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

To start or to sit. This is a question that fantasy managers face on a weekly basis, and this year's rash of high-profile injuries has not made decisions any easier.

Players like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Michael Thomas and Julio Jones are must-starts when healthy. Of course, these players aren't healthy, leading managers to start more second-tier players than is ideal.

It's this second tier where there are legitimate decisions to be made. You're not taking Patrick Mahomes or Josh Jacobs out of the lineup unless he is on bye, but deciding whether to start Matthew Stafford or Nyheim Hines in a given week is trickier.

We'll try to provide some aid here, as we examine some second-tier options for Week 4—players outside of the top 10 at quarterback and top 50 for flex positions, according to FantasyPros—and sort through which to start and which to sit.

Start 'Em

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins

Antonio Gibson, RB, Washington Football Team

Jerick McKinnon, RB, San Francisco 49ers

Latavius Murray, RB, New Orleans Saints

Allen Lazard, WR, Green Bay Packers

Jarvis Landry, WR, Cleveland Browns

Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos

Mike Gesicki, TE, Miami Dolphins

Start 'Em: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Miami Dolphins

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

While the Miami Dolphins didn't notch their first win until Week 3, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been a solid streaming option over the past two weeks. He had 328 passing yards and two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2 and 160 passing yards, 38 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in Week 3 against the New York Jets.

It should be back to some prolific passing numbers for Fitzpatrick here in Week 4. The Dolphins host the Seattle Seahawks, who have had the worst pass defense in the NFL over the first three weeks.

Seattle has allowed 430 passing yards per game so far, with Cam Newton as the only quarterback to not reach 450 passing yards against the Seahawks defense (and he passed for 397).

Don't be surprised if Fitzpatrick approaches the 400-yard mark as the Dolphins and Seahawks engage in a Sunday afternoon shootout.

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

Will Davante Adams play for the Green Bay Packers on Monday night? This is one of the biggest unknowns of the week, though ESPN's Rob Demovsky reported he didn't practice on Wednesday and there probably won't be any clarity until Thursday's practice at the earliest.

Fellow wideout Allen Lazard becomes a legitimate must-start if Adams doesn't go. He had six catches for 146 yards and a touchdown while filling in as the No. 1 target against the New Orleans Saints.

Even if Adams does play, though, Lazard is worth starting against a bad Atlanta Falcons pass defense.

While Atlanta hasn't been quite as bad against the pass as Seattle has, it has allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL through three games. Opposing teams have averaged just over 350 passing yards per game against the Falcons. Even as Green Bay's No. 2 receiver, Lazard could have a huge outing.

Sit 'Em

Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Tennessee Titans

Myles Gaskin, RB, Miami Dolphins

Joshua Kelley, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Adrian Peterson, RB, Detroit Lions

Emmanuel Sanders, WR, New Orleans Saints

N'Keal Harry, WR, New England Patriots

Golden Tate, WR, New York Giants

Evan Engram, TE, New York Giants

Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns

Sit 'Em: Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

Laurence Kesterson/Associated Press

The San Francisco 49ers are banged up and haven't had the same shutdown defense they possessed in 2019. However, they still rank second in passing yards allowed and present a tough challenge for Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.

Last week, Wentz played an underwhelming Cincinnati Bengals defense but came away with just 225 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions—though he did rush for a score. It marked the third consecutive week in which Wentz has played poorly, which could be a sign of deeper issues.

"It does seem, just from watching him play, that he's lost some confidence," former Eagles president Joe Banner said, per Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Injuries to 49ers defenders like Nick Bosa and Richard Sherman will give Wentz a fighting chance, but this isn't the week to expect a rebound.

Sit 'Em: Austin Hooper, TE, Cleveland Browns

Tight end Austin Hooper was a Pro Bowler and a quality fantasy option over the past two seasons, but that was when playing with the Atlanta Falcons. Hooper joined the Cleveland Browns in free agency and has been an afterthought in the offense since.

With the Browns relying heavily on running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt—as well they should—Hooper has been more valuable as a blocker than a pass-catcher. According to Pro Football Reference, Hooper has been targeted just 10 times through three weeks and has a mere seven receptions for 62 yards.

There is the potential for Hooper to have a breakout game against the Dallas Cowboys and their 28th-ranked pass defense. However, playing him is just too risky given his established role in Cleveland's offense.

Even when the Browns were in full-on pass mode against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, Hooper had just two targets.