Who to Start in Fantasy Football? NFL Week 4 First Look
Week 4 is the final full slate of games before NFL bye weeks begin. With plenty of games on Sunday, it’s time to decide who to start in fantasy football lineups this week.
There are some great matchups on tap, including plenty of big divisional games like the Packers hosting the red-hot Vikings. In the AFC, the Sunday Night Football game of the week between the Ravens and Bills should also be a doozy.
Plenty of games means a bevy of options await us on PrizePicks. Let’s take an early look at the player projections on the board and highlight some of the more appealing player at each position to start in fantasy football this week. Keep an eye out as more projections and discounts drop through the week.
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Who to Start in Week 4: Quarterbacks
Panthers QB Andy Dalton 221.5 Pass Yards — MORE
Maybe it was a Bryce Young problem after all. Panthers QB Andy Dalton couldn’t have played much better in his first game since being named the starting quarterback over Young.
Dalton completed 70.3% of his passes against the Raiders, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns. In his lone start in 2023, he threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns versus the Seahawks.
Expect him to continue to air it out against the Bengals, who just allowed Commanders QB Jayden Daniels to throw for 254 yards and complete a rookie-record 91.3% of his passes in Week 3. Most notably, the Bengals are the 28th-ranked pass rush team, per PFF, which bodes well for a veteran like Dalton, who can chop up defenses with a clean pocket.
If you’re looking to pair him with a receiver, Diontae Johnson is the guy. Johnson was targeted 13 times (all other Panthers receivers: 8 targets), hauling in 8 receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown with Dalton under-center. Johnson is the No. 1 receiver here and should see a ton of targets with Adam Thielen (hamstring) likely out this week, so keep an eye on his projections.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray 229.5 Pass Yards — MORE
The Commanders are clearly a team to attack when it comes to passing offense. They allowed the most passing yards per game (262.2) in the league last season. This year, they have given up the second-most passing yards per game (255.7) and are 31st in pass coverage, per PFF.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray showed his upside in Week 2, throwing for 266 yards on just 21 pass attempts against the Rams. With Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. in the fold, look for Murray to exploit this favorable matchup in what should be a back-and-forth game.
Who to Start in Week 4: Running Backs
Colts RB Jonathan Taylor 74.5 Rush Yards — LESS
After being limited to 48 rushing yards in Week 1, Colts RB Jonathan Taylor has recorded back-to-back games with at least 100 rushing yards. As impressive as that was, Week 4 brings a terrible matchup for him against the Steelers, who are tied for the second-fewest rushing yards allowed per game (71.3) and the fourth-best rushing defense grade on PFF.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson is struggling to limit his turnovers, throwing six interceptions already in three games. Expect the Steelers to focus on stopping Taylor, forcing Richardson to throw the ball more.
Saints RB Alvin Kamara 30.5 Receiving Yards — MORE
Saints RB Alvin Kamara received 26 carries against the Eagles last week, marking his second consecutive game with at least 20 carries. He has also been consistently involved in the passing game this season with 11 total targets. He’s reached at least 40 receiving yards in two of three games.
He is a key safety valve for Saints QB Derek Carr, so expect Kamara to receive enough targets to have a favorable opportunity to go over this projection against the Falcons.
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Who to Start in Week 4: Wide Receivers
Texans WR Nico Collins 74.5 Receiving Yards — MORE
In a lopsided loss to the Vikings, Texans WR Nico Collins once again put forth an impressive stat line. While he only had four receptions, he turned them into 86 yards. He has been targeted 28 times through three games — with at least eight targets in each game — and is averaging 18.8 yards per reception.
Week 4 brings a matchup against a Jaguars team that has given up the third-most passing yards per game (252.3) in the league. Here are the WR1 stat lines against the Jaguars so far this year:
- Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill: 7 receptions, 130 yards, 1 TD
- Browns WR Amari Cooper: 3 receptions, 11 yards
- Bills WR Khalil Shakir: 6 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
You can make a case for Collins as the top receiver in the NFL for fantasy football right now, and he’s got the potential to produce another gaudy stat line here.
Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin 64.5 Receiving Yards – MORE
The Buccaneers suffered a surprise lopsided loss at the hands of the Broncos last week. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield struggled, throwing for just 163 yards and one touchdown. With Mayfield’s muted state line, Buccaneers WR Chris Godwin finished with six receptions for 53 yards and one touchdown.
He was targeted nine times and has now received at least eight targets in all three games this season, and reached 83 yards in both of his first two games.
Look for Godwin to use his hefty target share to surpass this projection against an Eagles team that has allowed 15.2 yards per reception to opposing wide receivers.
Who to Start in Week 4: Tight End
Commanders TE Zach Ertz 30.5 Receiving Yards — MORE
Talk about a reliable veteran for a rookie quarterback. Commanders TE Zach Ertz has caught 12 of his 13 targets this year. He’s not much of a deep threat at this stage of his career, but he has posted at least 38 receiving yards in two of three games.
The one game that he failed to finish with at least 31 receiving yards was when he just missed with 28 receiving yards in Week 1 against the Buccaneers.
In what has the potential to be a high-scoring game against the Cardinals, there should be no shortage of opportunities for Ertz.
Who to Start in Week 4: D/ST
Packers K Brayden Narveson 6.5 Kicking Points – MORE
When Packers QB Jordan Love (knee) went down, there was concern that QB Malik Willis would stall their offense. The Packers have won both games since Love went down, despite Willis not putting up gaudy passing numbers.
Packers K Brayden Narveson helped their cause, converting three field goal attempts in every game this season, plus another 6-for-6 on PATs.
The Vikings haven’t given up more than 17 points in a game this season, as they’re 10th in the NFL in creating third-down stops — allowing opponents to convert only 31% of third downs — and tied for seventh in red zone defense.
So if the Packers can’t convert their red zone opportunities into touchdowns, Narveson could receive multiple field goal attempts again here.
Build Your Week 4 NFL DFS Lineup on PrizePicks
Week 4 is our last full slate of games for a while with byes beginning in Week 5. That gives us plenty of start or sit decisions in fantasy football — decisions that can make or break or break your week.
You can get in on all the Week 4 action by building a team on PrizePicks for the Sunday main slate.
There are no salary constraints, so just pick two or more projections for your favorite players, finalize your lineup to win up to 100x your money, sit back, and enjoy the games.
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