Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Locks To Win Your Matchup
Fantasy football relies mostly on two elements: luck and matchups.
I can’t work my voodoo magic so that you have good fortunes this Sunday, but I can provide you with some key matchups that you can exploit in Week 4.
Here’s an example: My Week 3 opponent had Joe Flacco as his quarterback. The Ravens played the Browns. He played Flacco.
Now, hopefully my Week 4 opponent doesn’t read this, but I’m going to provide you with some matchups this weekend that could help you start your fantasy football season 4-0.
Or keep you from going 0-4.
So here it is: start ‘em or sit ‘em.
10. Start: Leon Washington, RB, SEA Vs. St. Louis
1 of 20
I made the mistake of cutting Leon Washington after Week 2.
Man, what a dumb move. He looks like he is 100 percent healthy following last year’s nasty knee injury.
In a three-RB or flex league, I’d take a shot with him. You never know when this guy’s going to make a big play.
10. Sit: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC Vs. Indianapolis
2 of 20
I’m really not trying to pick on the Jaguars. I just don’t see anybody on that team that should start in a fantasy football league.
I love Jones-Drew. He helped me win my league last year.
But that team has issues all over the place, and MJD can’t catch a break.
9. Start: Sam Bradford, QB, STL Vs. Seattle
3 of 20
Sam Bradford is a rookie quarterback on a team that isn’t very good.
Well, he’s playing against a Seattle defense that isn’t very good, especially on the road. The Seahawks were absolutely torched in Week 2 by Philip Rivers.
Through three games, Bradford looks like he has a future as an elite NFL quarterback and is worthy of a start if you have Brett Favre or Tony Romo as your usual starter.
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9. Sit: Vince Young, QB, TEN Vs. Denver
4 of 20
Tennessee just doesn’t throw the ball, and rightfully so.
The Titans offense revolves around Chris Johnson, and you should never expect Vince Young to be a starter in fantasy football leagues.
The Titans average less than 150 passing yards per game. That’s two points in my league. I’d look elsewhere.
8. Start: Dustin Keller, TE, NYJ at Buffalo
5 of 20
I think Mark Sanchez has found himself a new favorite target, and that guy is Dustin Keller.
Keller caught six passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, and he has a tantalizing matchup this week against the Bills.
Play this guy. You won’t regret it.
8. Sit: Jeremy Shockey, TE, NO Vs. Carolina
6 of 20
No team in the NFL spreads the ball around more than the defending Super Bowl champs.
Drew Brees consistently throws to six or seven receivers every week, and Saints backup tight end David Thomas eats into Shockey’s number of receptions.
Sit him!
7. Start: Brent Celek, TE, PHI vs. Washington
7 of 20
I’m riding the Michael Vick train along with Andy Reid.
Washington allows 325 passing yards per game, and Vick should have a field day against that secondary.
Eighty yards and a touchdown seems like a probable stat line for Celek.
7. Sit: Heath Miller, TE, PIT Vs. Baltimore
8 of 20
Did anybody realize that the Steelers are dead last in the league in passing yards?
I’d expect a heavy dose of Rashard Mendenhall against the Ravens in a slugfest that won’t see a lot of points scored.
With the emergence of wide receiver Mike Wallace, Miller’s role in the Steelers offense has diminished.
6. Start: Davone Bess, WR, MIA Vs. New England
9 of 20
If you watched the Jets-Dolphins game this past week, you saw that Miami was throwing the ball a bit more than usual.
Davone Bess is the team’s main receiving option behind Brandon Marshall, and he is a poor man’s Dexter McCluster. The team will get him the ball.
Bess had six catches for 86 yards against New York, and this week’s game against the Patriots could be a shootout.
He’s worth looking at in three-WR or flex leagues.
6. Sit: Mike Sims-Walker, WR, JAC Vs. Indianapolis
10 of 20
I don’t really need to go into specifics on this one, do I?
The Jaguars are a mess. They average only 280 total yards and 13 points per game on offense.
Sims-Walker should have a firm spot on your bench.
5. Start: Lance Moore, WR, NO Vs. Carolina
11 of 20
With Reggie Bush out, the Saints needed someone to fill the role as the team’s all-purpose threat.
Against the Falcons, that guy was Lance Moore. He had nearly 150 yards receiving, two touchdowns, and a 72-yard punt return.
New Orleans will put the ball in this guy’s hands. He should be a very good flex option until Bush returns.
5. Sit: Michael Crabtree, WR, SF at Atlanta
12 of 20
I wonder how many people were like me and jumped on Michael Crabtree too early in their fantasy football drafts.
I thought for sure Crabtree would be a top 20 wide receiver when I picked him, but Alex Smith barely ever looks his way.
He has fewer than six points in my Yahoo! league. If you haven’t already sat this guy, I would do it in Week 4.
4. Start: Matt Forte, RB, CHI at New York Giants
13 of 20
Mike Martz has made the Bears a pass-first offense, but the Giants are stingy, allowing less than 170 yards per game through the air.
On the other hand, New York is giving up 137.6 yards on the ground and 28.3 points per game.
Forte has been an integral part of Chicago’s offense this season and has been arguably the league’s most productive receiver out of the backfield.
Trust me. I played against him in Week 2. He caught a fade for a touchdown.
Martz loves to use his running backs in all aspects of the game, and Forte will get plenty of touches against the Giants.
4. Sit: Clinton Portis, RB, WAS at Philadelphia
14 of 20
The Redskins are 28th in the league in rushing and they’re playing the Eagles this week in Philadelphia.
Michael Vick is on fire at quarterback, and the Redskins allowed nearly 500 yards passing against the Texans. Washington won’t stop the Eagles from scoring and probably will be playing catch up most of the game.
They’re not going to catch up by running the ball. I’d sit Portis.
3. Start: Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams, RBs, CAR at New Orleans
15 of 20
If you watched the Saints play the Falcons, this should be an easy pick.
Atlanta’s Michael Turner and Jason Snelling combined for 202 yards rushing against the defending Super Bowl champs in Week 3.
Although Carolina’s lack of a passing game could allow New Orleans to stack the box, I’d still play Stewart and Williams.
The Panthers tend to play New Orleans close, and the Saints are allowing 145 rushing yards per game.
One of those backs will top 100 yards. I’d guess it will be Williams
3. Sit: Peyton Hillis, RB, CLE Vs. Cincinnati
16 of 20
Remember the three-headed monster at Arkansas with Peyton Hillis, Darren McFadden, and Felix Jones?
Raise your hand if you thought Hillis would be the guy running all over the Ravens defense. No one? Didn’t think so.
Hillis has been a waiver-wire superstar so far, but I think his production will take a dip this week.
The Bengals aren’t great at stopping the run—they’re 13 in the league—but this is still the Browns we’re talking about.
All Cincinnati has to do is put eight men in the box. Seneca Wallace isn’t going to beat them.
2. Start: Matt Ryan, QB, ATL at San Francisco
17 of 20
Despite the 0-3 start, the 49ers defense hasn’t been that bad in the passing game this season. San Francisco ranks 16th in the league in passing yards allowed.
But Mike Singletary’s bunch is dead last in points allowed at 29 per game, so the Falcons will put up some points on Sunday.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ryan throw for 250 yards and two touchdowns this week.
2. . Sit: Joe Flacco, QB, BAL at Pittsburgh
18 of 20
As much as I liked Joe Flacco last week, I’d let him ride the pine in Week 4 if I had a solid backup.
The Ravens play Pittsburgh at Heinz Field, and Mike Tomlin’s defense is back to its old ways, allowing just 11 points per game.
The divisional games in the AFC North tend to be low-scoring, and I wouldn’t risk playing Flacco against that tough defense.
1. Start: Mark Sanchez, QB, NYJ at Buffalo
19 of 20
Mark Sanchez was supposed to be the only thing holding the Jets back this season.
But in the team’s last two games, Sanchez has thrown six touchdowns and zero interceptions. If you would have told me that Sanchez would be playing this well, I probably would have laughed in your face.
Not anymore.
Sanchez is playing like a top 10 fantasy quarterback so far, and he has a favorable matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.
1. Sit: Kyle Orton, QB, DEN at Tennessee
20 of 20
Fun fact of the young NFL season: Kyle Orton is leading the league in passing at 350 yards per game.
So why would you sit him?
He’s facing Tennessee this week, and the Titans defense is fifth in the league in passing yards allowed at just 178.3 yards per game.
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