With three weeks of football played, our fantasy leagues are beginning to take shape. Whether you are at the top of the pile or looking to catch up, maximising the points in your lineup is obviously crucial. With that in mind, here are the players you should be starting or sitting at each position in Week 4.
Quarterback
Start ‘Em
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (vs DET) – Smith has been a solid starter for the Seahawks this season and is coming off his best game yet. Last weekend he threw for 325 yards, two touchdowns and a pick against the Falcons, scoring 19.9 fantasy points. Here he faces a Lions defense allowing the second most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (vs SEA) – This is Goff’s second straight week on this list. This weekend he faces a Seahawks defense that ranks 32nd in EPA per play and is allowing a solid 17.5 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Detroit’s offense seems to be rolling and for once, Goff feels like he has the ability to be a reliable starter.
Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (vs LV) – I’m fully aware of just how underwhelming the start to the season has been for the Broncos, despite what their 2-1 record might suggest. Wilson and the offense haven’t clicked, but they won’t get a better chance than this one. The Raiders’ defense is atrocious and is allowing the fourth most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Sit ‘Em
Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (vs DAL) – I think we all knew that the encouraging start for Wentz in Washington was too good to last. Last week’s game against the Eagles was truly ugly and his issues under pressure were on full display. That kind of thing doesn’t bode well for a game against a supremely talented Cowboys defensive front.
Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (vs DEN) – Despite the on-field problems for the Raiders, Carr has been a pretty decent fantasy quarterback through three weeks. That said, he really is going to have his work cut out against this Broncos defense. Denver haven’t allowed an opposing offense to score more than 17 points and have given up the seventh fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (vs CIN) – The first thing here is the fact that Tua is nursing injuries (and likely a concussion) which could limit him. There’s also the fact that aside from Week 2 where he was forced into a pass-heavy role by virtue of trailing by 21 points, he hasn’t done much. He has failed to score more than 15 fantasy points in both Week 1 and 3.
Running back
Start ‘Em
James Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs PHI) – After ending up in the doghouse under Urban Meyer, Robinson is well and truly back in the frame for the Jaguars. He has had plenty of volume under Doug Pederson, with 20+ touches in each of his last two games. This weekend he faces an Eagles defense that is allowing 25.4 points per game to running backs.
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots (vs GB) – Betting on a New England backfield is always a risky play in fantasy terms, but Stevenson is the hot hand right now. He vastly outproduced Damien Harris on a per carry basis last weekend and here he faces a Packers defense that ranks 32nd in rushing DVOA this season. Stevenson himself ranks second in the NFL in rush success rate.
Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks (vs DET) – Penny has been a little disappointing from a fantasy perspective this season, but this matchup is too appealing to ignore. The Lions have been dire against the run this season. They are allowing a league-high 30.2 points to the position per game and rank dead last in rushing success rate.
Sit ‘Em
Chase Edmonds, Miami Dolphins (vs CIN) – This is the classic case of not buying into the surface stats. Edmonds scored 15.7 points against a good Bills defense last week, but that number is juiced by two touchdowns. Outside of that he had modest production to say the least, with 21 yards on six carries. That lack of volume is too concerning to ignore.
Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams (vs SF) – Akers might be back in the Rams’ lineup as their starter but he is still clearly struggling after his injury. Whilst he is getting good volume he isn’t doing much with it. This weekend he is also coming up against a very talented San Francisco run defense and they should limit his effectiveness.
J.K. Dobbins, Baltimore Ravens (vs BUF) – Dobbins made his return last weekend after over 600 days since his last NFL appearance. It won’t come as a surprise that he looked a little rusty and he didn’t do much with his limited opportunities. I think he’ll start to find his feet eventually, but after that performance there’s no way I’d bet on him against an elite Bills run defense.
Wide receiver
Start ‘Em
Devonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles (vs JAX) – I’m not expecting a repeat of last week’s 169 yard and a touchdown performance this weekend, but I still think Smith is a definite starter. With defenses allocating extra resources to A.J. Brown he’s been able to feast. The Jags defense is good, but I have faith Smith can get the job done again.
Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs PHI) – On the other side of that matchup is Jones, who has established himself as a favourite target of Lawrence. He is also getting plenty of schemed up receptions in the form of screens and easy underneath throws. Jones is averaging eight targets and 57.6 receiving yards per game this season.
Greg Dortch, Arizona Cardinals (vs CAR) – This really is not a name I expected to feature on this column before the season started. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure I’d even heard of him! That said, it is difficult to ignore Dortch’s role in the Cardinals’ offense. He has clearly earned Kyler Murray’s trust, garnering 23 targets through three games.
Sit ‘Em
Jerry Jeudy, Denver Broncos (vs LV) – Expectations were high for Jeudy ahead of the season but he is not getting the volume many expected. He is also coming off two very poor games where he scored a combined 5.9 points. He could in theory have a great game against a poor Raiders secondary but are you willing to risk it?
Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers (vs NE) – Lazard had a good fantasy performance last week against the Bucs, but I’m not expecting a repeat performance against the Patriots. His numbers were juiced by one big reception and he just isn’t getting the kind of usage to be a viable starter, with nine targets and just 58 yards in two games.
Robert Woods, Tennesse Titans (vs IND) – One thing was clear last week, and that is that the Titans want to lean back into their running game. When they do pass the ball, they are spreading it around too much to support good fantasy production in their receivers. I like Woods, but this is a tough game against a Colts defense allowing the seventh fewest fantasy points to receivers.
Tight end
Start ‘Em
Tyler Conklin, New York Jets (vs PIT) – There might be a little risk involved here if Zach Wilson starts as the two haven’t played together on an NFL field, but I’m willing to gamble. Conklin has established himself as the team’s clear TE1, earning at least seven targets in all three games so far this season. He has also scored 10+ fantasy points per game.
Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams (vs SF) – I shouldn’t have to keep saying this, but it seems like I need to. Despite a great start to the season that has seen him rank as the TE7 in fantasy scoring, Higbee is currently a starter in just 58% of leagues! His connection with Matthew Stafford is obvious and he’s getting plenty of targets, with 24 through three games.
Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers (vs HOU) – Everett has been a favourite of Justin Herbert’s this season, with 20 targets so far that ties for second on the team. He has averaged an impressive 13.6 yards per reception too. When you add in a favourable matchup against this Texans defense there is plenty to like this week.
Sit ‘Em
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (vs MIN) – Johnson is fast becoming one of those players I steer clear from in fantasy. He might be the Saints’ TE1, but the inconsistencies in their passing game make him a volatile fantasy asset. It is also worth noting that he took a sharp drop in usage when Alvin Kamara returned last week, getting a single target and no catches.
Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills (vs BAL) – Big things were expected of Knox this offseason but he really hasn’t featured much at all. The emergence of Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie have left him as the fourth option in this passing attack. Despite a high volume of passing on Buffalo’s offense he has just 11 catches for 71 yards this season. I need to see more before starting him.
Albert Okwuegbunam, Denver Broncos (vs LV) – It is safe to say that Okwuegbunam has not lived up to the hype. After flashing in Week 1 he has been almost invisible for the Broncos. He had no catches on two targets in Week 2, before a single grab for 12 yards last week. Perhaps most worrying is the fact he was outsnapped by two other tight ends in that game.