Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Projections and Matchups to Love

Fantasy football owners approach last call for Week 4 lineups with little in the way of clarity.

The last four weeks have been odd, to say the least. The beginning of Week 4—Thursday Night Football between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers—didn't help things.

Le'Veon Bell and Justin Forsett lead scorers at running back, sure, but Kamar Aiken and Darrius Heyward-Bey outscored Antonio Brown and Steve Smith.

Maybe a team led by Michael Vick against a formerly winless squad isn't the best sign, though. There are plenty of matchups owners should fall in love with this week, so let's take a look at those among full positional rankings.

Week 4 Schedule

Sunday, Oct. 04	Time (ET)
Monday, Oct. 05	Time (ET)
N.Y. Jets at Miami	9:30 am
Oakland at Chicago	1:00 pm
Houston at Atlanta	1:00 pm
N.Y. Giants at Buffalo	1:00 pm
Jacksonville at Indianapolis	1:00 pm
Kansas City at Cincinnati	1:00 pm
Philadelphia at Washington	1:00 pm
Carolina at Tampa Bay	1:00 pm
Cleveland at San Diego	4:05 pm
Green Bay at San Francisco	4:25 pm
St. Louis at Arizona	4:25 pm
Minnesota at Denver	4:25 pm
Dallas at New Orleans	8:30 pm
Detroit at Seattle	8:30 pm

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Aaron Rodgers	24
2	Andrew Luck	20
3	Peyton Manning	18
4	Carson Palmer	16
5	Derek Carr	14
6	Andy Dalton	14
7	Cam Newton	14
8	Drew Brees*	13
9	Tyrod Taylor	12
10	Matt Ryan	12
11	Eli Manning	10
12	Philip Rivers	10
13	Blake Bortles	10
14	Russell Wilson	10
15	Ryan Tannehill	10

It's hard to hate Aaron Rodgers or Andrew Luck this week, but those are also obvious plays.

How about Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton? He's second behind Rodgers and Tom Brady with 69 total points in three games, 383 yards, three scores and 30 points coming last week alone in Baltimore.

Dalton hasn't been the most reliable fantasy quarterback over the years, but things seem different this time with his entire cast of weapons healthy. Now he gets to welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Cincinnati, a team on a short week that has allowed 18, 20 and 34 points to quarterbacks.

Owners will want to overlook Eli Manning's matchup at their own risk, too. The New York Giants signal-caller enters Week 4 off back-to-back outings of 19 points. This weekend, he hits the road to take on the Buffalo Bills and might wind up passing a ton while playing from behind.

He might end up passing a ton because, for all the hype the Bills get, the defense can't stop quarterbacks. It has allowed at least 15 points per game to the position.

Dalton and Manning are those types of quarterbacks who need week-to-week analysis to make lineups. This would be the week to start both. 

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Matt Forte	22
2	Jamaal Charles	20
3	Adrian Peterson	18
4	Arian Foster*	17
5	Marshawn Lynch*	16
6	Eddie Lacy	14
7	Devonta Freeman	14
8	Melvin Gordon	13
9	Joseph Randle	12
10	Latavius Murray	12
11	Carlos Hyde	12
12	DeMarco Murray*	12
13	Chris Johnson	11
14	C.J. Spiller	10
15	Jonathan Stewart	10
16	Lamar Miller	10
17	Jeremy Hill	10
18	Frank Gore	9
19	LeSean McCoy*	8
20	C.J. Anderson	8
21	Mark Ingram	8
22	T.J. Yeldon	8
23	Chris Ivory*	8
24	Giovani Bernard	6
25	Danny Woodhead	6
26	Matt Jones	6
27	Doug Martin	6
28	David Johnson	5
29	Shane Vereen	5
30	Karlos Williams	5

Owners of Eddie Lacy have waited patiently as the back dealt with a nagging injury over the past couple of weeks.

Based on a number of factors, it seems like the Green Bay Packers back will reward such patience this weekend thanks to a matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

These 49ers have allowed nine, 27 and 30 points to backfields so far, with five total scores. Three of the touchdowns came to Pittsburgh's backup, DeAngelo Williams.

With a favorable matchup all around, it's easy to see Rodgers pulling the Packers ahead, followed by a heavy dosage of Lacy to grind out the clock.

If owners want to take a slightly bigger gamble, San Diego Chargers rookie Melvin Gordon looks the part. He's received at least 14 carries over his first three games, and while he hasn't scored or broken into double digits, he next gets the Cleveland Browns—a defense that has surrendered 28- and 27-point outings.

Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune captured Gordon thoughts on having yet to score:

Owners haven't heard much from San Francisco's Carlos Hyde after his 29-point outburst in Week 1, but he dealt with an injury issue in Week 2 and has faced back-to-back brutal matchups. 

Hyde is free of tough sledding thanks to the date with Green Bay, as the Packers have allowed two 20-point performances to backs already. His team might fall behind, but the 49ers don't abandon the run for sake of game flow.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Julio Jones	26
2	Demaryius Thomas	22
3	Emmanuel Sanders	20
4	Randall Cobb	18
5	Odell Beckham Jr.	18
6	Larry Fitzgerald	16
7	A.J. Green	16
8	Mike Evans	14
9	Amari Cooper	14
10	DeAndre Hopkins	12
11	Calvin Johnson	12
12	Alshon Jeffery*	12
13	Brandon Marshall	10
14	Keenan Allen	10
15	Sammy Watkins*	10
16	Donte Moncrief	10
17	Allen Robinson	10
18	Michael Crabtree	9
19	Jordan Matthews	9
20	Jarvis Landry	9
21	Brandin Cooks	9
22	Jeremy Maclin	8
23	Vincent Jackson	8
24	T.Y. Hilton	8
25	Pierre Garcon	8
26	DeSean Jackson*	7
27	Davante Adams*	7
28	John Brown	7
29	Ted Ginn Jr.	6
30	Marques Colston	6
31	Doug Baldwin	6
32	Andre Johnson	6
33	Nate Washington	6
34	Doug Baldwin	6
35	Travis Benjamin	6

Manning's favorite target isn't one to ignore this weekend.

Odell Beckham struggled to just five points in Week 1, but things look back on track for the superstar thanks to seven catches and a touchdown in each of his last two outings, combined for 33 points.

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Things don't figure to cool off for the sophomore. It's a given the Bills struggle with wideouts due to the issues against quarterbacks. Buffalo has surrendered five touchdowns to receivers and totals of 22, 32 and 36 points so far. They won't have an answer for the best receiver they've faced all season.

Soon Oakland Raiders rookie Amari Cooper might join Beckham's tier. The former Heisman Trophy finalist looks unstoppable over his last two games, totaling 27 points with a healthy Derek Carr back in the lineup.

Now Cooper gets to feast against the struggling Chicago Bears, owners of a secondary with seven touchdowns allowed to wideouts, a minimum of 10 catches per game and 31, 39 and 18 points.

Cooper might have his best game of his career yet against one of the league's worst teams.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Martellus Bennett	14
2	Jimmy Graham	12
3	Greg Olsen	10
4	Tyler Eifert	10
5	Eric Ebron	8
6	Jason Witten	8
7	Travis Kelce	8
8	Jordan Reed	6
9	Ladarius Green*	6
10	Jordan Cameron	6

This will be brief, but it's worth a mention every week—start Martellus Bennett against the Raiders.

Starting whoever lines up at tight end against the Raiders is a hard rule now. Somebody named Gary Barnidge just posted 16 points on the unit, a unit that has somehow allowed five touchdowns and 20 and 22 points already.

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Jason Witten of the Dallas Cowboys would be the less obvious play. The veteran won't have Tony Romo or Dez Bryant in the lineup, but those factors and nagging injuries haven't stopped him from scoring 18, five and six points over three weeks.

Next up is an encounter with the New Orleans Saints, the team ranked right behind the Raiders in average points surrendered to his position. It's three touchdowns and notable allowances of 14 and 26 points for the unit. It doesn't matter who lines up under center for Dallas.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Unit	Projected Points
1	Broncos	12
2	Seahawks	11
3	Bills	10
4	Colts	9
5	Panthers	8
6	Jets	7
7	Eagles	7
8	Rams	6
9	Cardinals	6
10	Dolphins	6

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Easy enough, right? 

The Seattle Seahawks posted 16 points against Chicago last week, which wasn't even a season high. While the unit hasn't forced an interception yet, it just held the hapless Bears to a goose egg.

In a normal year, a matchup with the Detroit Lions would create some pause. Not this year, though, as Matthew Stafford plays behind a hobbled offensive line and has thrown five touchdowns to five interceptions.

The Lions sit winless and won't be able to move the ball on the road, putting Seattle in the best matchup of the week.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Phil Dawson	8
2	Mason Crosby	8
3	Matt Bryant	7
4	Josh Brown	6
5	Sebastian Janikowski	6
6	Chandler Catanzaro	6
7	Andrew Franks	5
8	Josh Lambo	5
9	Blair Walsh	5
10	Brandon McManus	5

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Old reliable Sebastian Janikowski continues to pour out the fantasy points for owners.

Janikowski only posted a single point in the first week of the season, but as mentioned, his quarterback, Carr, went down with an injury and didn't return.

He followed with outings of 15 and nine points, which is in the neighborhood of what owners should expect this weekend in the Windy City.

Kickers against the Bears have scored seven, six and 16 points already, so look for Janikowski to see plenty of opportunities to justify his being in starting lineups.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of October 2. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.com.