each game so far. Will that keep up? Probably not. But it’s certainly not a bad thing. 

 

 

 

Week 4 TE Streamers

Zach Ertz - Washington Commanders, Yahoo: 23%| ESPN: 20% | Sleeper: 30%

We talked about Zach Ertz in the Waiver Wire article. He’s about as “safe but boring” as you get. But in this landscape, boring is good. He’s the quintessential Yin to our Yin and Yang TE strategy. 

Colby Parkinson - Los Angeles Chargers, Yahoo: 29% | ESPN: 43% | Sleeper: 37%

Colby Parkinson hasn’t really popped off in the box score. So, he’ll probably be dropped in a few leagues. But he is doing one thing that a lot of guys aren’t. He’s running routes. A LOT of them. This past week he played every offensive snap and ran 30 of 33 routes. 

He had a tough matchup with Fred Warner so he couldn’t get much done on his five targets. But this week he faces the Chicago Bears which should be a little easier. And this team is still missing their top two wide receivers. 

 

 

 

Week 4 K Streamers

Chris Boswell - Pittsburgh Steelers, Yahoo: 26% | ESPN: 21% | Sleeper: 24%

There are times where it’s difficult to acknowledge what is going on. But right now the Steelers are undefeated. And Chris Boswell is the K2 in fantasy football. Given Justin Fields’s ability to move the football and then stall drives, Boswell has been arguably their most potent weapon. And I’m not sure why that would stop against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Blake Grupe - Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Yahoo: 17% | ESPN: 24% | Sleeper: 15%

We believe in the analysis of Linda Godfrey (@Lindellions on Twitter). And she consistently has Blake Grupe ranked among her top kicker options despite the low ownership. I believe in this new Saints offense with Klint Kubiak’s system. And this is a solid matchup vs. the Falcons this week after they just went toe to toe with the Eagles. Grupe it is. 

 

 

 

Week 4 DST Streamers

Minnesota Vikings DST, Yahoo: 53% | ESPN: 20% | Sleeper: 16%

This isn’t really a matchup thing - the Minnesota Vikings defense has been flat out good. And not just against the New York Giants but against the San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. 

Unfortunately, they have an early bye week in Week 6 so it’s hard to just say “I’ll set and forget them” but they’ve been pretty solid so far and there’s no guarantee Jordan Love will be back this week. 

Tennessee Titans DST, Yahoo: 4% | ESPN: 3% | Sleeper: 7%

This one is a matchup thing. And you can obviously start either defense in this game if you want. But Skylar Thompson looked ROUGH to say the least. And the Titans are favored by 1 in this one despite being on the road. Plus, they are super widely available, so you don’t need to spend up on them. If you’d rather go with the Dolphins, that works too. 

 

 

 

Take Advantage Of These Week 4 Fantasy Football Streamers & Good Luck!

In a perfect scenario, your starting team is packed with all-star talent. Your bench would ideally feature a solid mix of high-potential players from our Waiver Wire Article or some deeper stash options. But let’s be real, fantasy football isn’t always perfect. 

Sometimes, you just have to grit your teeth and play the guy who gives you the most reliable performance, even if he’s not the most exciting choice. That’s where these fantasy football streamers come into play. 

Sure, the breakout players later in the season might be the ones that clinch the championship, but you’ve got to make it to the playoffs first to have a shot at winning it all.