B/R's Week 4 PPR Fantasy Football 2026 Player Rankings

Time flies when you're having fun—or when you're driving yourself crazy. Either way works.

The first month of the 2026 fantasy football season is winding to a close. For some, it has been a bonanza of breakouts.

For others, it has been one problem after another. Injuries have already ravaged the roster. Healthy players aren't living up to their draft-day price tag. The losses are piling up.

However, whether you are 3-0 and rolling or 0-3 and reeling, we all have one thing in common: Everyone wants to get a win in Week 4.

As always, this column aims to assist fantasy managers in that endeavor with position-by-position PPR rankings, player notes, start and sit calls, and some Week 4 sleepers.

It's a one-stop shop of fantasy football goodness.

Week 4 Rankings

AP Photo/Kelley L. Cox

Cardinals TE Trey McBride

It's reboot time.

We're changing the format for this week's rankings. Instead of presenting the list position by position, we're using a sortable, searchable tool packed with valuable information.

As always, there are no quarterbacks listed in the overall rankings (which can be useful when making "flex" decisions). If you play in a "superflex" league and have a viable second QB, he should be in that spot.

Case Keenum now being on that list for the Bears is the 2026 season in a nutshell.

Week 4 PPR Rankings

Quarterbacks

AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

49ers QB Brock Purdy

We expected Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills to be an elite fantasy option this season, and while he cooled off a bit in Week 3, he still leads the position in fantasy points.

However, Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers was drafted in most leagues as a borderline starter, and he leads all NFC signal-callers in fantasy points through three weeks.

If Purdy has been a pleasant surprise, Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers and Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints have been stunners.

Young and Shough were late-round afterthoughts at best. Now, after three games the former is averaging 313 passing yards per game, while the latter has posted three straight outings with over 20 fantasy points.

Quarterback Notes

Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is the latest quarterback to go down this season. He's expected to miss at least a few games after dislocating his thumb in last week's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Drake Maye of the New England Patriots was the fourth quarterback drafted on average over the summer. Now, after a turnover-plagued start in which he has yet to post even 10 fantasy points in a game, the third-year pro ranks outside the top 30.

This week's London game between the Indianapolis Colts and Washington Commanders doesn't appear all that appealing to fantasy managers at first. But there could be some aerial fireworks Sunday—both teams possess bottom-three pass defenses.

Start of the Week

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (vs. Detroit Lions)

Young's production slowed last week after a torrid start to the season, but he should kick right back into high gear in Week 4. The Panthers are going to have to throw to keep up with the Lions, and Detroit's defense has been non-existent so far this season.

Sit of the Week

Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (vs. Pittsburgh Steelers)

Don't look now, but Watson has quietly been a top-10 fantasy quarterback through three games in 2026. Look elsewhere if you need a Week 4 spot-starter, though. The Steelers have surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to QBs this season.

Sleeper of the Week

Case Keenum, Chicago Bears (vs. New York Jets)

Keenum was fantastic last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, accounting for three touchdowns and finishing inside the top five in fantasy points. He's firmly on the streaming radar with Caleb Williams expected to miss at least a couple more games.

Running Backs

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs was the first overall pick in more fantasy leagues than not this year.

He's living up to that price tag—and then some.

Three games into the season, Gibbs is the highest-scoring fantasy running back by a wide margin, averaging a ridiculous 32.8 PPR points per game. Last week against the New York Jets, Gibbs piled up 164 total yards, caught seven passes and found the end zone three times.

The fourth-year pro is averaging over 150 total yards and a pair of touchdowns per game.

Running Back Notes

When De'Von Achane went down with a torn ACL last week, second-year pro Ollie Gordon II took over as the Miami Dolphins' featured back. However, his fantasy outlook remains limited. Miami's offensive struggles cap his upside, and Jaylen Wright's potential return from a stinger and foot injuries could create a committee that limits Gordon's workload.

Achane wasn't the only big-name back who went down in Week 3—Breece Hall of the New York Jets has been labeled "week to week" with a thigh injury suffered in Detroit. Braelon Allen will be in the low-end RB2 conversation for as long as Hall is out, including this week in Chicago.

A miserable start to his tenure with the New Orleans Saints has become even worse for Travis Etienne Jr. He injured his hamstring in last week's loss to the Las Vegas Raiders and is expected to miss time. The Saints were already struggling to run the ball, so it's hard to get excited about the prospects of Alvin Kamara or Kendre Miller while Etienne is sidelined.

Start of the Week

Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Green Bay Packers)

The good news is that after sitting out most of the fourth quarter last week with an undisclosed ailment, Irving is expected to be fine for Week 4. The better news is that Tampa will lean on the run with Jalon Daniels under center against a Green Bay Packers defense that was just gashed on the ground by the Atlanta Falcons.

Sit of the Week

Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers (at Seattle Seahawks)

The Chargers have been abysmal offensively so far this season, and that funk has spread to Hampton, who ranks outside the top-20 in PPR points after three weeks. Don't expect things to improve this week in Seattle—the Seahawks have allowed just 87 yards per game on the ground this season.

Sleeper of the Week

Rachaad White, Washington Commanders (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

White had just 41 scrimmage yards last week against Seattle, but he found the end zone and snuck into the top-20 backs in PPR points for the week. He will make it three straight games with double-digit PPR points this week in London against a Colts team allowing the sixth-most PPR points to running backs this year.

Wide Receivers

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Three games into the 2026 campaign, the highest-scoring player in fantasy football isn't a quarterback like Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, or a running back like Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions.

At this point in the season, we are living under the benevolent reign of King Jaxon I.

Seattle Seahawks wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba has been on an absolute tear to start the season. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year leads the NFL with 27 receptions, 405 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.

Smith-Njigba is on pace to record 156 receptions for 2,295 yards and 32 touchdowns. All three would shatter NFL records.

Oh, and he's averaging just under 35 PPR points per game.

Wide Receiver Notes

After a massive Week 1, the fantasy production of Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings has tailed off, although he still ranks inside the top-15 at the position for the year. Now the shaky quarterback play in Minnesota isn't the biggest hurdle Jefferson faces—he suffered a low-ankle sprain last week against the Buccaneers and is questionable for Week 4.

Raise your hand if you had Kalif Raymond of the Chicago Bears pegged as a top-12 fantasy option entering the season. Now put your hand down—lying is wrong. After reeling in six catches for 90 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles, Raymond is second on the Bears in targets and leads the team in receptions and receiving yards.

There are any number of injuries to monitor at wide receiver. Mike Evans of the San Francisco 49ers is likely out this week after injuring his ribs in Week 3. Nico Collins of the Houston Texans has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury but could return in Week 4. Jalen Coker of the Carolina Panthers injured his quad against the Cleveland Browns. And Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams is expected to miss a third straight contest with a groin injury.

Start of the Week

Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts (vs. Washington Commanders)

Downs has yet to find the end zone, but after five catches for 77 yards last week he has 12 PPR points in back-to-back weeks. His best game of the season is coming Sunday against a Washington Commanders secondary allowing almost 47 PPR points per game to wide receivers in 2026.

Sit of the Week

Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers (at Seattle Seahawks)

This isn't piling on the Chargers offense. OK, maybe it is. The truth is that the Bolts have struggled to get anything going this year, and Sunday they face an angry Seahawks defense that has given up the fourth-fewest PPR points to wide receivers this year.

Sleeper of the Week

Mack Hollins, New England Patriots (at Buffalo Bills)

In last week's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hollins led the Patriots in targets (9), receptions (6), and receiving yards (87). The Buffalo Bills remain undefeated, but their pass defense has been vulnerable early in the season, ranking 27th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game.

Tight Ends

AP Foto/Candice Ward

Raiders TE Brock Bowers

So, Brock Bowers is back.

It was a massive gut punch for fantasy managers when the Raiders tight end had knee surgery just before the season began. That procedure caused the third-year pro to miss the first two games of the season.

Bowers was back out there Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, and he picked up where the folks who drafted him early over the summer expected—13 targets, 10 catches, 116 yards and a touchdown.

Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals has some company in the top tier of tight ends now.

Tight End Notes

Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs had a down season by his standards in 2025, but even in that "down" year he was still quietly third in PPR points among tight ends. It's still early, but he appears to have turned back the clock in 2026. The 36-year-old is averaging over 16 yards a catch and is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2022.

Kelce isn't the only aging tight end who has started the season strong. George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers looks fully recovered from the Achilles injury he suffered in last year's playoffs. The 32-year-old was the NFC's highest-scoring tight end in Week 3 after posting six catches, 82 yards and two scores against Arizona.

At this rate, Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons may not catch six passes for 82 yards all season long. As a matter of fact, fantasy football's No. 2 tight end only has six targets through three games. He has parlayed those targets into a whopping two catches for 20 yards and 1.3 PPR points per game.

Start of the Week

Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers (vs. Detroit Lions)

After scoring a pair of touchdowns in Week 2, Waller led the Panthers in targets and catches in last week's loss to the Cleveland Browns. This week Waller faces a Detroit Lions team that leads the league in PPR points allowed to tight ends, and with Jalen Coker (quad) iffy at best Waller should see a solid target share again in Week 4.

Sit of the Week

Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (vs. New England Patriots)

Kincaid is off to an excellent start to the season—even after a down Week 3 he's still inside the top five in PPR points at the position. A second straight clunker could be in the offing Sunday against the New England Patriots—the Pats are allowing just 6.2 PPR points per game to tight ends in 2026.

Sleeper of the Week

Brenton Strange, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Cincinnati Bengals)

With just seven catches for 72 yards and a touchdown for the season, Strange's fourth professional season is off to a quiet start. He'll get louder on Sunday in the Queen City. For whatever reason, the Bengals have been a sieve against opposing tight ends for years, and 2026 hasn't been any different.

Team Defenses

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Raiders edge Maxx Crosby

Break up the Las Vegas Raiders!

At 3-0, they may well be the biggest surprise of the first three weeks of the 2026 season, and the Raiders defense has played a part in that success.

Last year, Vegas finished the season 25th in the NFL in points allowed. This year, the Raiders are eighth in that regard at 18 points per contest.

Vegas has been producing for fantasy managers as well. Thanks to the fourth-most sacks in the league and an NFL-high nine takeaways, the Raiders lead all AFC defenses in fantasy points and are the only team in the NFL to post double-digit fantasy points in all three outings this season.

This week's matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs is easily the Raiders' most difficult matchup to date, but the team's defensive improvement has been impressive.

Team Defense Notes

The Minnesota Vikings are on quite the rip so far this season—they have improved from a fantasy perspective every week, culminating in six sacks, two interceptions and a defensive score last week against Tampa. With Brian Flores running an ultra-aggressive scheme and a dream matchup this week with the disappointing Dolphins, the Vikings are the top defensive play in Week 4.

In 2025, the Houston Texans were the No. 1 defense in the NFL in yards allowed and second in fantasy points. They were one of the first defenses drafted in 2026, but it has been a slow start to the season—Houston sits 12th in fantasy points after three games. A matchup with the high-octane offense of the Dallas Cowboys isn't going to help.

If the Texans have been mildly disappointing to this point in the season, the Philadelphia Eagles have been a flat-out bust. Drafted fifth on average among defenses over the summer, the Eagles have struggled to generate big plays despite two favorable matchups in three games and have the fifth-fewest fantasy points at the position.

Start of the Week

Jacksonville Jaguars Defense (at Cincinnati Bengals)

The Jaguars have been dominant defensively in their two home games this season but stumbled in the second half at Denver in Week 2. Jacksonville will regain its road-warrior footing this week in Cincinnati against a Bengals team allowing the ninth-most fantasy points to defenses in 2026.

Sit of the Week

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

The Rams have actually been kind to opposing defenses this season—or at least they were a bonanza for the Broncos last Sunday night in Denver. But the Eagles just cannot generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and if you give Matthew Stafford time he will absolutely pick you apart.

Sleeper of the Week

Green Bay Packers (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Green Bay's defense was a Week 3 dud against Atlanta, and the run defense was especially poor. Still, the Packers have an inviting bounce-back matchup in Week 4: Tampa Bay ranks 27th in total offense, has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing defenses and is expected to turn to an undrafted rookie at quarterback.

Kickers

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Bengals PK Evan McPherson

Want proof of why drafting a fantasy kicker before the last round is a terrible idea? Check out the leaderboard at the position after three weeks.

Of the top five kickers in 2026 (well, six—there's a tie for fifth place), just two (Tampa's Chase McLaughlin and Kansas City's Harrison Butker) were drafted inside the top 12. The others were largely undrafted or late-round options.

Kicker is a volatile position, and the difference between the No. 1 and No. 12 options is often relatively small compared with the gap at other fantasy positions.

Kicker Notes

The No. 1 kicker after three games is Evan McPherson of the Cincinnati Bengals. McPherson has made all eight of his field goal attempts this year, including a perfect five-for-five from 50-plus yards out.

It has admittedly only been three weeks, but several kickers have started out hot. Five kickers have hit on seven or more field goals without a miss—McPherson, McLaughlin, Ryan Fitzgerald of the Panthers, Will Reichard of the Vikings and Spencer Shrader of the Colts.

It has been a rockier start to the season for Jacksonville's Cam Little, who owns the NFL record for the longest field goal made. Little has missed two of his six field goal attempts this season, although one was a 70-yarder that would have set a new record.

Start of the Week

Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh Steelers (at Cleveland Browns)

Boswell has had two big games and one clunker this season, but he's about as consistent as kickers get. Thursday night's trip to Cleveland should be another productive effort—the Browns have given up the most fantasy points in the AFC to kickers.

Sit of the Week

Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs (at Las Vegas Raiders)

With the Kansas City offense rolling, Butker's off to an excellent start—he sits fifth in fantasy points among kickers. But the Raiders haven't been giving up points to the position—just four points per game.

Sleeper of the Week

Trey Smack, Green Bay Packers (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

After the Packers imploded at home last week, Smack got smacked right to the waiver wire in a lot of leagues. But he was a top-five kicker entering last week, and the Buccaneers lead the league in points surrendered to the position.

Gary Davenport is a two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year. Follow Gary on X at @IDPGodfather.