5 breakout fantasy football stars to pick up for Week 4

While only six NFL teams have ever rallied from an 0-3 start to make the playoffs, things can get much more desperate for those of you in fantasy football leagues with a similar roster. Professional teams get 18 weeks to shape their season while the average fantasy league's regular season covers just 14, meaning the pressure to get on the board is mounting for fantasy owners still seeking their first win.

While last week's running back party of pickups offered some hope for teams in need of backfield help, this week's top pickups lean far more towards the receiver well. Let's take a look at the five top pickups that can help you win in Week 4 with all rostered percentages based on Yahoo! leagues.

5. Top Fantasy Football Pickups For Week 4 - Indianapolis Colts WR Josh Downs

When in doubt in fantasy football, you could do worse for a bench spot than taking a shot on a rookie receiver. That position often has the easiest acclimation to the NFL and several of them emerge as fantasy contributors over the course of the season, with Colts' rookie Josh Downs emerging as a sleeper candidate over the past three weeks.

Downs, a third-round pick out of North Carolina, had his breakthrough game in Indy's upset of the Baltimore Ravens by catching eight passes for 57 yards. That effort produced a very tidy 9.7 points for those in half PPR leagues and the fact that the workload has come on 12 targets is encouraging.

If you have need of depth at receiver you could do worse than Downs, who is rostered in just two percent of leagues, and has shown good rapport with both backup Gardner Minshew and regular starter Anthony Richardson. Bye weeks are rapidly approaching and having a guy who is averaging just under 7 targets a game is an important roster filler.