Week 4 Fantasy Football Projections: Forecast for Top Scorer at Each Position

Frank Gore and Anquan Boldin got the fantasy week started with strong performances on Thursday night. As is often the case, however, there were no monster games during the Week 4 opener, and many players struggled to reach expectations on short rest.

Scoring should increase on Sunday with teams having the full week to prepare for the defenses they are set to face this week. Figuring out which players are going to post the numbers necessary to carry fantasy teams to victory is still a challenge, though.

Let's take a look at which players have the matchup necessary to light up the fantasy football scoreboard and take a deeper dive into the likely top performers.

Projected Week 4 Leaders

Breakdown of Projected Top Performers

Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)

Allowing Manning to operate with so many weapons at his disposal almost isn't fair. He stands in the pocket and surgically carves up opposing defenses, which simply don't have enough pieces in the secondary to contend with three playmaking wideouts and an emerging tight end.

Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker work on the outside. If defenses overplay to slow them down, Wes Welker and Julius Thomas can get open over the middle. But if defenses guard the middle, Manning can beat them over the top down the sidelines.

The result has been consistent fantasy dominance in the early going for the Broncos quarterback. Now, he gets to go up against a defense in the Philadelphia Eagles that's giving up more than 320 yards per game through the air. It would be a shock if Manning gets slowed down this week.

Matt Forte (Chicago Bears)

There could very well be a scoring bonanza among running backs in Week 4. Adrian Peterson, Darren McFadden and LeSean McCoy all have favorable matchups. But don't be surprised if Forte ends up leading the pack when the dust settles.

Even though the Bears' star back hasn't topped 100 yards on the ground yet this season, he more than makes up for that by being heavily involved in the passing game. He has 18 catches for 138 yards to go along with his 225 yards on the ground.

That versatility bodes well heading into a game against a Detroit Lions defense that gave up three touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving) to Peterson in Week 1. Forte should make a major impact in both facets of the offense en route to a huge game.

Dez Bryant (Dallas Cowboys)

After a disappointing opener that saw Bryant score just two points, the Cowboys wide receiver has scored in each of the past two games en route to 29 total points. That's the type of production fantasy owners expected when they spent an early pick on him.

It should continue in Week 4. Miles Austin is out due to a hamstring injury, which opens up more targets for Bryant. That means Romo should be looking his way early and often versus a San Diego Chargers defense that ranks dead last against the pass.

When Bryant is at his best, his combination of size and athleticism makes him virtually impossible to cover for mediocre defensive backs. The Chargers are one of those teams that don't have anybody who can slow him down.