Fantasy Football Week 4: Biggest Sleepers at Every Position
In Week 4, managers will have the rare opportunity to load up on potential sleepers at tight end—the shallowest position in terms of fantasy production.
As the free-agent pool runs dry on sleepers at running back and wide receiver, tight ends could provide value in the flex spot.
Last week, two tight ends saw plenty of action in the passing attack and another made his 2021 debut coming off a Pro Bowl year. Don't pass up on a chance to pick them up while they're widely available.
Beyond a surprising number of sleeper options at tight end, we'll dig deep at running back, shine a light on an underrated wide receiver who's a key part of the league's No. 1 passing attack and highlight a young quarterback's strong start with a new team.
All of the sleeper picks are rostered in fewer than 60 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Friday.
QB Sam Darnold at Dallas Cowboys (35 Percent Rostered)
1 of 8
Sam Darnold could find himself in the midst of a scoring shootout with the Dallas Cowboys, a team that averages 30 points per game.
If that's the case, Darnold will have to move the ball up and down the field without his most dynamic playmaker, running back Christian McCaffrey, who's out with a hamstring injury. In all likelihood, the young signal-caller and his wide receivers will carry a heavier offensive burden in this matchup.
Chuba Hubbard, who handled the bulk of the rushing workload in McCaffrey's absence, recorded three receptions for 27 yards last week. He could serve as a reliable target in the short passing game.
Darnold has eclipsed 300 passing yards in each of the previous two contests. He's also scored three rushing touchdowns for the season. With more offensive responsibility on him, the Carolina Panthers quarterback could finish top-10 in fantasy points at his position for Week 4.
QB Taylor Heinicke at Atlanta Falcons (9 Percent Rostered)
2 of 8
DK DFS Price: $5,900
Taylor Heinicke isn't a popular name in fantasy circles, though he should have a little more buzz going into Week 4.
In Weeks 2 and 3, Heinicke finished top-12 in fantasy scoring among quarterbacks. Over the past two outings, he's scored five total touchdowns (four passing and one rushing).
On Sunday, Heinicke will face the Atlanta Falcons, which have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. Furthermore, lead cornerback A.J. Terrell practiced in full Wednesday and Thursday, but he has to go through concussion protocol in order to play Sunday. According to Scott Bair of the team's official website, his status is "still up in the air."
Meanwhile, wideout Curtis Samuel can return from injured reserve (groin) and boost the Washington Football Team's passing attack. He came back to practice Wednesday.
Though Heinicke has thrown three interceptions this season, the Falcons have yet to force a turnover through the air. He could post big numbers with efficiency Sunday.
RB J.J. Taylor vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 Percent Rostered)
3 of 8
DK DFS Price: $4,300
The New England Patriots will move forward without their primary pass-catcher out of the backfield. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Field Yates, James White will miss the remainder of the season with a hip injury.
White leads Patriots running backs in targets (14), receptions (12) and receiving yards (94). To replace him, New England could feature J.J. Taylor in the short passing game.
During the summer, the MMQB's Albert Breer visited New England's training camp and compared Taylor to former Patriots tailbacks Danny Woodhead and Dion Lewis, two pass-catching running backs who recorded 85-plus receptions with the team.
In his observations, Breer revealed Taylor had been "vying for a real role" on offense. He could have a shot to play a significant number of snaps over Brandon Bolden, who's served as a special teamer for most of his career, and rookie running back Rhamondre Stevenson, whom the Patriots listed as inactive last week.
In Week 4, Patriots quarterback Mac Jones will likely need to throw a lot to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' league-leading scoring offense, so Taylor is worth a look in point-per-reception leagues.
.png?w=256)
WR Tim Patrick vs. Baltimore Ravens (38 Percent Rostered)
4 of 8
DK DFS Price: $4,900
The Denver Broncos lost one of the top wide receivers for the remainder of the campaign. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, KJ Hamler tore his ACL in last week's contest.
As a result, Tim Patrick may see more targets in the coming weeks. Remember, the Broncos placed wideout Jerry Jeudy on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain after their season opener.
Patrick has played at least 70 percent of the offensive snaps in all three games this season and scored touchdowns in two contests. In Week 3, he recorded a season-high 98 receiving yards. As a starter alongside Courtland Sutton, the fifth-year pro has WR2 appeal.
Through three weeks, quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has completed 76.8 percent of his passes. He should be able to move the ball against the Baltimore Ravens' 30th-ranked pass defense, which bodes well for Patrick's fantasy outlook in Week 4.
WR Hunter Renfrow at Los Angeles Chargers (23 Percent Rostered)
5 of 8
DK DFS Price: $4,600
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr spreads the ball among his deep pass-catching group. The club has five players with at least 10 receptions and 138 receiving yards. Yet he does have a couple of reliable favorites in the passing game.
Tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow rank first and second on the team in targets and receptions, respectively. The latter has a 72.7 percent catch rate.
Renfrow has quietly been a consistent playmaker, logging at least five catches and 57 receiving yards in all three games this season. Last week, he scored a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.
Renfrow isn't a matchup-winning fantasy gem who's going to explode for 100 yards every week, but he'll rarely leave a hole in your scoring column. With his target volume and catch rate, the third-year wideout could have a solid outing against the Los Angeles Chargers, who allowed three passing touchdowns to the Kansas City Chiefs last week.
TE Evan Engram at New Orleans Saints (35 Percent Rostered)
6 of 8
DK DFS Price: $3,000
During last week's game with the Atlanta Falcons, New York Giants wide receivers Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton suffered hamstring injuries and didn't return to action. Also, keep in mind Kenny Golladay is battling a hip injury. Even if all three players practice at some point this week, a healthier pass-catcher can emerge as a reliable receiving threat Sunday.
Coming off a calf injury, Evan Engram made his season debut in Week 3 against the Falcons. He played 56 percent of the offensive snaps and saw six targets but only hauled in two passes for 21 yards. Engram also lost a fumble.
Despite a rough outing in the previous week, Engram still had the second-most targets behind wideout Collin Johnson and running back Saquon Barkley, who had seven apiece. With the injuries at wide receiver, quarterback Daniel Jones could rely on his starting tight end in a matchup with the New Orleans Saints.
In 2020, the Giants struggled to move the ball through the air with the 29th-ranked aerial attack, but Engram managed to earn his first Pro Bowl nod, hauling in 63 passes for 654 yards and a touchdown with Jones under center. Now healthy, he's worth a look as a top sleeper option at tight end.
TE Dalton Schultz vs. Carolina Panthers (29 Percent Rostered)
7 of 8
DK DFS Price: $3,400
In a Week 3 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Dak Prescott threw two of his three touchdown passes to Dalton Schultz. Because of the Dallas Cowboys' heavy use of two-tight end sets, the fourth-year pro could produce solid fantasy value in his next matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Schultz and fellow tight end Blake Jarwin have started in all three games. The former has played at least 68 percent of the offensive snaps in each outing with six catches in two of those contests.
With wideout Michael Gallup on injured reserve because of a calf injury, Schultz has a window of opportunity to become the third receiving option behind wideouts Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb.
Since Cooper suffered a rib injury in Week 2, he's had underwhelming performances, catching just six passes for 50 yards over the last two games. In Week 3, the star wideout only saw four targets while Schultz led the team with seven.
Though the Panthers have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends, Schultz's involvement in the Cowboys' passing game gives him a shot to rack up a decent number of yards and reach paydirt Sunday.
TE Tyler Conklin vs. Cleveland Browns (10 Percent Rostered)
8 of 8
DK DFS Price: $3,500
With tight end Irv Smith Jr. out for the season, the Minnesota Vikings need someone to fill the pass-catching void at the position. The club acquired Chris Herndon from the New York Jets, but he's played just 12 offensive snaps in all three games.
Last week, Tyler Conklin had a notable role in the Vikings' passing attack, hauling in seven of his eight targets for a career-high 70 yards and a touchdown.
Now that Conklin has established a connection with quarterback Kirk Cousins, he can build on his Week 3 performance and potentially challenge wideout K.J. Osborn as the third option in the passing game behind wideouts Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen.
Conklin has played at least 71 percent of the offensive snaps in every contest this season. As the featured tight end, he could post solid numbers against the Cleveland Browns, who have allowed the 13th-most fantasy points to players at his position. Managers should monitor his status though. He went through a limited practice Thursday because of glute and elbow injuries.
Fantasy scoring and points allowed are provided by FantasyPros.
Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com for details.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=480 "NFL Combine Football")
.JPEG?w=600 "Best Late-Round Draft Steals ‼️")
.jpg?w=600 "Undrafted Free Agent Tracker ✍️")
.jpg?w=600 "Joe Schoen May Be on Hot Seat")