The tight end position is bad, injuries are starting to mount, aggression is down, and it's already Week 4. Good news! Fantasy football rankings have plenty of sleepers, game notes, and advice — including buying low and selling high — to help you win more.
- Fantasy Football Rankings! — Obviously
- Sleepers – Each team will aim to have at least one sleeper
- Notes – i.e., breakdowns, game previews, and what-ifs – the important stuff
- Fun ranks! These can be anything from cartoons to players from the 80s, or even what not to do after turning 30 – feel free to suggest your own ranks
- Answering questions in the comments – I try to answer as many questions as I can!
#CheckTheLink-age
Week 4 SOS Rank (coming soon)
Week 4 Waiver Wire
Fantasy Football 101 (Weather, Lineups, Trading, and More)
All in Fantasy Podcast
Week 4 Fantasy Football Preview
Cowboys vs. Giants, Thursday, 8 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Rico Dowdle, RB, DAL; Devin Singletary, RB, NYG – Same goes for both running backs here. These teams struggle against the run, and Dowdle has been the only effective Cowboys option.
- Notes: Only the Jets have a lower Run Stuff % (11.3) than the Cowboys, who are at 12.2%… Devin Singletary had 94.4% of his RB touches in a close game in Week 2, but in Weeks 1 and 3 (trailing by a portion in one, up by a portion in the other), he dropped to 70.8% with Tyrone Tracy.
Saints at Falcons, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Darnell Mooney, WR, ATL – As seen the last two weeks, Mooney deserves to be in the weekly WR3/4 discussion, and yet he’s still waiver-wire eligible.
- Notes: The Falcons defense allowed the seventh-most runs in the zone (77.7%), and Chris Olave has a 77.8 1D/TGT% (sixth-most) and a 2.90 YPRR against the zone… Rasheed Shaheed still had over 20% of the targets and a 21.0 AirYD/TGT (season high) last week. This is Shaheed – well, Derek Carr – and you should keep Shaheed in the lineup to avoid missing out on good games.
Rams vs. Bears, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Roshon Johnson, RB, CHI — This one is deep, but the Rams only stopped 13.3% of runs, third-lowest, and Johnson played brilliantly in Week 3, raising hopes for a volume boost.
- Note: If Keenan Allen is out, Cole Kmet will almost have to start given the tight end scenario, plus the Rams struggle against tight ends… If you're 3-0 or 2-1, I'd consider buying Cooper Kupp at a low price from desperate teams… The same goes for DJ Moore, who is in the top 20 in TmTGT% (25.2) with three red zone targets and no touchdowns so far. Caleb Williams will continue to thrive.
Vikings vs. Packers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Vikings DST – Whether it's Malik Willis or Jordan Love, Brian Flores' defense has been a nightmare for offenses so far.
- Notes: The Vikings lead the league with a 47.1 pressure% when running just four rushing – the Seahawks and Dolphins are second and third… The Vikings also run the fifth-highest zone% (79.3), and Jaden Reed leads all wideouts with a 5.67 YPRR against the zone… As mentioned in the waiver, grab Romeo Dubs before it's too late. He's the only Packer to get close to a 90.0 route% (89.9), with Jaden Reed being second at 74.7%. Once Love is back, Dubs, be happy.
Steelers vs. Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Calvin Austin, WR, PIT — Another waiver callback, and I’m not going crazy with excitement for Austin to start, but Austin is in contention with Scotty Miller to step up without Van Jefferson.
- Note: The Colts are allowing 75.7 plays per game (second, the Falcons at 68.7)… Meanwhile, the Steelers allow the fewest at 50.3 plays… Yes, I’m less confident in Anthony Richardson, even if he requires a benching like Bryce Young for development. Their rushing upside is great, and even with a 49.3 comp%, they rank fourth in TD-or-1D per ATT% at 21.9.
Broncos vs. Jets, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Allen Lazard, WR, NYJ – Lazard historically performs well against man coverage, and the worrying thing is that the Broncos defense is one of the more man-heavy teams.
- Note: The Broncos have the 2nd highest Blitz% (27.6, Vikings first at 28.8%) and 2nd highest Pressure% with 5+ rushers (60.5, Jets first at 62.5%)… I'm not sure anyone would buy that, but if you could pry Courtland Sutton away for the WR3 value coming off his second high-target game, I would. I don't like anyone on the Broncos in the Superflex other than Bo Nix.
Eagles vs. Buccaneers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Baker Mayfield, QB, TB – See below for their “top” wideout, and the Eagles' young corners are going to be a problem over time, but the Eagles are struggling to get a consistent pass rush or stop the pass.
- NOTES: Chris Godwin is in a good position to play again, as the Eagles are struggling mightily against slot receivers… Get Mike Evans at a low price. He's never needed high volume for fantasy success, and the schedule isn't too worrisome.
Bengals vs. Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Chuba Hubbard, RB; Andy Dalton, QB, CAR – See below about Hubbard. While we shouldn't forget Dalton's ups and downs with the Saints two years ago, we saw on Monday night that the Bengals defense has bigger concerns. Also, revenge! … Just kidding.
- NOTES: In fact, the Bengals are giving up the fourth-most points per drive (2.74), trailing only the Jaguars, Rams and Commanders… Since Week 12 last year, Chuba Hubbard has at least 9.1 points (with a ceiling of 22.4) in every game in which he has had 14+ touches.
Jaguars vs. Texans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Tank Dale, WR, HOU – see below.
- Notes: Expect Nico Collins to be back, as he has a 6.18 YPRR against Cover-1 (3.78 last year, good for 10th), and the Jaguars run it more than any team (47.9%, Browns second at 41.3%)… Tank Dale also had a 2.70 last year, Stefon Diggs at 1.74… It can’t be too bad for Trevor Lawrence, and yet Brian Thomas Jr. is still in the top 30, so buy low based on his 7.3 points (season-high nine targets, ahem).
Commanders at Cardinals, Sunday, 4 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Michael Wilson, WR, ARI — If Trey McBride is out, and Greg Dortch is also in the discussion, this is an easy option, but even if McBride plays, I still like the chances for Wilson. “The Marverati” needs to go for 100+ more touchdowns, or else this will be disappointing.
- NOTES: The Commanders allow the most points per drive (3.83), and the Cardinals have the seventh-highest TD/Drive% (27.6)… Bryan Robinson is averaging 11.2 YPC, so assuming Austin Ekeler is out, Robinson has top 10 potential.
Patriots vs. 49ers, Sunday, 4 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Rahmondre Stevenson, RB, NE – This one should definitely be started given the roster, but I wouldn't shy away from the 49ers run defense that only stopped 16.7% of runs.
- NOTE: Pay attention to the George Kittle situation as it affects Jordan Mason. Since 2019, the 49ers have averaged 1.79 yards before contact with Kittle and just 1.23 YBC without Kittle, as well as increases in EPA, Explosive Plays, and TD/Drive%… meanwhile, the Patriots are allowing the second-lowest YBC (0.88).
Browns vs. Raiders, Sunday, 4 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Gross – I wouldn’t want anyone other than Davante Adams, Amari Cooper, and Brock Bowers in this game.
- Note: Deshaun Watson is last in TD+1D/ATT at 8.6%, behind Bryce Young (Young at 8.9 – league average 16.1%) … Aidan O'Connell means more off-target throws and a slight drop in YPRR and YPC. You have to start Adams, but if O'Connell is under center, there's more risk.
Chiefs vs. Chargers, Sunday, 4 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Ladd McConkey, WR, LAC — If Taylor Heinicke starts, McConkey should still have modest success, especially with Quentin Johnson facing Trent McDuffie and the top attention from the Chiefs defense.
- Notes: Kareem Hunt was added to the active roster and Keonte Ingram was released. I'd like to avoid a potential mess at running back if possible… If you haven't seen the waivers, the Chargers backfield is nearly all JK Dobbins, but Gus Edwards is still a nice backup stash.
Bills at Ravens, Sunday, 8 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Justice Hill, RB, BAL – Getting weekly opportunities, and the Bills run defense has been more vulnerable than the pass defense.
- Notes: Another big game from Derrick Henry is on the way, as the Ravens average a league-high 2.38 YBC, and the Bills allow the third-highest YBC at 2.18… The Bills haven't allowed a tight end to reach double-digit fantasy points since Week 6 of 2022.
Titans vs. Dolphins, Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Tony Pollard, RB, TEN — The Titans have used a different backfield plan each game, but given the Dolphins' struggles without Tua Tagovailoa, the Titans have a chance to keep it close and ride Pollard.
- NOTES: While the Dolphins get the third-most pressures on just four runs, as mentioned, the Titans are NFL-lowest at 17.7%… However, the Titans have the highest Run Stuff % (27.5, Eagles are second at 26.7%)… Tyreek Hill is now averaging 7.4 fewer FPPG with the Dolphins without Tua Tagovailoa, dropping from 107 YPG to 68.5.
Seahawks vs. Lions, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET
- Sleepers: Brock Wright, TE; Tim Patrick, WR, DET – Assuming Sam LaPorta can't go, Wright is a worthy TE1 flyer and Patrick is a depth WR gamble.
- Notes: I talked about Jared Goff concerns in the waivers, and based on EPA the Seahawks have been the toughest against the pass… Stacked boxes aren't the worst for running backs, as it means they can make a move and get a big gain – as seen, the Seahawks have stacked the box 17.7% of the time (third-most) and still allowed 5.4 YPC when doing so.
Fun with Ranks
Top 10 Shows Better Than This game of Thrones
First up, these are the 10 shows since 2010 (if I remember correctly) that I enjoyed the most game of Thrones. Second, this list No Include comedy (Ted Lasso), animation (X-Men 97), video game adaptations (the last of us, Controversy) or science-fiction (Internal Management and) I wanted to keep the list more drama, serious, action/adventure… you get the point… and I'm sure you'll be going crazy in no time.
- Justified
- The Last Empire
- Shogun
- Slow horses (Thanks for the recommendations)
- better call Saul
- Mayor of Kingstown
- Breaking Bad
- Jack Ryan
- Tulsa King
- old man
Week 4 Fantasy Football Projections
conscious These may differ from my rankings, and my rank Are The order I'll start the players in Additional out-of-context statements, such as, “the most profit is needed, even if risky.” Also, 4-point TDs, 6-point rests, and half-PPR for QBs
Download link added on Thursday
Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings
conscious
- Sadly, there's still no perfect widget. I know a lot of people check this on their phones, but 1) use the ranking widget on a PC/laptop/etc if possible or 2) open it in your phone's browser to get the scrolling working, especially for Android users (or those with Android can try two-finger scrolling).
- ECR = “expert” consensus ranking (which is not updated consistently by everyone, so take this with caution).
- Updated regularly, so check back to ensure the lineup is locked in.
(Top photo of Michael Wilson: Norm Hall/Getty Images)
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