Fantasy Football Week 4 Usage Report: Darren Waller, TreVeyon Henderson and More

Four weeks into the season, we really start to get a feel for fantasy football players' base usage rates. This is great for projecting going forward, and for noticing when a player's usage is changed from that baseline in a given week.

Today, I'll be looking at both of these things: players with interesting usage trends across all four weeks, and players who had usage changes worth noting in Week 4. Without further ado, let's get right into it.

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Positive Usage Players

WR Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots

Diggs is one of those players who saw a sudden uptick in usage in Week 4, and it coincided with a jump in his fantasy production. In Weeks 1-3, Diggs averaged just 5.9 half-PPR points per game. He was being used as a part-time player by New England, with just a 56% route participation rate and a 14% target share.

In Week 4, Diggs played a full-time role, leading the team with a 77% route participation rate. He also saw more looks when he was on the field, with an elite 39% target share and a massive 64% air yards share.

Unsurprisingly, this usage turned into more production: he scored 13.1 points, easily his best outing of the season. Diggs was not a viable fantasy play in his part-time role, but he could become a weekly flex or WR3 if this increased usage continues.

TE Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins

After being literally retired for the 2024 season and missing the first three weeks with a hip injury, Waller made his 2025 debut in Week 4. That context is what makes his usage positive. In other circumstances, a 37% route participation rate would be a fantasy death sentence.

But for a 33-year-old who hasn't played in the NFL in over a year, that's an acceptable number (as long as it trends up going forward). And it looks a lot better when combined with a ridiculous 40% target per route run rate — Waller earned four targets on just 10 routes. He caught three of those targets for 27 yards and two touchdowns, making the most of his limited role. 

Going forward, the big question will be whether Waller's role expands for him to run a larger share of routes. He won't maintain a 40% target per route run rate, but he could be a featured part of Miami's passing offense, especially with Tyreek Hill done for the year.

If he has maintained his old athleticism, we could be looking at Jonnu Smith 2.0 — he's worth adding for now to see how things develop. 

RB Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

Week 4 provided our first look at the Chargers' backfield without Najee Harris, and the usage couldn't have been any more positive for the rookie Hampton.

He played 88% of the Chargers' offensive snaps, handled all 12 running back carries, and even saw five targets for a 12% target share. He also ran 32 routes for an elite 73% participation rate; no other RB ran more than three. 

If we're looking for a negative, Hassan Haskins did play the Chargers' only snap inside the red zone. But, along with being the smallest possible sample size, that was a third-and-five from the Giants' 15, and Hampton had just caught a pass for 19 yards on the previous play.

If Haskins' playing in the red zone — and especially near the goal line — becomes a trend, we can be worried. Until then, Hampton's usage is essentially perfect. And, although this is a usage article, I also need to mention that he looked straight-up awesome on Sunday.

Negative Usage Players

WR Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

Both Downs' season-long usage trends and his Week 4 usage are notable … and they're both bad. For the season, he is seeing just a 16% target share and a 14% air yards share in Indianapolis' offense. His per-route efficiency is fine, but the real issue is his 56% route participation rate — it's essentially impossible to be a fantasy-relevant player with a number that low. 

Downs' usage in Week 4 is particularly notable because Alec Pierce missed that game with a concussion. Pierce is normally one of the Colts' main two receivers, alongside Michael Pittman Jr., so his absence provided hope that Downs would play a more every-down role. Instead, Adonai Mitchell saw extra work, while Downs' role stayed more or less the same: a 15% target share on a 63% route participation rate.

Clearly, the Colts are content to keep Downs as a three-WR-set-only player, regardless of who else they have available. Especially with Tyler Warren now competing for underneath targets and routes out of the slot, that role won't be enough for Downs to be more than a risky flex play in deep PPR formats.

RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams' usage for the season as a whole is excellent, as it usually is, but Week 4 saw him trend in the wrong direction in a few key areas.

Across the first three weeks, Williams dominated the Rams' backfield, with an 80% RB rush share on a 68% snap share. In Week 4, those numbers fell to just 69% and 59%. On the bright side, his 10% target share was above his previous season average, and he also set a new season-high in route participation rate (60%).

But Williams doesn't make his money (his fantasy money, anyway) through the air. His main draw has always been his elite dominance over LA's backfield, as well as his massive TD equity. The latter has been less intact than usual so far this season, with Blake Corum “stealing” a goal-line TD in Week 2. If this Sunday was anything to go by, the former might be less stable than usual, too.

We will get our answer about Williams soon, as the Rams face the 49ers on Thursday Night Football this week. If Williams' snap and rush shares bounce back up to elite numbers, we can consider this a one-week blip. If he continues to cede work to Corum, it might be time to think about moving on from the third-year RB. 

RB TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots

In Week 3, Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson combined for three lost fumbles in a tight game. As a result, Henderson finished the game for the Patriots, playing 82% of the snaps and handling all four RB touches in the fourth quarter. Many fantasy managers who invested in the second-round rookie were expecting him to build off that performance with a breakout in Week 4.

Instead, the Patriots put faith back in their veterans against the Panthers. Stevenson easily led the backfield with a 58% snap share and also posted a team-high nine carries. Gibson was behind Henderson, but was still a relevant participant with six carries on a 19% snap share.

For his part, Henderson saw seven attempts (a 32% RB rush share) and two targets on a 29% snap share and a 23% route participation rate. Those numbers were essentially right in line with his averages in Weeks 1-3. And they simply aren't good enough to make him a viable weekly fantasy play. 

Going forward, the question is when (if?) Henderson's role will grow. If he's still behind Stevenson and barely ahead of Gibson after a week in which the two veterans essentially lost New England a game with fumbles, that time might be further away than fantasy managers would hope. 

For what it's worth, Henderson hasn't even been conclusively better than his backfield mates so far this season. He leads the trio in PFF Rush Grade and EPA per rush, but ranks last in yards per carry and explosive rate. The athletic rookie should still eventually be able to carve out a fantasy-relevant role … but if you can find someone else willing to wait it out in exchange for a player who is actually scoring points now, it might be a worthwhile move.