Welcome to Week 4! The fantasy football season is flying by, but with three games in the books, we are starting to learn about both the NFL teams and our fantasy ones. If you have at least two wins right now, you should feel good about your team. If you are sitting with just one, or even no wins, it’s time to take a hard look at your team and do what you can to try and improve it. Whether that is an attempt to make a trade or be very aggressive off the waiver wire. This is now a crucial week in your season. As for the NFL teams, let’s talk about what we have learned and what we should be on the lookout for in my Week 4 Rankings!
For help getting ready for NFL Week 4, check out our Week 4 Waiver Wire Recommendations and our Week 4 FAAB Guide.
Rankings Breakdown
I do not want to sound like I am beating up on the Vikings, but I tweeted that the Vikings have become a run-first team under OC Kevin Stefanski, and I was told by many, that it’s been game script. But the trend has been since Stefanski took over in Week 15 last year, as the Vikings have run the second-most in the NFL in that span, only behind the Ravens, who are inflated because of Lamar Jackson. Here is the Vikings 16-game pace right now. You cannot tell me you are excited about any, knowing the draft price you paid, except for Dalvin Cook:
- Kirk Cousins- 2,677 pass yards, 16 TD, 11 INT
- Adam Thielen- 85 targets, 59 receptions, 923 yards, 11 TD
- Stefon Diggs- 64 targets, 32 receptions, 539 yards, 5 TD
- Kyle Rudolph- 32 targets, 21 receptions, 107 yards, 0 TD
- Dalvin Cook- 304 carries, 2,000 yards, 53 targets, 48 receptions, 421 yards, 21 total TD
More things to watch in Week 4
- Leonard Fournette may have struggled for most of the game in Week 3, but one area he has not struggled is the passing game. He is currently on pace for 107 targets and 75 receptions. His career-high is currently48 targets and 36 catches. It raises his weekly floor.
- James Conner has not lived up to expectations so far this season, but he has a great get-right opportunity this week against the Bengals. The Bengals have allowed a league-leading 34.5 PPR PPG to RB this season AND 138 rush yards per game to RBs. They’ve also allowed four rushing touchdowns to running backs. If he can’t run on the Bengals, who can he run on?
- Miles Sanders has an opportunity to really separate himself from the pack this week against Green Bay (pun intended). The Packers have allowed 8.7 receptions per game to running backs; the most in the NFL. Sanders leads Eagles running backs with 14.7 routes per game. He is the preferred passing game option over Jordan Howard. Darren Sproles, who runs 16.3 routes per game is also a deep league option this week.
- Diontae Johnson is a name to keep an eye on this week. Only JuJu Smith-Schuster (12) has more targets from Mason Rudolph than Johnson (9).
- Scary Terry McLaurin has to be in your lineups this week. Not only is he posting at least five catches and a touchdown every week, but he has a great matchup against the Giants, who have allowed the second-most fantasy PPG to wide receivers.
- Will Dissly is officially a TE1 to me. Not only is he one of Russell Wilson’s favorite targets, but the Seahawks just traded Nick Vanett to the Steelers. He had been splitting routes with Dissly. A larger workload is coming, as well as a good matchup against the Cardinals, who are allowing the most fantasy PPG to tight ends.
- Whether it is Damien Williams, LeSean McCoy, or Darrell Williams, you want to get the Chiefs running back into your starting lineup. We have seen that the Chiefs running back, no matter who it’s been, has been productive this season. Well, except for preseason darling Darwin Thompson. The Chiefs face the Lions, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy PPG to running backs this season.
- It’s officially time to start worrying about Todd Gurley and the lack of usage in the passing game. Last year, Gurley averaged 5.8 targets per game. This year, he has six targets in three games. If that continues he goes from having RB1 upside, to a low-end RB2 floor. He gets the Bucs, who have allowed the fewest fantasy PPG to RBs this season.
Week 4 Rankings
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