College Fantasy Football Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups: Keelon Russell, Jamal Rule among players to add

Week 3 had its share of theatrics and head-scratching finishes (looking at you, NC State ), along with several noteworthy college fantasy football performances to be aware of when mapping out your Week 4 waiver wire strategy. Here are the top performers from Week 3 who you should consider rostering.

The five-star freshman phenom was magnificent in a 50-36 revenge game victory over Florida State , completing 23-of-30 passes for 320 yards, three passing touchdowns to go with 56 rushing yards and another score on the ground. His 36.4 fantasy points were a career high and a marked improvement from the -9 rushing yards, two interceptions and 12.6 points he accrued last week against Kentucky. He had a few signature throws, but none more impressive than a laser he dropped over the shoulder of the defender for a 40-yard gain down the right sideline to WR Lotzeir Brooks.

Russell is settled in and brimming with confidence heading into a premium home matchup against a reeling South Carolina team that just blew a 16-0 lead to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs capitalized on two costly LaNorris Sellers interceptions to go on a 41-7 run and snuff out the shellshocked Gamecocks chances for victory. South Carolina HC Shane Beamer is feeling the heat from a fanbase that is starved for a contender after winning just one SEC game last year. That should translate into a very productive game for Russell, who is an automatic waiver add at his still sparse roster rate.

I told you to pick him up two weeks ago, now he's coming off a 45.9-point explosion against a quality Virginia defense. His dual-threat profile is combustible in four-point passing touchdown formats and he needs to be picked up everywhere ahead of a dream matchup against Oklahoma State.

Lincoln Kienholz , Louisville - 22% Rostered

Louisville is set to feast on the soft underbelly of its ACC schedule, and Kienholz is clearly the most capable signal-caller fantasy kingmakers Jeff and Brian Brohm have had under their tutelage since Tyler Shough.

I try to target players who are under 50% rostered, but the freshman sensation Rule simply cannot be left on any waiver wire going forward. His torrid start continued against North Dakota rushing 15 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns, including an explosive 55-yard, third-quarter scamper, for a sterling 29.4 fantasy points. That's only Rule's second-best fantasy game of the year after he charted a ridiculous 36.9 points in Week 1 versus Ohio. For perspective, only six running backs in the country averaged 20 fantasy PPG last year, while Rule is averaging 27.1 PPG through three games.

He projects as a quality starting option in Week 4, when the Cornhuskers travel to Michigan State, which just allowed 161 rushing yards in a 27-10 loss to Notre Dame, and allowed Toledo RB Connor Walendzak to rumble for 76 yards and a TD on just seven totes. New HC Pat Fitzgerald has assembled a respectable defensive front, but nothing that will keep Nebraska from giving Rule 15+ carries.

Keyjuan Brown , Louisville - 31% Rostered

One of the premium backup RBs during the preseason, Brown was a force down the stretch for the Cards last year, rushing for 94+ yards in each of his last five games while averaging 17.4 fantasy PPG over that span in relief of injured starter Isaac Brown. Keyjuan Brown's production was more modest the first two weeks of 2026. However, Isaac Brown was once again dinged up heading into their pivotal ACC showdown with SMU, leaving Keyjuan to turn 10 carries into 163 yards and two touchdowns, including a 58-yarder in which he burst through the line and displayed his trademark home-run ability.

Keyjuan is averaging a jaw-dropping 12.8 yards per carry thus far and has earned a more prominent role heading into Louisville's appealing early ACC stretch against Wake Forest, at NC State, vs. Florida State and at Syracuse.

How can you not love the energy from Kentucky and young gun HC Willie Stein following their 31-21 upset of Texas A&M. Baxter was instrumental in the win, logging 20 touches for 24.0 fantasy points and has a pair of likely victories over South Alabama and South Carolina on tap the next two weeks.

Nolan James Jr. , Notre Dame - 5% Rostered

It's official, the torch has been passed. Aneyas Williams has been supplanted by Nolan James Jr. as Notre Dame's RB1 following his showing against Michigan State, which included 26 carries for 121 yards, one TD and 19.8 fantasy points. He needs to be 100% rostered, pronto.

I realize his 39.4 half-PPR detonation comes with the "Bowling Green" caveat. But Flora is a clear RB1 in a favorable fantasy conference and has the pleasure of facing up-tempo West Virginia in two weeks, a team which allowed 425 total yards to Coastal Carolina earlier this season.

It's officially time to push Chris Durr Jr.'s roster rate above 50%, as the Terrapins' WR1 is in store for a breakthrough campaign. He is already averaging 12 targets, 96 yards and 24.8 fantasy points per game, and just exploded for an absurd 34.9 points against Virginia Tech this weekend. Keep in mind, Maryland has traditionally been one of the more pass-heavy P4 programs under HC Mike Locksley, and this season is no different as the Terps throw 84% of the time on passing downs (fifth in FBS) and 55% of the time on standard downs (11th).

Maryland's pass-heavy tendencies virtually ensure their WR1 is a fantasy-viable option. Durr has firmly established himself in that role, as his 12 receptions comprised 40% of UM's receptions versus the Hokies. Durr is a must-start in Week 4 against a feeble UCLA secondary that gave up 291 passing yards to Cal in Week 1, and just got ripped apart by Purdue QB Ryan Browne for 378 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air in a 52-38 bonanza.

Junior Sherrill , Vanderbilt - 22% Rostered

How quickly we forget Junior Sherrill was a vital component of former QB Diego Pavia's run to being a Heisman finalist last year. The third-year wideout caught 54-of-77 passes for 784 yards and seven touchdowns en route to a sparkling 2.8 fantasy points per touch with a 20% target share. Sherrill's impact last year was a bit understated due to the presence of departed TE Eli Stowers and WR Tre Richardson, but his 30.8% target share and 8.0 targets per game point to a sharp increase over his 2025 production.

Rocket-armed, five-star freshman QB Jared Curtis inevitably took over the starting quarterback job in Week 3, promptly connecting with WR1 Sherrill on 6-of-7 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns. They have a fantasy-friendly showdown at Auburn, who play at the second-quickest pace in the nation and just let Florida hang 495 total yards and 44 points on them. Sherrill is a priority Week 4 waiver add for all WR-needy teams.

A classic example of my patented "POWR3 Theory" that emphasizes targeting wide receivers on teams capable of scoring 33+ points and throwing the ball 33+ times per game, Bowick is the run-away leader in routes run for the Cowboys with 109 so far this season. The next closest is WR Chris Barnes with 69, making Bowick's 34.3-point Week 3 eruption look sustainable.

Kenny Johnson , Texas Tech - 22% Rostered

When the chips were down and QB Will Hammond needed to make a play, he focused on Pitt transfer Kenny Johnson, who secured four of his eight targets with each reception going for 20+ yards. He leads all Red Raiders' wideouts in routes run, targets and receiving yards and should be viewed as Tech's WR1 going forward.

Micah Gilbert , Notre Dame - 0% Rostered

Gilbert was a revelation this week catching 8-of-9 targets for 170 yards for 21.0 fantasy points. Both Gilbert (63 routes) and veteran WR Jordan Faison (69) are the clear top-two wideouts in South Bend and the only ones worth rostering. Gilbert is worth a speculative streaming pickup against Purdue this weekend.

If there's anything we can bank on in college fantasy football, it's HC Sonny Dykes producing a noteworthy passing offense with multiple viable fatnasy options. Preseason projected WR1 Jordan Dwyer has yet to suit up, leaving room for slot WR Ed Small and TE Kari Ashley to establish themselves heading into their Week 4 tilt at UCF. Ashley has been unstoppable the last two weeks, recording 27.4 fantasy points in a 63-7 destruction of FCS Grambling, then reinforcing that breakout by reeling in all five of his targets for 87 yards and a touchdown in a more competitive 31-7 win over Arkansas State for 17.2 fantasy points. He currently ranks second among all P4 tight ends with 44.6 fantasy points on the year, behind only budding Virginia Tech superstar Luke Reynolds, who has already been featured multiple times in my columns. Adding Ashley is the highest priority for managers in search of a matchup-proof TE with upside.

Lofton was sparsely used in Miami's first two lopsided victories despite the Hurricanes amassing 854 passing yards. Yet, here he is securing 5-of-7 targets for 39 yards and a touchdown while looking particularly spry against Wake Forest.