Fantasy Football Players to Drop or Hold (Week 4 Waiver Wire)

Let’s take a look at players our analysts consider on the fringe as you weigh your fantasy football waiver wire additions for the week. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 4.

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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Advice: Drop or Hold?

Fantasy Football Drop Recommendations

Droppable

• James Conner (RB – ARI)
• Najee Harris (RB – LAC)
• Jake Browning (QB – CIN)
• Dylan Sampson (RB – CLE)
• Jerome Ford (RB – CLE)
• Kaleb Johnson (RB – PIT)
• Adam Thielen (WR – MIN)

James Conner was drafted as an RB2. Now that he’s done for the year with an ankle injury, his fantasy investors are thinner at the all-important running back position.

There weren’t many people starting Najee Harris in fantasy leagues in Week 3. But Harris seemed to be closing ground on first-round rookie Omarion Hampton before rupturing his Achilles in a game against the Broncos. It’s been a tough year for Harris, who sustained an eye injury in a Fourth of July fireworks mishap, causing him to miss training camp.

Jake Browning‘s first start in place of the injured Joe Burrow was a disaster, with Browning throwing for 140 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the Bengals’ 48-10 loss to the Vikings. With brutal matchups coming up against the Broncos, Lions and Packers over the next three weeks, Browning isn’t worth rostering.

Quinshon Judkins officially took over the Cleveland backfield in Week 3, carrying 18 times for 94 yards and a touchdown in the Browns’ come-from-behind win over the Packers. Fellow rookie Dylan Sampson played only five snaps in Week 3. He’s droppable.

Although the Browns’ backfield now belongs to Quinshon Judkins, Jerome Ford got significant work on passing downs, playing 24 snaps. Even if Ford plays ahead of Dylan Sampson on passing downs, Ford isn’t going to get enough touches to be fantasy-relevant. Ditch him.

A week after a costly mistake on a kickoff that resulted in a Seattle touchdown, Kaleb Johnson played zero offensive snaps for Pittsburgh. Johnson was mentioned in this section last week. Here’s a final reminder that it’s safe to drop him.

It’s not like Adam Thielen has been doing much since he returned to the Vikings anyway (2-26-0 in three games). But whatever small amount of fantasy value Thielen might have had will disappear now that Jordan Addison is returning from suspension this week.

Droppable With a Chance of Regret

• Trevor Lawrence (QB – JAX)
• Michael Penix Jr. (QB – ATL)
• Josh Downs (WR – IND)
• Tyrone Tracy (RB – NYG)

Former No. 1 overall draft pick Trevor Lawrence is averaging just 5.9 yards per pass attempt and has as many interceptions (four) as touchdown passes. Lawrence and second-year receiver Brian Thomas Jr. don’t appear to be on the same page, and the arrival of rookie Travis Hunter has done nothing to elevate Lawrence’s game. Lawrence isn’t worth starting in 1-QB leagues, and if you can’t comfortably start him right now, what’s the point in rostering him?

Michael Penix Jr. was pulled from the Falcons’ unsightly 30-0 loss to the Panthers after completing 18-of-36 passes for 172 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. It’s not clear whether Penix or Kirk Cousins will start for the Falcons in Week 4. Even if it’s Penix, the possibility of him getting a quick hook if he struggles early on makes him unplayable in fantasy. The Falcons have a Week 5 bye. It’s fine to ditch Penix in 1-QB leagues.

As good as the Colts’ offense has been so far, WR Josh Downs has 10-97-0 on 14 targets. He’s part of an ensemble cast of pass-catchers in Indianapolis, and since he’s not much of a touchdown scorer or big-play receiver, there’s just not much fantasy value here. It would probably take an injury to one of the other Colts pass-catchers for Downs to become consistently fantasy-viable.

Don’t Drop Yet

• Stefon Diggs (WR – NE)
• Calvin Ridley (WR – TEN)
• Jerry Jeudy (WR – CLE)

Stefon Diggs has had a quiet first three games with the Patriots, with 13-112-0 on 15 targets. But Diggs has had at least three catches in every game despite playing a little more than half of New England’s offensive snaps. The 31-year-old Diggs is still working his way back from a torn ACL that ended his 2024 season. The snap share figures are expected to increase over time. Don’t bail out on Diggs yet.

We thought things would get better for Calvin Ridley after he finished with 4-27-0 on eight targets in a tough Week 1 matchup that found him in the shadow coverage of Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. But Ridley’s reception total has decreased in each subsequent game. He had just one catch for 27 yards against the Jaguars in Week 3. Give Ridley a little more time to develop chemistry with rookie Cam Ward.

Jerry Jeudy had just one catch for 17 yards against the Packers in Week 3. But he led Cleveland’s pass-catchers in snaps and routes. He probably would have scored a touchdown had he not been interfered with by a Green Bay defender, drawing a flag. Ignore the ugly stat line. Don’t drop Jeudy.