Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Projections and Matchups to Love

The NFL changes every week, but we know quite a bit about what to expect now that we are three games into the 2017 season.

Roles are starting to get settled, teams are beginning to show their weaknesses and facing the New Orleans Saints defense is always a good thing. If you play the matchups well, you can get the most out of your lineup for Week 4.

Here are the full rankings for the week, projected point totals for standard leagues and a deeper look at a few matchups to exploit either in season-long leagues or daily fantasy.

Quarterbacks

1. Tom Brady (23)

2. Drew Brees (22)

3. Matt Ryan (21)

4. Russell Wilson (21)

5. Marcus Mariota (20)

6. Dak Prescott (18)

7. Matthew Stafford (18)

8. Tyrod Taylor (18)

9. Alex Smith (17)

10. Kirk Cousins (17)

11. Carson Wentz (17)

12. Trevor Siemian (17)

13. Philip Rivers (16)

14. Derek Carr (16)

15. Jameis Winston (16)

Russell Wilson vs. Colts

Ronald C. Modra/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

After a pair of mediocre games to start the year, Russell Wilson is coming off one of the best performances of his career, finishing with 373 passing yards and four touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans.

Although the Seattle Seahawks lost, this seems to be the type of performance Wilson will have to provide this year without much help from his offensive line. Unlike past seasons, he will likely have to throw a lot for his team to be competitive.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts come to town this week with a pass defense that ranks fourth worst in the NFL, allowing 284 yards per game. Additionally, the team does not have the best pass rush in the league, which could allow Wilson to have more time in the pocket and throw the ball down the field.

Adding in any potential rushing yards and Wilson could be ready for a big week.

Running Backs

1. Kareem Hunt (15)

2. Ezekiel Elliott (14)

3. Le'Veon Bell (14)

4. Leonard Fournette (13)

5. Todd Gurley (13)

6. LeSean McCoy (13)

7. Devonta Freeman (12)

8. Jay Ajayi (12)

9. Dalvin Cook (12)

10. Melvin Gordon (12)

11. Carlos Hyde (12)

12. Christian McCaffrey (11)

13. DeMarco Murray (11)

14. C.J. Anderson (11)

15. Joe Mixon (11)

16. Chris Carson (11)

17. Marshawn Lynch (11) 

18. Mike Gillislee (11)

19. Chris Thompson (11)

20. Jacquizz Rodgers (10)

21. Jonathan Stewart (10)

22. Lamar Miller (10)

23. Mark Ingram (10)

24. Wendell Smallwood (9)

25. Ameer Abdullah (9)

26. Javorius Allen (9)

27. Frank Gore (8)

28. LeGarrette Blount (8)

29. Chris Johnson (7)

30. Jamaal Charles (7)

Christian McCaffrey vs. Patriots

It's clear he isn't a normal running back who gets 20 carries per game, but Christian McCaffrey has a lot of value to the Carolina Panthers. As the team runs low on receivers, he has become a key part of the passing attack.

The rookie finished with nine catches for 101 yards on 11 targets last week, all of which led the team. Although he hasn't gotten into the end zone yet, he will soon enough.

This is also a juicy matchup upcoming this week against the New England Patriots, as Zack Cox of NESN noted:

Only the Saints allow more receiving yards to opposing running backs. Considering how good the Patriots offense is, the Panthers might have to be in passing mode for a good portion of the game, which means more time for McCaffrey.

If last week wasn't a breakout, this week could be.

Jacquizz Rodgers vs. Giants

Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images

It's a major risk to start a player who only got five carries for 15 yards the week before, but the good news is no one else on the roster took over in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield.

Jacquizz Rodgers has one more week to make an impression before Doug Martin returns from suspension, and he should take advantage.

His Week 4 opponent is the New York Giants, who rank last in the NFL with 153.3 rushing yards allowed per game.

The Philadelphia Eagles ran for 193 yards and two touchdowns last week despite an early injury to Darren Sproles. If the Buccaneers are smart, they will exploit this weakness and give the ball to their best runner on the active roster.

Wide Receivers

1. Antonio Brown (14)

2. Odell Beckham Jr. (13)

3. A.J. Green (13)

4. Julio Jones (13)

5. Stefon Diggs (12)

6. Brandin Cooks (12)

7. Michael Thomas (12)

8. Mike Evans (12)

9. Doug Baldwin (12)

10. Tyreek Hill (12)

11. Larry Fitzgerald (12)

12. Keenan Allen (11)

13. Emmanuel Sanders (11)

14. DeAndre Hopkins (11)

15. DeVante Parker (11)

16. Demaryius Thomas (11)

17. Dez Bryant (11)

18. T.Y. Hilton (11)

19. Adam Thielen (11)

20. Michael Crabtree (10)

21. Jarvis Landry (10)

22. Alshon Jeffery (10)

23. Sammy Watkins (10)

24. Amari Cooper (9)

25. Marqise Lee (9)

26. Pierre Garcon (9)

27. Rishard Matthews (9)

28. Chris Hogan (8)

29. Jeremy Maclin (8)

30. Jermaine Kearse (8)

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Titans

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Usage goes a long way toward predicting future success, and few players are a bigger part of their team's passing attack than DeAndre Hopkins.

The 25-year-old leads the NFL with 37 targets, leading to exactly seven catches in three straight games. He only has one touchdown so far and hasn't turned in a 100-yard effort, but this type of usage often leads to big things.

With his recent chemistry with Deshaun Watson, Hopkins has a chance to return to the elite level he was at two years ago.

The Tennessee Titans, with their inconsistent secondary, likely aren't the team to stop him.

DeVante Parker vs. Saints

The Dolphins offense hasn't been great this season as a whole and the run game was stuffed last week, but things will get better against the Saints this week. Even as the defense has improved, the unit has still allowed the second-most yards and the third-most points in the NFL.

This should be a good opportunity for DeVante Parker to continue his strong start to the year.

Parker has been targeted 19 times in two games, totaling 12 catches for 161 yards and a touchdown in this stretch. Jarvis Landry remains a key part of the offense while Kenny Stills isn't going away, but Parker could be the best fantasy option on the roster if he lives to expectations.

Week 4 could be a breakout performance for him.

Tight Ends

1. Rob Gronkowski (12)

2. Travis Kelce (12)

3. Zach Ertz (10)

4. Delanie Walker (10)

5. Charles Clay (9)

6. Jordan Reed (9)

7. Jimmy Graham (9)

8. Jason Witten (8)

9. Kyle Rudolph (8)

10. Jared Cook (7)

11. Evan Engram (7)

12. Eric Ebron (6)

13. Coby Fleener (6)

14. Benjamin Watson (5)

15. Seth DeValve (5)

Travis Kelce vs. Redskins

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

After grabbing just one pass for one yard in Week 3, Travis Kelce has a great opportunity for a bounce-back performance in Week 4.

The Washington Redskins have talented cornerbacks on the roster, but they have struggled to stop tight ends this season. In all three games, the opposing tight end was the team's leading receiver, including Zach Ertz, Gerald Everett and Jared Cook.

While Ertz has had a good start to the year, none of these players are anywhere near as talented as the Kansas City Chiefs star.

Kelce should be a lot more involved in the offense Monday night than he was last week, and he can turn that into a big game.