Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

After another wild week in the NFL, fantasy football owners have already turned their attention to Week 4 and the rankings for each position.

While injuries were the name of the game in Week 2 and 3, the start of bye weeks is a cause for concern for many teams. Bye weeks and injuries never mix.

With Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, St. Louis, Arizona and Seattle all on bye in Week 4, owners will be forced to utilize their bench. Finding the right fill-in player could make or break your season.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 4.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Drew Brees, NO	28 Points
2	Matthew Stafford, DET	28 Points
3	Aaron Rodgers, GB	24 Points
4	Matt Ryan, ATL	24 Points
5	Andrew Luck, IND	22 Points
6	Nick Foles, PHI	20 Points
7	Tom Brady, NE	18 Points
8	Tony Romo, DAL	18 Points
9	Philip Rivers, SD	18 Points
10	Jay Cutler, CHI	16 Points
11	Cam Newton, CAR	16 Points
12	Kirk Cousins, WAS	16 Points
13	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	15 Points
14	Colin Kaepernick, SF	15 Points
15	Eli Manning, NYG	15 Points

Player of the Week: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions

Many fantasy owners depend on Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to have a big game each week, but he let people down in Week 3 with a lackluster performance, throwing for just 246 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions.

Expect Stafford bounce back in Week 4 against a New York Jets secondary that allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw for 346 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2. With Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Reggie Bush out of the backfield, Stafford will rack up big numbers.

After throwing for 346 yards in Week 1 and 291 yards in Week 2, fantasy owners should expect a bounce-back performance this week. Start him in all fantasy leagues with confidence.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	LeSean McCoy, PHI	22 Points
2	DeMarco Murray, DAL	22 Points
3	Matt Forte, CHI	20 Points
4	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	20 Points
5	Doug Martin, TB	18 Points
6	Eddie Lacy, GB	18 Points
7	Arian Foster, HOU	18 Points
8	Knile Davis, KC	16 Points
9	Alfred Morris, WAS	16 Points
10	C.J. Spiller, BUF	16 Points
11	Reggie Bush, DET	16 Points
12	Donald Brown, SD	15 Points
13	Rashad Jennings, NYG	15 Points
14	Stevan Ridley, NE	15 Points
15	Pierre Thomas, NO	15 Points
16	Frank Gore, SF	13 Points
17	Khiry Robinson, NO	13 Points
18	Lamar Miller, MIA	13 Points
19	Bernard Pierce, BAL	13 Points
20	Darren Sproles, PHI	10 Points
21	Trent Richardson, IND	10 Points
22	Steven Jackson, ATL	10 Points
23	Darren McFadden, OAK	10 Points
24	Chris Johnson, NYJ	10 Points
25	Joique Bell, DET	9 Points

Player of the Week: DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

Calling a running back a workhorse is overused in football, but DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys is the team’s top running back and it's not even close. Behind a talented offensive line, Murray has already racked up 75 carries through three games.

Not only has Murray racked up three straight 100-yard performances, but he also has scored a touchdown in each game. Consistency is what every owner is looking for in fantasy, and Murray is carrying the load to perfection.

In Week 4, Murray gets the chance to utilize his skill against a beatable New Orleans defense. With Dallas proving that it will continue to feed the rock to Murray (385 yards and three touchdowns thus far in 2014), fantasy owners should be all-in for Murray.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Calvin Johnson, DET	18 Points
2	Julio Jones, ATL	18 Points
3	Dez Bryant, DAL	18 Points
4	Brandon Marshall, CHI	17 Points
5	Antonio Brown, PIT	17 Points
6	Jordy Nelson, GB	17 Points
7	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	15 Points
8	Andre Johnson, HOU	15 Points
9	Victor Cruz, NYG	15 Points
10	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	15 Points
11	Steve Smith, BAL	14 Points
12	Reggie Wayne, IND	14 Points
13	Keenan Allen, SD	14 Points
14	Julian Edelman, NE	12 Points
15	Pierre Garcon, WAS	12 Points
16	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	12 Points
17	Randall Cobb, GB	12 Points
18	Sammy Watkins, BUF	10 Points
19	Brandin Cooks, NO	10 Points
20	Mike Wallace, MIA	10 Points
21	Markus Wheaton, PIT	8 Points
22	Cordarrelle Patterson, MIN	8 Points
23	Michael Crabtree, SF	8 Points
24	Greg Jennings, MIN	8 Points
25	James Jones, OAK	8 Points
26	Kendall Wright, TEN	6 Points
27	T.Y. Hilton, IND	6 Points
28	Vincent Jackson, TB	6 Points
29	Jordan Matthews, PHI	6 Points
30	Allen Robinson, JAC	6 Points
31	Roddy White, ATL	6 Points
32	Eric Decker, NYJ	5 Points
33	Marques Colston, NO	5 Points
34	Terrance Williams, DAL	5 Points
35	Golden Tate, DET	5 Points

Player of the Week: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

Whether it’s PPR or standard-scoring fantasy leagues, owners that had Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones starting in Week 3 dominated their matchups. That’s what nine receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns can get you.

Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com about just how much better Jones is now:

"

Julio is as good as he's ever been, if not better. He's only going to continue to get better because he's got a better understanding of defenses that he's going against. He's got a better understanding of our offense. I think he's playing the best he's ever played.

"

The Week 3 points spree was not an anomaly. Ryan has relied on Jones every time he is on the field and healthy, racking up an impressive 23 receptions for 365 yards and three touchdowns through three games.

The Falcons play the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4. After the team gave up 288 passing yards to Drew Brees and the Saints, Atlanta should expect around 300 total yards of passing offense and a major contribution from Jones.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Jimmy Graham, NO	20 Points
2	Rob Gronkowski, NE	18 Points
3	Greg Olsen, CAR	16 Points
4	Antonio Gates, SD	14 Points
5	Delanie Walker, TEN	12 Points
6	Jason Witten, DAL	10 Points
7	Zach Ertz, PHI	10 Points
8	Travis Kelce, KC	10 Points
9	Owen Daniels, BAL	8 Points
10	Jordan Cameron, CLE	8 Points
11	Martellus Bennett, CHI	6 Points

Player of the Week: Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots

While Jimmy Graham of the New Orleans Saints steals all the headlines, Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots is quietly contributing consistent points as he recovers from knee surgery. In limited work through three weeks, Gronkowski has racked up 11 catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns.

Oliver Thomas of NEPatriotsDraft.com shared Gronkowski’s increasing snap count:

"

Rob Gronkowski tallied a season-high 46 offensive snaps, according to @PFF. Played 38 in Week 1 and 28 in Week 2.

— Oliver Thomas (@OliverBThomas) September 22, 2014"

If there was ever a time to buy low on Gronkowski, it’s right now. Once the team feels comfortable not limiting his snaps, Gronkowski will emerge as Brady’s No. 1 target. Add in a beatable Week 4 matchup against Kansas City, and Gronk will be the top fantasy tight end soon enough.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Miami Dolphins	at Oakland Raiders	16 Points
2	Pittsburgh Steelers	vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	14 Points
3	San Diego Chargers	vs. Jacksonville Jaguars	12 Points
4	Indianapolis Colts	vs. Tennessee Titans	12 Points
5	Detroit Lions	at New York Jets	10 Points
6	Carolina Panthers	at Baltimore Ravens	10 Points
7	Houston Texans	vs. Buffalo Bills	10 Points
8	Buffalo Bills	at Houston Texans	8 Points
9	Atlanta Falcons	at Minnesota Vikings	8 Points
10	San Francisco 49ers	vs. Philadelphia Eagles	8 Points
11	New England Patriots	at Kansas City Chiefs	6 Points
12	New York Giants	at Washington	6 Points

Player of the Week: San Diego Chargers

Finding the right fantasy defense is a mixture of talent and matchup analysis. The San Diego Chargers have been tough all season, only giving up 49 points through three games. Add in a matchup against a Jacksonville Jaguars offense led by rookie quarterback Blake Bortles, and it could be a monster day for the Chargers defensive players.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	15 Points
2	Justin Tucker, BAL	14 Points
3	Matt Bryant, ATL	14 Points
4	Dan Carpenter, BUF	13 Points
5	Cody Parkey, PHI	12 Points
6	Shayne Graham, NO	12 Points
7	Adam Vinatieri, IND	10 Points
8	Dan Bailey, DAL	10 Points
9	Nick Novak, SD	10 Points
10	Mason Crosby, GB	8 Points
11	Blair Walsh, MIN	8 Points
12	Shayne Graham, NO	8 Points

Player of the Week: Matt Bryant, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons won’t always score the way the team did against Tampa Bay, but the offense is still one of the most dangerous in the league. While most kickers are feast or famine, expect Matt Bryant to bounce back from a zero field goal game against a lackluster Minnesota Vikings team.

*Stats via NFL.com.