Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Projections and Matchups to Love

The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, which means 14 games remain in Week 4. The New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are on the bye.

This means that your fantasy options for the remainder of the week are somewhat limited. Whether you're gearing up for some DFS action, seeking out waiver-wire options or simply preparing to set your lineup, some usually reliable players aren't going to be available.

Injuries to players like Ben Roethlisberger, Saquon Barkley, Hunter Henry and DeSean Jackson have further depleted the fantasy talent pool for Week 4. Picking the right players—and the right matchups—is even more important now than it was over the first four weeks.

Here we will examine the most enticing matchups at each fantasy skill position—quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end—along with a top-10 ranking and stat projection for each.

Week 4 Player Rankings and Stat Projections

Quarterbacks

1. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: 360 yards passing, 3 TDs, 40 yards rushing

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: 290 yards passing, 2 TDs, 70 yards rushing

3. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks: 315 yards passing, 2 TDs, 30 yards rushing

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans: 300 yards passing, 2 TDs, 30 yards rushing

5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: 310 yards passing, 2 TDs

6. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers: 310 yards passing, 2 TDs

7. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: 295 yards passing, 2 TDs

8. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals: 290 yards passing, 2 TDs

9. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams: 285 yards passing, 2 TDs

10. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns: 275 yards passing, 2 TDs

Matchup to Love: Philip Rivers at Miami Dolphins

It's nearly an automatic decision to start players who are set to face the Miami Dolphins. This holds true in Week 4, when Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers should have plenty of chances to push the ball downfield.

The Dolphins defense is bad. It's really bad. Miami has allowed an average of 44.3 points per game through three games. To give a little perspective, two teams haven't scored 44 points this season.

The one factor working against Rivers is the fact that Miami has been so prone to blowout losses that Los Angeles may not pass much in the second half. Still, the quarterback should do plenty of damage while the game is still competitive.

Miami has surrendered an average of 291.3 yards per game through the air. Only four teams have allowed more. Rivers is coming off a 318-yard, two-touchdown performance and should put up similar numbers in Week 4.

Running Backs

1. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys: 150 yards rushing, 70 yards receiving, 2 TDs

2. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers: 110 yards rushing, 110 yards receiving, 2 TDs

3. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints: 120 yards rushing, 90 yards receiving, 1 TD

4. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers: 100 yards rushing, 80 yards receiving, 1 TD

5. Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks: 100 yards rushing, 70 yards receiving, 1 TD

6. Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens: 110 yards rushing, 30 yards receiving, 1 TD

7. Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams: 120 yards rushing, 20 yards receiving, 1 TD

8. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns: 100 yards rushing, 10 yards receiving, 1 TD

9. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts: 90 yards rushing, 20 yards receiving, 1 TD

10. Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals: 85 yards rushing, 25 yards receiving, 1 TD

Matchup to Love: Christian McCaffrey at Houston Texans

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is in a terrific fantasy situation Sunday for a couple of reasons.

For starters, the Panthers will again be without starting quarterback Cam Newton. Kyle Allen proved perfectly capable of handling the job in Week 3—he passed for 261 yards and four scores—but McCaffrey is still going to be the focal point of the offense.

The 23-year-old produced 153 yards rushing, 35 yards receiving and a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. He should have similar numbers against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Houston isn't as poor against the run as Arizona, but it isn't great, either. The Cardinals rank 30th, while the Texans entered Week 4 ranking 15th, allowing an average of 108 yards per game. Houston has struggled even more against the pass, allowing an average of 277.7 yards through the air.

This is relevant for McCaffrey, who is one of the few true dual-threat backs in the league. Though he only has 15 catches this season, he finished 2018 with 107 receptions.

Expect Allen to look McCaffrey's way early and often against Houston, and expect the Panthers to lean on the third-year back in order to keep pressure off their quarterback.

Wide Receivers

1. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers: 160 yards receiving, 1 TD

2. Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons, 150 yards receiving, 1 TD

3. DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans: 145 yards receiving, 1 TD

4. Amari Cooper, Dallas Cowboys: 140 yards receiving, 1 TD

5. Marquise Brown, Baltimore Ravens: 130 yards receiving, 1 TD

6. Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints: 120 yards receiving, 1 TD

7. Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns: 110 yards receiving, 1 TD

8. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers: 160 yards receiving

9. Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions: 155 yards receiving

10. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks: 145 yards receiving

Matchup to Love: Keenan Allen at Miami Dolphins

Rivers' matchup against the Dolphins is hard to ignore, and so is the matchup for Chargers wideout Keenan Allen. If you can double up on the pair, you should be in great shape for Week 4.

The 27-year-old has emerged as an elite wide receiver, and the numbers are backing it up this season. He came into Week 4 leading the NFL with 404 yards receiving and has three touchdowns. He's on pace for 154 receptions.

"I don't know if he can be covered by one guy," Rivers said, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN. "And I don't say that arrogantly. You can say that about a handful of guys in this league, and he's one of them."

It will be difficult for Miami to cover Allen, even with standout cornerback Xavien Howard shadowing him for much of the game. Dallas Cowboys No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper caught six passes for 88 yards and two scores against the Dolphins in Week 3.

Tight Ends

1. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens: 110 yards receiving, 1 TD

2. Evan Engram, New York Giants: 90 yards receiving, 1 TD

3. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions: 85 yards receiving, 1 TD

4. Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans: 80 yards receiving, 1 TD

5. Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts: 75 yards receiving, 1 TD

6. Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers: 70 yards receiving, 1 TD

7. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs: 130 yards receiving

8. Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders: 110 yards receiving

9. Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons: 105 yards receiving

10. Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks: 95 yards receiving

Matchup to Love: Mark Andrews vs. Cleveland Browns

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Cleveland Browns may not be as advertised, but their defense is still solid. They have only allowed 23 points over the past two weeks and are allowing just 213 passing yards per game.

So why does Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews have a favorable matchup? Answer: injuries.

Covering Andrews with standout linebacker Christian Kirksey won't be an option, as the Browns have placed him on injured reserve with a chest injury. Kirksey had five passes defended and two interceptions last season, so this is a notable absence.

Cleveland may also be without starting strong safety Morgan Burnett—along with cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams:

The injuries at linebacker and safety are the most relevant for Andrews, who has emerged as Lamar Jackson's favorite intermediate target.

Cleveland's pass rush could also put a short clock on the quarterback when he goes back to pass, so expect Andrews to be a big piece of the offensive game plan.