Fantasy Football: What To Watch For In Week 4
Hey there #Footclan, and welcome back to the weekly series, “What To Watch For“. Each week we take a look at the schedule and the matchups and point out some interesting things that we all should pay attention to. These can be something simple, or those ongoing burning questions we have in the back of our minds. Let’s take a look at Week 4.
Which defense will reign supreme in Week 4?
With so many juicy matchups in fantasy this Sunday and Monday, for those that still play a defense in their lineups and leagues, the question is which one of those will wind up with the most points and can elevate them against their opponent? The common consensus for Week 4 is to once again pick on the Jets who surprisingly manhandled the Miami Dolphins. But with a young and upcoming defense that continues to grow in momentum each weekend, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be relied on heavily to get the job done. Jalen Ramsey and company are looking to shut down any of the passing options that New York has left on their roster after the mass dismissal of talent in a “youth movement” this past offseason.
Another defense to pay attention to is the Seattle Seahawks who will play a home game against a struggling Colts offensive line that looks as if they play on ice skates. The Legion of Boom hasn’t looked as elite as it once was when they won the Super Bowl, but they continue to be the favorited defense even with the past 3 weeks of 6, 9, and -4 fantasy according to ESPN fantasy in standard points setup.
My favorite pick of all of these are the Denver Broncos, who bodes one of the Top 5 rushing defenses in the league so far in 2017 and even though there have been touchdowns thrown against the Broncos secondary if they can keep pressure on Derek Carr and stop Beastmode Marshawn Lynch early and get ahead with their offense, it forces the Raiders to try to play from behind and pass against a secondary that is still proven to make huge plays when it matters the most. The week of defense is upon us all.
Which team will steamroll the other in London?
Since 2007 when the NFL introduced their International Series where teams would travel overseas to different countries to play in a showcase, we have a seen quite the pattern that at least one of the teams just flat outright destroys the other. In fact, since that timeframe which is in its 10th year, out of 15 games played at Wimbley Stadium in the United Kingdom, 7 of them have been lopsided and a complete blowout game! Last week we saw that unfold as it looked as if the Baltimore Ravens looked as if they completely forgot how to play football and got smashed by the Jaguars who always plays well and looks to have found a second home in London which was at one time considered as a possible permanent home for them.
Now we get another matchup and what on paper looks like a shootout against between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints that will battle at an early 9:30 AM EST start time. Will we see more of a back and forth and possible overtime game full of fantasy gold? Or will we once again see one team take it to the other and the fantasy players that chose the right lineup benefit? We get to wake up and see it first thing Sunday morning.
Will LeSean “Shady” McCoy be the RB1 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 4?
If there is any week to be happy about rolling out your first round pick for the Shady McCoy owner, it’s this one. Atlanta currently ranks 30th as a run defense overall so far, and that means it’s quite possible that McCoy could go completely ham against the Falcons. Even against tougher defenses, Shady has been able to keep a pretty padded stat line rushing more than 12 carries each game and has more than 5 receptions so far with 34 receiving yards or more going into this week. His last big game was in Week 1 where he took on the Jets and was able to go for 22 carries for 110 rushing yards and 5 receptions for 49 yards. He has had 9 fantasy points or more in the “ballers preferred PPR setup which is still a steady stream of points in RB slot on any roster. Still, with no touchdown yet for 2017, it’s quite possible that McCoy will break free and take advantage of a Falcons defense that has been struggling since losing some pieces to injury. I’m calling it right now for McCoy’s first and second touchdown of the year come this Sunday and wind up as the RB1 for the total week.
Could Deshaun Watson be a sneaky streaming QB play?
Deshaun Watson did an amazing job against the Patriots in Week 3 with 301 passing yards, two touchdowns, and though he had the two interceptions he also ran for 41 yards to add to his rushing statistics. Watson now has 108 rushing yards and a touchdown in two starts, and that part of his game is huge for his fantasy production at QB. There’s no other greater example of that than another favorite QB streamer from podcast episodes of the past in Tyrod Taylor is continues to show that a dual threat of passing and running can win you a week outright. The Tennessee Titans have allowed multiple touchdowns to two of the three quarterbacks they’ve faced this year in Derek Carr and Wilson, and Watson is worth streaming this week if you have a terrible matchup with the QB you drafted, or you’re just living the stream life week by week.
Sterling Shepard vs The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay should get it’s standout cornerback Brent Grimes back after he sat out in Week 3 at Minnesota due to a shoulder injury, and that will help the Buccaneers secondary tremendously and keep this game a close one coming up in Week 4. But Sterling Shepard aka Double S should avoid both Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves since he plays in the slot position, and he’s worth using as a WR3 fantasy option this week or a flex play if you are looking for a high-upside fantasy outcome to withstand your victory this weekend. Shepard is also coming off a superb game in Week 3 at the Eagles with seven catches for 133 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets, and he has seven catches in two of three games this year. Of course, he sat on my bench last week because I had failed to see the growing trend that Shepard has been able to show in 3 weeks. The production is there even with all the mouths to feed in New York for Eli Manning, but he tends to find Sterling regularly in pressure situations, and with some of the best hands in the league, Shepard continues to become the Giant’s safety blanket. Let’s see if the trend continues.