Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 4: Advice for Fringe Flex Fantasy Football Starters

Injuries have continued to make a big impact on the 2020 NFL season. That's the case every year, but some fantasy football managers have been hit especially hard through the first three weeks of this season.

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey continues to be out with a high ankle sprain. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas has also missed the past two weeks with an ankle injury. And new ailments are continuing to pop up, as Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson is now expected to miss some time because of a knee sprain.

For some fantasy football managers, their success will now depend on making the right start/sit decisions and continuing to be active on the waiver wire.

With Week 4 coming up, here are some players who should be started and some who should be benched for this week's action.

Start 'Em: Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens

It's been a disappointing start to the year for Ingram (and pretty much all Ravens running backs) in fantasy, but don't give up just yet. Especially with Baltimore set to host Washington, which is coming off a loss to Cleveland in which it allowed 158 rushing yards.

After a strong 2019 (1,018 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns), Ingram has only 26 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown through three weeks in 2020. While quarterback Lamar Jackson has rushed 32 times, there's been less of a workload for Baltimore's backs, including Gus Edwards (18 carries) and rookie J.K. Dobbins (10).

But the Ravens should be playing with a lead against Washington, which should allow them to stick with the ground game and give Ingram more touches than he's been getting in recent weeks. His best showing came in Week 2 at Houston (nine carries for 55 yards and a touchdown), but he should put up even better numbers this week, so don't move him to your bench just yet.

Sit 'Em: Joshua Kelley, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

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Kelley was one of the top players to add from the waiver wire following Week 2 after he had 23 carries for 64 yards and two receptions for 49 yards in an overtime loss to the Chiefs. He wasn't as busy in Week 3, getting only eight carries for 43 yards and two receptions for nine yards in a loss to the Panthers while also losing a fumble.

There should still be weeks when Kelley and Austin Ekeler are both good running backs to start, but Week 4 isn't one of them. Through three weeks, the Buccaneers have the third-best run defense in the NFL (70.3 rushing yards allowed per game), and there's a good chance the Chargers could be playing from behind and will need to pass a lot.

Keep Kelley on your roster and be ready to utilize him when Los Angeles has matchups that should allow it to run a lot with both of its top backs. But this week, find a better matchup for your flex spot, as there should be better streaming options than him.

Start 'Em: Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers

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With Davante Adams out because of a hamstring injury, Lazard put up huge numbers in Week 3, hauling in six receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown in the Packers' win over the Saints. If Adams returns in Week 4, Lazard may not put up those types of numbers, but he should still have a solid fantasy performance in a strong matchup against the Falcons.

Atlanta, which is 0-3, has allowed 350.3 passing yards per game over the first three weeks, the second-most in the NFL behind only Seattle (430.7). Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers should pass early and often, and he can't go to Adams every play, so Lazard should get plenty of opportunities.

Plus, the Falcons have an offense that should be able to keep up with the Packers. So both of these strong passing units will keep going back and forth, allowing their quarterbacks and receivers to pile up yardage. And that should make Lazard a solid flex option this week.

Sit 'Em: Darius Slayton, WR, New York Giants

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In Week 1, Slayton had six receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns. In Weeks 2 and 3, he combined for six receptions for 86 yards and didn't get into the end zone. And this may not be the week that Slayton puts up numbers that resemble his stats from the season opener.

The Giants are going up against the Rams, which means Los Angeles will likely have top cornerback Jalen Ramsey on Slayton. If New York is going to have a strong offensive day, that may mean it will go to other receiving options, as Slayton is likely to have difficulty getting open against Ramsey, a three-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro selection.

At 23 years old and only 17 games into his NFL career, Slayton is still likely to keep getting better, and these matchups may not lead to him getting benched in fantasy. But for now, there are better streaming options at receiver who should put up bigger numbers than Slayton this week.

Start 'Em: Hayden Hurst, TE, Atlanta Falcons

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Through his first three games with the Falcons, Hurst has scored a pair of touchdowns. However, he hasn't been too active in the offense, hauling in only nine passes for 111 yards. And in Week 3, he had just one 1-yard reception in Atlanta's loss to Chicago (although it was for a touchdown).

Wide receivers Julio Jones (hamstring) and Russell Gage (concussion) are both banged up, so it's possible Hurst will be targeted more if the Falcons are shorthanded in their receiving corps. And Green Bay will likely put up a lot of offense, so Atlanta will need to keep passing to keep up.

If Hurst can just get more volume, he could become a strong fantasy play every week as he's already gotten into the end zone in two of the first three weeks. Expect this to be one of his better showings so far and get him into your fantasy lineups this week.

Sit 'Em: Jared Cook, TE, New Orleans Saints

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As it turns out, Michael Thomas' absence has just led to more targets in the Saints' passing game for running back Alvin Kamara. With Thomas out the past two weeks, Cook has had only four total receptions for 34 yards (although he scored his first touchdown of the season in the Week 2 loss at Las Vegas).

In order for Cook to have value in a fantasy lineup, he's been highly dependent on getting into the end zone. And at this point, he's just not doing that consistently. Cook may not be heavily involved this week, either, as New Orleans is facing a Detroit defense that's allowing 172.3 rushing yards per game (third-worst in the NFL), so it may be keeping the ball on the ground a lot.

There should be some streaming options on the waiver wire who could be more involved in their team's offense this week and have more favorable matchups. Cook is going to have his weeks where he puts up better numbers, but he's just not doing that consistently enough to open the year.