Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Projections and Matchups to Love

As data accumulates and bye weeks begin, NFL fantasy football managers must amplify their attention to matchups when forming Week 4 lineups.

It should no longer matter that someone drafted Andrew Luck before Matt Ryan. The latter plays his third straight game at the Georgia Dome after compiling nine touchdowns in the last two home contests. Start him against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have yielded the ninth-most passing yards through three games.

Following three full slates, Washington and the Carolina Panthers will take an early respite this weekend. That means countless fantasy players must replace Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, Adrian Peterson, Chris Thompson and Jordan Reed, who have all been strong options so far this season.

Let's examine Week 4 rankings by position before breaking down one noteworthy matchup to target at each spot.

Quarterback

1. Patrick Mahomes, KC (at DEN)

2. Philip Rivers, LAC (vs. SF)

3. Aaron Rodgers, GB (vs. BUF)

4. Drew Brees, NO (at NYG)

5. Tom Brady, NE (vs. MIA)

6. Matt Ryan, ATL (vs. CIN)

7. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (vs. BAL)

8. Deshaun Watson, HOU (at IND)

9. Russell Wilson, SEA (at ARI)

10. Andy Dalton, CIN (at ATL)

11. Matthew Stafford, DET (at DAL)

12. Carson Wentz, PHI (at TEN)

Top Matchup: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (at Atlanta Falcons)

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Need a one-off streamer to replace Newton? Andy Dalton tops the list of potentially available passers.

Despite throwing four interceptions in Week 3's loss to Carolina, the Red Rifle ranks 12th among all quarterbacks in fantasy scoring, per FantasyPros. He has tossed 860 passing yards and eight touchdowns for the NFL's sixth-highest scoring offense.

Since Bill Lazor took over as Cincinnati's offensive coordinator, Dalton has accrued 37 touchdowns (four rushing) in 17 games.

The Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, rank 26th in passing offense while yielding a 70.5 completion percentage. According to OddsShark, only Monday night's showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos carries a higher over-under line than this matchup's 52 points.

This pick would take a hit if Dalton loses the services of A.J. Green, who left Sunday's game with a groin injury. Per D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, head coach Marvin Lewis said the star wideout will be "ready to go" at Atlanta. 

If Green is good to go, Dalton should slice open a Falcons defense missing Keanu Neal, Deion Jones and Ricardo Allen. 

Projections: 24-of-37, 285 Passing Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

Running Back

1. Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (vs. DET)

2. Alvin Kamara, NO (at NYG)

3. Melvin Gordon, LAC (vs. SF)

4. Saquon Barkley, NYG (vs. NO)

5. James Conner, PIT (vs. BAL)

6. Giovani Bernard, CIN (at ATL)

7. Kareem Hunt, KC (at DEN)

8. Tevin Coleman, ATL (vs. CIN)

9. David Johnson, ARI (vs. SEA)

10. Jordan Howard, CHI (vs. TB)

11. Carlos Hyde, CLE (at OAK)

12. Leonard Fournette, JAC (vs. NYJ)

13. Marshawn Lynch, OAK (vs. CLE)

14. Lamar Miller, HOU (at IND)

15. Kenyan Drake, MIA (at NE)

16. Alex Collins, BUF (at PIT)

17. Phillip Lindsay, DEN (vs. KC)

18. Chris Carson, SEA (at ARI)

19. Sony Michel, NE (vs. MIA) 

20. Matt Breida, SF (at LAC)

21. Jay Ajayi, PHI (at TEN)

22. Dion Lewis, TEN (vs. PHI)

23. Kerryon Johnson, DET (at DAL)

24. Jamaal Williams, GB (vs. BUF)

25. Royce Freeman, DEN (vs. KC)

Top Matchup: Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals (at Atlanta Falcons)

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Sticking with the same team, Dalton should utilize Giovani Bernard frequently as a receiver. Courtesy of ESPN.com, the Falcons lead the NFL in receptions (36) and targets (47) allowed to opposing running backs.

That doesn't necessarily mean he'll catch 14 passes like Christian McCaffrey or duplicate Alvin Kamara's 15 receptions on 20 targets. Yet those bloated tallies aren't a mere result of facing two of the game's premier pass-catching backs, as Atlanta also ceded an NFL-high 107 catches to the position in 2017. 

Bernard handled 17 targets (12 carries, five catches) with Joe Mixon out because of a surgically repaired knee in Week 3. That's a fair floor in a projected high-scoring road game, and the Falcons have permitted 5.2 yards per carry.

This recommendation, of course, is contingent on Mixon sitting out Week 4.

As relayed by ESPN's Katherine Terrell, the second-year rusher did not offer an optimistic estimation of his availability:

Bernard was also present on Wednesday's injury report, per Terrell, but he practiced in limited fashion. He's an elite option, especially in point-per-reception (PPR) leagues, if starting in place of an inactive Mixon.

Projections: 15 Carries, 80 Yards, 7 Receptions, 40 Yards, 1 TD

Wide Receiver

1. Antonio Brown, PIT (vs. BAL)

2. Michael Thomas, NO (at NYG)

3. Odell Beckham Jr., NYG (vs. NO)

4. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (at IND)

5. Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. SF)

6. Julio Jones, ATL (vs. CIN)

7. Mike Evans, TB (at CHI)

8. JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT (vs. BAL)

9. Davante Adams, GB (vs. BUF)

10. Tyreek Hill, KC (at DEN)

11. A.J. Green, CIN (at ATL)

12. Emmanuel Sanders, DEN (vs. KC)

13. T.Y. Hilton, IND (vs. HOU)

14. Jarvis Landry, CLE (at OAK)

15. Allen Robinson, CHI (vs. TB)

16. Demaryius Thomas, DEN (vs. KC)

17. Golden Tate, DET (at DAL)

18. Kenny Golladay, DET (at DAL)

19. Will Fuller, HOU (at IND)

20. Amari Cooper, OAK (vs. CLE)

21. Sterling Shepard, NYG (vs. NO)

22. Marvin Jones, DET (at DAL)

23. Kenny Stills, MIA (at NE)

24. Nelson Agholor, PHI (at TEN)

25. John Brown, BAL (at PIT)

Top Matchup: Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (vs. New Orleans Saints)

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Courtesy of FantasyPros, the New Orleans Saints have allowed 47.3 points per game to wide receivers this season. Second on this dubious list, the Los Angeles Chargers have ceded 33.9 points per contest.

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tyrod Taylor and Matt Ryan have combined to post 1,010 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and a 141.7 passer rating. That makes Eli Manning an interesting streamer and DFS bargain. Odell Beckham Jr. will be licking his lips at this matchup, but everyone knows to start him with full confidence.

Sterling Shepard stands out as the main benefactor who jumps from a borderline flex option to a formidable WR3. 

After collecting six catches for 80 yards and a touchdown, his Week 4 stock would have increased against a neutral opponent. The third-year wideout's target share should rise with an MCL tear sidelining Evan Engram. The Record's Art Stapleton suggested the tight end could "conservatively" miss four-to-six weeks.

On the other side, the Saints' shaky secondary got weaker after they placed cornerback Patrick Robinson (broken ankle) on injured reserve.

Yahoo Sports' Brad Evans noted how this benefits Shepard:

Three wideouts (Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson and Calvin Ridley) have already eclipsed 140 yards with at least one touchdown against the Saints. Beckham and Shepard are both credible candidates to join that list on Sunday.

Projections: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 90 Yards, 1 TD

Tight End

1. Rob Gronkowski, NE (vs. MIA)

2. Travis Kelce, KC (at DEN)

3. Zach Ertz, PHI (at TEN)

4. Jimmy Graham, GB (vs. BUF)

5. Trey Burton, CHI (vs. TB)

6. O.J. Howard, TB (at CHI)

7. George Kittle, SF (at LAC)

8. David Njoku, CLE (at OAK)

9. Jared Cook, OAK (vs. CLE)

10. Eric Ebron, IND (vs. HOU)

11. Tyler Eifert, CIN (at ATL)

12. Benjamin Watson, NO (at NYG)

Top Matchup: Trey Burton, Chicago Bears (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Chicago Bears' offense has not taken the leap anticipated by head coach Matt Nagy's arrival. If there was ever a time to turn the hype into reality, it's Sunday's golden matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay has allowed 1,088 passing yards, tied with Kansas City for the NFL's highest mark. Per ESPN.com, no team has forfeited more receptions (25), receiving yards (329) and PPR points per game (21.3) to tight ends.

A top-five ranking will seem high for Trey Burton, who has produced 90 yards and a touchdown this season. This is also, however, a week where Engram will sit while Reed gets a scheduled break. Kyle Rudolph, one of few viable starters at a ransacked position, already competed on Thursday night. 

The slot is inflated by the position's scarcity. While Burton hasn't shined for a coach who vaulted Travis Kelce to stardom, only 10 tight ends—including Reed and Rudolph—have received more than his 16 targets.

If Chicago falters at home against a soft defense, it's time to question Burton's status as a fantasy starter. Given the opportunity and the position's climate, he's a top Week 4 option in standard leagues and DFS contests. 

Projections: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 50 Yards, 1 TD