With week 4 of the NFL season approaching, we are starting to get a clearer picture of each player’s outlook in fantasy football. As you prepare for another week of fantasy football, I have provided you with my favorite starts and sits ahead of the action in week 4.
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Quarterbacks to Start
Jayden Daniels WSH
For the fantasy managers that live under a rock, Daniels needs to be locked into your lineup weekly going forward. On the season he is top 5 in EPA per pass while also averaging over 10 rushing attempts per game. Daniels floor is among the highest of the quarterbacks in fantasy football and has a great matchup this week against the Cardinals.
Brock Purdy SF
Purdy despite the loss balled out without Deebo Samuel and George Kittle last week. This week he gets another good matchup against the New England Patriots. The Patriots allowed Geno Smith and Aaron Rodgers to have 20+ point fantasy games the last two weeks against them suggesting Purdy is next. With reports suggesting the return of Samuel and Kittle, Purdy is a must start this week.
Caleb Williams CHI
Williams and the Bears offense has struggled out of the gate this season. In week 4, Williams draws a good matchup against the Rams who are allowing the 5th most passing yards in the NFL. With a poor run game, the Bears are going to continue to rely on Williams arm to win them games. A pass-heavy game plan and a good matchup suggest this could be his breakout game.
Quarterbacks to Sit
Matthew Stafford LAR
The Rams pulled off an upset win over the 49ers behind Stafford’s performance in week 3. Although Stafford was good on the field, he did not produce much in fantasy football. Until Stafford gets Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back his fantasy value is limited. With a tough matchup against the Bears this week it is best to let Stafford rot on your bench.
Anthony Richardson IND
Richardson was one of the hot topics on this week’s “panic meter” after another rough performance against the Bears in week 3. He is now completing less than 50% of his passes on the seasonwhile also throwing 6 interceptions. He is now only averaging 6 carries per game, limiting his rushing upside. It is time to sit him going forward until he shows signs of progress.
Jordan Love GB
Love is coming into week 4 as a game-time decision and if he does suit up you should not start him this week. The Vikings defense has been dominant this season and is only allowing 10.6 points to opposing quarterbacks this year. Coming off an injury and the tough matchup it is better to let Love get his feet wet this week then plug him back in your lineup in week 5.
Running backs to Start
Chuba Hubbard CAR
Hubbard and the Panthers offense broke out in week 3 with a change at quarterback. Last week he had 114 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry in the win. The Bengals present a good matchup for Hubbard as they enter this week as one of the worst run defenses in football. If this game turns into a shootout, he will receive more targets than he did last week as well. Hubbard feels like a no-brainer this week.
Brian Robinson Jr. WSH
The Commanders rushing attack has been elite to start the 2024 season. Robinson has been a big part in that ranking 7th in yards after contact per carry and 9th in rushing yards expected per carry. With Austin Ekeler out and a favorable matchup against the Cardinals this week, Robinson will be in for a monster game.
David Montgomery DET
Montgomery’s role has not diminished like many expected heading into the 2024 season. It is a true backfield split in Detroit with both guys being good fantasy options. Montgomery is currently on a hot streak after scoring touchdowns in each game this season and it will continue against the Seahawks this week. Seattle allowed 177 yards to the Patriots in week 2 in what is a similar run game look to the Lions offense. Expect Montgomery to run wild against Seattle.
Running backs to Sit
D’Andre Swift
We can’t trust Swift at all anymore in fantasy football. The Bears ground game design as a whole looks bland and easy to read when watching the film back. Swift struggles with reading the defense and combined with the Bears simple run game it has led to him averaging 1.8 yards per carry this season. DO NOT plan on starting Swift anytime soon in your fantasy leagues.
Cam Akers HOU
The Texans offense struggled last week in Minnesota which resulted in Akers having a disappointing fantasy showing. Akers fantasy output in week 4 looks clouded after his struggles running the football and splitting snaps with Dare Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale played one more snap than Akers last week and Akers currently ranks outside of the top 30 RBs according to PFF. The Texans ground game seems unreliable until Mixon gets healthy.
Javonte Williams DEN
The Broncos backfield is a mess right now, with no guy stepping up into the lead-back role. Williams is 2nd to last in the NFL in rushing yards over expected per carry. Since his injury, he has not been the same player despite hopes coming into the year he was going to be fully healthy. After Tyler Badie showed some promise last week expect both Williams and Jaleel McLaughlin to lose snaps this week.
Wide Receivers to Start
Zay Flowers BAL
The Ravens pass catchers were quiet in week 3 due to Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson carrying the load on the ground game. This resulted in only 3 catches for 20 yards for flowers on 4 targets. Before last week Flowers had 10+ targets. In a potential shootout against Buffalo expect Flowers to have a big week in PPR leagues
Diontae Johnson CAR
Johnson exploded Sunday with a career-high 122 receiving yards in his first game with Andy Dalton at QB. Advanced stats told us that his average depth of target of 10.2 yards and his 44.8% 1st read target rate suggest bigger performances in the future. Against a Bengals defense that struggled against the Commanders last week, Johnson is a guy you can’t leave on your bench.
Khalil Shakir BUF
Shakir each week has had better fantasy outputs. Last week his 6 catches for 72 yards and a touchdown propelled him into the top 20 receivers in PPR leagues. With a tougher matchup against the Ravens this week, the Bills will throw the ball more than they have the first 3 weeks. Shakir being Allen’s favorite target will be the beneficiary of this against the worst pass defense in the NFL.
Wide Receivers to Sit
Michael Pittman Jr. IND
Pittman was a guy who I said to sit last week due to the inconsistency from Anthony Richardson this season. 3 weeks in, Pittman has yet to top 7.6 PPR points in a week yet. It is hard to trust him at this point even if he is still receiving the majority of targets in Indianapolis. You need to sit Pittman to avoid another dud this week against Pittsburgh.
Jaylen Waddle MIA
The Dolphins offense was a mess without Tua Tagovailoa and finished with 3 points against the Seahawks. Besides Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane you can’t trust any other Dolphins in fantasy football. Waddle finished with 4 catches for 26 yards last week with Skylar Thompson at QB. The Dolphins plan on making a switch this week at QB but until I see some positives out of Miami it is hard to start Waddle with confidence.
Courtland Sutton DEN
Sutton had a breakout week last week with 7 catches for 68 yards on 11 targets. DO NOT let these numbers fool you into starting Sutton this week. Before last week he only had 11.2 PPR points on the season and now he has a matchup against the Jets in week 4. Sit Sutton to avoid a dud this week at your FLEX spot.
Tight Ends to Start
Travis Kelce KC
Kelce’s slow start to the season has caused many fantasy owners to panic about him long-term in fantasy football. This week’s matchup against the Chargers provides a great opportunity for him to get going with Derwin James set to miss the game. It is true that Kelce might be showing signs of decline but should be in for his 1st good week this season.
Brock Bowers LV
After his breakout week in week 2, Bowers cooled off finishing with 7.1 PPR points. Despite this bad outing, Bowers is still one of the safest options at TE right now in fantasy football. His 20% target share paired with the injury to Devante Adams makes his floor higher than a majority of tight ends. Do not freak out about his bad outing, start him with confidence this week.
Dalton Kincaid BUF
Kincaid has yet to have a breakout game this season but has slowly increased his targets each week this season. The Ravens currently allow the 2nd most yards and receptions to opposing tight ends in the NFL providing a positive matchup for Kincaid. This one should be a closer game for Buffalo providing Kincaid the perfect storm for a breakout week.
Tight Ends to Sit
Hunter Henry NE
Henry has been a solid streamer at tight end so far in fantasy football. This week you need to sit him ahead of a tough matchup against the 49ers. So far this season they have only allowed 6 catches for 39 yards to opposing tight ends. Despite his past success it is a good week to leave Henry out of your starting lineup.
Colby Parkinson LAR
Parkinson has dominated snaps and routes run for the Rams for the first 3 weeks of the season. Despite these encouraging numbers and star receivers out, he has not yet carved out a consistent role in this offense. Last week he finished with 3 catches for 21 yards in the win. He has another tough matchup this week against the Bears making him a guy I can’t trust in my lineup this week.
Pat Freiermuth PIT
Muth found himself on the opposite side of this list with a great matchup. Instead, he has consistently been bad in fantasy football to start the season. He has scored between 6.7 and 7.9 fantasy points each week providing a safe floor but having no ceiling. The Steelers offense has little upside right now outside of George Pickens, making Muth a sit candidate going forward.
Kickers to Start
Chris Boswell PIT
The current Steelers offensive MVP, Boswell has only missed 1 kick on the season. The Steelers only have 3 touchdowns on the season and have a favorable matchup against the Colts this week. Expect Boswell to be in line for multiple field goal attempts this week.
Jake Moody SF
The 49ers are now on a two-game losing streak but draw a good matchup against the Patriots in week 4. The return of Deebo Samuel and George Kittle will give a boost to the offense. Moody will be in for a big week this week in fantasy football.
Kai’imi Fairbairn HOU
Fairbairn and Texans had an uncharacteristic showing in Minnesota last week resulting in disappointing fantasy performances around the board. This week against a Jaguars team, who allowed 47 points the week before, provides a good matchup in fantasy. Expect a lot of points from the Texans and Fairbairn this week.
Kickers to Sit
Cameron Dicker LAC
The Chargers are beat up this week against a matchup against the Chiefs. On offense, they will be without tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt while QB Justin Herbert is a game-time decision. Fantasy managers need to sit Dicker this week to avoid a dud from the kicker spot.
Chase McLaughlin TB
The Eagles defense played great last week and held the Saints to only 12 points. With the Bucs coming off a tough loss to the Broncos, this appears to be their toughest matchup of the season. This game appears to be a low-scoring affair, and it will be smart to sit McLaughlin this week.
DEF to Start
Kansas City Chiefs DEF
The Chiefs defense has been off to a solid start to the 2024 season but has yet to have a breakout week in fantasy. As mentioned before the Chargers are beaten up on the offensive side of the ball and provide a great matchup for the Chiefs defense this week. Expect them to rack up multiple sacks and not allow many points this week.
Houston Texans DEF
The Texans are coming off of a rough showing against the Vikings last week but have a favorable matchup against the Jaguars. The Jags offense currently ranks 30th in points scored in the NFL and has one of the worst offensive lines in football. Start the Texans this week.
Cleveland Browns DEF
The Raiders currently allow the 7th most points to opposing defenses per game in fantasy football. With the Browns stout unit and star WR Devante Adams out, they will be in for big day in fantasy.
DEF to Sit
Seattle Seahawks DEF
The Seahawks defense has reached new heights under Mike MacDonald this season. With an average run defense and the Lions coming to town, it would be smart to avoid starting the Seahawks defense in week 4.
Buffalo Bills DEF
The Bills are another unit off to a hot start this season despite their veteran losses during the offseason. With a matchup against the Ravens looming, it is unlikely that they will be able to replicate their previous outings against one of the league’s best offenses.
[…] was one of the players I tagged as a guy you needed to start this week, and he did not disappoint. He finished with 7 catches 83 yards and 1 touchdown on 13 targets. The […]