NFL

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Mike Davis, Tom Brady

It’s Week 4 of the NFL season and hopefully your teams are 3-0. Even if you’re staring down a dismal 0-3 record, if the 2020 season has taught us anything, it’s that a comeback is always possible (see: teams playing the Falcons).

Don’t forget to set your lineups and be sure to check out some good plays for Week 4 below, as well as some other players you should consider avoiding.

If you need a streaming option or injury fill-in, check out Week 4 waiver wire pickups here

Who to Start in Week 4

Drew Brees (QB), New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions

It’s true the 41-year-old looks like he may have lost a step, especially after posting lackluster finishes in Weeks 1 and 2 (QB24, QB22). He bounced back against the Packers and completed 29 of 36 passes for 288 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Brees should have a field day against the struggling Lions defense and may even get receiver Michael Thomas (ankle) back for this game.

James Robinson (RB), Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals

Robinson is coming off of his best game of the year where he scored twice and had 11 rushes for 46 yards and caught all six targets for 83 yards. It’s clear he is the Jaguars’ bell-cow running back at this point, and should continue to see ample work both on the ground and in the air. He hits the road to face a Bengals defense that ranks third-worst in the league against running backs. He is a borderline RB1 in this matchup and the rest of the season.

Mike Davis (RB), Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals

Davis was utilized heavily on Sunday as the Panthers picked up their first win of the season. It wasn’t an easy matchup opposite the stingy Chargers defense, but he finished as RB10 and tallied 22 total touches for 91 yards and a touchdown. This week’s matchup should be easier for the pass-catching back and he should finish as a RB2 in PPR and half-PPR formats.

Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, fantasy football, start 'em, sit' em, week 4 NFL
Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom BradyGetty Images

CeeDee Lamb (WR), Dallas Cowboys vs. Cleveland Browns

It was Michael Gallup, not Lamb, who went off last week, but the 2020 first-rounder still posted a respectable five catches on six targets for 65 yards. All three Cowboys receivers are good plays this week in a matchup with the highest Vegas point total (55.5). Lamb is a high-upside WR2/flex option against a Browns secondary that is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this year.

Tyler Boyd (WR), Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Boyd posted strong numbers for the second week in a row and caught 10 of 13 targets for 125 yards against the Eagles last week. He is rapidly solidifying his role as the clear-cut No. 1 and Joe Burrow’s favorite target in an offense that’s going to be in a lot of negative game scripts. He should fall in the low-end WR2 range against the Jaguars.

Marquise Brown (WR), Baltimore Ravens at Washington Football Team

Brown was a total dud on “Monday Night Football” as the reigning Super Bowl Champion Chiefs demolished the Ravens, 34-20. He caught two of six passes for 13 yards, but should bounce back on the road against Washington, whose secondary is much weaker than the Ravens’. He is a high-end flex this week with WR2 upside.

Noah Fant (TE), Denver Broncos at New York Jets

Fant will be catching passes from 2019 undrafted free agent Brett Rypien after Drew Lock went down with an injury and the Jeff Driskel experiment played out as expected. That said, he still saw 10 targets last week from Driskel and Rypien and caught five passes for 46 yards with numerous Broncos pass catchers sidelined. His volume — coupled with the fact that he’s up against the struggling Jets in a cringeworthy, Thursday night matchup — should equal low-end TE1 numbers.

Who to Sit in Week 4

Tom Brady (QB), Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Brady has posted low-end QB1 numbers in two of three matchups thus far and is coming off of his best fantasy performance to date. He completed 25 of 38 pass attempts for 297 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. The bad news is he now faces the Chargers — who are one of the tougher QB matchups for fantasy — and he is likely without his favorite target, Chris Godwin (hamstring). The GOAT falls outside of QB1 range this week.

Antonio Gibson (RB), Washington Football Team vs. Baltimore Ravens

Gibson played far fewer snaps this week against the Browns versus Week 2. He had a decent day for fantasy and had nine rushing attempts for 49 yards and a touchdown, and caught all three of his targets for 11 yards. It’s looking like his role could be at least somewhat game script-dependent, which would favor J.D. McKissic over the rookie third-round pick. He is a low-floor flex option against a strong Ravens run defense in a game the Football Team could find itself trailing in often.

Adrian Peterson (RB), Detroit Lions vs. New Orleans Saints

Peterson saw 22 carries last week in Arizona, but posted an unimpressive 75 yards and one catch. He is a risky flex play with big-time bust potential this week in a tough matchup where the Lions are poised to fall behind quickly

A.J. Green (WR), Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Green has looked sluggish and has not posted start-worthy stats this season. So far, he has caught 13 of 28 passes from Burrow, with whom he doesn’t seem to have great chemistry. This week’s matchup is good, but he isn’t a trustworthy WR2 anymore.

T.Y. Hilton (WR), Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears

It’s become abundantly clear that Hilton just doesn’t have the same spark with Philip Rivers, who meshes better with slot receivers like Keenan Allen and more recently, Parris Campbell (knee). So far, Hilton has seen an average of 5.7 targets per game, and that number is trending downward. His athleticism and talent alone make him a persistent deep-ball threat, but this week’s matchup will be tough against the undefeated Bears. He is an unexciting flex play in Week 4.

Austin Hooper (TE), Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys

On paper, Hooper should go off in this likely shootout, but he has been a complete bust up to this point and has yet to post more than four fantasy points in a game. He is a mid-range TE2 this week and is droppable in shallow leagues. Opt instead for Dalton Schultz, who is still widely available (34 percent rostered) and has better volume and upside than Hooper.