Fantasy Football Week 4 Cheat Sheet: Deep Sleepers to Grab on Waiver Wire

We're three weeks into the 2022 NFL season, and by this point, the waiver wires in fantasy football leagues have been scoured multiple times by every manager.

The breakout players have been added, while the underperformers have been dropped and remain there.

However, it's always important to keep searching for possible sleepers. These guys may not be garnering a ton of attention right now, but they could go on to pick up some important points for your team down the line.

Some of these players are on the waiver wire in many leagues and should be added now ahead of Week 4. So, let's take a look at several deep sleepers whom managers may want to consider picking up ahead of this week's action.

A lot of Samaje Perine's value depends on the health of Joe Mixon, who is the clear-cut No. 1 running back in Cincinnati.

Last week, the 2021 Pro Bowler was dealing with an ankle injury that limited his production, which gave Perine more opportunities in the win over the New York Jets.

While Mixon had 12 carries for 24 yards and three receptions for 14 yards, his teammate had nine carries for 47 yards and two catches for 14 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown reception.

Mixon doesn't have an injury designation for the Bengals' Week 4 matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night. But perhaps he won't be at 100 percent, which could get Perine some more time on the field.

And if the 26-year-old's ankle issue worsens, he could miss time in future weeks, which would make Perine a strong starting option at that point.

There aren't many RBs on waiver wires who are worthy of being plugged into lineups. So, if you're desperate for a player for Week 4, Perine isn't the worst choice. He could get into the end zone again even though Mixon will be active, and he could get some decent work in the passing game anyway.

Perine, 27, is rostered in only 7 percent of Yahoo leagues and 4 percent of ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros.

Greg Dortch isn't getting much attention from fantasy managers, but he should be.

The 24-year-old is playing a pivotal role in the Cardinals' shorthanded receiving corps, and he provides some tremendous starting value for Week 4.

Rostered in only 19 percent of Yahoo leagues and 7 percent of ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros, Dortch is Arizona's second-leading receiver through three weeks. He has 20 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown, trailing only Marquise Brown on the team.

With DeAndre Hopkins serving a six-game suspension and Rondale Moore (hamstring) and A.J. Green (knee) both injured, the Wake Forest product could be the Cardinals' No. 2 WR on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. So, he may end up having his best performance yet.

Dortch has already been targeted nine or more times by quarterback Kyler Murray in two of Arizona's first three games. Expect that same workload at least in Week 4, when the wide receiver should also have a good opportunity to get back into the end zone.

It's not a huge surprise that Robert Tonyan has gotten off to a slow start this year. The Packers tight end was coming off an ACL injury that ended his 2021 season, and he wasn't on the field a ton in the opening few weeks.

Through Green Bay's first three games, the 28-year-old has yet to play more than 58 percent of snaps. However, his usage has gone up each week, so he could have a breakout in the near future.

Fantasy managers aren't relying on Tonyan, as he's currently only rostered in 29 percent of Yahoo leagues and 16 percent of ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros. Now is the time to add him before he starts putting up the solid numbers that he has previously with Green Bay.

The Packers don't have a deep receiving corps, and quarterback Aaron Rodgers could start looking for the Indiana State product more.

It's worth taking a flier on Tonyan, as his first touchdown of the season should be coming soon.