Fantasy Football Week 4: The Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action

When teams start going on bye, that is when the real fantasy fun begins—or the lineup trouble starts. We have one of the heaviest bye weeks upon us with the Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks and four other teams idle. We also have to deal with some prominent injuries to Jamaal Charles (ankle) and Arian Foster (hamstring).

Bleacher Report helps you navigate the replacement options, injuries, starts, sits, sleepers, busts and last-minute waiver options in our Ultimate Guide to Sunday's Action. This is a must-read piece of content right up until those inactive announcements before kickoff.

If this isn't enough analysis down to the minutia, you can also listen in live Sunday mornings to Nick Kostos and myself on Bleacher Report's Fantasy Football Show from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Sirius (93) and XM (208).

You have questions; we have your answers.

Overall Rankings

You can ridicule Doug Martin all you want, but the reality is he hasn't been as disappointing as Jamaal Charles (ankle), Adrian Peterson (suspension), Matt Forte and Eddie Lacy. Draft position should carry weight when determining fantasy-bust status.

Martin was a mere late second-rounder, per FantasyPros.com's preseason average draft position. The expectations here are lower, but the production is potentially just as good.

We figure to see an active Martin (knee) against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After Bobby Rainey fumbled twice in an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs need the 2012 Martin back. Martin told ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas he is determined he is back to more than just being active this week...he's also back to his old, productive self:

"

The knee's coming along just fine. Full go in practice, and I expect to play in this upcoming game. ... It's a business of what have you done for me lately? I just want to go out there and prove that I'm that same back I was my rookie year.

"

Martin's fantasy owners are certainly hoping for that. The Bucs' fate depends on it, too.

The Steelers were great against the run in Week 3, but they won that game in a blowout. The Bucs won't abandon the run like the Carolina Panthers did, especially because quarterback Mike Glennon is expected to start in place of Josh McCown (thumb), according to Ira Kaufman of The Tampa Tribune. 

We have been bullish on the banged-up Martin here in recent weeks, but we expect you will see why and be rewarded for your faith in his rebound. Martin is an optimistic No. 42 in Bleacher Report's updated Top 100 plays for Week 4: 

Week 4 Top 100 - Eric Mack

Rank	Flex Rankings	Team	Opponent	ECR	vs. ECR
1	Drew Brees	NO	at Dal	1	0
2	Aaron Rodgers	GB	at Chi	2	0
3	Matt Ryan	ATL	at Min	4	+1
4	Andrew Luck	IND	vs. Ten	3	-1
5	Philip Rivers	SD	vs. Jac	5	0
6	Matthew Stafford	DET	at NYJ	6	0
7	DeMarco Murray	DAL	vs. NO	9	+2
8	Tony Romo	DAL	vs. NO	12	+4
9	Jay Cutler	CHI	vs. GB	7	-2
10	Kirk Cousins	WAS	vs. NYG	14	+4
11	Nick Foles	PHI	at SF	8	-3
12	Matt Forte	CHI	vs. GB	11	-1
13	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	vs. TB	13	0
14	Colin Kaepernick	SF	vs. Phi	10	-4
15	Tom Brady	NE	at KC	18	+3
16	Calvin Johnson	DET	at NYJ	16	0
17	Eddie Lacy	GB	at Chi	19	+2
18	Frank Gore	SF	vs. Phi	44	+26
19	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	vs. TB	15	-4
20	Alfred Morris	WAS	vs. NYG	21	+1
21	LeSean McCoy	PHI	at SF	17	-4
22	Cam Newton	CAR	at Bal	20	-2
23	Julio Jones	ATL	at Min	23	0
24	Eli Manning	NYG	at Was	25	+1
25	C.J. Spiller	BUF	at Hou	51	+26
26	Teddy Bridgewater	MIN	vs. Atl	35	+9
27	Dez Bryant	DAL	vs. NO	24	-3
28	Lamar Miller	MIA	at Oak	27	-1
29	Alex Smith	KC	vs. NE	43	+14
30	Brandon Marshall	CHI	vs. GB	32	+2
31	Antonio Brown	PIT	vs. TB	26	-5
32	Donald Brown	SD	vs. Jac	22	-10
33	Jordy Nelson	GB	at Chi	28	-5
34	Jimmy Graham	NO	at Dal	29	-5
35	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	vs. GB	33	-2
36	Randall Cobb	GB	at Chi	36	0
37	Ryan Tannehill	MIA	at Oak	42	+5
38	Ahmad Bradshaw	IND	vs. Ten	38	0
39	Blake Bortles	JAC	at SD	41	+2
40	Pierre Garcon	WAS	vs. NYG	37	-3
41	Stevan Ridley	NE	at KC	56	+15
42	Jeremy Maclin	PHI	at SF	34	-8
43	Keenan Allen	SD	vs. Jac	50	+7
44	Rashad Jennings	NYG	at Was	31	-13
45	Victor Cruz	NYG	at Was	45	0
46	Mike Wallace	MIA	at Oak	48	+2
47	Joe Flacco	BAL	vs. Car	52	+5
48	Andre Johnson	HOU	vs. Buf	49	+1
49	Michael Crabtree	SF	vs. Phi	40	-9
50	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN	vs. Atl	53	+3
51	Jamaal Charles	KC	vs. NE	30	-21
52	Rob Gronkowski	NE	at KC	47	-5
53	Julian Edelman	NE	at KC	39	-14
54	DeSean Jackson	WAS	vs. NYG	57	+3
55	Arian Foster	HOU	vs. Buf	61	+6
56	Doug Martin	TB	at Pit	64	+8
57	EJ Manuel	BUF	at Hou	76	+19
58	Vincent Jackson	TB	at Pit	54	-4
59	Geno Smith	NYJ	vs. Det	46	-13
60	Pierre Thomas	NO	at Dal	71	+11
61	Roddy White	ATL	at Min	65	+4
62	Greg Olsen	CAR	at Bal	73	+11
63	Marques Colston	NO	at Dal	70	+7
64	Reggie Bush	DET	at NYJ	69	+5
65	Zach Ertz	PHI	at SF	90	+25
66	Jake Locker	TEN	at Ind	92	+26
67	T.Y. Hilton	IND	vs. Ten	78	+11
68	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	at Bal	62	-6
69	Ryan Fitzpatrick	HOU	vs. Buf	58	-11
70	Khiry Robinson	NO	at Dal	59	-11
71	Matt Asiata	MIN	vs. Atl	63	-8
72	Antonio Gates	SD	vs. Jac	68	-4
73	Reggie Wayne	IND	vs. Ten	80	+7
74	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	vs. Buf	72	-2
75	Shane Vereen	NE	at KC	74	-1
76	Terrance Williams	DAL	vs. NO	85	+9
77	Jason Witten	DAL	vs. NO	102	+25
78	Brandin Cooks	NO	at Dal	55	-23
79	Knile Davis	KC	vs. NE	107	+28
80	Derek Carr	OAK	vs. Mia	99	+19
81	Steve Smith	BAL	vs. Car	60	-21
82	Kendall Wright	TEN	at Ind	86	+4
83	Fred Jackson	BUF	at Hou	66	-17
84	Joique Bell	DET	at NYJ	84	0
85	Golden Tate	DET	at NYJ	75	-10
86	Niles Paul	WAS	vs. NYG	87	+1
87	Darren Sproles	PHI	at SF	82	-5
88	Mike Glennon	TB	at Pit	77	-11
89	Torrey Smith	BAL	vs. Car	104	+15
90	Delanie Walker	TEN	at Ind	88	-2
91	Sammy Watkins	BUF	at Hou	81	-10
92	Steven Jackson	ATL	at Min	83	-9
93	Eric Decker	NYJ	vs. Det	101	+8
94	Cecil Shorts	JAC	at SD	96	+2
95	Charlie Whitehurst	TEN	at Ind	148	+53
96	Carlos Hyde	SF	vs. Phi	132	+36
97	Hakeem Nicks	IND	vs. Ten	126	+29
98	Dwayne Bowe	KC	vs. NE	120	+22
99	Trent Richardson	IND	vs. Ten	91	-8
100	Martellus Bennett	CHI	vs. GB	67	-33

 

Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) from more than 100 experts provided by FantasyPros.

Injury Report

Dealing with injuries is a part of football as much as the bye weeks. With six teams idle this week, it sure puts a lot of stress on fantasy lineups. It might even force you to go with guys at something less than 100 percent.

We comb through the NFL injury report, giving you a guide of the players to have faith in and those you have to replace. 

Note: All practice participation information comes from the official NFL injury report.

Probables

Quarterbacks

• Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys (back): He is playing through it. Don't dare sit him in that expected shootout with Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
• EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills (abdomen): He is fine in terms of being active. He is a mere option for two-quarterback formats.

Running Backs

• Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers (back): You cannot expect a 31-year-old back to avoid the injury report. Gore will be a productive start playing keep-away against the Philadelphia Eagles. The injury might just be enough to start Carlos Hyde, too. 
• C.J. Spiller, Buffalo Bills (chest): Rashad Jennings just torched those Houston Texans. Expect the best out of Spiller this week.
• Joique Bell, Detroit Lions (knee): The New York Jets are the toughest team in fantasy against running backs, per FFToday.com, so consider your alternatives. Bell should be a contributor in the passing game, but don't expect anything on the ground.
• Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (knee): We are going to see a surprising Martin this week. He is the Bucs' only hope.
• Chris Johnson, New York Jets (ankle): He is facing a tough matchup against the Lions. Consider this reason to sit him if you have alternatives, but he will play and get the ball in the passing game like Bell.
• Toby Gerhart, Jacksonville Jaguars (ankle): The Chargers haven't given up a rushing touchdown to running backs. It is not a great week to expect Gerhart to finally show up.
• DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers (thigh): He has gotten his rest, and Jonathan Stewart (knee) is likely out, according to Joe Person of The Charlotte Observer.
• Bernard Pierce, Baltimore Ravens (thigh): The Ravens will use Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett too, but Pierce should lead the pack when healthy, as he is now, according to ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley.
• Maurice Jones-Drew, Oakland Raiders (hand): He has practiced in full, so expect him to timeshare with Darren McFadden. MJD has to prove healthy and productive again before you can trust him, though.

Wide Receivers

There are a slew of banged-up wideouts on the injury report listed as probable and expected to be active. We will merely list them here, and you can feel good about starting them, as needed:

• Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys (shoulder)
• Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers (groin)
• Roddy White, Atlanta Falcons (hamstring)
• Michael Crabtree, San Francisco 49ers (quad)
• T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (ankle)
• Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (wrist)
• Andre Johnson, Houston Texans (ankle)
• Mike Wallace, Miami Dolphins (hamstring)
• Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills (ribs)
• Jordan Matthews, Philadelphia Eagles (oblique)
• Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars (ankle)

Tight Ends

• Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers (hamstring): He will rebound against the Jaguars, who have been the worst team in fantasy against tight ends, per FFToday.com. 
• Charles Clay, Miami Dolphins (knee): He hasn't been very good this year, so you shouldn't feel married to him as a starting option right now.

Game-Time Decisions

RB Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs (ankle): He is practicing on a limited basis, and Andy Reid told reporters he thinks Charles will play Monday night. The timing of this game makes him difficult to trust if you don't have an alternative. Backup Knile Davis is a solid start regardless.

RB Arian Foster, Houston Texans (hamstring): He is a true game-time decision, according to Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official website. If he is declared active at 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, you play him. Otherwise, have Alfred Blue ready.

WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions (ankle): It is academic if he is active. His limited work in practice Friday is a good sign Megatron will play and yet a reason to consider Golden Tate as a solid matchup play against the Jets' raw and banged-up secondary.

TE Vernon Davis, San Francisco 49ers (ankle): He has a favorable matchup, but he is an afternoon decision we likely won't have by the 1 p.m. ET lineup deadline. You have to keep him down unless you have an alternative to swap out from the later games.

WR Eric Decker, New York Jets (hamstring): His past two games should be fair warning. He might play, but he is going to be hard-pressed to finish. Don't trust him until he proves capable of completing a game without an issue.

TE Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans (shoulder): He is banged up along with his quarterback. You might want to consider your alternatives even if he is ruled active before noon Sunday. 

TE Ladarius Green, San Diego Chargers (hamstring): The fact he isn't 100 percent should lead you to start Gates in that favorable matchup. Green isn't good enough to start in fantasy after not practicing Friday.

QB Jake Locker, Tennessee Titans (wrist): Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean considers him closer to doubtful or out. Downgrade all of your Titans, despite the potential garbage-time numbers at Indianapolis.

Find Replacements

1. RB Ryan Mathews, San Diego Chargers (knee)
2. RB Knowshon Moreno, Miami Dolphins (elbow)
3. RB Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints (hand)
4. TE Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings (abdomen/groin)
5. QB Josh McCown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (thumb)

Start 'Em

We have already dissected the matchup plays thoroughly in B/R's Week 4 Predictions, but here are some of the more intriguing fringe starters if you're short on alternatives because of a bye week or injury:

QB Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

We fully expect the 49ers to try to slow down the pace with the running game, but the Eagles are just too vulnerable to the pass and quarterbacks to ignore Kaepernick as an option in all leagues. Philly is second worst against fantasy QBs and third worst against the pass. This might be one of Kap's best weeks of the season.

RB Donald Brown, San Diego Chargers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

He promises to be one of the most heavily used backs in football this week, particularly against a Jags defense that has given up the most points to fantasy running backs and rushing yards in the NFL. You likely cannot name Brown's backups without looking them up (rookie Branden Oliver and journeyman Shaun Draughn), which is why Brown got 36 touches at Buffalo last week. Brown should be active in all leagues.

WR Golden Tate, Detroit Lions (at New York Jets)

Calvin Johnson (ankle) should play, according to MLive's Justin Rogers, but he merely returned to practice Friday on a limited basis. This should make Tate a large part of the game plan against a Jets secondary that has given up the fourth-most points to fantasy wideouts thus far. We should expect 100 yards and a touchdown from this usual No. 3 option at best.

TE Owen Daniels, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Carolina Panthers)

This one is a function of Dennis Pitta's (hip) loss for the season. Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun reports the Ravens will remain committed to the tight end, which puts Daniels in position to make a huge impact in fantasy, particularly with no-names Crockett Gillmore and Phillip Supernaw—yes, those are their real names—as the backups.

"Owen can take care of business. He's actually moving as good as I've ever seen him move," Supernaw, who played with Daniels in Houston, told Wilson. "I think he'll fit in perfectly."

D/ST Detroit Lions (at New York Jets)

It is unfathomable fantasy hasn't jumped all-in on the Lions, who boast the NFL's No. 1-ranked defense through three weeks. That's after a game in which they had to shut down Aaron Rodgers, too. The Lions are owned in mere 38.1 percent of ESPN.com leagues, but they should be active in all formats against the Jets. You have to love the Lions facing the error-prone Geno Smith, who is a primary reason the Jets are sixth worst against opposing D/STs, per FFToday.com.

K Nick Novak, San Diego Chargers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

You should expect Philip Rivers and company to blow out the Jags and Novak to be a primary beneficiary. The Jags have been the most generous matchup for most positions, including opposing kickers. Jacksonville has allowed seven field goals and 14 PATs.

Sit 'Em

You cannot start the players from the six teams on bye. It is too late to start Eli Manning, Andre Williams and Larry Donnell and the New York Giants defense/special teams after their dismantling of Kirk Cousins and the Redskins in Washington on Thursday night.

Still, we find a way to whittle your fantasy starting options even further with these sits by position:

QB Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. New England Patriots)

He is coming off a huge performance in Week 3, but these Pats are a lot more difficult of a matchup for him. The Pats are No. 2 in fantasy against QBs right now, per FFToday.com, and head coach Bill Belichick isn't going to allow the limited Smith to use his tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Belichick is a master at taking away what you like to do, and Smith is going to have a hard time getting the ball downfield against Darrelle Revis and company Monday night.

RB Chris Johnson/Chris Ivory, New York Jets (vs. Detroit Lions)

The timeshare is bad enough, but the matchup is worse. The Lions haven't even allowed a 50-yard rusher through three weeks (FFToday.com) and have the second-ranked run defense in football. The Lions are the No. 1 defense in football right now, and it all starts up front for them. The Jets are going to have to find another way to win this defensive struggle.

WR Eric Decker, New York Jets (vs. Detroit Lions)

Not only are the Lions a tough matchup, ranking second best against fantasy wideouts, but Decker's hamstring has proved to be too balky each of the past two games. Decker is expected to play, head coach Rex Ryan told reporters, but he will be limited and just one tweak away from spending a lot of time on the sidelines, if not in street clothes. You cannot trust Decker until he proves healthy.

TE Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. New England Patriots)

This is a burgeoning fantasy playmaker, but the Pats are the fifth-best team against fantasy tight ends right now. Kelce is a marginal play you should avoid, particularly with the Chiefs offense hinging on the health of Jamaal Charles (ankle). Kelce has better weeks ahead than this one.

D/ST San Francisco 49ers (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

Forget stopping Nick Foles/Chip Kelly's Eagles offense at this point. Sure, the 49ers run defense can keep LeSean McCoy in the tank, but the Eagles should be able to find some success downfield against the 49ers corners. The 49ers are in a rare spot of being the worst team against fantasy wide receivers right now. They are in the bottom quarter of the league against fantasy quarterbacks, too. Age, injury and defections have taken their toll on this unit.

Sleepers and Busts

As mentioned in a prior slide, this might be one of the toughest weeks to set a lineup with six teams on bye. It will force you to dive deeper in the player pool than usual.

We present some lesser-known players who should be considered by position while also outlining those players you likely have to start but need to lower your expectations on: 

Five Week 4 Lineup Sleepers

1. QB Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings/QB Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars: These rookie quarterbacks get ideal conditions to make their first NFL starts. They are facing suspect, young secondaries and should get ample garbage time even if the game is a blowout. We can see you starting these guys even in standard formats, truly.
2. RB Khiry Robinson, New Orleans Saints (at Dallas Cowboys): Pierre Thomas is going to get more fantasy points because of the passing-game work, but Robinson does the bulk of the running and gets the goal-line touches. The Saints should light up the scoreboard in Dallas this week. Grab a piece of the action here.
3. WR Cecil Shorts, Jacksonville Jaguars (at San Diego Chargers): He hasn't been good or healthy yet, but that Chargers secondary is young and vulnerable. Also, Bortles is going to have to play catch-up with the red-hot Rivers.
4. TE Owen Daniels, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Carolina Panthers): The matchup isn't as promising as Daniels' usage is. The Ravens are a tight end team, and Joe Flacco is a tight end-friendly quarterback. The loss of Dennis Pitta (hip) for the season makes Daniels a must-own now.
5. D/ST Detroit Lions (at New York Jets): This Lions defense is for real. Their performances against the New York Giants in Week 1—they sure have played real well since—and Green Bay Packers in Week 3 should have proved that to you.

Five Week 4 Lineup Busts

1. QB Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Tennessee Titans): Don't you dare sit this early fantasy MVP, but this week scares us. It might be a dud for Luck, particularly if the Colts blow this one out early and sit on the ball as we expect.
2. RB LeSean McCoy, Philadelphia Eagles (at San Francisco 49ers): The matchups don't get any easier for your first-round pick. McCoy has better weeks ahead. The 49ers are still dominant against fantasy running backs (third, per FFToday.com).
3. WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Tennessee Titans): Myriad weapons figure to vulture points from Hilton week to week. Also, as we said with Luck, this might not be as open of a game for the Colts. The Titans are fifth best against fantasy wideouts and No. 2 against the pass overall.
4. Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (at San Francisco 49ers): The 49ers might have had issues against wideouts, but they have yet to allow 100 yards receiving to tight ends for the season, much less in one game. This stands to be one of Ertz's quieter weeks.
5. D/ST Baltimore Ravens (vs. Carolina Panthers): We should expect the Panthers to play much better this week, particularly if this is a low-scoring defensive struggle. It should be, which will make the Panthers more conservative and less error-prone on offense.

Last-Minute Waiver Options

We have already beaten the waiver wire to death in Bleacher Report's Week 4 Insider Notebook, Week 4 Big Board and Week 4 Predictions. The options keep presenting themselves late leading up to Sunday kickoffs every week, though.

Here are some emerging last-minute lineup and daily fantasy options from CBSSports.com's most-viewed players:

1. WR Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (at San Diego Chargers): The rookie figures to have a rapport with Blake Bortles, who draws his first NFL start at a good time against a raw Chargers secondary. Robinson could be headed for some good numbers this season with Bortles taking over.
2. RB Alfred Blue, Houston Texans (vs. Buffalo Bills): Even if Arian Foster (hamstring) plays, he will be going at something less than 100 percent. You have to like Blue as a sleeper in this matchup, even if the Bills haven't given up much to fantasy running backs yet. The Texans will be stubborn with the run.
3. WR Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars (at San Diego Chargers): Ditto with Robinson. Cecil Shorts is back, but all three of the Jags receivers will get garbage-time numbers in this one.
4. WR Malcom Floyd, San Diego Chargers (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars): We love Keenan Allen for a rebound game, but Floyd is a solid option, too, against the last-ranked pass defense in football.
5. RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers (at Baltimore Ravens): You might be surprised to know he is still available in 21 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. We predict the Panthers are going to get Williams in the end zone against the Ravens.

Follow @EricMackFantasy

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.