Week 4 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Final Review of Most Difficult Fantasy Matchups

It's amazing to think about how much time fantasy football owners spend on a weekly basis trying to make a few lineup decisions. For good reason, of course. Those borderline choices often end up being the difference between winning and losing.

While the most important factors are always recent performance and the matchup, there's a certain amount of feel to it, as well. Things never go exactly according to plan, so sometimes it pays off to go against the grain if you think a certain player is due to break out.

Week 4 marks the start of byes around the NFL, which makes the lineup process even a little more difficult. So let's check out some players on the fantasy fringe and predict whether they belong in the lineup or on the bench this week.

Start 'Em

Position	Player	Team
QB	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT
RB	Lamar Miller	MIA
WR	Steve Smith	BAL
TE	Martellus Bennett	CHI
D/ST	Falcons	ATL
K	Graham Gano	CAR

Ben Roethlisberger hasn't done anything special so far. His high score is 16, and he ranks 21st at the position. Yet a matchup with the 23rd-ranked Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass defense should allow him to post his best numbers of the season and approach the 20-point mark.

Lamar Miller remains the unquestioned starter for the Miami Dolphins with Knowshon Moreno sidelined. Last week, Miller had 19 touches for 132 total yards. An even bigger workload should be on tap against the struggling Oakland Raiders defense, making him an intriguing option.

Few players are more fiery or emotional on the field than Steve Smith. That should be on full display as he goes up against his former team, the Carolina Panthers, this week. To say he has something to prove would probably be an understatement.

This is one of those aforementioned feel plays. The Panthers rank eighth against the pass, but it's hard to imagine Smith having a quiet game. Gary Mihoces of USA Today passed along some comments from the wideout about the situation.

"I'm not bitter because I get to play," he said. "But I do want to show certain individuals that I can still play."

Yes, Martellus Bennett is going up against a Green Bay Packers side that does a good job of defending opposing tight ends. That said, the veteran has carved out a key role in the Chicago offense with at least nine fantasy points in each game and should remain in the lineup at a weak position.

The Atlanta Falcons' score through two weeks was actually in the negatives before exploding for 28 points last week. They should have another strong outing against the Minnesota Vikings, who have more questions than answers on the offensive side.

When seeking a kicker to stream, it's all about predicting which games could turn into a field-goal fest. The Carolina Panthers vs. Baltimore Ravens could surely fit the bill, which makes Graham Gano a solid option who's available in a majority of leagues.

Sit 'Em

Position	Player	Team
QB	Blake Bortles	JAX
RB	Chris Johnson	NYJ
WR	T.Y. Hilton	IND
TE	Jason Witten	DAL
D/ST	Buccaneers	TB
K	Dan Carpenter	BUF

Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson and Andy Dalton—three starting-caliber quarterbacks—are on bye this week. That's likely caused a lot of owners to scramble for a short-term replacement. Blake Bortles presents too much risk despite a solid showing in his first career game, however.

Chris Johnson leads the New York Jets in carries but is averaging more than two yards less per attempt than Chris Ivory. While it's likely to remain a strict timeshare situation, the number of touches is probably going to shift more in Ivory's favor due to that disparity.

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News notes Jets head coach Rex Ryan said a shift was possible but didn't completely confirm it. Either way, Johnson is too risky to start in the short term.

T.Y. Hilton has racked up just 186 yards through three games. He's also failed to find the end zone. Don't expect any type of major jump in productivity this week against the second-ranked pass defense of the Tennessee Titans, which is giving up just 170 yards per game through the air.

At this point it should be clear Jason Witten isn't the must-start option he was during his prime. He's failed to top four fantasy points in any game and is averaging less than three per contest. He should remain on the bench until his role in the offense increases.

There were high hopes for the Buccaneers defense coming into the season following the arrival of Lovie Smith. The results simply haven't been there, though. After giving up 56 points last week, the unit can be safely benched or dropped as the Bucs prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kicker Dan Carpenter got off to a strong start with 29 points in the first two games. He had just five last week, however, and questions remain about the consistency of the Bills offense under EJ Manuel. There are better streaming options available.