Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Locks To Win Your Matchup
Fantasy football relies mostly on two elements: luck and matchups.
I canโt 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.
Hereโs 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 doesnโt read this, but Iโm 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 โem or sit โem.
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 yearโs nasty knee injury.
In a three-RB or flex league, Iโd take a shot with him. You never know when this guyโs going to make a big play.
10. Sit: Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, JAC Vs. Indianapolis
2 of 20
Iโm really not trying to pick on the Jaguars. I just donโt 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 canโt catch a break.
9. Start: Sam Bradford, QB, STL Vs. Seattle
3 of 20
Sam Bradford is a rookie quarterback on a team that isnโt very good.
Well, heโs playing against a Seattle defense that isnโt 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.
.jpg?w=2560 "Steelers Football")
9. Sit: Vince Young, QB, TEN Vs. Denver
4 of 20
Tennessee just doesnโt 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. Thatโs two points in my league. Iโd 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 wonโt 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 Shockeyโs number of receptions.
Sit him!
7. Start: Brent Celek, TE, PHI vs. Washington
7 of 20
Iโm 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?
Iโd expect a heavy dose of Rashard Mendenhall against the Ravens in a slugfest that wonโt see a lot of points scored.
With the emergence of wide receiver Mike Wallace, Millerโs 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 teamโs main receiving option behind Brandon Marshall, and he is a poor manโs Dexter McCluster. The team will get him the ball.
Bess had six catches for 86 yards against New York, and this weekโs game against the Patriots could be a shootout.
Heโs worth looking at in three-WR or flex leagues.
6. Sit: Mike Sims-Walker, WR, JAC Vs. Indianapolis
10 of 20
I donโt 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 teamโs 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 guyโs 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 havenโt 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 Chicagoโs offense this season and has been arguably the leagueโs 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 theyโre 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 wonโt stop the Eagles from scoring and probably will be playing catch up most of the game.
Theyโre not going to catch up by running the ball. Iโd 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.
Atlantaโs Michael Turner and Jason Snelling combined for 202 yards rushing against the defending Super Bowl champs in Week 3.
Although Carolinaโs lack of a passing game could allow New Orleans to stack the box, Iโd 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. Iโd 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? Didnโt think so.
Hillis has been a waiver-wire superstar so far, but I think his production will take a dip this week.
The Bengals arenโt great at stopping the runโtheyโre 13 in the leagueโbut this is still the Browns weโre talking about.
All Cincinnati has to do is put eight men in the box. Seneca Wallace isnโt going to beat them.
2. Start: Matt Ryan, QB, ATL at San Francisco
17 of 20
Despite the 0-3 start, the 49ers defense hasnโt been that bad in the passing game this season. San Francisco ranks 16th in the league in passing yards allowed.
But Mike Singletaryโs bunch is dead last in points allowed at 29 per game, so the Falcons will put up some points on Sunday.
I wouldnโt 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, Iโd let him ride the pine in Week 4 if I had a solid backup.
The Ravens play Pittsburgh at Heinz Field, and Mike Tomlinโs 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 wouldnโt 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 teamโs 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?
Heโs facing Tennessee this week, and the Titans defense is fifth in the league in passing yards allowed at just 178.3 yards per game.
.jpg?w=2560 "Jaguars Saints Football")
.jpg?w=2560 "Players with Shocking Career Earnings ๐ณ")
