Week 4 is upon us, which means that the fantasy football regular season is now nearly a third of the way in the books. This week, it looks like we might have our first COVID complications as well, so stay tuned and make sure that you have backup options as needed. In this article, we will be looking at players on the fringes at QB, RB2 and WR2 in typical PPR fantasy leagues to provide assistance deciding who is a worthy of a start and who is worthy of riding the pine. Welcome to our Week 4 fantasy football start/sit!
Credit: Sports Illustrated
Week 3 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Quarterbacks | Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Joe Burrow vs. Jaguars
Joe Burrow has had a terrific start to his rookie season, which really should surprise nobody who watched him put up video game numbers at LSU last season. Through his first three games, he has completed 91-of-141 passes, which places him behind only Dak Prescott and his 143 pass attempts. With this high usage, he has thrown for 821 yards and added another 64 on the ground, putting up six TDs (five through the air and one on the ground). Now, he gets Jacksonville, who give up 22.6 fantasy points per game (fppg).
Start: Ryan Fitzpatrick vs. Seahawks
As of this writing, the Titans vs. Steelers game is postponed, so if you are in a pinch at QB this week, Ryan Fitzpatrick is a fine streaming option at home against the high-flying Seahawks. FitzMagic has back-to-back games of 24 fantasy points, good for QB11 and QB8, after a tough matchup against the Patriots in Week 1. Now, in a game the Dolphins will almost assuredly be trailing the heavily-favored Seahawks and their passing D that gives up 30 fppg to opposing QBs, he will have ample opportunity to deliver QB1-worthy numbers.
Sit: Drew Brees at Lions
Last week, in a home matchup that turned into a shootout, Drew Brees finally posted his first QB1 game of the season. This week, going into a road game with the Lions looks like a good spot for the Saints, as the Lions D has given up 22.4 fppg to QBs on the season. The problem is that their rushing D has been even worse giving up 25.1 fppg to opposing RBs. Look for Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray to carry the load this week, and Brees to continue his descent into game manager territory.
Sit: Tom Brady vs. Chargers
Wow, sit two first ballot Hall of Famers this week? Last week, I had Tom Brady in this same spot, and he went into Denver and put up 297 yards passing and three TDs. Now, he has a home matchup with the Chargers, whose passing D has been tough going back to last season and this year is giving up 19.8 fppg to opposing QBs. The larger reason to be be pessimistic about Brady this game is the absence of Chris Godwin, who missed Week 2, and Brady finished as the QB30 that week. Find another option this week with more upside and leave Brady on your bench.
Check out our Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings, including scoring settings for PPR and half PPR leagues! Ranking are updated throughout the week.
Credit: Adrian Kraus/AP Photo
Running Backs | Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: Darrell Henderson vs. Giants
Darrell Henderson has earned the starting RB job for the Rams and has been the PPR RB10 and RB11 the last two weeks. Cam Akers may possibly be back this week, which would take a few touches away from Henderson, but this matchup with the Giants leaves plenty of meat on the bone. Last week, the Giants gave up 21.9 to Jeff Wilson Jr. and 16.7 to Jerick McKinnon. The week prior was David Montgomery, with 21.7, and the first week it was Benny Snell, with 19 carries for 113 yards against them. This looks like a trend. Start Henderson this week.
Start: David Johnson vs. Vikings
As of this writing, the Texans-Vikings game is still on. This is a get-right home matchup for the Texans and their offseason trade acquisition David Johnson. He has had a quiet start to the season, but was the RB10 in Week 1 and RB25 last week. The Vikings D has given up 23.8 fppg to RBs this season through three games. Included in that was a 19-point performance by Jonathan Taylor in Week 2 and 27-point performance last week to Derrick Henry. As long as this game goes, look for Johnson to finish as an RB2 this week.
Follow me on twitter @SchroederCoach for an additional option, if this game is postponed.
Sit: Mark Ingram II vs. Football Team
Last week, I wrote up Mark Ingram as a sit, and he proceeded to collect seven carries for 30 yards in a game that the Ravens would rather forget. This week, he gets a matchup with the Washington Generics, who are allowing 18.4 fppg to RBs. The problem with Ingram is that he is ranked as an RB2, which he is not, nor will he be as long as the Ravens split the backfield touches four ways. If you are counting on Ingram as an RB2 and drafted him as such, I am sorry to break it to you, but he is better left on your bench.
Sit: Ronald Jones II & Leonard Fournette vs. Chargers
This is just a backfield to avoid this week. After it looked like Leonard Fournette was the back to own in Tampa Bay, Bruce Arians changed the script last week and gave Jones 13 carries to Fournette’s seven, per our RB stats. This week, leave both on your bench, as they have a matchup with the Chargers D, which has allowed all only 11.6 PPR fppg to RBs through the first three weeks.
Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
Wide Receivers| Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Start: DeVante Parker vs. Seahawks
DeVante Parker has had an up and down start to the season, as he has been nursing a hamstring injury. He has finished WR22 and WR41 the past two weeks, but this is about as great a spot as he could hope for against a Seahawks team that allows 47.9 fppg to WR. This seems like it will be a trend for the year to start your WRs against the Seahawks, as they are scoring at a fast pace and struggling on pass D — the perfect recipe for fantasy success. Lock in DeVante Parker this week as a WR2 with upside.
Start: Will Fuller vs. Vikings
Twice this season Will Fuller has made this article as a sit option and both times he delivered, or is that failed to deliver? Last week, he looked to be fully recovered from his hamstring tweak, as he played 93% of the snaps and had four receptions for 54 yards and a TD on five targets, per our WR stats. This week, he gets a great matchup with the Vikings secondary that has allowed 31.9 fppg to WRs and allowed either a 100-yard game or a TD in each game to an opposing WR as well.
Sit: Marquise Brown at Football Team
Unfortunately, Marquise Brown has seen exactly six targets each game this season, which does not warrant a WR2 start if he doesn’t find the end zone. His role is just not large enough at this point to put him into your lineup as anything more than a boom/bust WR3. This week, his matchup against Washington is actually a tough one, since they allow only 17.8 fppg. At this point, the only two options on the Ravens I am excited to start on a weekly basis are Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews.
Sit: Terry McLaurin vs. Ravens
Terry McLaurin has had an inconsistent start to the season, finishing as the WR37 in Weeks 1 and 3, sandwiched around a WR4 week against the Cardinals in Week 2. Unfortunately, he has a tough matchup against the Ravens top flight secondary — see what I did there? There is a QB controversy brewing in DC, with Dwayne Haskins being called out by Ron Rivera, questioning whether he would be the starter much longer. The Ravens are coming into this game angry from their embarrassing loss to the Chiefs on prime time TV. This looks like a tough spot for the Football Team, and you are best sitting all of their starters this week, including Scary Terry.
More Articles
Broncos vs Jets TNF Betting Preview and Props
Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings
Fantasy Football Week 4 Pickups
