Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

As the general manager of a fantasy team, each week you are presented with many decisions to make. The choices you make can then have dire consequences on the fate of your team for the remainder of the season. It’s important to weigh these start/sit questions very heavily against the health and recent performance of the player, the efficiency of the defense they are facing and the ability of the offense in which they play to score points on a week-to-week basis. We’ll help to make some of these decisions easier, but ultimately it’s up to you which way you decide to go! Here are our Week 4 Rankings, and feel free to use the start/sit tool here on the site as well.

Quarterbacks

START Tyrod Taylor (BUF) vs. NYG – We've been telling everyone that we can find every week to pick up Tyrod Taylor as part of our waiver wire picks, and he is finally owned in more than 2/3 of Yahoo leagues. Took long enough! As the 5th highest scoring QB in standard leagues so far this year, it would be borderline insane not to start him now on a weekly basis. The Giants passing defense also happens to be the worst in the NFL so far this year, allowing more than 1000 yards of passing offense over just 3 games. Enjoy!

SIT Philip Rivers (SD) vs. CLE – Rivers has a worse-than-average matchup this week against a good Cleveland secondary, and is sorely missing Antonio Gates. Over the past 3 games he has put up 5 TDs and 4 INTs. Rivers is now - for all intents and purposes - a QB2 with some upside, and we're staying away from him until he can show us otherwise.

Running Backs

START Justin Forsett (BAL) vs. PIT – Forsett has had some trouble getting it going this year (and some of that blame can be put on the overall Ravens' offense and play-calling, as well), but he should have a good game this week against the division rival Steelers' front without Ryan Shazier. Both teams may have some issues generating offense early in the game and will lean on the run to some degree. I'm predicting he has the best game of his year so far against Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

START C.J. Spiller (NO) vs. DAL – Spiller will continue to get more opportunities in the backfield starting with this week's game against Dallas. Finally healthy, he should be able to produce against the Cowboys at a FLEX level at least - especially in PPR leagues. I saw Spiller dropped in a few leagues already - those teams will be regretting that decision after his performance in week 4.

SIT Jonathan Stewart (CAR) vs. TB – Stewart has not been playing well this year and Cam Newton has had to shoulder most of the load, along with Greg Olsen. With Stewart's recent injury (knee) he is not going to be a start even if he does give it a go on Sunday. This is a situation where you need to be extra cautious, because he could go out there and only touch the ball 8 times. I'd rather start a running back with less upside this week, along as they're healthy.

SIT Ronnie Hillman (DEN) vs. MIN – The rumors of C.J. Anderson's demise have been far overblown. True, Hillman has seen the field a lot while Anderson has been nursing an injury, but the Broncos' coaching staff has repeatedly said that they are still looking at C.J. as the main guy in Denver and has been getting the snaps in the situations that count.

Wide Receivers

START Calvin Johnson (DET) vs. SEA – Yes, they're playing the Seahawks. Yes, the Lions have had all sorts of issues with their offensive line and play-calling. Still, it's likely that Detroit will need to chuck the football in order to keep pace in this game and Megatron is the #1 target that they'll be going to. He scores 100 yards and a TD in this game for sure! Quote me on that.

START Marvin Jones (CIN) vs KC – It's been disappointing to be a Marvin Jones owner over the past few years. The guy is extremely talented but never seems to stay healthy when all the planets are aligning for him to excel. This year he gets another shot: the Dalton machine is running better than it ever has before and Jones has locked up the #2 WR role in this offense. Expect consistent high-end production on a week to week basis from here on.

SIT John Brown (ARI) vs STL – The Rams have one of the better passing defenses this year, allowing just over 200 yards per game and only 2 TDs over the past 3 games. Not that Arizona will have too tough a time moving the ball, but I think that they will be passing the ball around a lot and utilizing their newly found running game as well. Brown is still getting a few receptions per game but he has not shown as much of that big play ability that made him such an attractive pick on draft day. Sit him!

Tight Ends

START Maxx Williams (BAL) vs. PIT – C'mon, the guy's name is MAXX! Anyway, the lack of targets in Baltimore has forced Flacco to keep checking down to his tight ends and without Crockett Gillmore (out, calf), Maxx Williams steps up to the plate. We've seen this guy grab a pass and knock through a few defenders like bowling pins and I'm expecting that to happen a few times in this game against a pretty weak passing defense.

SIT Eric Ebron (DET) vs. SEA - Ebron has been performing well this year, much to many fantasy expert's chagrin. I think that is mainly due to the inability of the offensive line to give Stafford time to throw to his receivers but I expect Detroit's scheme and play-calling to get better. Hope you enjoyed your time in the spotlight, Ebron - I think we'll be seeing less production from you in the weeks going forward.

The injury bug continues to sting the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger and Marshawn Lynch highlight the week 3 injury report. We are already starting to see the waiver wire slim as sleepers are at a premium by this point in the season. Streaming plays is still important so continue to look for favorable matchups on a weekly basis.

Quarterbacks

Tyrod Taylor, BUF – The Buffalo Bills were largely ignored from a fantasy stand point heading into this season. You’ll notice a heavy contingent of Bills players in this week’s waiver picks. It all starts with quarterback and Tyrod Taylor has been impressive through 3 weeks. It really is hard to believe he is only owned in 38% of leagues. The caution surrounding him is clearly over as he has been let loose to make 59 attempts in his last two games. He’s out scoring guys like Andrew Luck, Eli Manning and Matt Ryan. There really is no reason for fantasy owners not to snatch him up this week.

Derek Carr, OAK – Oakland is 2-1 on the season and while that means little to fantasy owners it should be noted that Derek Carr has had 2 great fantasy days in those victories. Unlike Tyrod Taylor I don’t see Carr being a guy that you’ll roll with the rest of the season. What I do like about Derek Carr heading into week 4 is his matchup with the Chicago Bears. The Bears are 0-3 with little hope of being relevant and have questionable corner backs. Carr is a great streaming option this week and maybe a guy you want to stash if you drafted guys like Matt Stafford or Colin Kaepernick.

Running Backs

Karlos Williams, BUF – LeSean McCoy owners were feeling the frustration before news came out that Shady might grab some pine to get his hamstring healed in week 4. Karlos Williams has a touchdown in each of the first 3 games of the season. Last week he made the most of his 12 attempts with 110 yards. The increased roll plus the news that Shady may be used sparingly makes Williams a no brainer pick up this week. He is only owned in 25% of leagues.

Thomas Rawls, SEA – One man’s loss is another man’s gain. Thomas Rawls stepped up when Marshawn Lynch left the game with a hamstring injury. It’s a wait-and-see situation with Lynch, but if you own Marshawn or could use a plug and play RB in week 4 then Rawls is easy pickings. His matchup with Detroit is favorable and he has clearly beaten out Fred Jackson.

Alfred Blue, HOU – The Texans must have finally realized their quarterback situation is futile. Alfred Blue was given the rock 31 times in week 3 as Houston looked to get some sort of spark going on offense. Blue did not disappoint with 139 yards and a touchdown. Arian Foster will be back soon, but Blue’s performance makes him worth a pickup in case Foster takes another week healing his groin.

Wide Receivers

Rishard Matthews, MIA – It’s ok if you didn’t hear about Rishard Matthews before the season started. He has come out of nowhere with 262 yards and 3 touchdowns on this young season. He saw 10 targets in week 3 and is clearly going to continue to be involved in the Miami offense. We aren’t talking about an Odell Beckham here, but there are plenty of WR2’s and WR3’s that have disappointed to this point. Matthews is available in 77% of leagues.

Marvin Jones, CIN – Heading into this season I was way up on Marvin Jones. Week 1 was unsettling but Jones has proven that going with your gut is sometimes more important than one week’s worth of stats. In weeks 2 and 3 his role has increased with 13 targets. More important from a fantasy stand point are his two consecutive weeks finding the end zone. He is the #2 receiver in Cincinnati at this point and a strong WR3 option moving forward.

Ted Ginn Jr., CAR – The Panthers have a serious lack of targets this season. Ted Ginn Jr. is the wide receiver that appears to be the best target behind Greg Olson. He has a promising 22 targets through 3 weeks and if that completion percentage can come up he will be dangerous. I like him this week against the Tampa Bay defense and you can stash him on the bench to play match ups as the season goes on.

Tight Ends

Charles Clay, BUF – The tight end position is one where it’s rare to find lightening in a bottle. Charles Clay is certainly not going to be a game changer, at least not at this point. I like Clay because the Bills are a hot team right now and he is playing a role. He has two consecutive games with a touchdown and a good matchup against the Giants in week 4.

Kickers

Chandler Catanzaro, ARI – The Cardinals have a very good defense to this point this season. That has hurt Chandler Catanzaro to this point as he only has 2 field goals on the year. I still like having kickers on an offense that moves the ball over a guy like Robbie Gould, who is accurate but was blanked in week 3. If you are streaming kickers Catanzaro is my pick this week as the Rams present the toughest defensive match up Arizona has seen all season

Defense/Special Teams

Indianapolis Colts – Week 4 is a rough week if you are streaming your defenses. Indianapolis is best available mostly due to a favorable match up with the Jaguars. The Colts have a tough start to the season defensively, but they have had some pretty good talent going against them too. They have a lot to prove and a coach’s job in their hands.

And we’re back!

After a pretty dismal week 2 (silver lining – I’m sure everyone had an off week) we come roaring back only missing two games in week 3! You’re welcome!

That’s what makes the NFL so exciting! It’s going to be a 17-week roller coaster leading up to what always ends up being an exciting four weeks of playoffs. Drama! Let’s keep it rolling though. Unlike your typical roller coaster, the ups on this ride are a lot more fun than the downs!

Week 4 – HERE WE GO!!!!!!!!

(HOME TEAM IN ALL CAPS)

15 – ARIZONA over St Louis – The Cardinals are a legit threat in the NFC this year. Get used to seeing them this early in my posts.

14 – ATLANTA over Houston – Keep an eye on the Arian Foster situation here. If he doesn’t play than the Falcons will roll. If he plays, Atlanta will still win but I would drop them down considerably.

13 – INDIANAPOLIS over Jacksonville – OK Colts – I’ve been singing your praises all year! The last time I had you this high you broke my heart and lost at home to the Jets. But come on, this is the Jaguars we’re talking about!

12 – SAN DIEGO over Cleveland – Reports are that there is an internal struggle with many Browns upset that Johnny Manziel isn’t the starter. This distraction is something Cleveland doesn’t need to deal with right now. Oh, and a very large lack of talent…that won’t help either.

11 – BUFFALO over New York Giants – So remember how I spent the first week or two talking about how the Dolphins were going to be a sleeper AFC East contender this year? Well, switch all that over to the Bills!

10 – SEATTLE over Detroit – The word going around is that all three teams the Lions have played have known their plays. If the Seahawk defense has that added to its arsenal, they’ll easily be able to round out consecutive dominant wins against the cellar of the NFC North.

9 – CINCINNATI over Kansas City – The Ben Roethlisberger injury is a golden opportunity for the Bengals to lock in their hold on the top of the AFC North. Hard to see them passing up that chance.

8 – Green Bay over SAN FRANCISCO – The big story coming out of their Monday night win was how perfect Aaron Rodgers is at home. Well, he’s not all that bad on the road either.

7 – DENVER over Minnesota – Peyton is starting to get back into his Peyton groove. That can be scary for the AFC.

6 – Oakland over CHICAGO – The fire sale is underway in Chicago. Keep an eye on it – as more big names leave the Bears keep bumping this game up your list. Especially since…the Raiders…MIGHT be legit???

5 – PITTSBURGH over Baltimore – The Ravens are coming to Pittsburgh at the right time with the Ben Roethlisberger injury. Won’t be enough though – they start the year 0-4.

4 – Carolina over TAMPA BAY – Cam Newton has turned things around quickly and have the Panthers undefeated. Not much should change when going up against Jameis Winston.

3 – NEW ORLEANS over Dallas – This would have been an exciting game a few weeks ago. Take away Drew Brees, Dez Bryant and Tony Romo and NBC is left wishing that they can starting flexing games out early…Bengals/Chiefs would look pretty good under the prime-time lights.

2 – Miami over New York Jets (game played in London) – I look at this game at want to say that my bold prediction would be that the loser stays in London…buuuuuut pretty sure that won’t happen. So I’ll just say after being the pre-season darlings, even with the win this week, my BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that THE DOLPHINS WILL FINISH LAST IN THE AFC EAST.

1 – WASHINGTON over Philadelphia – The Redskins have firmly set their place in the group of “if you think they will win, put them on the one line” teams. Congrats Jacksonville, you have a friend!

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! Week 3 was full of explosive performances from some expected and some unexpected places. A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb and Jamaal Charles are supposed to blow up on a regular basis. Devonta Freeman, Joseph Randle and Rishard Matthews are not. Some rookies got into the act as well...Amari Cooper cleared the century mark again, as did Thomas Rawls and Karlos Williams on the ground. Williams also found the end zone for the 3rd consecutive week (the only player in the league to do so). Hopefully the big days in week 3 worked in your favor, but even if not, lets see what we can do about getting the right rookies in the lineup for week 4...

Rookies to Start:

Amari Cooper has really impressed this year

RB Karlos Williams, BUF (Wk. 4: vs. NYG): Williams finally got double-digit touches with LeSean McCoy hampered by a balky hammy, and he didn't disappoint, racking up over 100 yards with a TD on just 12 carries. He now boasts a ludicrous 7.75 ypc average for the season on 24 carries and should get the start against a defense that has allowed over 18 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs. As long as McCoy sits, Karlos is a rock solid RB2 this week with RB1 upside.

RB Melvin Gordon, SD (Wk. 4: vs. Cle.): Gordon hasn't had a role in the red zone, but he continues to run for respectable yardage totals and has his most favorable matchup of the season-to-date. The Browns are allowing about 5 yards per carry and a league-worst 158 rush yards per game so far. Gordon should even have a reasonable chance to break a long TD. Cleveland has given up 4 rushes of 20 or more yards so far, 2 of which went for 40+. Fire him up as an RB2 this week.

WR Amari Cooper, OAK (Wk. 4: @Chi.): In case you need any reason from me to know you should play Cooper this week, the Bears allow the 4th-most WR fantasy points per game in the league, and have allowed averages of 12.6 receptions, 153 yards, and 2.3 TDs per game to opposing WRs. I would expect Cooper to be good for at least half of that, and he could have WR1 upside in a cake matchup.

Borderline Rookies:

RB TJ Yeldon, JAX (Wk. 4: @Ind.): After last week, there's obviously reason for pause before firing up Yeldon considering that the Colts' high powered offense could have the Jags playing from behind again. With that said, Indy's defense has given us very little reason to trust their ability to stop the run, allowing 18 RB fantasy points per game and 4 RB scores in 3 games. I'd say there's a 50/50 shot that Yeldon gets his first TD this week. He's more flex play than RB2, but he could have a nicer day than expected.

RB Duke Johnson, CLE (Wk. 4: @SD): San Diego has been absolutely shredded by opposing run games the past 2 weeks, and Crowell was back to being inefficient last week against Oakland. The Chargers have allowed over 500 total yards and 5 TDs to opposing RBs in just 3 games, and the Browns did finally involve Duke in the passing game last week. I expect him to factor back in to the rush attempt mix a little bit this week as well. I have a feeling he comes up with a solid PPR-Flex game this week.

WR Ty Montgomery, GB (Wk. 4: @SF): The 49ers have been just as bad as the Bears in terms of WR fantasy points allowed. After Monday night, you'd expect there to be an increased focus from the defense to stop Randall Cobb, which should open things up for Montgomery and Jones. There is some risk here. Davante Adams might be able to play, which would kill Ty's value. Jeff Janis could run ahead of him due to the mental mistakes and silly penalties Montgomery committed against the Chiefs. Still, most signs point to him being the WR3 for GB this week, which should get him WR3 consideration in your lineup.

Rookies to Sit:

QB Jameis Winston, TB (Wk. 4: vs. Car.): Last week wasn't particularly pretty for Jameis, and things don't get much easier this week. The Panthers' DBs have been a nightmare on opposing WRs, especially Josh Norman, and Jameis may struggle to get going this week. Duplicating last week's stat line is about all you can expect this week. Anything more would be a nice bonus.

RB Matt Jones, WAS (Wk. 4: vs. Phi.): While it was a great sign to see Jones running ahead of Alfred Morris last week, this matchup doesn't set up particularly well for Jones, and Morris isn't exactly going to vanish either. The Eagles have allowed just 3.1 ypc, and have yet to allow a RB touchdown. The one place they've struggled is against RBs catching passes out of the backfield, but thus far, Chris Thompson has pretty much had that role to himself in the Redskins' backfield rotation. Jones is always a threat for a red zone TD, but I'd shy away this week if I have reasonable options.

RB Ameer Abdullah, DET (Wk. 4: @Sea.): The Seahawks at home are just an opponent you don't want to play skill players against unless they are every week studs. When you have Matt Forte there, you leave him in and hope for the best. With Ameer Abdullah, a part-time player in a 3-back rotation? Not so much, even if he is the best talent of the trio. Seattle is yet to allow a TD to an opposing RB on the year. Abdullah should be avoided this week.

RB David Johnson, ARI (Wk. 4: vs. StL.): The Rams defense looks daunting on paper, but they're vulnerable on the perimeter. Yes, Chris Johnson has looked good, but David has still been a factor in this offense. Unfortunately, it looks like Andre Ellington will be back this week. If for some reason Andre sits again, David has some value as a flex option, but his floor is scary low if he's fighting both CJ and AE for touches.

RB Todd Gurley, STL (Wk. 4: @Ari.): It was nice to see Gurley back on the field, even if the results weren't impressive. On the plus side, he did look healthy, but he gets a tough matchup this week. I believe he's close to being handed bellcow duties, but I don't think this is the week where it comes together. Arizona has been throttling teams so far, and if the Rams fall behind, I'd expect a fair amount of Benny Cunningham.

WR Nelson Agholor, PHI (Wk. 4: @Was.): Agholor has been mostly invisible this season despite playing plenty of snaps. He was barely targeted at all last week, and if he were to put up even 4 catches and 50 yards this week in a plus matchup, it would be a pleasant surprise. You can do better.

WR Phillip Dorsett, IND (Wk. 4: vs. Jax.): Dorsett found the end zone last weekend, but his volume hasn't been consistent enough to trust going forward. I still feel like the Colts want to get Andre Johnson more involved at some point (If Andre is still capable), and banking on another TD from a guy who is only going to see a few targets isn't often a recipe for success.

WRs Devin Smith & Quincy Enunwa, NYJ (Wk. 4: @Mia.): The matchup seems ripe for the picking after Tyrod Taylor shredded the 'Fins on Sunday, but Eric Decker is likely to return this week and severely cut down on the snaps and targets this pair will see. If you had to pick one, Smith is the choice due to the threat of a long TD against a shaky secondary. With that said, I wouldn't want to play either in a season-long league.

WR Willie Snead, NO (Wk. 4: vs. Dal.): I like Snead a lot, but I'd like him a lot more if I was confident that Drew Brees was going to go back to being Drew Brees at some point. He's not quite the matchup nightmare that 6'6" Brandon Coleman is, but I would argue he's already got a better rapport with Brees and is the option the QB trusts more of the 2. The problem is that this offense just isn't very good right now. Even if Brees plays, I wouldn't feel good about playing Snead even in really deep leagues this week.

Deep League Sleepers & Cheap DFS Options:

RB Thomas Rawls, SEA (Wk. 4: vs. Det.): It sounds like Marshawn Lynch should be fine and ready to roll for week 4, but keep an eye on the situation. If Lynch were to miss this one, it would be another plus matchup for a back that just put up over 100 yards in his first real action as a pro. The Lions have allowed over 130 ypg and 4 rushing TDs to RBs through 3 games. There are also some out there who feel that what we've seen so far is the beginning of the end for Beast Mode. If that's the case, Rawls would make a nice stash in case something happens, and should absolutely be owned in Dynasty formats. With Christine Michael and Robert Turbin gone, Rawls is the heir apparent in Seattle.

RB Jeremy Langford, CHI (Wk. 4: vs. Oak.): Rumors have been rampant that the Bears are shopping Matt Forte, and if they move him, Langford would likely become the starter. He, like Rawls, is worth a speculative stash for the next few weeks in case Chicago does pull the trigger, but don't be surprised if the Bears look to get him more involved if they are actually planning a trade. The Raiders' run defense is nothing special, so Langford might surprise this week if he gets some work.

WR Devin Funchess, CAR (Wk. 4: @TB): Trust me, it's coming for Funchess. He still has just 4 catches through 3 games, but the Bucs are weak in the secondary. This should be another great opportunity for Funchess to make an impact if the Panthers let him. I wouldn't trust him in a season-long league, but he could be a pleasant surprise in DFS.

WR Tyler Lockett, SEA (Wk. 4: vs. Det.): The usage in the passing game still isn't where you'd like to see it to use him in regular leagues, but he has 2 return TDs in 3 games, and will be a solid WR3 in return yardage leagues before long. Detroit has allowed 22.3 points per game to opposing WRs, and after Doug Baldwin, very little of the WR target volume is spoken for. Lockett still has plenty of upside despite limited usage so far.

TE Maxx Williams, BAL (Wk. 4: @Pit.): The Steelers 14 points per game allowed to opposing TEs is misleading. All 4 TDs they've given up to the tight end position occurred in week 1 against New England (3 to Gronk and 1 to Scott Chandler). They've been much better since then, but Williams will undoubtedly be a factor this week. He already set career bests last week with 3 catches on 7 targets for 44 yards. Most of that came in the second half after Crockett Gillmore went out with injury, and Gillmore isn't expected to play Thursday. Williams has sneaky TE1 upside based on volume alone.

That's it for week 4. If you have any questions or angry rants, feel free to reach out on twitter and let me know (@shawn_foss). Hopefully this info helps you this week. As always, good luck, trust your gut, and have fun. It's just a game.