Week 4 Rankings

Updated 10/4 at 12:00 PM ET. Removed Carlos Hyde.  

Week 4 Quarterbacks 

QB Notes: Russell Wilson is on pace for 75 touchdowns. He has 24 incompletions and 14 scores. God bless the Miami Dolphins. … The Chiefs woke up in the second half of Week 2 and didn’t go back to sleep against the Ravens. That was a dismantling the likes of which you basically never see at the top level of NFL competition. Patrick Mahomes has eight scores over his past three starts against the Patriots’ still tough but opt-out weakened defense. No Patrick Chung for Travis Kelce, for instance. … If you can believe it, the No. 1 QB by average fantasy points actually isn’t Mr. Wilson, but Mr. Joshua Patrick Allen. For the first time in six 2020 halves, we saw Allen’s downside as the Bills frittered away a 28-3 lead against the Rams. Even with those lulls mixed in, Allen has become undeniable in fantasy. The Raiders enter Week 4 permitting the fifth fewest quarterback fantasy points but will be missing first-round CB Damon Arnette. … Kyler Murray has more picks than passing scores but sits as the QB4 by average points after finding the end zone as both a runner and thrower in each of his first three starts. The Panthers are as soft of a matchup as the Lions were in Week 3. 

Lamar Jackson’s Week 3 wasn’t just bad by his standards, but anyone's. His 97 passing yards were the 56th fewest by a quarterback attempting at least 28 passes since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970. The “Washington Football Team” isn’t as soft of a landing as you might assume — only four teams are allowing fewer passing yards through three weeks — but acting as nearly two-touchdown favorites on the road, the Ravens will be able to re-establish what they’re good at. … Fresh off ripping up the Falcons and Seahawks, Dak Prescott — who is on pace for 6,366 yards — gets a tougher-to-forecast matchup in the Browns. Unlike shootout-prone Atlanta and Seattle, Cleveland will be looking to play keep away and limit Prescott’s attempts. The Cowboys are somewhat modest 4.5-point home favorites. … Cam Newton enters Week 4 as the QB7 by average points even after being held in check by the Raiders. The Chiefs are fresh off eliminating fellow dual-threat Lamar Jackson, but L-Jax did manage 83 yards on the ground. Bill Belichick will undoubtedly take a few lessons away from the film, too.      

Even if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t get Davante Adams (hamstring) back for Week 4, he is locked into the top eight vs. a Falcons “defense” permitting five more weekly QB fantasy points than any other team. … Deshaun Watson finally gets a break in the action after his comically-difficult season-opening slate of KC, BAL, PIT. The Vikings are allowing 293 passing yards per game and 8.5 yards per attempt. No team has possessed the ball less. If Watson can’t get it going here, it will be red alert time for the Texans’ offense. … Missing Julio Jones, Matt Ryan’s Week 3 fantasy production also went MIA. The Packers aren’t doing a great job disrupting enemy efficiency, but they are curbing volume by possessing the ball at the league’s highest rate (35:54) through the season’s first three games. With Russell Gage (concussion) now banged up, too, Ryan’s supporting cast will decide his final ranking. … We know the Lions’ defense isn’t good. What about the Saints’? A fearsome 2019 unit has been rocked in back-to-back weeks by Aaron Rodgers and … Derek Carr? Matthew Stafford has lit the lamp only five times in three games but immediately spiked his efficiency and explosiveness following Kenny Golladay’s return. 

As for Stafford’s opponent, Drew Brees, it hasn’t been impressive, but his station-to-station game can find a way to QB1 numbers vs. Matt Patricia’s defense. … Looking like a more stable option than he was in 2019, Jared Goff’s main Week 4 concern is that the Rams’ running game too easily cooks the pathetic Giants’ defense. … Since the Bengals can’t block or run, they pass … a lot. Joe Burrow’s 141 attempts are second only to Dak Prescott. He’s paying a vicious price, taking a league-high 14 sacks, but it might finally all come together in Week 4. The Jaguars, who are permitting the fifth most quarterback fantasy points, are second-to-last in sacks (three). … The Seahawks are silver plattering 431 passing yards per game. Inexcusable, pathetic and … ripe for some FitzMagic. With the Dolphins having zero prayer of slowing the Seahawks, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s streamer case is as simple as it gets. … Each week has been a little more like it for Tom Brady, though Chris Godwin’s (hamstring) likely absence against a tough but injury-battered Chargers Defense lowers both Brady’s floor and ceiling.  

Baker Mayfield should be able to reach his two-touchdown floor/ceiling combo in a game that probably can’t help but be a shootout. The over/under currently sits at a voluminous 56. … Gardner Minshew shanked a golden Week 3 streamer spot but gets a do-over in a Bengals Defense whose solid passing numbers are obscured by other teams’ ability to run all over them. The Jags don’t have that level of rushing attack. … At least right now, the injury-destroyed 49ers don’t represent a stay-away matchup for opposing QBs, but from his play to his supporting cast’s health, there’s nothing good to say about Carson Wentz at the moment. … They got Kirk Cousins a second weapon. The problem for his Week 4 QB2 case is how much rushing production the Texans hemorrhage. … Speaking of weapons, Philip Rivers is down to one of them amongst his original top-three wideouts, and T.Y. Hilton isn’t even playing well. … Nick Foles and Nick Mullens flashed some Week 3 life, just not enough to earn streamability in tough matchups. … Daniel Jones’ atrocious play has removed him from streamer consideration for the time being.         

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Week 4 Running Backs

RB Notes: Alvin Kamara, a running back, is fifth in the league in receiving at 285. Michael Thomas (ankle) appears on track to return against the Lions, but Matt Patricia’s defense is coughing up 172 rushing yards per game even after holding the Cardinals in check. Kamara’s short-area receiving prowess is more important than ever with Drew Brees’ arm strength in the gutter. … Dalvin Cook will be looking to build off his 181-yard explosion against the Titans vs. a Texans Defense allowing 188 rushing yards per game. 1+1=2. … Mr. Regression Aaron Jones has five touchdowns in three games. Now he gets a Falcons Defense that has already permitted five ground scores. Only five teams have coughed up more running back receptions. … The rushing efficiency hasn’t been there for Ezekiel Elliott, but the touchdowns have been. He also has 15 receptions as the Cowboys get sucked into one shootout after another. With a 56 over/under vs. the Browns, Vegas is expecting more Cowboys pedal to the metal. … Impressive, impressive stuff from Miles Sanders, who has totaled 238 yards from scrimmage on 45 touches over the past two weeks even as the Eagles have struggled to run block or complete passes. The 49ers are coughing up the league’s fewest RB fantasy points, but it is misleading after dates with the Jets and Giants’ “backfields.”

The doomsday Week 3 Jonathan Taylor scenario came to fruition, as the game simply wasn’t competitive enough for the Colts to take tread off their rookie’s tires. The Bears are a tougher defense, but enter Week 4 allowing over five yards per carry. Especially with the Colts’ receiver corps in injury shambles, Taylor won’t get the luxury of a second half nap. … This might seem high for Nick Chubb in a week where the Browns are 4.5-point road ‘dogs in a game with a 56 over/under. (Read: Comeback mode.) Basically, I’ve put Week 1 out of my mind and focused on the two-back approach the Browns executed to perfection in Weeks 2 and 3. I don’t think this game will get out of hand enough for it to become a Kareem Hunt-only affair in the second half. … Averaging 27 touches, Josh Jacobs has a tough draw in the Bills. As is the case with Chubb and the Browns, we know Jon Gruden isn’t going to change up his approach even as a three-point home underdog. … Remember when Austin Ekeler wasn’t going to catch any more passes? A cautious rookie quarterback and negative game script changed that in a hurry. Both will remain in spades for Week 4 vs. the Bucs. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is breaking tackles but struggling in the red zone. He’s 0-for-6 on carries inside the five, and has eight carries for -1 yards inside the 10. Held down on the ground in general vs. the Ravens, CEH made up for it with big plays in the passing game. Despite shaky early returns, all the RB1 ingredients remain and are cooking. … Kenyan Drake had a Week 3 smash spot in the Lions and didn’t convert it. He now has another in the Panthers. Lacking for big runs — his season long is 16 — and not catching any passes, Drake will begin to tumble down the RB2 ranks if he doesn’t do what he is supposed to vs. Carolina. … Darrell Henderson has cleared 120 yards from scrimmage back-to-back weeks, out-touching Malcolm Brown 21-7 in Buffalo. Henderson has looked dangerous going downhill. He might slowly be turning this three-man committee into a 1A/1B backfield where he owns feature status. Cam Akers (ribs) remains week to week. 

With Zack Moss (toe) sidelined, Devin Singletary handled 89 percent of the Bills’ Week 3 snaps. Moss has resumed practicing, but Singletary has spent the first three weeks putting the Bills’ coaching staff’s mind at ease about his ability to be a 1A. No team is allowing more running back fantasy points than the Raiders, so this is a conservative rank. … Unthreatened on early downs, James Robinson led the Jags in Week 3 receiving. That might not happen again all season, but Robinson maintains RB2 viability vs. the Bengals’ bottom-two run defense. ... Joe Mixon’s season low for touches in 19. The problem is that the Bengals can’t block a soul. Nevertheless, as Joe Burrow continues to emerge and become a headache for enemy defenses, Mixon’s rushing lanes will eventually open up. … I can both keep the faith in Nick Chubb and expect a “Kareem Hunt week” with shootout conditions unsurprisingly likely in Dallas. … As expected, Mike Davis was a 1-for-1 replacement for Christian McCaffrey. Davis has 16 catches in two weeks. … Chris Carson (knee) is on the wrong side of questionable, leaving Carlos Hyde as the goal-line finisher for the league’s most explosive offense.  

Myles Gaskin had a 27-touch outburst in Week 3. He’s caught at least four passes each time out. Those receptions will be needed vs. the high-flying Seahawks. … Even if Phillip Lindsay (toe) returns, Melvin Gordon will bounce back to RB2 status vs. the laughingstock Jets. … Tarik Cohen’s (ACL) loss ups David Montgomery’s targets floor and ceiling. It will be interesting to see if the Bears decide Cordarrelle Patterson deserves more than 5-7 weekly touches. … He didn’t do anything with it, but Jerick McKinnon got way more Week 3 early-down work than I was expecting. His path to fantasy relevance still runs via pass catching. … Antonio Gibson had a few Week 3 touches where he seemed to stop and think: Where do I run this football again? It melted away as the proceedings wore on. It’s incremental, but Gibson is taking control of this backfield. … Through three games we aren’t any closer to understanding the Ravens or Patriots’ backfields. Week 3 Pats hero Rex Burkhead figures to get undercut by James White’s return. … I’m saying uncle on Leonard Fournette vs. Ronald Jones. Long-term, I expect Fournette to emerge victorious. Short term, I have no damn clue. Fournette is dealing with an ankle issue.  

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Week 4 Receivers

WR Notes: DeAndre Hopkins’ 32 catches lead the NFL by five. For his next five games he gets the Panthers, Jets, Cowboys, Seahawks and Dolphins. He’s going to be hard to catch. … Davante Adams (hamstring) is tentatively on track to return against the Falcons. With the game taking place Monday evening, we will get our first injury report Thursday afternoon. … The same is true for Adams’ Week 4 opponent Julio Jones (hamstring). With Calvin Ridley clearing 100 yards even in Jones’ absence — i.e., being the center of defensive attention didn’t dent Ridley’s output — Ridley will be ahead of Jones in the ranks for the first time this season. … Tyreek Hill has yet to have a 100-yard day. He’s made up for it by catching five passes and scoring every week. Hill’s Patriots résumé includes a three-TD effort in 2018. … DK Metcalf has gone at least 4/90/1 each time out. Averaging 24.8 yards per reception, he is going to find the puncture spots in this Dolphins secondary. … Behind Metcalf in the consistency department is Amari Cooper, who has three 6/80s to his name. Week 4 opponent Denzel Ward is fighting through a groin ailment.  

One result of the Seahawks’ cooking is a dramatically higher floor for Tyler Lockett. It will be big enough for the WR1 two of Lockett and Metcalf vs. the Dolphins. … Predictably, Nick Foles appeared to immediately unlock Allen Robinson’s performance. A Colts Defense that’s been on easy street vs. opposing passing attacks will have its hands full. … The Raiders’ depth in the secondary has been thinned by the loss of rookie Damon Arnette. Tactician Stefon Diggs will be ready to resume eating after a Week 3 slugfest with Jalen Ramsey. … Eased back in vs. the Cardinals, Kenny Golladay was a Week 4 date with Marshon Lattimore, whose early struggles have played a huge role in the Saints’ defensive incompetence. Lattimore could get back on track in a hurry, but alpha Golladay is ready to go after avoiding Week 3 setbacks with his hamstring. … Even with Chris Godwin (hamstring) sidelined, Mike Evans is best utilized as a low-end WR1 for a tough matchup with the Chargers. It could still be several more weeks before we finally get a read on how these receivers are going to produce under Tom Brady. … How effective will Michael Thomas (ankle) be if he returns? I’m hedging as a mid-range WR1.  

Keenan Allen is 20/228/1 on 29 targets since Justin Herbert replaced Tyrod Taylor. Why exactly is coach Anthony Lynn still clinging to the notion Taylor might reclaim starting status? Only DeAndre Hopkins has commanded a larger target share. … If there’s Week 4 concern for Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, it’s that the Rams too easily run over the bombed-out Giants. The Rams are operating as 13-point home favorites. Humiliating for GM Dave Gettleman. … Dwayne Haskins is essentially soiling himself on the field and Terry McLaurin is still seventh (269) in receiving. We should get a face-melting eruption soon enough, though Haskins’ last stand vs. the Ravens will make it tough. ... Adam Thielen is 6/60 over his past two games, with rookie Justin Jefferson exploding for 7/175 in the latter matchup. We still love the likely target share, I’m just not convinced Thielen is the same player physically he was in 2017-18. … D.J. Moore is actually being used farther down the field than Robby Anderson. Go figure. Nothing can threaten Moore’s top-20 status, but it is safe to wonder if Anderson is already denting Moore’s every-week WR1 viability. There are quarterbacks who can support two weekly top-18 options. Teddy Bridgewater isn’t one of them. 

Odell Beckham admitted on 9/24 that he probably won’t have an elite fantasy season and then backed up his words with a 4/59/0 effort vs. Washington. The shootout-prone Cowboys enhance Beckham’s ceiling, but his floor is no longer that of a WR1. … The Will Fuller rollercoaster is finally stopping on a vulnerable opponent. His floor is lower than your typical WR2, but the same is true of his ceiling’s height. … After weeks of playing banged up, DeVante Parker has had 10 days to heal for Seahawks “defense” that *checks notes* has allowed 76 receptions for 1,136 yards and five touchdowns to wide receivers in three games? Wut. That puts early-season inconsistent Preston Williams in the WR3 mix, as well. … Julian Edelman has been a 2020 chameleon, serving different needs depending on the week. Headed to Kansas City, the Patriots are going to need another Seahawks effort — read 8/179 — out of their WR1. … Slot man Tyler Boyd is the closest thing the Bengals have to a No. 1 receiver right now. It just isn’t happening for A.J. Green, who is 93rd in yards per route run (1.00) according to Pro Football Focus. 

It was close to happening for Marquise Brown in Week 3, who was 1-2 better deep balls from Lamar Jackson away from a huge night. The Washington Football Team is highly vulnerable at the back end. … Michael Gallup finally hit a big play in Week 3 to take the yardage lead on CeeDee Lamb. For his part, Lamb has drawn at least six targets each time out. It’s rare, but the Cowboys’ offense can absolutely support three top-30 wideouts. This week’s 56 over/under is the latest green light. … The Colts didn’t need T.Y. Hilton the past two weeks, and he certainly did not show up. That should finally change against a Bears team that will at least put up a fight. As tempting as it is to declare Hilton washed, he’s just a few drops away from a much different perception. … Six of Allen Lazard’s seven biggest receiving performances, each greater than 45 yards, have come since last Week 13. He’s averaging 85 yards in 2020. Even if Davante Adams is back, Lazard has forced his way into WR4 consideration. … Golden Tate is cooked, but Darius Slayton’s Week 4 Jalen Ramsey assignment keeps him boom or bust in the WR4 range. … That’s why you keep Mecole Hardman around. We know about the zero-point floor. But he can flip matchups on only 1-2 catches.      

Week 4 Tight Ends 

TE Notes: Travis Kelce is one of the most consistent players in fantasy football history. He’s all alone at the top. … George Kittle (knee) seems tentatively on track to return after his turf-related absence in Week 3. The Eagles allowed three Week 2 scores to Tyler Higbee. We still love Kittle, but it’s a shame/concern this will be the second-straight season he plays the majority of the year at less than 100 percent. … Opposing Kittle will be Zach Ertz, who once again finds himself as the only healthy Eagles pass catcher. As the injuries mounted, Ertz’s Week 3 usage spiked accordingly. It was a disappointing three weeks, but ones easily put in the rear-view. … Speaking of disappointing, Mark Andrews, who has 109 total yards and dropped a touchdown against the Chiefs. Washington’s front seven could create some headaches for Lamar Jackson, but Andrews will almost certainly return to the land of 5/50. 

We haven’t seen a ceiling game from Hunter Henry, but he has rapidly re-established his floor after a quiet 2019 finish. The Bucs are seam-tough, so don’t expect any miracles. … Frustratingly erased by Bill Belichick, Darren Waller has another daunting matchup in the Bills. With Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds back in the lineup last week, the Bills put the lockdown on Tyler Higbee. … Jared Cook (groin) is looking on the wrong side of questionable for Sunday’s game against the Lions. … Now the closest thing the Broncos have to a No. 1 receiver, Noah Fant was a Week 4 TNF smash spot in the soon-to-be coachless Jets. … T.J. Hockenson is percolating. You can almost feel the eruption coming. The Saints surrendered Week 3 touchdowns to Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan. … It’s been one blowup and two duds for Mike Gesicki. With the Dolphins heading into what will probably be their most pass-happy game of the season, Gesicki gets the nod over fellow two-dud, one-blowup Tyler Higbee. 

We know what Tyler Higbee did — and what he can do going forward — but he is averaging under four targets. That’s not a TE1. TE11 might feel low when in reality it is charitable in the Rams’ spread-the-wealth offense. … In theory, the Giants’ skill corps injuries enhance Evan Engram’s floor and ceiling. In reality, Daniel Jones is playing so poorly it scarcely matters. … As feared, it has not been a 1-for-1 Austin Hooper application for Hayden Hurst. With Russell Gage (concussion) questionable for Monday’s potential shootout with the Packers, Hurst gets one more week of TE1 benefit of the doubt. … Sporting a running back’s yards per catch, Logan Thomas is looking like all filler, no killer for however long Dwayne Haskins remains under center. … There are going to be some 1-2 catch weeks for Dalton Schultz, but he is elevated enough by the offense he plays in to settle into weekly top 14-18 status. … We need more routes, snaps, etc. for Mo Alie-Cox. What we got were big plays in two games where the Colts barely even had to pass. There is enough going on here to keep MAC hanging around.     

Week 4 Kickers

Week 4 Defense/Special Teams