Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. This won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start CeeDee Lamb right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams.

Cowboys at Giants

• While the offense runs through CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert appears to have supplanted Brandon Cooks as the WR2 in Dallas. The past three weeks Tolbert has 148 yards on 12 receptions to just 51 yards on five catches for Cooks. 
• For the second week in a row, Rico Dowdle doubled up Zeke Elliott with 12 touches to Zeke’s six. I would expect Dowdle’s role to continue to grow as the season progresses.
• In a season that has seen WR production down across the board, Malik Nabers has been a rare exception, with 52 (!!) targets through four games and an average of 97 yards per game. 

Bengals at Panthers

• Erick All led the Bengals TEs in targets as the team rotated all three for the second game in a row. At this point, I’m not sure any of them, including Mike Gesicki, are startable in season-long formats.
• In two games with Andy Dalton at quarterback, Diontae Johnson is averaging 13.5 targets per game.
• With Adam Thielen out, Xavier Legette saw a 24.4% target share. He’s an intriguing pickup or trade target in season-long leagues. 

Saints at Falcons

• The Atlanta Falcons didn’t score an offensive touchdown in Week 4. However, Drake London’s underlying metrics continue to be solid, as he’s seeing a 35% target share. Stay patient if you own London.
• Alvin Kamara’s usage continues to be elite, with his second straight game of 25+ touches, including seven receptions in week 4. Taysom Hill vultured two touchdowns from Kamara but left the game with an abdomen injury.
• Rashid Shaheed saw a career high 11 targets and continues to see his role expand in his third season. He’s a trade target for redraft leagues.

Jaguars at Texans

• Nico Collins continues to impress, eclipsing the century mark (100 receiving yards) for the third time already this season. 
• With Evan Engram missing his second straight game, rookie Brian Thomas continued to shine, seeing his highest target share of the season on his way to a 6-86-1 receiving line.
• Cam Akers, JJ Taylor, and Dare Ogunbowale split the Texans’ backfield work this week. The team expects Joe Mixon back next week and he should quickly regain his role as the team’s bell cow.

Broncos at Jets

• The Broncos’ defense has looked stout the past three weeks, holding the Jets, Bucs, and Steelers to 13 points or less. Probably a matchup to avoid until further notice.
• Bo Nix managed just 60 yards passing in Week 4. On the season he’s only thrown one passing TD while averaging only 165 yards passing. Hard to have any trust in any Broncos pass catcher.
• Braelon Allen saw nine touches to Breece Hall’s 12. If Allen is somehow still on waivers, he is a priority add.

Vikings at Packers

• Christian Watson was carted off with what is believed to be a high-ankle sprain. If he were to miss time, Dontayvion Wicks would likely be the biggest beneficiary. Wicks played nearly every snap after Watson’s injury and saw a whopping 25% target share. He is a high-priority waiver add if he is available. 
• Jordan Live returned from his ankle injury and looked good after shaking off some early rust. He should return to your starting lineup if you have him on your roster.
• After three passing touchdowns in Week 4, Sam Darnold now leads the league in the category. If still available, he should be added by any team in need of QB help due to byes, injuries, or ineptitude.

Steelers at Colts

• Anthony Richardson left the game with a hip injury after just four pass attempts but initial reports are that it was just precautionary. A situation to monitor as Joe Flacco has proved to be a capable backup and led Indy to a 27-24 victory over the previously unbeaten Steelers.
• Justin Fields had 10 rush attempts today, his most since Week 1. He punched two in for touchdowns as Najee Harris was completely ineffective.
• Jonathan Taylor left late in this one with an ankle injury. There is a good chance he misses at least one game, but we will have to wait on practice reports to know for sure. Trey Sermon would be the pickup if Taylor misses time.
• George Pickens had a massive game as the Steelers fell behind for the first time this season. He will continue to be very game-script-dependent, but he has week-winning upside.

Rams at Bears

• A week after almost every OWS contributor highlighted him, the explosion of opportunity for Jordan Whittington happened in Week 4 – as he led the team in routes run and targets. He is an intriguing add in deeper leagues
• In the absence of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, the Rams have continued to lean heavily on (punt returner) Kyren Williams, who saw yet another game with 20+ touches. 
• Khalil Herbert was taken out of the backfield mix entirely and the Bears running game finally got going, with D’Andre Swift posting seven receptions, 165 yards from scrimmage, and a touchdown.
• DJ Moore is clearly the lead WR for the Bears and should be started weekly. Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen are the secondary options who will need the right game environments to thrive.

Eagles at Buccaneers

• Bucky Irving and Rachaad White saw a nearly even split in both carries and targets, however Irving saw all five rush attempts in the red zone. As we’ve been saying for weeks, if Irving is on your waiver wire, he’s a priority add.
• Even in a game where he played second fiddle to Mike Evans for the first time, Chris Godwin still saw nine targets. He appears to be locked into the “Cooper Kupp role” and should continue to be started without hesitation.
• Without both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles weren’t able to generate much on offense with Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert accounting for only 19 touches combined. 

Patriots at 49ers

• New England once again struggled to move the ball with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, averaging less than four yards per play for the second consecutive week. A change to prized rookie Drake Maye could be just around the corner.
• Second-round rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk led the Patriots WRs in snaps and targets. Despite a pedestrian stat line, Polk is primed for a breakout in coming weeks – especially if/when Maye gets the nod at QB.
• Antonio Gibson cleaned up in garbage time and had a long reception. He is hard to start right now, but he showcased his versatility and explosiveness. If anything ever happens to Rhamondre Stevenson, there will be a line around the block to pick up Gibson.
• The 49ers’ offense got back on track and appears set to resume their high-octane attack. All of their main weapons (Mason, Deebo, Aiyuk, Kittle) should be started weekly, while Week 3 star Jauan Jennings led the team in receiving again – showing that he isn’t going anywhere.

Commanders at Cardinals

• Jayden Daniels continued playing at an incredibly high level and is setting records, while he leads the league in completion percentage. He has been incredibly impressive so far, but he has a tough couple games ahead against the Browns and Ravens that will give us a better idea if he truly belongs among the elite at the position.
• Brian Robinson, Jr. had a big day, breaking 100 rushing yards and scoring a touchdown in the absence of Austin Ekeler.
• Noah Brown was second only to Terry McLaurin in WR snaps and should be useful in deeper leagues going forward.
• The Cardinals’ offense struggled significantly without tight end Trey McBride. This is the second consecutive week that they scored an opening-drive touchdown and then only scored on one more drive the rest of the game.

Chiefs at Chargers

• The big story here was Rashee Rice very likely tearing his ACL, which would end his 2024 campaign after a hot start. The Chiefs will lean heavily on Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy to carry their passing game going forward if the worst fears regarding Rice’s knee are confirmed.
• Trendy rookie Carson Steele fumbled in the first quarter and was promptly benched for Kareem Hunt. From that point on, Hunt and Samaje Perine split the backfield touches.
• JK Dobbins retained full control of the Chargers’ backfield. Gus Edwards is nothing more than a handcuff at this point, although it will be interesting to see if the Chargers activate explosive rookie Kimani Vidal after their Week 5 bye.
• Rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey had his best game as a pro and led the Chargers in every receiving category.

Browns at Raiders

• Amari Cooper dropped a pass that turned into an interception and later had an 82-yard touchdown called back by a questionable holding penalty. Very close to a huge day. Instead, a very underwhelming one. Such is life as an NFL wide receiver.
• Jerome Ford had his best game of the season and D’Onta Foreman was involved once again. Nick Chubb is reportedly close to returning and this backfield could be messy down the stretch.
• Jerry Jeudy had his best game of the season, as he led the Browns in every receiving category.
• Alexander Mattison looked better than Zamir White once again and may be on the verge of taking over this backfield. If he’s available, go pick him up!!
• Tre Tucker had another solid game and his speed pops off the screen. The Raiders are likely to continue finding ways to get him involved.

Bills at Ravens

• The Ravens’ backfield was unstoppable in this one as Derrick Henry, Justice Hill, and Lamar Jackson all had big games. Jackson and Henry are obviously every-week starters. Hill deserves starting consideration as well as we enter a stretch of bye weeks.
• Mark Andrews dropped what would have been a 20+ yard reception in the first half and was not targeted again. His second consecutive game with zero fantasy points. I’m out of explanations.
• The Bills lack of an “alpha” in their receiving corps was very apparent once they fell behind against a strong defense. Wide receiver Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid are solid weekly options, but beyond that, it is a crapshoot.

Join us tomorrow for Buy Low, Sell High!

These are the top players to consider adding from waivers this week. Unless otherwise noted, all players below are available in greater than 50% of Yahoo leagues (as of Sunday evening).

QB Streaming Special

Geno Smith, SEA, Week 4 at DET (MNF)

• Geno was my suggested QB streamer heading into Week 3 and Mike noted him again as one of his suggested early pickups in Sunday’s Daily Dose. There is potential for lots of scoring, and passing, on Monday Night Football against the Lions and their elite run defense.
• Low-to-medium priority pickup, Geno is my favorite QB that is available in more than half of Yahoo leagues.
• 5% or less of FAAB.

RB Pickups

Bucky Irving, TB, Week 4 vs PHI

• Irving continues to flash in his opportunities behind starter Rachaad White on a solid TB offense. In Week 3, he caught all three of his targets and rushed nine times for 70 yards while White had just 35 scrimmage yards on his 11 touches. Coach Todd Bowles has come out and said that Irving has earned additional opportunities based on his play so far.
• Medium-to-high priority. Bucky is a higher priority this week than last. There is no “Chiefs RB situation” to address this week and now we have three straight weeks of White looking less effective than Irving does as a runner, plus the recent coachspeak from Bowles. I do believe White is an above-average NFL passing game back, so I doubt he just goes away completely, but I like Bucky’s chances to keep stealing more and more of his workload, especially on early downs.
• 20 – 30% of FAAB.

Braelon Allen, NYJ, Week 4 vs DEN

• Allen is another repeat from last week’s column. He has increased both his carry and reception count each week of the season.
• Medium-priority add. Breece Hall remains a stud and a favorite to dominate weekly RB opportunities for the Jets, but Allen gets some touches of his own and seems like the type of backup/handcuff RB who might get a chance at a difference-making role for fantasy if Hall were to miss a game or games. Stash on your benches wherever you can.
• 5 – 15% of FAAB.

Emanuel Wilson, GB, Week 4 vs MIN

• Wilson has been operating as the Packers’ #2 RB behind Josh Jacobs in rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd’s absence. Wilson handled 19 total touches over the past two weeks in the Packers’ run-heavy scheme with QB Jordan Love recovering from a knee injury. Wilson had a strong game in Week 3, racking up 85 scrimmage yards and a receiving TD in the Packers’ win over the Titans.
• Medium-priority add. Similar to the Braelon Allen/Breece Hall situation outlined above, if all things are going according to plan, the GB backfield is likely to be dominated by Josh Jacobs, but we should keep tabs on Wilson for his potential contingent upside as a well-rounded RB on what seems likely to be one of the better offenses in the league.
• 5% or less of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority RB adds to consider stashing on benches:

• Alexander Mattison (LV) – Mattison has scored a TD in all three games this season. The team is using a few different RBs and not necessarily in a clear pattern, but the fact Mattison has been getting snaps in both passing and goal-line situations means he should be on our radar.
• Rico Dowdle (DAL) – The Dallas RB rotation actually got more convoluted this week than last, with Hunter Luepke starting to play in some passing situations. However, Dowdle still handled eight of 11 RB carries and was targeted five times.
• Ty Chandler (MIN) – Chandler remains a strong bench stash as a complementary RB to veteran starter Aaron Jones, but he had his fewest opportunities of the season last week and hasn’t been targeted in either of the last two games.

WR Pickups

Jauan Jennings, SF, Week 4 vs NE

• Jennings went berserk in Week 3 for a 49ers team missing three of its top pass-catching playmakers. He thrived in his expanded passing game role, catching 11 of 12 targets for 175 yards and three TDs. The highest scoring fantasy performance of the young season in many formats.
• Medium-to-high priority add. While his monster game last week was surprising, the team did reward Jennings with a new 2-year $15MM contract in the off-season and he was part of their plans in Week 1 when SF was closer to full strength (outside of CMC), catching five passes for 64 yards. Jennings could provide some more usable weeks for us with CMC and several of the 49ers stars still without concrete timelines to return.
• 10 – 20% of FAAB.

Xavier Legette, WR, Week 4 vs CIN

• Legette, like the rest of the Panthers, had his best game of the season Week 3 with QB Andy Dalton taking over for the overwhelmed Bryce Young, setting a new career high with 42 receiving yards. In addition to the QB change, Legette was also afforded more snaps and opportunities after veteran WR Adam Thielen left with a hamstring injury he suffered on a TD reception from Dalton. Latest reports indicate Thielen is expected to “miss some time.”
• Medium-priority add. Legette has size, speed, first-round draft pedigree, and seems likely to have additional short-term opportunities for targets for a Panthers offense that looked functional, or better, with Dalton running the show (on a one-game sample). XL is exactly the type of player I want to stash on my bench while we see how this all shakes out. If he hits, it could be BIG. If he doesn’t produce, or Thielen is back quickly, or the offense as a whole regresses, we can just drop him in a couple of weeks when we need bye-week coverage at WR or elsewhere.
• 10% or less of FAAB.

Some additional lower-priority WR adds to consider stashing on benches:

• Darnell Mooney (ATL) – Leads the Falcons in receiving yards and is second on the team in targets and catches through three games.
• Romeo Doubs (GB) – Full-time player on a good offense. Love seems close to his return to the lineup.
• Jahan Dotson (PHI) – Had already been filling in for an injured A.J. Brown, and now DeVonta Smith is banged up as well. Dotson ran the most routes among Eagles WRs after Smith left last week’s game with a concussion.

TE Pickups

Cole Kmet, CHI, Week 4 vs LAR

• Kmet, Caleb Williams, and the Bears’ passing game as a whole finally broke out in Week 3. Kmet caught 10 of 11 targets for 97 yards and TD, one of the top games by any TE this season.
• Medium-priority add. It was a bit of a perfect storm for Kmet in Week 3. Keenan Allen remained sidelined, the Bears fell behind early, and then they ran a lot of passing plays playing catch-up. While Kmet shouldn’t be relied on to catch double-digit passes every week, he does look like a strong option at a weak TE position.
• 10-20% of FAAB.

Tyler Conklin, NYJ, Week 4 vs DEN

• Conklin caught five of six targets for a team-high 93 receiving yards in the Jets’ comfortable TNF victory over the Patriots last week. He’s caught 58 and 61 passes each of the past two years for the Jets.
• Low-priority add. I have Kmet well above Conklin and any of the other possible TE pickups this week but I like the NYJ veteran as my next TE choice based on his regular role in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense.
• 5% or less.

DEFENSE (Top pickups for Week 4)

1. Bears (vs LAR) – 55% owned 
2. Raiders (vs CLE)
3. Bengals (at CAR)

Join us Wednesday for Buy Low/Sell High!

These are the guys who public perception may be low on but have brighter days ahead…..as well as the guys who may be coming off a big game but have a tough schedule or potential role change in their future.

BUY LOW

DJ Moore, WR, CHI

• While Moore hasn’t been terrible, he hasn’t posted any big games yet this season as the Bears’ offense has stumbled a bit out of the gates. We had Moore in here last week as well and he had a fine game, but nothing that should skyrocket his value. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had his best game in Week 3, but rookie receiver Rome Odunze is the one who posted the big receiving performance with 115 yards and a touchdown. Moore has 28 targets through three games, and his upcoming schedule is about as good as you can draw up for the next five weeks: LAR, CAR, JAX, @ WAS, @ ARI. The Bears’ offense is about to take off and we’ve seen Moore have monster games before. He has at least two huge games coming in the next five weeks, and now is the time to get him while he is still under the radar.

Brandon Aiyuk, WR, SF

• The 49ers are coming off an ugly loss to the Rams where Jauan Jennings was the star with a massive game in a spot everyone expected Aiyuk to go off in. However, the bigger picture shows Aiyuk should have better days ahead. Brock Purdy was terrific, Christian McCaffrey is going to be out for a long time, and Jennings will draw more defensive attention going forward. Also, the 49ers’ defensive struggles should lead to an elevated pass rate compared to what we’ve seen in the past. We don’t know when Deebo Samuel and George Kittle will return, but Aiyuk should be a focal part of the offense going forward.

Tee Higgins, WR, CIN

• Higgins finally made his 2024 debut in Week 3 against the Commanders and had a relatively disappointing game with only three receptions for 39 yards on six targets. After waiting him out the first two weeks and then having him disappoint against a poor Washington secondary, his owner may be willing to part with him for a modest price. The bigger picture is that the Bengals’ defense appears to have a lot of issues and the Bengals passing game is finally hitting its stride with all its pieces in place. Higgins will have better days ahead as the Bengals take to the air and opponents key in on Chase.

Josh Jacobs, RB, GB

• Jacobs is coming off a poor game against Tennessee in which the Packers jumped out to a big lead, and he split time with Emanuel Wilson for the last three quarters. Jacobs played 12 of 16 snaps in the first quarter, however, and rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd was sent to injured reserve last week. Green Bay should be getting Jordan Love back this week and has a huge divisional game against Minnesota, followed by a stretch of four great matchups against the Rams, Cardinals, Texans, and Jaguars. The Jacobs owner in your league may be panicking a bit from the split with Wilson and Jacobs failing to find the end zone through three weeks. He is the perfect Buy Low candidate, as he is healthy and in a strong offense with a strong role, but others may be frustrated by his production to date.

SELL HIGH

Zach Charbonnet, RB, SEA

• After a massive game in Week 3 against the Dolphins, Charbonnet’s value may never be higher. He faces the Lions this week, who have been dominant against opposing running backs. After that, he has an OK matchup with the Giants and then faces the 49ers’ stout run defense. At some point, Kenneth Walker III will return as well. Now is the time to move him before the prospect of Walker’s return kills his value and before two matchups where he’s likely to post very replaceable stat lines.

Davante Adams, WR, LVR

• Adams had a poor Week 3 outing, but his big game in Week 2 is fresh enough for him to still have solid value. However, he has a treacherous upcoming stretch against the Browns, Broncos, and Steelers. The Browns and Broncos have two of the better cornerbacks in the NFL who blanket opposing WR1s, while the Steelers have been one of the top defenses in the league. Adding to these issues is the fact that Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said he is considering a QB change and going back to second-year QB Aidan O’Connell. That change could lead to a much more conservative Raiders offense that looks similar to how they ended 2023.

Join us Thursday for Week 4 Starts/Fades!

This article is intended to highlight some players who may have a positive or negative weekly outlook relative to their baseline value. 

“Starts” are players who might generally be on fantasy benches but might have a terrific perceived matchup or game script/environment, or the potential for an expanded role due to past performance or injuries to teammates or opponents. 

“Fades” are players who were likely drafted as fantasy starters or have performed as automatic starters lately but face a particularly tough week due to a poor matchup or a lack of short-term role clarity due to an injury, etc. 

Here are a few of my notable starts and fades for Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season, with some notes on my thought process included:

QB

Start: Caleb Williams, CHI (vs LAR)

• Williams had a statistical breakout last week against the Colts in his third career game, passing for 363 yards and his first two career TD passes.
• This week, the Bears host the Rams as three-point favorites in a game with a middling implied total (41.0). Through three weeks, the Rams’ defense is bottom-five in the league in: Points allowed, total yards allowed, and passing yards allowed (they have also struggled against the run, to be fair).
• I like Williams and the Bears to build on last week’s success against a struggling Rams defense. I’m happy to start Caleb in single-QB leagues this week if I don’t have an obvious stud QB to play ahead of him.

Fade:  Sam Darnold, MIN (at GB)

• Darnold has been a top-five scoring fantasy QB in many leagues and leads the NFL with eight passing TDs for the 3-0 Vikings.
• Minnesota travels to Green Bay this week as 2.5-point underdogs in a game with a middling implied total (43.5). The Packers seem somewhat likely to get QB Jordan Love back from his knee injury, although reports indicate he would still not be at 100%. Whether Love plays or not, I think GB will be trying to control the ball (and clock) with its top-ranked running game.
• Green Bay’s defense has appeared much improved under new DC Jeff Hafley. They’ve changed their scheme and poured significant offseason resources into their defensive personnel, especially at safety. Historically, the Packers have also played All-Pro WR Justin Jefferson fairly well, holding him under 60 receiving yards in five of seven career matchups (JJ went nuclear with 10-169-2 and 11-184-2 lines in the other two games, for full disclosure).
• Despite his hot start and the ability to sling it to Jefferson, I’m keeping Darnold on benches in single-QB leagues this week in a road matchup against an opponent with improving defense that seems likely to want to run the ball and keep the clock moving.

RB

Start: Najee Harris, PIT (at IND)

• Harris has been a steady producer on the ground for a 3-0 Steelers team focused on playing tough defense (8.7 PPG against, best in the league) and controlling the ball (second in the league in time of possession).
• Najee has had either 69 or 70 yards rushing each game and could be afforded more opportunities after teammate Jaylen Warren hurt his knee in Week 3. Najee also added a season-best five targets last week. 
• The Steelers travel to Indy this week as slight (1.5-point) favorites in a game with a middling implied game total (40.0). Last week, the Colts played in a positive game script against the Bears and held them to 63 rushing yards as a team, but they had surrendered huge rushing production in losing efforts to both the Texans (213 rush yards, 5.3 YPC) and Packers (261 rush yards, 4.9 YPC) previously.
• Najee seems likely to be the feature back this week for a run-first team favored to win. I like him as a RB2 in all formats because of his rushing floor in a good matchup, with upside for more if he is afforded more targets than normal this week in Warren’s (likely) absence.

Fade:  Chuba Hubbard, CAR (vs CIN)

• The Panthers were almost unrecognizable in their Week 3 win over the Raiders after making a QB change to veteran Andy Dalton, and Hubbard was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the switch, handling 21 carries and five receptions for 169 scrimmage yards and a TD, good for RB4 in PPR leagues last week.
• The Panthers host the reeling, 0-3, Bengals this week as four-point underdogs in a game with one of the higher implied totals of the week (47.0). Hubbard’s talented rookie RB teammate, Jonathan Brooks, remains on short-term IR this week. Veteran Miles Sanders has been spelling Chuba for a handful of touches each game.
• This might be me stubbornly sticking to my pre-season takes, but I still like the Bengals team quite a bit and still don’t like this Panthers team, at all. Cincinnati’s DEF was just carved up by rookie QB phenom Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Commanders offense last week but played fairly well in the first two games, allowing 42 total points to the Chiefs and Patriots.
• I like keeping Chuba on benches in most leagues this week, if I can. In PPR leagues specifically, he does have a high-enough floor to consider as a Flex option, but I’d prefer to find an alternative RB or a WR to flex instead.

WR

Start:  Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA (at DET)

• JSN followed up his breakout Week 2 performance (12-117-0) by leading Seahawks WRs in snaps and routes run last week. 
• This week, Seattle faces Detroit on Monday Night Football in a game with one of the highest implied totals (47.0) of the week.
• The Lions seem to have a solid defense overall but have given up some huge games to talented slot WRs already this year (Cooper Kupp 14-110-1, Chris Godwin 7-117-1), a role JSN plays in one of the most talented three-WR sets in the league.
• JSN is an ascending player with a strong role in a good offense. He seems to match up well against the Lions defense in what is projected to be a high-scoring game. Start him as a WR2 in PPR leagues or as a Flex option in standard leagues this week.

Fade:  Calvin Ridley, TEN (at MIA)

• Ridley was drafted to be a starting WR for fantasy managers and leads the Titans in targets, receiving yards and has a rushing TD. However, he had a quiet Week 3 against the Packers, catching one of three targets for nine yards.
• The winless Titans travel to Miami to play the Dolphins on Monday Night Football in the game with the lowest implied total of the week (36.5). 
• The Dolphins’ QB situation remains in flux with starter Tua Tagovailoa on IR and primary backup Skylar Thompson suffering an injury to his ribs in his start last week. Titans QB Will Levis has eight turnovers and has taken 15 sacks through three games, all Titans losses.
• Even though we have a good WR coming off of a bad game with the potential for a squeaky-wheel type of situation, I’m keeping Ridley on benches this week whenever I can to avoid waiting around for him to play on MNF in what profiles as one of the least fantasy-friendly games of Week 4.

TE

With the current state of injuries and general lack of fantasy production at TE, I don’t have recommendations for starts or fades at the position this week. If you have a reasonable TE option who is also healthy, they are likely a strong option to start this week.

If you are in need of a short-term fill-in at TE, here is a recommended streamer available in the vast majority of Yahoo leagues:

Stream: Noah Fant, SEA (at DET)

• See JSN notes above. Fant is an athletic, pass-catching TE who is likely to operate in similar areas of the field as JSN often does. This week’s opponent, the Lions, seems likely to force QB Geno Smith into plenty of passing attempts.
• Fant is coming off of his best game of the season, catching all six of his targets last week for 60 scoreless yards.

Join us Friday for Week 4 Start/Sit Questions!

Some things in fantasy football are easy. We know we should start Tyreek Hill and Breece Hall. We know we should bench the backup running back who is only on our roster in case of injury. A lot of the decisions are made for us. However, there are a lot of things that are not so simple. All of the “in between” situations are what can make the difference between a few wins and losses, and therefore it can be the difference between a successful season or a failed season. Every Friday, we are here to help!!

I’ll take questions each week in our #fantasy-football channel in our Discord from people looking for Start/Sit advice and give my thoughts. This article on Fridays will feature a few of those questions and responses, so join our Discord to be a part of the conversation or ask questions of your own!!

Question 1 :: Start or sit Mark Andrews? (puckhead18)

Answer:: I am including this one in the article because it feels like this is a situation a lot of people are probably dealing with. We have seen the Ravens play three games so far. In one of those games, the Chiefs bracketed Andrews and fellow tight end Isaiah Likely went off. In the next, the Raiders fell behind and had a comeback but Andrews had a solid four receptions for 51 yards. Last week against Dallas, the Ravens smashed the Cowboys with their running game and built a big lead, only passing 15 times. This week the Ravens face a Bills defense that plays “nickel” as their base defense with an extra defensive back. This should help the Ravens’ running game but also gives Andrews size advantages in matchups. The Bills’ offense is also unlikely to fall way behind like Dallas did, so passing volume should be there. Given the state of the tight-end position, I doubt you have better options than Andrews despite how it feels to roll with him after last week.

Question 2 :: Need 1 Flex and 1 WR:: Mike Williams, Jahan Dotson, Tyler Lockett, Zamir White, Bucky Irving (full PPR) (andrewl9)

Answer:: I would have suggested Irving before he popped up on the injury report with a missed practice. Zamir White is out of the circle of trust for me. That leaves it to the receivers. I like Tyler Lockett against Detroit on Monday night in a game where Seattle should be forced to throw a lot because of Detroit’s stout run defense. I also like Mike Williams as he returns to full strength in a game where Broncos star cornerback Patrick Surtain II is likely to be focused on Garrett Wilson, therefore funneling high value targets to Williams. 

Question 3 :: David Montgomery or Travis Etienne? (PPR) (BillyBloops)

Answer:: I would go with Montgomery this week. The Lions remembered last week that their bread is buttered with their running game and Montgomery is a high-floor player who also has an underrated ceiling. The Jaguars’ offense is in shambles and they face a Houston defense that ranks second in the NFL in run defense DVOA. Etienne can be involved in the passing game as well, but I like Montgomery better as an option whose team could be involved in a high-scoring spot and isn’t playing on a short week.

Question 4 :: Daniel Jones or Caleb Williams? (wscooby)

Answer:: The Bears’ offense as a whole still has questions, but Williams quietly had his coming out party in Week 3 against the Colts. He now faces a Rams defense that has been dusted up by Kyler Murray and Brock Purdy the last two weeks and which gave up a massive game to Jameson Williams in Week 1. I think Williams is a top-10 QB option this week and this Bears offense is going to start to figure things out.

Question 5 :: Start one in PPR flex spot: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jauan Jennings, Chuba Hubbard, Rashid Shaheed (sikes)

Answer:: This is a great question, as I kind of like the spots for all of these guys this week. JSN is facing a pass-funnel Lions defense in a potential shootout; Jauan Jennings is likely to have a featured role again against the Patriots, who have a shutdown corner to put on Aiyuk; Chuba was a workhorse in Week 3; and Shaheed had a zero last week but nearly scored two touchdowns. Ultimately for me, Chuba is the best bet here. The others are all more leaps of faith in terms of usage, whereas Chuba will be heavily involved in the rushing and receiving game this week against the Bengals, who play on a short week. Ride the running back.

Join us Saturday for our Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings!

The weekend is here and it’s time to get our lineups set before Sunday’s full slate of games. Each week, the Saturday edition of the Daily Dose will feature my rankings for all players who have yet to play a game this week. Obviously this will not include the Thursday games, but feel free to hit me up in Discord if you have some tough decisions around guys who play on Thursday. 

Most of the leagues I play in are full-PPR, 12-team leagues and these rankings are designed for those settings – you may need to make some slight adjustments based on your own league settings.

QB:: 

1. Josh Allen
2. Lamar Jackson
3. Kyler Murray
4. Jayden Daniels
5. Jalen Hurts
6. C.J. Stroud
7. Joe Burrow
8. Patrick Mahomes
9. Justin Fields
10. Caleb Williams
11. Geno Smith
12. Jared Goff
13. Brock Purdy
14. Jordan Love
15. Sam Darnold
16. Anthony Richardson
17. Baker Mayfield
18. Aaron Rodgers
19. Deshaun Watson
20. Andy Dalton
21. Trevor Lawrence
22. Derek Carr
23. Kirk Cousins
24. Matthew Stafford
25. Bo Nix
26. Gardner Minshew
27. Justin Herbert
28. Will Levis
29. Tyler Huntley
30. Jacoby Brissett

RB:: 

1. Saquon Barkley
2. Bijan Robinson
3. Kyren Williams
4. Breece Hall
5. Alvin Kamara
6. Jordan Mason
7. Jonathan Taylor
8. De’Von Achane
9. James Conner
10. Brian Robinson, Jr.
11. Derrick Henry
12. Aaron Jones
13. Josh Jacobs
14. Jahmyr Gibbs
15. Najee Harris
16. David Montgomery
17. James Cook
18. Chuba Hubbard
19. Zack Moss
20. Travis Etienne
21. Zach Charbonnet
22. J.K. Dobbins
23. Rachaad White
24. Tony Pollard
25. Jerome Ford
26. Cam Akers
27. Carson Steele
28. Rhamondre Stevenson
29. Zamir White
30. D’Andre Swift
31. Braelon Allen
32. Alexander Mattison
33. Javonte Williams
34. D’Onta Foreman
35. Roschon Johnson
36. Bucky Irving
37. Chase Brown
38. Tyjae Spears
39. Justice Hill
40. Ty Chandler

WR:: 

1. Ja’Marr Chase
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown
3. Justin Jefferson
4. Rashee Rice
5. Nico Collins
6. Marvin Harrison, Jr.
7. Chris Godwin
8. DK Metcalf
9. Mike Evans
10. Deebo Samuel (*if active)
11. Stefon Diggs
12. Tyreek Hill
13. Garrett Wilson
14. DJ Moore
15. Brandon Aiyuk
16. Diontae Johnson
17. Drake London
18. Amari Cooper
19. Jayden Reed
20. Terry McLaurin
21. George Pickens
22. Chris Olave (*if active)
23. Tee Higgins
24. Christian Kirk
25. Jameson Williams
26. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
27. Rashid Shaheed
28. Khalil Shakir
29. Rome Odunze
30. Romeo Doubs
31. Michael Pittman
32. Brian Thomas, Jr.
33. Keenan Allen
34. Darnell Mooney
35. Jakobi Meyers
36. Courtland Sutton
37. Xavier Worthy
38. Tyler Lockett
39. Jaylen Waddle
40. Calvin Ridley
41. Tre Tucker
42. Quentin Johnston
43. DeAndre Hopkins
44. Michael Wilson
45. Tutu Atwell
46. Ladd McConkey
47. Greg Dortch
48. Xavier Legette
49. Jerry Jeudy
50. Jordan Addison

TE:: 

1. Dallas Goedert
2. Brock Bowers
3. Travis Kelce
4. George Kittle
5. Sam LaPorta
6. Dalton Kincaid
7. Kyle Pitts
8. Mark Andrews
9. Dalton Schultz
10. Isaiah Likely
11. Cole Kmet
12. Tyler Conklin
13. Mike Gesicki
14. Pat Freiermuth
15. Zach Ertz
16. Hunter Henry
17. Elijah Higgins
18. Noah Fant
19. Tucker Kraft
20. Taysom Hill

DEFENSE:: 

1. 49ers 
2. Jets
3. Steelers
4. Chiefs
5. Browns
6. Titans
7. Dolphins
8. Texans
9. Bears
10. Raiders
11. Saints
12. Packers
13. Falcons
14. Vikings
15. Colts
16. Eagles
17. Rams
18. Bills

Join us Sunday for Early Waiver Adds!

The theme of this article is, “Work smarter, not harder.” Every week we will give you the top Waiver Adds in our Tuesday article. However, you can make things a lot easier and less stressful by getting ahead of things with some players and situations. Doing so in a smart way can help you save FAAB or preserve high waiver priority in your league. 

Every Sunday I will give you a few players who stand out to me as great potential additions that can give you a leg up on your league mates. Look to add these players if you have players you are willing to drop, who get late-week injuries, or who are ruled out of their games and allow you to move them to an IR spot once they are officially inactive on Sunday morning.

Justin Fields, QB, PIT

• Fields is only 29% owned in Yahoo leagues and the Steelers face Dallas in Week 5. The Steelers have played in low-scoring affairs the first three weeks and this week face a Colts offense that has struggled but a defense that Fields may finally put up an above-average stat line against. Dallas presents the first opportunity for Fields to have one of his “ceiling” games, as the Steelers may finally be pushed. Available in over 70% of leagues, you should especially be looking to pick up Fields now if you have Jalen Hurts, who is on bye next week.

Blake Corum, RB, LAR

• The whole point of this exercise is to get ahead of the market. Corum has disappointed this year by barely touching the field behind Kyren Williams. However, the main concern for Williams entering the season was his durability, and the Rams are running him into the ground without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Williams had 26 touches in Week 3 and has a long injury history. Corum, available in 73% of Yahoo leagues, would be the #1 Waiver Add for Week 5 if Williams goes down.

Tre Tucker, WR, LVR

• Davante Adams will miss Week 4 with a hamstring injury and there are rumors swirling a trade may be in the works. Tucker is far more talented than most people realize and is coming off a very good Week 3 performance. He could follow that up with another strong Week 4 game and lock himself into a bigger role going forward, with a possible Adams move also looming.

Mike Williams, WR, NYJ

• Williams continues his return from last year’s torn ACL, as his role continues to grow. This week he faces the Broncos, who are likely to shadow Garrett Wilson with Patrick Surtain II, leaving Williams with the better matchup. After this week, Williams faces the blitz-happy Vikings, followed by the Bengals and Commanders secondaries – both of which we saw get torched in Week 3 on Monday Night Football. There are a lot of high-profile WRs on bye in Weeks 5, 6, and 7 – so Williams could be the perfect fill in as he peaks at the right time.

Seahawks Defense

• The Seahawks face a very good Lions team on Monday night but get to host the Giants next week. Daniel Jones is always a good target for streaming defenses and Malik Nabers suffered a concussion on Thursday night, so if he were to miss Week 5, the Seattle defense would be one of the top available options against a struggling offense without their best player.

Join us Monday for the Week 4 Fantasy Fallout!