We are right around the corner from bye weeks being a real pain point for fantasy football managers. We are also at a crucial part fo the season where we are about a third of the regular season is over. A loss this week could set you on a path of not making the playoffs. A win could change the whole trajectory of your season. Finding wide receiver streamers and sleepers is where fantasy football managers separate themselves. Here are my favorite Week 4 wide receiver sleepers and streamers.
Week 4 Wide Receiver Sleepers and Streamers
Streamers
Dionte Johnson- Carolina Panthers
Does one week change the outlook of a player? Usually, I would say no but there are always exceptions. Dionte Johnson might be one of those exceptions. Why you ask? Part of it is the change in quarterback. It took three quarters for Andy Dalton to surpass the passing stats that Bryce Young had through two games. I think it was the right spark for that offense. The other factor is the volume that we have been seeing for Dionte Johnson. In the first two games, he had six targets in each. I believe he was just a byproduct of poor-quality targets. Dalton under center changes that. I think Johnson is a solid wide receiver streamer heading into Week 4.
The matchup isn’t great for Johnson. Facing the Cincinnati Bengals is tough for all wide receivers. They have one of the best pairs of corners in the league with Cam Taylor-Britt and Dax Hill. The fact that Dionte doesn’t often move into the slot concerns me for the coverage he will see in Week 4. Most fantasy managers will be tempted to start Dionte after a big week and I think you can but only as a wide receiver streamer. He is someone I would slide into my flex if I need him but wouldn’t be counting on another top-10 performance.
Courtland Sutton- Denver Broncos
I think the Denver Broncos are figuring it out. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix seems to have found his groove. He completed 25 of his 36 passing attempts in Week 3. He has yet to have a passing touchdown but that is about to change. A part of that will have to be Courtland Sutton. We now have two weeks on the season with Sutton getting double-digit targets. I think that trend will continue. With very few other passing options Sutton has to be the main focal point of the passing offense.
Week 4 does present a tough matchup against the New York Jets who have a very strong secondary across the board. I do like that the Jets will probably secure the lead early putting the Broncos in a pass-heavy game script. That means more volume for Sutton. He and the coaching staff will have to get creative with their formations and get Sutton into favorable matchups for him to produce WR1 numbers but he is a strong wide receiver streamer option in Week 4. The offense is on the come-up, the game script looks to be pass-heavy and the volume has been there for Sutton.
DeAndre Hopkins- Tennessee Titans
It has been a very slow start to the season for the veteran and perennial WR1 DeAndre Hopkins. After scoring under two points the first two weeks of the season he came out in Week 3 and posted a stat line of six receptions for 73 yards and a score. It’s a return to form for Hopkins. A big part of that is he finally looks fully recovered from the injury that hindered him in the preseason and slowed him the first two weeks. We know that the Titans offense isn’t fully clicking just yet but a healthy Hopkins will go a long way to getting it to where we think it should be.
I like DHop as a wide receiver streamer in Week 4. He plays against the Miami Dolphins. While the Dolphins have solid secondary with Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller at cornerback they have given up plenty of yardage to receivers this season. I think Hopkins has the experience to find the open spots or take the top off the defense and make contested catches. There isn’t a coverage he hasn’t seen. He will be slightly hindered by Will Levis who needs to continue to improve. The Dolphins also struggle to score points so passing might be less needed but that could mean the Titans use this game to fix and implement more in the passing game to set them up for success in future weeks. Fire up Hopkins as a solid wide receiver streamer for Week 4.
Sleepers
Jakobi Meyers- Las Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said that some players were making business decisions and that the team would make business decisions as well. Not sure if that has to do with star wideout Davante Adams who appears to be unhappy or the quarterback play that saw Gardner Minshew get benched and Aidan O’Connell take over. Either way, it looks good for wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. He posted his second game over 50 yards on the season and scored his first touchdown. He is quietly having a good season. Very reminiscent of last year when he finished as the WR24. He is a great wide receiver streamer,
The Raiders will be facing the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have a solid secondary unit which doesn’t bode well for the Raiders pass catchers but what Meyers excels at is finding the soft spot in defensive coverage and giving his quarterback a sure-handed target. I will never count on Meyers to be a top twelve wide receiver and perhaps never more than a WR2 for your fantasy football team but as a wide receiver sleeper, he is as solid as they come.
Mike Williams- New York Jets
As a die-hard Bills fan, it is hard for me to want good things for the New York Jets. It does seem like quarterback Aaron Rodgers is back to his former MVP form. Another player returning to his former form is wide receiver Mike Williams. After suffering an ACL injury last year he finally looks close to 100%. The Jets have limited his snaps through three weeks focusing on the long game with him instead of risking potential re-injury or setback. In Week 3 Williams only played on 45% of the team’s snaps but saw a season-high four targets hauling in three of them for 34 yards. While he is not in the wide receiver streamers yet he is a great wide receiver sleeper for Week 4.
He has a smash matchup. Not only do the Jets get an extra day to prepare coming off a Thursday night win, but the Denver Broncos secondary is suspect. With the top corner being on Garrett Wilson, Mike Williams gets to work against Riley Moss. A corner ranked as the 87th out of 96 corners by PFF.com. While last week’s streamer Allen Lazard continues to be a go-to for Rodgers, Mike Williams will continue to build the chemistry with Rodgers and the confidence in the coaching staff to play him more. For fantasy football managers you can start confidently starting him in your flex spots as a wide receiver sleeper for Week 4.
Calvin Austin- Pittsburgh Steelers
We never like to see an injury but when someone does go down it opens up the opportunity for someone else. That is what we saw in Week 3 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wide receiver Van Jefferson with an eye injury. This opened the door for Calvin Austin III to get involved in the passing game. He posted four receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown against a good Los Angeles Chargers secondary. It remains to be seen if Jefferson will miss time with that eye injury but either way, what Austin did can’t be ignored by the Steelers coaching staff or fantasy football managers.
You can also be excited about the matchup in Week 4. The Steelers, looking to remain undefeated, go up against the Indianapolis Colts. While the Colts have a solid cornerback in Kenny Moore II, they lack depth at the position. Their other starting corner is Jaylon Jones who is rated as the 95th out of 96 corners in coverage by PFF.com. The big issue for Austin will be what happens in three-wide sets. If he lines up in the slot there is a chance he sees Moore who often moves to the slot. That would lock down Austin. The only advantage is Austin’s speed. That could allow him to get past Moore and take advantage of a weak group of safeties for the Colts.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!