Fantasy Takes for Week 4 of the NFL Season: Starts/Sits and Other Interesting Look Aheads

Hello everyone, we are back for Week Four of NFL fantasy football! Last week was a strange week across the board for a lot of rising players and continued success for a few others. This week we saw some jaw-dropping performances and more than a few lackluster ones. Whether you were a winner or loser last week, the season is just getting started so chin up, hit the waiver wire, start making some trades, and keep pushing forward. With that being said I'd like to share my insight on a few players this week to help you win your matchups. Let's get to it! PSA: All scoring will go off a standard ESPN PPR fantasy format.

Starts

Jerome Ford

Projected: 12.5 FP

Since his impressive Week One fantasy showing Jerome Ford has had back-to-back mediocre games but I believe this week will see him be a prominent fantasy product. The Cleveland Browns back has governed most of the workload from the backfield so far this season ahead of teammate D’Onta Foreman effectively doubling Foreman's carries. Ford has an average of 67 scrimmage yards a game and is facing an unfavorable Raiders defense that has given up the fourth most rushing yards per game and surrendered a touchdown to opposing backs each of the first three weeks. The Browns are a pass-heavy offense but that could open up some avenues for big gains on the ground through Ford and potentially see him score for the first time since Week One. Ford warrants at least flex play in most leagues this week.

Khalil Shakir

Projected: 11.9 FP

Khalil Shakir had his best week of the young season in Week Three accumulating 72 yards with six catches on six targets and a touchdown. Shakir hasn't had an astonishing season by any means, but he has reeled in every single one of his targets through three games, hopefully seeing him garner more trust in quarterback Josh Allen. The Buffalo Bills are looking for a new WR1 to fill in the massive hole Stefan Diggs' departure left in their offense and Shakir is looking to be that guy. I do not see him ever reaching Diggs' level of production, but if you are a team that has been struck with one of the many injuries that have plagued the NFL so far this season, Shakir is a good addition to fill in your lineups.

Zach Ertz

Projected: 9.2 FP

If you or anyone you know has struggled with tight end play this year you may want to call the Zach Ertz hotline. While not having any mind-blowing stats to look at, Ertz is still the TE9 in ESPN PPR formats. Ertz is trying to build a good repertoire with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and seems to be doing a good job so far seizing 12 catches through three games and is second on the team in targets. Now I'm not saying he will immediately be put into your lineup and give you 20-plus fantasy points, but he could be a solid choice in a year where the tight-end position has been incredibly volatile. A few notable tight ends are carrying injury designations into week four and if one of them is yours, I think Zach Ertz could fill in well. 

Sits

Anthony Richardson 

Projected: 15.9 FP

The cracks are starting to show for Anthony Richardson in the last two games following a magnificent week one performance. Richardson has thrown double the number of interceptions as he has touchdowns and is still under a 50 percent compilation percentage for the season. Not to mention Week Four will see Richardson and the Colts matching up against a sturdy Steelers defense that has only allowed an average of 7.85 fantasy points a game to opposing quarterbacks. Richardson could potentially figure it out eventually but with some decent QBs still on the wire you're better off looking elsewhere this week.  

Rachaad White

Projected: 12.7 FP

After finishing the 2023 season as the RB4, most fantasy managers were hoping for continued success out of Rachaad White and the Buccaneers' this year. So far he has not been up to snuff and is sitting at a mediocre 9.5 fantasy points a game through three weeks. Nowadays White is just looking to keep ahold of his starting job in Tampa after the continued success of fourth-round rookie Bucky Irving. Irving is sitting at well over 6 yards a carry while White is sitting at a lowly 2.1. With Irving getting more and more touches each game it is starting to look like he is primed to sweep the starting job right out from Rachaad Whites' feet. Although Irving is questionable for Week Four, if he does end up being ready to go I would sit White and look for production elsewhere.

Dolphins Wide Outs

This has been a less-than-ideal situation the Miami Dolphins have found themselves in to start the 2024 season. After starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a frightening injury in Week Two, Skylar Thompson stepped in for the Dolphins in Week Three and had a performance some would deem just as frightening. Journeyman quarterback Tim Boyle had to step in when Thompson suffered a rib injury in the second half and is listed as day-to-day for the team's Week Four matchup against the Titans who have only allowed 139 net passing yards a game. The Dolphins will most likely stick to the ground game with Achane and short passes from whoever is under center. If you have no other options then you will just have to hope that Tyreek or Waddle will see enough targets to warrant the start. 

Look-Aheads

Jauan Jennings

Projected: 12.6

If you were one of the lucky winners of the many Jauan Jennings waiver wire claims then congratulations are in order. With injuries at key skill positions, the San Francisco 49ers had to look elsewhere in Week Three and there stood Jauan. A career game for Jennings with 11 catches, 175 yards, and 3 touchdowns totaling 46.6 fantasy points saw him be the leading scorer of the week. I would find it hard to believe that a performance like this can be replicated but if Deebo Samuel continues to sit with an injury and Aiyuk continues to struggle getting momentum going, Jauan could continue to get a plethora of targets. Jennings warrants at least a flex start this week but I wouldn't be surprised if his production dips a lot once Samuel and McCaffrey come back into the frey. 

Diontae Johnson

Projected: 15.2 

In the first week since benching the second-year first-overall pick Bryce Young, the Carolina Panthers handed off quarterback duties to Andy Dalton, and what a game Dalton had. The Red Rifle finished his first start since Week Three of last year with 319 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and an impressive 70.3 completion percentage. This is where Johnson comes in accounting for 122 of Dalton’s passing yards and seizing a score of his own. The key takeaway is that with a capable quarterback, Johnson could be a WR1 or WR2 on any fantasy team out there. Keep starting Johnson but I'd recommend still keeping an eye out for if the Panthers decide to go back to Bryce Young or if Dalton goes down with an injury.

Mike Gesicki

Projected: 8.2

Do not let my bias of being a Bengals fan influence your thinking on Mike Gesicki but I truly think he could be a key fantasy tight end. Gesicki is the TE6 in PPR leagues and even tied in targets with star Bengals wideout Jamar Chase. While being the TE6 may sound impressive his stats and scoring are a little lackluster. Joe Burrow has had a great start to the season despite the team's 0-3 start and has shown he continues to get throw the ball Gesicki’s way. The return of Tee Higgins could see a decrease in Gesicki's production but if that doesn't stop Burrow from targeting the seventh-year tight end then he could be a starter if tight ends league-wide continue to struggle. Gesicki is only rostered in 35 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues so he could be a good pickup along with the previously mentioned Zach Ertz if your tight-end woes continue.

A few of the predictions last week didn't turn out so well but what can you do. Maybe D’Andre Swift is just actually that bad. The best thing about fantasy in my mind is just going with the flow and enjoying the uncertainty it brings. To me, nothing beats the feeling of seeing one of your players catching a touchdown or making a huge play in a game that would otherwise have no meaning. So I hope that even if you are still looking for your first win or if your best starters are hurt or on IR you continue to keep setting those lineups and eventually maybe one of your guys will have that 40-point explosion no one saw coming. Also, I am thinking of maybe changing to just having a list of starts/sits for each position with less in-depth discussion. If that's something you'd rather see then be sure to let us know! See you all next week and hopefully, you'll come out the weekend a winner!