Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Targets for This Week's Injured Stars

Your heart may have dropped all the way into your stomach when Jimmy Garoppolo was running down the sidelines in NFL Week 3 and his ACL gave way before the quarterback was hit or stepped out of bounds.

That injury hit a number of fantasy owners hard, as did tight end Delanie Walker's ankle injury that will keep him out until Week 10, if not longer.

Perhaps your team was affected by earlier injuries to wide receiver Marqise Lee (knee) of the Jacksonville Jaguars or Garoppolo's teammate running back Jerick McKinnon (ACL).

You'll need to go after new blood to keep your fantasy team afloat. Perhaps you held off on making major changes after earlier injuries but can't wait any longer.

We offer fantasy targets at the skill positions who are owned by 50 percent or less in Yahoo fantasy leagues.

Quarterbacks

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns, 42 percent

Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens, 24 percent

Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphin, 22 percent

Running backs

LeGarrette Blount, Detroit Lions, 16 percent

Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles, 5 percent

Duke Johnson, Cleveland Browns, 44 percent

Wide receivers

Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers, 43 percent

Antonio Callaway, Cleveland Browns, 35 percent

Ted Ginn Jr., New Orleans Saints, 36 percent

Tight ends

Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers, 40 percent

Ricky Seals-Jones, Arizona Cardinals, 22 percent

QB Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

All fantasy players have to work off of at this point is a strong performance in the second half of Cleveland's Week 3 victory over the New York Jets. It was the Browns' first win since the 2016 season, and Mayfield's teammates responded quite well to the No. 1 overall pick's first game in the NFL.

Mayfield completed 17 of 23 passes for 201 yards against the Jets, and he ran the team with confidence. While he did not throw a TD pass, he didn't throw an interception either, and that's something to build off of for the young quarterback. 

He gets an opportunity to start Sunday on the road against the winless Oakland Raiders. The Oakland MO in the first three games of the season has been to play well in the first half and collapse in the second.

If Mayfield can stay calm, take what the defense gives him and make a few key plays in the final 30 minutes, he could get his first win as a starter.

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press/Associated Press

RB LeGarrette Blount, Detroit Lions

Blount has not been overly productive in the first three games of the season, but the Lions are just starting to find themselves after losing their first two games.

Blount has 28 carries for 83 yards to this point and has not scored a touchdown. However, the Lions found their running game in Week 3 against the Patriots, as rookie running back Kerryon Johnson exceeded the 100-yard mark (16 carries for 101 yards), and if that means the Lions are starting to find a balanced offense, Blount could take off.

He is one of the game's best short-yardage weapons, and he can be a hammer when the Lions get the ball near the goal line.

He is two years removed from scoring 18 rushing touchdowns with the Patriots, and new Detroit head coach Matt Patricia knows Blount well. He is likely to give him plenty of opportunities in goalline situations.

Much depends on Detroit's overall offensive success, and quarterback Matthew Stafford has regularly been a top-10 quarterback even if he is off to a slow start. Look for Blount to punish the Dallas Cowboys this week.

WR Geronimo Allison, Green Bay Packers

The Packers are off to an unimpressive 1-1-1 start, but head coach Mike McCarthy has the ultimate ace in the hole with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.

While the Packers have not always been the most consistent team, they regularly have one of the most explosive offensive teams in the NFL, and they know how to move the ball through the air.

Davante Adams and Randall Cobb are Rodgers' two main receivers, but Allison is off to an excellent start and is the team's leading receiver after three games.

Allison has caught 13 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and he has been targeted 18 times. In addition to knowing how to get open, Allison has excellent run-after-the-catch ability. 

The Packers face the Bills this week, and Rodgers could have a huge game and Allison could be one of the beneficiaries.

TE Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers

The season is not even 25 percent completed, but McDonald has already been the star of one of the plays that is likely to be on the season-long highlight film.

He delivered one of the greatest stiff arms in recent memory when he pummeled Tampa Bay defensive back Chris Conte after catching a first-quarter pass that he turned into a 75-yard touchdown reception.

Actually, it was a double stiff arm. The first blow knocked Conte off balance and the second shot sent him reeling. 

McDonald is not a major player in the Pittsburgh offense. Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are Ben Roethlisberger's top wideouts and tight end Jesse James is the No. 1 tight end. However, after McDonald's superb play, he has raised his status and will get more plays as a result.