NFL Scores Week 4: Results and Top Fantasy Football Stars for Sunday Games

Fantasy football players are smiling at the points piling up the scoreboards throughout the NFL during a wild Week 4.

During the early slate of Sunday's games, teams weren't overly concerned with the whole defense thing. While that gave your opponent more scoring chances, fake managers across the world had ample opportunities to fill their lineups with contributors.

With the season’s first bye week, some fantasy managers were forced to get creative with their lineups. The absence of Montee Ball, Giovani Bernard, Marshawn Lynch and Zac Stacy prompted managers to dig deeper down the well for useful running back replacements.

Let's take a look at some of this week's premier fantasy stars from each position.

Winner	Score	Loser	Notable Fantasy Performer
Miami Dolphins	38-14	Oakland Raiders	RB L. Miller (12 Rush, 64 YDs, 2 TDs)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	27-24	Pittsburgh Steelers	TE H. Miller (10 Rec., 85 YDs, 1 TD)
Baltimore Ravens	38-10	Carolina Panthers	WR S. Smith (7 Rec. 139 YDs. 2 TDs
Detroit Lions	24-17	New York Jets	QB M. Stafford (293 YDs, 2 TDs)
Green Bay Packers	38-17	Chicago Bears	RB M. Forte (122 Rush YDs, 49 Rec. YDs)
Indianapolis Colts	41-17	Jacksonville Jaguars	QB A. Luck (393 YDs, 4 TDs, 1 INT)
Houston Texans	23-17	Buffalo Bills	WR D. Hopkins (5 Rec., 64 YDs, 1 TD)
Minnesota Vikings	41-28	Atlanta Falcons	RBs M. Asiata (3 TDs) and J. McKinnon (18 Rush, 135 YDs)
San Francisco 49ers	26-21	Philadelphia Eagles	RB F. Gore (119 Rush YDs, 55 Rec. YDs, 1 TD)
San Diego Chargers	33-14	Jacksonville Jaguars	QB R. Rivers (377 YDs, 3 TDs)

Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens

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Nice day to be a quarterback. I could highlight Aaron Rodgers bouncing back, Andrew Luck trucking along or Ben Roethlisberger exploiting a lucrative matchup, but let's focus on the most surprising star from Sunday.

Against a tough Carolina Panthers defense, which was ranked eighth against the pass before Sunday, Joe Flacco exploded for 327 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Baltimore Ravens' official Twitter page noted his lofty touchdown total:

Let's turn it to former tight end Tony Gonzalez for deep insight on Flacco, per Football Outsiders' Scott Kacsmar:

Heading into the week, Flacco netted a consensus ranking of No. 23 on FantasyPros. You can't blame the experts, as Flacco is a fringe option facing a premier defense. Few fantasy managers likely enjoyed the fruits of his labor, and those who did probably had no other choice, with Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson on byes.

The 29-year-old began the season with 345 yards against the Cincinnati Bengals and then followed it up with 166 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's the worst kind of inconsistent, as he'll thrive when he's expected to stink and fizzle when he's expected to dominate. But this was a big showing.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears

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Are you one of the countless people worried about wasting a first-round pick on Matt Forte? Don't worry: The star running back is going to be fine.

After two stagnant games, he sliced up the Green Bay Packers for 122 rushing yards on 23 carries, adding five receptions and 49 yards. That's more than enough production to please his owners without a score.

The big day led him to reach a prestigious career milestone, per the Chicago Bears' Twitter page:

Forte has yet to reach the end zone, but he's piled up the yards in two of four games. During the other pair of matchups, he faced two of the four toughest teams (New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers) for opposing backs to produce fantasy points against.

Keep trusting Forte as your No. 1 running back. If you don't roster him, see if his touchdown drought compels his owner to sell low.

Steve Smith Sr., WR, Baltimore Ravens

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The prime benefactor of Flacco's breakout day, Steve Smith decimated his old team.

Smith continued his renaissance season with seven catches, 139 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers. Through four games, he leads the team with 429 yards.

Per the Charlotte Observer's Tom Sorensen, Smith discussed his return in a less graphic way than March's "blood and guts everywhere" quote. 

“Do I want to show certain individuals that I can still play?” Smith asks. “Honestly, I don’t have to.”

With three 100-yard efforts on the season, it's hard to argue Smith's status as a front-line fantasy wideout. He deserves a permanent place in all starting lineups going forward.

Heath Miller, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

Don Wright/Associated Press

Heath Miller should consider himself lucky that I'm only judging Sunday's stars, as Larry Donnell would undoubtedly receive this position of honor after scoring three touchdowns on Thursday night.

While Miller's performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't win anyone's matchup alone, his 10 catches, 85 yards and two touchdown are a major plus from a fringe tight end who hadn't found paydirt yet this season.

Anyone who listened to ESPN's Matthew Berry found an unheralded tight end to provide a shot in the arm.

Ben Roethlisberger's trusty tight end has now received 22 targets over the past three weeks, amassing four or more catches in each game. The 31-year-old is a boring choice without major upside, but managers looking for a bye-week replacement or No. 2 insurance policy can do far worse.

Miami Dolphins, Defense

Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

During an afternoon bereft of major defensive stalwarts, the Miami Dolphins received the nod for Cortland Finnegan's 50-yard touchdown on a fumble recovery.

Miami added three interceptions and two sacks while allowing 14 points, making it a big performer for everyone who pounced on the matchup. This says more about the Oakland Raiders as an exploitable opponent than the Dolphins' defensive fantasy value going forward.

Randy Bullock, K, Houston Texans

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With most of the offenses rolling, teams weren't settling for many field goals in the early afternoon. In one of the week's more low-scoring affairs, Randy Bullock netted three during the Houston Texans' 23-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

He booted two 50-yarders, one from 55, which provides most fantasy owners a nice bonus. He also nailed a 41-yarder and two extra points, giving him a nice little Sunday.

This just goes to show why projecting kickers is a waste of time. A week after delivering just five points, Bullock turned in a commendable outing that will help some fantasy gamers sneak by with a dirty victory.