Week 4 WR Rankings: Puka Nacua Takes Over WR1 and More Freedman's Favorites
Matthew Freedman presents his favorite wide receiver plays for Week 4 for fantasy football, including Puka Nacua, Ricky Pearsall, Quentin Johnston and more.
It's Week 4, and that means for each team we now have three games to analyze—three distinct data points to consider.
One point is almost meaningless. It exists by itself in the infinite nothingness of space and time.
But two points form a line. They give us directionality.
And three points form a triangle. They give us dimensionality.
In other words: The season is truly starting to take shape.
Let's get into the Week 4 WR edition of Freedman's Favorites, where I highlight guys I'm upgrading because of:
- Favorable betting factors and situational spots
- Advantageous defensive matchups (perhaps aided by injury)
- Increased usage expectations (again, maybe aided by injury)
For process notes regarding this series, my weekly rankings, and my weekly projections, see the end of this piece. Also, check out the rest of my favorite Week 4 fantasy football plays.
To see our full rankings and projections, use the promo code FREEDMAN for 20% off the FantasyLife+ package.
Week 4 Wide Receiver Rankings
Puka Nacua Grabs No. 1 Spot in Week 4 WR Ranks
I realize that I'm yet to highlight Puka Nacua this year in this piece, which feels weird, given that this summer I wrote about him as a 2025 cornerstone player.
But there's almost never a need to mention him because everyone knows he's awesome.
And yet this week I think I should include him.
When writing about Nacua this summer, I said this: "In yardage accumulation, what Nacua has done as a receiver on a per-game basis in his first two NFL seasons (88.4) has been on par with what we saw out of Ja'Marr Chase (86.2) and Justin Jefferson (91.4) in their first couple years. One of these years, he's liable to lead the league in receptions and receiving yards. Why not this year?"
What do you know? Through three games, Nacua has a league-high 29 receptions and 333 yards receiving on 35 targets with an additional 3-52-1 rushing.
Entering the season, Nacua was respected, but he often went after Chase, Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Malik Nabers in drafts (per our Fantasy Life ADP Draft Grid).
But now he's the consensus no-doubt No. 1 WR—and it's deserved!
He's efficient. In each of the past two seasons, he averaged 9.3 yards per target. This year, he's averaging 9.5. And he has elite usage, ranking as the No. 1 WR in Utilization Score (90, per our Fantasy Life Utilization Report).
As a result, he's the only WR this year with 15+ fantasy points every week (per our Fantasy Life Scoring Matrix).
If Nacua ever comes available in Guillotine Leagues, I would easily be willing to spend over half my FAAB on him.
As for his matchup this week, Nacua has run over half his routes this year out of the slot (44 of 85, per PFF), and the Colts are likely to be without slot CB Kenny Moore (calf).
In the words of George Costanza: "This is the signal, Jerry."
Ricky Pearsall Gonna Treat the Jags Like JAGs in Week 4
While backup QB Mac Jones (knee) acquitted himself admirably in Weeks 2-3, starter Brock Purdy (shoulder, toe) will probably return to action this week, which should be a boon to the 49ers pass catchers.
And by "49ers pass catchers," I mean "Ricky Pearsall," who might be the only healthy starter available among the team's non-Christian McCaffrey receivers.
- WR Brandon Aiyuk (knee, PUP): Out
- WR Jauan Jennings (ankle, shoulder): Missed Week 3
- WR Jordan Watkins (calf): Missed Week 3
- WR Jacob Cowing (hamstring, IR): Out
- TE George Kittle (hamstring, IR): Out
Jerry Rice isn't walking through that door.
But Pearsall has played well when featured: In his seven NFL starts, he has 643 yards and 3 TDs on 52 targets and 4 carries.
And this year he has 16-281-0 receiving on 24 targets in three games.
While his target numbers might not seem gaudy, the dude is putting in the work: In terms of playing time, he's already a top-12 WR (92% snap rate, 180 snaps). Eventually, snaps will translate to more targets—and fortunately he's efficient with the targets he does get (9.7 yards per target for career).
And I love his matchup: The Jags are No. 1 in largest fantasy boost allowed to WRs (+9.2).
Pearsall is primed to go off.
Quentin Johnston Charges Up the Week 4 WR Ranks
This offseason, I wrote a piece on the one player I wanted to draft from each of the 32 NFL teams. For the Chargers, my guy was Quentin Johnston.
He disappointed as a rookie (338-431-2 receiving, 67 targets), but last year he enjoyed some notable second-season progression (55-711-8 receiving, 91 targets), ranking No. 2 on the team with a 21% target rate and target share and No. 1 with a 30% share of red zone and end zone targets.
But when the team selected WRs Tre' Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the draft and reunited with WR Keenan Allen in August, everyone (including me) simply assumed that Johnston would be relegated to a rotational role in a run-heavy offense.
But then Johnston beat out Harris and Lambert-Smith, and then the Chargers featured a pass-heavy offense in Weeks 1-3 (No. 2 with a 7% DBOE).
The result: Johnston has a team-best 239 yards and 3 TDs receiving on 14 receptions and 24 targets.
Although he should probably still be considered the No. 3 WR on the team, he's now much closer to Ladd McConkey and Allen than he was to start the season—and it's not unreasonable to think that he could finish the year as the team's most productive pass catcher.
The situational spot for the Chargers isn't great in that they're traveling east for an early 1 p.m. ET game—but the road matchup is about as favorable as it can be against the Giants, who have the league's worst all-time home-field advantage at MetLife Stadium (+0.06, per NFElo).
Plus, they're No. 2 in most fantasy points allowed to WRs (36.4).
That will do.
Tory Horton Has Our Attention in Week 4
I love young skill-position players who double as return men. Think of Antonio Brown, Tyreek Hill, Wes Welker, Julian Edelman and Cordarrelle Patterson early in their careers.
Even Tyler Lockett, the longtime Seahawks WR who departed this offseason via free agency and whom Horton has essentially replaced in the offense.
Not only do returns give extra opportunities to score TDs, but they also speak to a player's well-rounded skill set. Good return men tend to be good at not just returns—but also football.
Based on what we've seen out of rookie Tory Horton so far, he looks like a good return man. This season, he has turned six punt returns into 156 yards, and last week he took one back for a TD.
On top of that, Horton might just be good at football. He saw no targets in Week 1, but in Weeks 2-3—with a snap rate of below 50%—he had 5-64-2 receiving on 8 targets.
Given his production and playmaking ability, the Seahawks might start to use him more on offense—and he could have another big performance this week against the Cardinals, who are No. 28 in defensive pass SR (52.2%, per RBs Don't Matter).
Additionally, slot CB Garrett Williams (knee, IR) is out, and perimeter CB Will Johnson (groin) is questionable after neither practicing nor playing last week.
For deep leagues, Horton warrants waiver consideration.
The Deep Route
Garrett Wilson (Jets) at Dolphins: The Dolphins could be without three starters in the secondary—CBs Storm Duck (ankle) and Jason Marshall (hamstring) and SS Ifeatu Melifonwu (calf)—and they're No. 32 in defensive dropback EPA (0.440) and SR (58.0%). Wilson has an obscene 100% route rate for the year.
Tyreek Hill (Dolphins) vs. Jets: The Dolphins have 11 days between games, the Jets are No. 30 in defensive pass DVOA (54.4%, per FTN), and CB Sauce Gardner (head) and SS Tony Adams (groin, hip) are uncertain. Hill is the No. 3 WR in share of air yards (54%) and No. 8 WR in WOPR (74%). The total for this game is only 44.5, but given that I like both offenses in this matchup, the over is a five-star bet (per our Fantasy Life Game Model).
"WOPR" stands for "weighted opportunity rating," and it measures the overall quality of a player's aerial role in his offense by considering his share of targets and air yards.
Deebo Samuel (Commanders) at Falcons: QB Jayden Daniels (knee) has a shot to return this week, and Samuel could occupy most of his attention if the Commanders are without WRs Terry McLaurin (quad) and Noah Brown (groin). For the Falcons, No. 1 CB A.J. Terrell (hamstring) is uncertain after missing last week. So far, Samuel has looked like the team's No. 1 WR with 169 yards and 2 TDs on 21 targets and 4 carries.
Jakobi Meyers (Raiders) vs. Bears: Meyers isn't sexy, but he is what he is—a guy with 26 targets for the season and 60+ yards receiving in each game. The Bears are No. 3 in largest fantasy boost allowed to WRs (7.2), and they could be without both No. 1 CB Jaylon Johnson (calf, groin - IR) and slot CB Kyler Gordon (hamstring).
Darnell Mooney (Falcons) vs. Commanders: Mooney has just 64 scoreless yards this year, but he missed Week 1, and in Weeks 2-3 he had 15 targets. Bigger days are ahead—perhaps against the Commanders: CB Trey Amos (calf) exited Week 3 with an injury.
Matthew Golden (Packers) at Cowboys: Golden saw his most extensive action of the year in Week 3, and the Cowboys are exceedingly vulnerable: They're No. 1 in most fantasy points allowed to WRs (41.4) … and CBs Trevon Diggs (shoulder) and DaRon Bland (foot) might both be out.
Parker Washington (Jaguars) at 49ers: WR Dyami Brown (shoulder) exited Week 3 early, and in his absence Washington played as the No. 2 WR (75% route rate). In fact, over the past two weeks, he has 9-110-0 receiving on 16 targets. If Brown is out and WR/CB Travis Hunter continues to spend more time on defense (43 snaps in each of the past two weeks), Washington could once again serve as the team's No. 2 option in the pass game.
Notes
Injuries: Since I write Freedman's Favorites on Tuesday, I have incomplete injury information. After I submit this article, any updated thoughts I have regarding injuries will manifest in my rankings and projections. For our quick fantasy thoughts every day, subscribe to the Fantasy Life newsletter.
Schedule: This season, I have the following rankings and projections schedule.
- Tue AM: Publish rankings and projections
- Thu AM: Refresh rankings and projections
- Thu PM: Make necessary TNF rankings changes
- Sat PM: Update rankings and projections
- Sun AM: Revise rankings
- Sun PM: Finalize rankings based on news prior to 1 p.m. ET kickoff
Accuracy: I'm a six-time top-20 ranker in accuracy and a long-time profitable player prop better.
Scoring: All fantasy points are half-PPR scoring unless otherwise stated.
Cohesion: My positional breakdowns are published separately, but I think of them as comprising one whole, so check out the rest of my favorite Week 4 fantasy football plays (via my Fantasy Life author page).
Abbreviations: Here are some abbreviations I might have used in the piece.
- Fantasy Points per Game (FPPG)
- Against the Spread (ATS)
- Over/Under (O/U)
- Team Total (TT)
- Moneyline (ML)
- Return on Investment (ROI)
- Adjusted Yards per Attempt (AY/A)
- Expected Points Added (EPA)
- Success Rate (SR)
- Completion Percentage Over Expected (CPOE)
- Defense-Adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA)
- AirYAC (Air Yards + Yards After Catch)
- Weighted Opportunity Rating (WOPR)
- Average Depth of Target (aDOT)
- Short Down and Distance (SDD)
- Long Down and Distance (LDD)
