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

There isn't a more difficult decision in fantasy football than picking which players to start and which ones to sit from one week to the next.

It won't get any easier in Week 4, the first weekend of the 2019 NFL season with two teams on a bye (the San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets).

Is this the week in which Aaron Rodgers finally airs it out enough to justify his lofty price tag? Can Baker Mayfield snap out of his funk? Has Terry McLaurin already joined the top tier of fantasy pass-catchers?

We'll get to all of those questions and provide our top start/sit recommendations at each offensive position below.

Start 'Em

QB: Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

RB: James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

RB: Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs

WR: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

WR: Terry McLaurin, Washington Redskins at New York Giants

WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks

TE: Will Dissly, Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

TE: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons

Sit 'Em

QB: Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

QB: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams

RB: David Montgomery, Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings

RB: Frank Gore, Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

WR: John Brown, Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

WR: Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

WR: Nelson Agholor, Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers

TE: Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys

TE: Trey Burton, Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings

Start: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles

There might be something to Aaron Rodgers' sluggish fantasy start—a slower pace and higher priority on the ground game may not go away given the team's unblemished record—but frustrated owners should get some welcome relief in Week 4.

The Eagles are coming to town, and that usually means good things are coming for the opposing quarterbacks. Case Keenum and Matt Ryan have both enjoyed 300-yard, three-score games against them already.

Plus, Green Bay will need more than Aaron Jones to keep pace with this Carson Wentz-led attack. Philly is tied for the ninth-most points per game, and Wentz has averaged two passing touchdowns per tilt.

The fantasy forces were working against Rodgers early. Chicago, Minnesota and Denver all boast strong defenses, and all three offenses were held to fewer than 17 points. As both trends are changing for this Thursday night collision, look for Rodgers to resemble the elite option you drafted him to be.

Sit: Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

Is it too early to drop the dreaded "bust" tag on Baker Mayfield? Perhaps, but it's more than fair to say he's on a short list of the young season's biggest fantasy disappointments.

Maybe that changes down the road, but don't look for a dramatic transformation this weekend.

"I wouldn't trust him in Week 4 at Baltimore," CBS Sports' Jamey Eisenberg wrote. "[...] His offensive line has been bad, and Mayfield has looked off. Don't give up on him yet in terms of cutting him, but I wouldn't start him in most one-quarterback leagues at Baltimore."

Mayfield has as many touchdown passes as games played (three) and fewer scores than interceptions (five). His 56.9 completion percentage is sixth-worst, one spot higher than Steelers' replacement passer Mason Rudolph.

Baltimore may not have the ferocious defense it unleashed in seasons past, but before surrendering three TD tosses to Patrick Mahomes in Week 3, it had allowed just one scoring pass through the first two weeks.

Start: Terry McLaurin, Washington Redskins at New York Giants

It shouldn't feel right to say this about a third-round rookie who's three weeks into his NFL career, but Terry McLaurin already appears like he deserves weekly starts.

If you're still on the fence—understandable given his inexperience and the fact his quarterback, Case Keenum, just threw more interceptions than touchdowns—then consider this the week in which he solidifies that status.

The only way for McLaurin to draw a more favorable matchup is if the league somehow scheduled a Redskins scrimmage. In other words, only Washington has allowed more fantasy points to wide receivers than the New York Giants, per Yahoo Sports.

Between Keenum's volume (third-most passing attempts) and Daniel Jones' hot start (364 scrimmage yards, four total scores in Week 3), this game has serious shootout potential. Don't take our word for it, just ask oddsmakers, who have assigned this game with a robust over/under of 49 points, per Caesars Sportsbook.

McLaurin has hauled in 16 of his 24 targets for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Considering Mike Evans just dropped an eight-catch, 190-yard, three-score game on this Giants' defense, McLaurin should give a substantial boost to his already impressive numbers.