Week 4 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Advice on Fantasy Football Stars to Play or Bench

Week 4 will get underway on Thursday night with a battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns that will, at least temporarily, determine first place in the AFC North.

Similarly, fantasy managers will be looking to stay ahead of the proverbial pack as the season approaches the quarter mark. Lineup decisions will be critical, and while some starts are obvious, others may require a deeper dive.

Who can managers trust in Week 4? Let's dive into the most recent results and the looming matchups for some start/sit recommendations.

All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Quarterback

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Daniel Jones

Top 5 Plays

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Jared Goff, Carolina Panthers
5. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Start: Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is still looking to recapture his 2024 form. He's thrown just three touchdown passes through three games and hasn't regularly tested his surgically repaired Achilles as a scrambler.

However, Jones has the potential for a breakthrough game this week against the Washington Commanders in London. Only the Detroit Lions have surrendered more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than Washington.

Other Week 4 QBs to consider:

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings

Sit: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

Deshaun Watson has actually looked like a competent quarterback in each of his past two games. In Week 3, he had 45 rushing yards to go with a pair of passing touchdowns, which might be enough to earn some streamer consideration.

However, no one should trust Watson on a short week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland's offensive line is suspect. The Steelers have a terrific pass rush and have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs.

Other QB sits:

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Running Back

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Aaron Jones

Top 5 Plays

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
2. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
3. Kenneth Walker III, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
5. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

Start: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have been able to lean on Aaron Jones since fellow running back Jordan Mason landed on injured reserve with a thumb injury. Last week, Jones logged 17 carries, five receptions, and 92 scrimmage yards.

This week, Jones will face a Miami Dolphins defense that has regularly played from behind and surrendered volume rushing as a result. While Miami has allowed just 3.5 yards per carry, it has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing RBs than any other team.

Other Week 4 starts:

Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Sit: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers cannot seem to find any semblance of an offensive rhythm under new coordinator Mike McDaniel. Omarion Hampton hasn't been regularly used as a receiver (3 catches) in McDaniel's offense either.

This hurts Hampton's floor significantly, and Week 4 is not bringing a friendly matchup. The Seattle Seahawks have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Other RB sits:

Quinston Judkins, Cleveland Browns

MarShawn Lloyd, Green Bay Packers

Tony Pollard, Tennessee Titans

Wide Receiver

AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann

Top 5 Plays

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
3. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
4. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
5. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Start: Josh Downs, Indianapolis Colts

With Alec Pierce (heel) sidelined, Josh Downs has become a prolific piece of the Colts' offense. Over the past two weeks, he has logged 20 targets, caught 12 passes, and topped 70 receiving yards twice.

This week, Downs will face a Commanders defense that has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing wideouts than any other team. The list of other WRs to trust this week includes:

Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars

Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals

Sit: D.J. Moore, Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills receiver D.J. Moore suffered a shoulder injury in Week 2 but returned to catch six passes for 67 yards in Week 3. He'll be back in the lineup for Week 4, though he's likely to see a lot of Christian Gonzalez on Sunday.

The New England Patriots' top corner makes this a dicey matchup for Moore, even if the Patriots' defense has been average overall. New England has surrendered the 15th-most fantasy points to opposing WRs.

Other Week 4 sits:

Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers

K.C. Concepcion, Cleveland Browns

Tight End

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Dalton Schultz

Top 5 Plays

1. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
2. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
3. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
4. Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

Start: Dalton Schultz, Houston Texans

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz came back to earth in Week 3, catching just three passes for 30 yards a week after going off for 12 and 140. However, he's looking at a potential bounce-back game in Week 4.

Houston's defense simply hasn't been as dominant as it has been in recent years. This means that the Texans will likely have to pass early and often to keep pace with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas' defense, meanwhile, has been suspect and has surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing TEs.

Other TE starts for Week 4:

Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets

Darren Waller, Carolina Panthers

Sit: Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears showed that they can keep the offense rolling with Case Keenum at quarterback. However, star tight end Colston Loveland did not take off with Keenum Behind center.

Loveland caught four passes for 31 yards, which is by far his best stat line of the season. However, those are modest numbers, and Loveland will next face a New York Jets defense that has surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing TEs.

Other Week 4 sits:

Hunter Henry, New England Patriots

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.