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

NFL Week 4 should be another fun ride through the fantasy football landscape. 

Not only was the week prior a blast, eight games on the Week 4 slate opened with an over/under of at least 45 points, according to OddsShark. With games like the New Orleans Saints against the New York Giants on the schedule, start-sit decisions probably aren't as difficult as they should be. 

That doesn't mean we aren't here to help. Here's a look at some matchup comparisons between top names and some notable start-sit questions worth answering. 

QB

Matchup Comparison	Verdict
Patrick Mahomes (at DEN) vs. Matt Ryan (vs. CIN)	Matt Ryan
Drew Brees (at NYG) vs. Aaron Rodgers (vs. BUF)	Aaron Rodgers
Ryan Tannehill (at NE) vs. Andrew Luck (vs. HOU)	Ryan Tannehill
Philip Rivers (vs. SF) vs. Carson Wentz (at TEN)	Philip Rivers
Ben Roethlisberger (vs. BAL) vs. Tom Brady (vs. MIA)	Tom Brady

Star to Know: Matt Ryan, ATL (vs. CIN)

This one looks bad at face value. 

Matt Ryan hasn't been the most reliable player this year. While he's entering Week 4 off a 40.16-point outburst by way of five touchdown passes, he also opened the season with just 9.84 points.

The Cincinnati Bengals usually have a stout defense, but they have allowed north of 20 points to two quarterbacks faced this year and another scored 19.84. They also won't have star linebacker Vontaze Burfict on the field, so even passes to running backs should do serious damage. 

Given the fact Ryan's defense is also a mess, another 30-point showing isn't out of the question. 

Star to Sit: Carson Wentz, PHI (at TEN)

Don't get too excited about the return of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz just yet. 

Wentz sputtered out of the gates in Week 3, posting 12.2 points by way of one touchdown and interception against an iffy Indianapolis Colts defense. He's got rust to shake off and the offense around him isn't 100 percent healthy, so owners knew better than to buy into him right away. 

But the Tennessee Titans aren't going to make the second game back any easier. They only allow the 12th fewest points to opposing passers on average, only letting one quarterback so far surpass the 23.8-point mark.

The Eagles aren't going to overexpose a former MVP candidate in his second game back, so they should keep the game plan simple, short and rely on the run—especially in the face of an underrated defense.  

RB

Matchup Comparison	Verdict
Alvin Kamara (at NYG) vs. Ezekiel Elliott (vs. DET)	Ezekiel Elliott
Melvin Gordon (vs. SF) vs. Saquon Barkley (vs. NO)	Saquon Barkley
Kerryon Johnson (at DAL) vs. David Johnson (vs. SEA)	Kerryon Johnson
Dalvin Cook (at LAR) vs. Giovani Bernard (at ATL)	Giovani Bernard
Derrick Henry (vs. PHI) vs. Chris Carson (at ARI)	Chris Carson

Star to Know: Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (vs. DET)

The Ezekiel Elliott outburst is coming. 

Elliott has had a ho-hum start to the year, scoring no more than 17.2 points in a game but also making sure to break into double digits each time. Really, it's the mirror image of his boring Dallas Cowboys right now. 

Elliott gets the Detroit Lions in Week 4, meaning he could feast on a defense that has managed to cough up the second-most points to backs so far.

These are the names to score double digits on Detroit: 

• Isaiah Crowell (22.2)
• Matt Breida (23.4)
• James White (12.6)

So yes, Elliott should have a gigantic day while serving as the offensive centerpiece. 

Star to Sit: Isaiah Crowell, NYJ (at JAX)

Crowell might have had a huge day against the Lions, but he's one to avoid against the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

It's a shame, as it's fun to finally see a team use a sledgehammer like Crowell properly. He's got a pair of two-touchdown games to his name, giving him two games with at least 18.1 points so far. The usage is consistent, too, as he's had at least 10 carries in each contest—and the quality of the carries is great. 

But we're talking about the Jaguars, a team that predictably ranks among the top 10 in teams that give up the fewest points to backs. The only hiccup for the unit this year was getting torched by a workhorse top-five rookie like Saquon Barkley. 

Crowell is much better than most realize, but he isn't seeing workhorse usage and he simply isn't Barkley. 

WR

Matchup Comparison	Verdict
Odell Beckham Jr. (vs. NO) vs. Keenan Allen (vs. SF)	Odell Beckham Jr.
Mike Evans (at CHI) vs. Sammy Watkins (at DEN)	Mike Evans
Michael Thomas (at NYG) vs. Jarvis Landry (at OAK)	Michael Thomas
Allen Robinson (vs. TB) vs. DeAndre Hopkins (at IND)	DeAndre Hopkins
Adam Thielen (at LAR) vs. A.J. Green (at ATL)	A.J. Green

Star to Know: Mike Williams, LAC (vs. SF)

What, you don't think Mike Williams is a star? 

It's time to get with the times—after laughable usage by his coaching staff during his rookie season and injury issues, the 2017 No. 7 pick is realizing his potential in a hurry, having scored 10.6, 9.7 and 22.1 points over his first three games of the season. 

Producing well with or without Keenan Allen on the field (the veteran is an iffy go this weekend), Williams next gets to keep this going against the San Francisco 49ers, a team allowing the seventh-most points to wideouts. 

Put it another way: The 49ers have allowed six wideouts to reach double digits in three games. Williams will merely be the latest, and his upside is huge as he continues to flirt with superstar potential.

Star to Sit: DeSean Jackson, TB (at CHI)

The fun ride that was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers has come to a halt, which means the end of fantasy relevancy (for the most part) for DeSean Jackson. 

Jackson came back down to earth in Week 3 with just 5.2 points, not even close to his 29.1 and 20.9-point showings to start the season. The reason was predictable, with Ryan Fitzpatrick once again turning back into Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

It's only going to get worse for all involved when the Buccaneers hit the road and have to deal with Khalil Mack and the Chicago Bears. Not only did Pittsburgh write the blueprint on how to fluster Fitzpatrick, but Mack and an elite pass rush are also going to ground the passing game. 

Jackson isn't lost for the rest of the season, but this one should be a dud. 

TE

Matchup Comparison	Verdict
Travis Kelce (at DEN) vs. Eric Ebron (vs. HOU)	Travis Kelce
Zach Ertz (at TEN) vs. Trey Burton (vs. TB)	Zach Ertz
O.J. Howard (at CHI) vs. Jimmy Graham (vs. BUF)	O.J. Howard
Rob Gronkowski (vs. MIA) vs. Jack Doyle (vs. HOU)	Rob Gronkowski
Charles Clay (at GB) vs. Tyler Eifert (at ATL)	Tyler Eifert

Star to Know: Kyle Rudolph, MIN (at LAR) 

Kyle Rudolph of the Minnesota Vikings is one of those guys who never gets the attention he probably deserves for one reason or another. 

So it goes to start this year, where Rudolph has at least 7.6 points in each game, has scored twice and enters Week 4 off the best game of his young season, totaling 13.3 points on six targets. 

The usage-heavy Rudolph gets to go against the Los Angeles Rams, a team coughing up a top-10 number to the position on average, with one tight end going for 22.5 points. 

Rudolph is a good play either way because of usage, but if his coaches can see the film on that 22.5-point showing from Jared Cook against the Rams and scheme up something similar, he has best-of-week potential. 

Star to Sit: Jared Cook, OAK (vs. CLE) 

John Hefti/Associated Press

Speaking of Cook, he's a must-avoid player in Week 4. 

After his Week 1 outburst, Cook hasn't done much, failing to reach double digits again while his sporadic offense stutters. The game plans from Jon Gruden have been great, the execution not so much. 

It's hard to imagine the execution is there in Week 4 against an elite Cleveland Browns front, which seems to get relentless pressure and for the purposes of Cook's outlook surrenders just the third-fewest points to tight ends. 

If Cook gets targets, they are going to be short hurried looks against a disciplined unit that isn't going to let him break free for notable gains. 

All scoring info, points-against info and ownership stats courtesy of Yahoo standard leagues.