The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 4
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If you aren’t a member, the good news is that Andy, Mike, and Jason bring the podcast five days a week. You can always jump in and get their advice and direction. For instance, this Thursday, they brought us their Starts of the Week for Week 4 to help you find confidence in who to play this week. To check out the entire podcast on YouTube, click the link below:
Let’s break down The Fantasy Footballers’ Starts of the Week for Week 4.
Andy’s Starts of the Week
QB – Kyler Murray vs.WAS
Last week wasn’t great for the Cardinals, as the Lions stifled them at home. That week is over, and now the Cardinals carry the highest team-implied total of 27 points as they face Washington. The Commanders’ defense is a pushover. They are dead last in points per drive and expected points per pass attempt. In the previous 20 games dating back to last season, the Commanders have allowed 17 QBs to score 18+ fantasy points. Kyler has had a good start all season, but he should have a solid outing this week.
RB – Najee Harris @ IND
Andy mentioned Najee as a buy-low candidate during Monday’s Ready to Roll segment. Najee is touching the ball on 33% of Pittsburgh’s offensive plays. That is the ninth-highest usage among all running backs. He already has three carries inside the 10 but hasn’t turned that into a touchdown yet, so there is an easy path to him being a more significant fantasy contributor. Especially with Jaylen Warren likely out this week, there is a good chance that Najee sees 20+ opportunities in the game again with the Steelers playing lockdown defense against Richardson and running the ball to win the game.
WR – DJ Moore vs. LAR
Mike mentioned Moore as a trade-away target on Wednesday’s show. Andy said you should wait until after this week because this could be one of the big weeks Moore can produce occasionally. The target count is still where we want it for a WR1 with Moore earning eight, 10, and 10 in Weeks 1-3. The Rams’ secondary is arguably the worst in the NFL, so the matchup looks juicy for Moore. L.A. has the second most fantasy points to opposing WRs through three weeks, and they allow the highest yards per pass attempt in the NFL at 9.4. It would not be surprising to see DJ hit one or more deep ball plays that can save a fantasy week in one catch. If he catches more than one, it is a winning kind of performance that you won’t want to miss out on.
TE – Jake Ferguson @ NYG
On Wednesday, Mike said that Ferguson is a target you should trade for in your leagues. He is the clear number-two target in the Dallas offense. Ferguson was a red zone dominator last year, and the Cowboys’ offense has given us no reason to think that would change. Last year, when facing the Giants, Ferguson saw seven targets in both games; if he hits that same number, you will be delighted to have him in your lineup, especially in the current TE landscape.
Jason’s Starts of the Week
QB – Joe Burrow @ CAR
This season is not the first time we have made it through the first chunk of the season, and we thought, “The Bengals are broken.” If history repeats itself, Burrow will start ripping through the NFL. The Bengals are the number-one team in pass rate over expectation, and Burrow is coming off his best performance of the season with 324 yards and three touchdowns. This game will be more competitive than it looks, with the Panthers having found their offense with Andy Dalton. The game has the second-highest combined point total of 47 points this week. Carolina ranks 29th in schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs. Burrow should be able to dominate again and you don’t want to miss out on that.
RB – Brian Robinson Jr. @ AZ
Robinson has shown he can be the workhorse back for a team, and now his running mate Austin Ekeler is out. That means Robinson will get tons of work this week. He is averaging a career-best 5.2 yards per touch and has already been a force in the red zone. Robinson has eight carries inside the 10 through three weeks, the second most in the NFL. Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Robinson has had as many double-digit fantasy point games as Jahmyr Gibbs and is right behind the other “B. Robinson” in fantasy points per game. He has been better than you think, and with all the work on his back this week, it is an excellent opportunity for him to deliver a big game.
WR – Diontae Johnson vs. CIN
Johnson is the clear alpha for this offense, with a 38% target share and targeted on 40% of his routes. He had 13 “first read” targets last week, which was second to only Rashee Rice. This game has the second-highest total on the week, and if Dalton can pull off another strong week, Johnson could explode. The Bengals’ defense just got cut to shreds by Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. Another big week could be on the horizon for the Red Rifle Andy Dalton and his go-to WR Diontae Johnson.
TE – Dalton Kincaid @ BAL
This season has been a slow burn for the Kincaid truthers this year, but he finally got into the end zone this week. There has been a theme so far, though, of Kincaid being the first read early in the game, then the Bills pull away from the other team, and he is no longer needed. This week, however, the game should stay much more competitive in Baltimore. Added to this is how the Ravens’ defense has morphed into a pass-funnel defense. They have allowed the most passing yards in the NFL, and the TE has been a big part of that. Brock Bowers in Week 2 had nine catches for 98 yards, and Jake Ferguson had six catches for 95 yards last week. Kincaid can do just as much for his offense as those two TEs.
Mike’s Starts of the Week
QB – CJ Stroud vs. JAX
Stroud has not had the big games everyone hoped for when he was drafted so highly. He has finished as the QB8, QB16, and QB25 so far, scoring 0.1 more fantasy points than Daniel Jones this season. It would be easy to look to pivot away from Stroud after all the struggles so far, but the Texans carry the second-highest team implied total, at 26, on the week. Last year, CJ destroyed the Jaguars in both matchups with one week going for 280 yards and two touchdowns, then later going for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and a running touchdown. This year, the Jags have allowed the third most passing yards on the season and will miss their best corner in Tyson Campbell. Stroud should be ready to cook Jacksonville up for another big game.
RB – Devin Singletary vs. DAL
Through three weeks, Singletary looks like a steal in the draft. He had an ADP of RB28 from the eighth round and so far has been the RB19 on the season. Singletary averages 17 opportunities per game and has been a solid RB2 weekly. This week, he is against a Cowboys defense that has been a true run funnel. Dallas is allowing the highest yards per carry in the NFL and the fourth most rushing yards allowed through three games of any team in the last decade. In Week 1, Jerome Ford was the RB13; in Week 2, Alvin Kamara was the RB1; and last week, Derrick Henry was the RB2. Singletary might not be a league winner like Kamara or Henry, but he should still be a solid start this week.
WR – Tee Higgins @ CAR
It is time for Higgins to break out for the first time this season. This game is the one everyone is targeting with the second-highest over/under on the week, and four points favor the Bengals. Last week, in his first game back, Higgins played 90% of the snaps and saw six targets, two of which were inside the five-yard line. The Panthers have allowed five passing touchdowns to WRs so far, which would have been more had the Chargers and Saints not taken their feet off the gas in the second halves of their games. For the Bengals to be as successful, they need Higgins to round back into form. This week should be one of those.
TE – Tyler Conklin vs. DEN
Conk Conk ladies and gentlemen. He was a valuable part of last week’s game plan with six targets, five catches, and 93 yards against New England. Conklin has run the third most routes at the TE position through three weeks, and in a world of absolute garbage at the TE position and where the big names are failing, it is time to look past the names and see the matchups. Last year, Denver was dead last against the TE position in fantasy points allowed. In Week 2, The Muth and Darnell Washington combined for 12.9 fantasy points; in Week 3, Cade Otton saw eight targets. You could turn to worse options than Conklin this week.
Comments
Kyler Murray your start of the week-shocker, you really live life on the edge 😂 I bet Caleb outperforms him this week.