With the injury to Mike Evans, fantasy football managers are left with a void on their roster. Let’s check out the extent of the injury and players you can target on your fantasy football waiver wire this week. And here is all of our fantasy football waiver wire advice for Week 4.
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Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Injury Replacements
Injury Outlook
Mike Evans (hamstring) to undergo MRI
Buccaneers WR Mike Evans (hamstring) will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
Fantasy Impact
Head coach Todd Bowles classified it as a hamstring tweak, but the expectation is that they will have more information once Evans undergoes his MRI. Prior to the injury, he caught 4-of-8 targets for 33 yards and a touchdown. If Evans is set to miss any time, Emeka Egbuka and Sterling Shepard will see additional targets.
– Jesse Garcia
Waiver Wire Replacements to Target: Wide Receivers
Written by Derek Brown
Elic Ayomanor (WR – TEN): 21% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @HOU, @ARI, @LV
- True Value: $10
- Desperate Need: $16
- Budget-Minded: $6
Analysis: Elic Ayomanor entered Week 3 coming off his best game in the NFL, finishing as the WR24 in fantasy football in Week 2. In the first two games of the season, Ayomanor had a 21.3% target share and 26.8% first-read share, with 1.44 yards per route run and 0.104 first downs per route run, per Fantasy Points Data. In Week 3, his target share dipped to 13.1%, but Ayomanor finished second on the team with 38 receiving yards, and he got into the end zone again. Calvin Ridley has been missing in action this year. It’s not crazy to think that Ayomanor could become the Titans’ clear No. 1 WR as we move through the season. He’s a strong weekly Flex play with tons of upside.
Darnell Mooney (WR – ATL): 45% Rostered
- Next Opponents: WSH, BYE, BUF
- True Value: $6
- Desperate Need: $10
- Budget-Minded: $4
Analysis: Darnell Mooney’s box scores haven’t been amazing since his return from a shoulder injury, as he has averaged only 32 receiving yards, but his market share of this passing offense is still quite strong. Mooney has a 26.3% target share over the last two weeks. The offensive game plan in Week 2 held him back, and Michael Penix’s struggles in Week 3 kept Mooney quiet even though he led the team with 11 targets. Better days are ahead for Mooney if Penix gets it together, or we might see Kirk Cousins back under center. Either way, this passing attack could flash a pulse in the coming weeks. With only Drake London and Kyle Pitts to contend with for targets, Mooney could easily bounce back as a solid WR3/WR4 or Flex play.
Troy Franklin (WR – DEN): 44% Rostered
- Next Opponents: CIN, @PHI, @NYJ
- True Value: $5
- Desperate Need: $8
- Budget-Minded: $3
Analysis: Last season, Troy Franklin looked to gain steam in Weeks 6-7, with 65.5% and 50.8% of the snaps. But after that, he didn’t play more than 46% of the snaps in any other game. To open the 2025 season, Franklin had a 59.2% snap share, which increased to 82.8% in Week 2. In those two games, Franklin had a 21.4% target share, 2.61 yards per route run, a 41.8% air-yard share and a 24.4% first-read share, per Fantasy Points Data. Week 3 wasn’t kind to Franklin, who finished with only eight receiving yards, but he did play 79% of the snaps and had a 16% target share. The Chargers’ secondary has played well this season, so it’s not damning to see Franklin post a quieter game. The big takeaway is that Franklin is a full-time starter in this offense. He should bounce back against the Bengals this week, and after a tough matchup with the Eagles in Week 5, he should feast on Brandon Stephens in Week 6. Pick up Franklin immediately if he’s still on the waiver wire in your leagues.
Christian Kirk (WR – HOU): 34% Rostered
- Next Opponents: TEN, @BAL, BYE
- True Value: $4
- Desperate Need: $6
- Budget-Minded: $2
Analysis: Christian Kirk made his 2025 debut for the Houston Texans in Week 3. He was immediately thrust into a starter’s workload with 66.7% of the snaps and a 21% target share (eight targets). His snap and target counts were both second on the team behind only Nico Collins. It was nice to see, as Houston had previously treated its wide receiver room as a committee behind Nico Collins. C.J. Stroud is not playing good football, and the offensive line looks abysmal, but if Kirk is going to see this level of volume moving forward, he should be rostered and could work himself into weekly Flex territory.
Romeo Doubs (WR – GB): 32% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @DAL, BYE, CIN
- True Value: $3
- Desperate Need: $5
- Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: The Packers’ hesitation to pass has been infuriating. Despite Green Bay facing an obvious pass-funnel Browns defense in Week 3, Jordan Love had only 25 passing attempts, while the ground game had 27 rushing attempts (not counting four rushing attempts by Love). This lack of passing volume has neutered every receiving option in Green Bay (outside of Tucker Kraft) into a dice-roll Flex play. If you have to roll the dice with a Green Bay receiver in Week 4 or Week 6, Romeo Doubs is the one I would select. He is one of the few full-time wide receivers for the team, as the Packers still deploy a committee approach with that position. Dallas and Cincy are burnable secondaries that could lead Doubs to some solid stat lines with limited volume.
Tory Horton (WR – SEA): 2% Rostered
- Next Opponents: @ARI, TB, @JAX
- True Value: $3
- Desperate Need: $5
- Budget-Minded: $1
Analysis: The stat lines haven’t been eye-popping, but Tory Horton has 32 receiving yards and a score in each of his last two games. Against the Saints in Week 3, Horton’s box score doesn’t tell the entire tale. Seattle was stomping the Saints; the Seahawks only had to pass 18 times with Sam Darnold, and they eventually pulled their starters. Horton did have a 22% target share and a 72% snap rate with the starters, so don’t let the box score mislead you. Darnold and the Seattle passing attack have been better than I figured they would be in 2025. Horton is a talented rookie who could easily be a viable Flex option with bye weeks approaching. His stock would soar if Cooper Kupp were to miss any time.
Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL): 0% Rostered
- Next Opponents: GB, @NYJ, @CAR
- True Value: $1
- Desperate Need: $2
- Budget-Minded: $0
Analysis: With CeeDee Lamb sustaining an ankle injury in Week 3, Jalen Tolbert makes the waiver wire pickup list this week. The severity of Lamb’s injury is still unclear, but it looked rough, and I won’t be surprised if he misses a few games. Dallas should remain a pass-centric team despite Lamb’s absence, which makes Tolbert Flex-viable depending upon your weekly options and league size. In Week 3, Tolbert had only a 13.3% target share and 24 receiving yards, but we saw last year that Tolbert can produce when the matchup is right. I don’t want to play him against the Packers’ secondary in Week 4, but George Pickens could easily see shadow coverage from Sauce Gardner in Week 5. That would push additional target volume in Tolbert’s direction and leave him matched up against the burnable Brandon Stephens — 80% catch rate and 145.4 passer rating allowed, per Pro Football Focus (PFF).
Wide Receiver Stash Candidates
Luther Burden made the most of his playing time in Week 3. Despite a 28.8% snap rate and three targets, the second-round rookie finished with 101 receiving yards. He ran only nine routes in Week 3, so don’t let the wild box score get you out over your skis here. Burden is immensely talented, though, and he should continue to eat into Olamide Zaccheaus‘s snaps moving forward. If Caleb Williams can be the quarterback Ben Johnson stans and the Bears’ faithful hope he can be, Burden could be a stretch-run difference-maker. Stash him now.
The Panthers appear to be committed to operating as a pass-heavy offense in 2025. Entering Week 3, they ranked second in neutral passing rate, per Fantasy Points Data. With Bryce Young looking at least competent after Week 1, Jalen Coker could come off IR in Week 5 and step back into a heavy weekly target load with only Tetairoa McMillan ahead of him for passing game looks. Be patient and stash Coker ahead of his return.
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