Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 4: Advice Before Fantasy Football Lineup Deadline
Week 4 in the NFL is upon us, and with it we have the first bye weeks of the season (New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans are off).
With bye weeks in effect and injuries starting to mount, fantasy decisions are getting more difficult and more critical.
To help with your last-minute decisions, the following lists break down a few difficult decisions you may be faced with this week, whether you're working through your season-long league or building a daily lineup.
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| Peyton Manning (vs MIN) vs Matt Ryan (vs HOUT) | Matt Ryan |
| Cam Newton (vs TB) vs Andrew Luck (vs JAC) | Cam Newton |
| Andy Dalton (vs KC) vs Tyrod Taylor (vs NYG) | Tyrod Taylor |
| Carson Palmer (vs STL) vs Derek Carr (vs CHI) | Derek Carr |
| Sam Bradford (vs WSH) vs Colin Kaepernick (SF) | Sam Bradford |
Start: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (vs. CHI)
Carr has thrown for over 300 yards and two or more touchdowns in each of his past two games against the Ravens and Browns.
This week, Carr and the Raiders take on the sinking ship that is the Chicago Bears.
According to Rotogrinders.com, the Bears are allowing just over 21 points per game to opposing quarterbacks using the DraftKings scoring system.
Chicago simply doesn't have anyone to cover Amari Cooper, so this should be another high-scoring day for Carr.
Sit: Sam Bradford, Philadelphia Eagles (vs. WSH)
Under different circumstances, Bradford would be a breakout candidate against a struggling Redskins defense. But the weather is too much of an unknown factor in this game.
According to The Weather Channel, there is a chance of rain with winds potentially reaching 20 miles per hours.
Even if they won't be playing in downpour conditions, the wind could certainly influence the production of the quarterbacks in this game.
| Matchup | Verdict |
| Adrian Peterson (vs DEN) vs Latavius Murray (vs CHI) | Latavius Murray |
| Melvin Gordon (vs CLE) vs T.J. Yeldon (vs IND) | T.J. Yeldon |
| Carlos Hyde (vs GB) vs Karlos Williams (vs NYG) | Karlos Williams |
| DeMarco Murray (vs WSH) vs Jeremy Hill (CIN) | DeMarco Murray |
| Jonathan Stewart (vs TB) vs Alfred Morris (vs PHI) | Jonathan Stewart |
Start: Karlos Williams, Buffalo Bills (vs. NYG)
If you're playing daily fantasy, starting Williams is a no brainer given the price tag associated with backup running backs.
But even in season-long leagues you're going to want to stick Williams in your starting lineup this week.
Veteran LeSean McCoy has been ruled out for the Bills game against the Giants, making Williams the workhorse for Buffalo.
According to RotoGrinders, the Giants defense is surrendering the fourth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. As a result, Williams should see a heavy workload and is likely to keep his touchdown streak alive.
Sit: Carlos Hyde, San Francisco 49ers (vs. GB)
After a breakout performance in Week 1, Carlos Hyde looked like the next fantasy superstar at the running back position. But after two straight duds, Hyde's fantasy impact is in question.
There's no denying Hyde's talent, and he'll likely have a few more dominant games this season. But with the 49ers playing from behind on a weekly basis, Hyde's opportunities may be slim.
Over the past two weeks, Hyde has just 18 second-half carries with the 49ers playing from behind, after totaling 22 in Week 1 against the Vikings.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense should have no problem building an early lead against the 49ers, forcing the coaching staff to put the game in Colin Kaepernick's hands. As a result, Hyde's opportunities should be limited in this game.
| Amari Cooper (vs CHI) vs Mike Evans (vs CAR) | Amari Cooper |
| Larry Fitzgerald (vs STL) vs Allen Robinson (vs IND) | Allen Robinson |
| DeAndre Hopkins (vs ATL) vs Calvin Johnson (vs SEA) | DeAndre Hopkins |
| Julio Jones (vs HOU) vs Odell Beckham Jr. (vs BUF) | Julio Jones |
| Percy Harvin (vs NYG) vs Terrance Williams (vs NO) | Percy Harvin |
Start: DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans (vs. ATL)
According to Odds Shark, the over/under for this game is 47 points, among the highest totals of the week.
This matchup between the Falcons and Texans has the potential to turn into a shootout, in which case both Hopkins and Julio Jones could be in line for monster games.
DeAndre Hopkins has received double-digit targets in every game this season, and Ryan Mallett should continue to feed him the ball against a Falcons defense that has allowed at least 200 passing yards in all three games.
Sit: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. CAR)
Evans draws a tough matchup against Panthers cornerback Josh Norman this week.
Through three games, Norman has allowed just 13 receptions on 27 targets, according to Pro Football Focus.
"Top 5 CBs by QB Rating when targeted: 1.Ronald Darby 31.8 2.Aqib Talib 32.4 3.Josh Norman 38.8 4.Brent Grimes 41.3 5.Darrelle Revis 44.2
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) October 2, 2015"
Jameis Winston clearly wants to feed the ball to his big-play receiver, as Evans saw 17 targets a week ago against against Houston. But they hooked up for just seven receptions, indicating they may not be on the same page just yet.
The breakout game for Evans is coming, but this probably isn't the matchup for it.
| Tyler Eifert (vs KC) vs Travis Kelce (vs CIN) | Tyler Eifert |
| Charles Clay (vs NYG) vs Jordan Reed (vs PHI) | Charles Clay |
| Eric Ebron (vs SEA) vs Zach Ertz (vs WSH) | Eric Ebron |
| Greg Olson (vs TB) vs Martellus Bennett (vs OAK) | Greg Olson |
| Owen Daniels (vs MIN) vs Jared Cook (vs ARZ) | Jared Cook |
Start: Eric Ebron, Detroit Lions (vs. SEA)
Ebron isn't one of the elite plays this week, but if you drafted him as your starter, don't get scared off by the Seahawks defense.
The Seahawks still boast one of the league's elite defenses, but they don't shut down tight ends the way they can stall a rushing attack.
According to RotoGrinders, Seattle ranked 17th in points allowed to tight ends a season ago—which is probably a better indicator than its stats this season given the absence of Kam Chancellor through the first two weeks.
Ebron has been a major part of the Lions offense so far this season, and he could actually see an increased role this week if Matthew Stafford attempts to avoid Richard Sherman.
Sit: Jordan Reed, Washington Redskins (vs. PHI)
As mentioned previously, the weather in Washington could be a factor this week, so that's one reason to worry about Reed's production.
Additionally, the Eagles defense has done a nice job against tight ends under Chip Kelly. A season ago, the Eagles were the third-stingiest defense from a fantasy perspective against tight ends according to RotoGrinders.
Reed started for the Redskins against the Eagles in Week 15 last season and hauled in just two receptions for five yards.
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