RADIO
You probably have found enough articles that explain what to watch for each week. For the dynasty community however, we look at each week a little differently.
Breaking down each matchup with a dynasty focus will allow you to buy or sell players early. The key to winning long term in dynasty formats is being the first owner to spot tendencies that allow you to make the correct moves. Don't hold onto a name too long and don't buy that rookie too early. Watch each match up with a dynasty focus to plan long term success.
Here is a preview at all the NFL games for Week 4 and what dynasty owners should watch for in each contest.
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NFL Week 4 - Dynasty Analysis
Saints at Dolphins
Update 10/1: Snead has been ruled OUT for Week 4.
Willie Snead is back after completing a three-game suspension. The offense hasn’t been the reason for the Saints 1-2 start to the season, but a bad Saints defense plus a good Saints offense equals huge points for fantasy owners. Snead isn’t going to save the season for the Saints, but his return is going to be a huge boost for Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn Jr. owners. Coby Fleener has been the beneficiary of Sneads absence, but he’s not the dynamic play maker that defenses need to be aware of underneath. With Ginn stretching the field, Snead underneath and Thomas everywhere in between, the Saint are about ready to explode.
What to watch for: Snead's return leads to massive game from Saints offense.
Titans at Texans
Will Fuller is set to make his 2017 debut after breaking his collarbone in the preseason. This is great news for DeShaun Watson who is off to a good start but could really use another weapon. DeAndre Hopkins has 37 targets through Week 3, the most in the NFL, but those have not translated to much success. With only one touchdown and no 100-yard receiving games so far, Hopkins could use the extra help to take some heat off of him.
What to watch for: Fuller helps open the field for Hopkins.
Jaguars at Jets
Matt Forte will be nursing a foot injury this week, giving Bilal Powell full reigns of the Jets backfield. When Matt Forte went down at the end of 2016 Powell put up some monster PPR stats. During Weeks 13-16, Powell had 411 rushing yards on 82 attempts and 141 receiving yards on 21 receptions to go with three TDs. The Jaguars defense completely smothered the Ravens last week but Powell has a chance to add some garbage time stats for fantasy owners who need a fill in this week.
What to watch for: Is Powell the RB of the future in New York?
Panthers at Patriots
The Panthers are learning that Cam Newton may not be the QB of old. Not all is on Newton as Greg Olsen and Kelvin Benjamin are currently dealing with injuries. The loss of Ted Ginn may be more significant than the Panthers originally thought as well. The main weapon in Carolina is now Christian McCaffrey and he is about to see a lot of work. The Patriots have had some struggles on defense this year but the offense is as good as ever. The Panthers will probably be playing from behind this weekend leaving McCaffrey to build up serious points.
What to watch for: A new look Carolina offense that focuses on McCaffrey.
Lions at Vikings
Dalvin Cook is off to a hot start, but the biggest takeaway from last week’s game against Tampa Bay is his impact in the passing game. After five catches for 10 yards in his first two games, Cook had five catches for 72 yards in Week 3. For fantasy owners, these next three weeks will be critical as Cook will be facing much better defenses then the first three weeks. If Case Keenum continues to start, Cook could be a huge safety blanket for him. Those extra receptions will help offset run performances that may be below average.
What to watch for: Cook’s continued growth in the passing game.
Bills at Falcons
Where have you gone Austin Hooper?! A prime breakout candidate for many fantasy experts and owners alike, Hooper has been nothing short of disappointing so far. In Week 1 against the Bears, Hooper had an 88-yard TD reception. Outside of that, Hooper has four catches for 56 yards and no TDs. When a player is in a great offense like Hooper finds himself, it’s not only a huge disappointment but a huge red flag that he can’t produce better numbers than this.
What to watch for: Will Hooper go from dud to stud?
Steelers at Ravens
JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t seem to have a clear path to receptions after being taken 62nd overall in the 2017 draft. After a trade that sent Sammie Coates to the Browns, it appeared Smith-Schuster would see some game action. He has been limited so far in 2017, but if the Steelers are without Jesse James this week, it could lead to some more targets. Martavis Bryant has been mostly quiet this season, but a faster option underneath to go along with Antonio Brown and Bryant could be a kick start to this offense.
What to watch for: The evolution of Smith-Schuster in the Steelers game plan.
Bengals at Browns
There is only one thing I am watching in this game and it’s the emergence of Joe Mixon. I wrote about the same thing in this article last week, but Mixon is too darn good to be held down much longer. New offensive coordinator Bill Lazor has made it known that Mixon is going to be his feature back, and it showed in their Week 3 matchup as Mixon played 34 snaps, more than Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill combined.
What to watch for: Bengals control the game on the ground and Mixon breaks out.
Rams at Cowboys
Todd Gurley is a tough player to read right now. His fantasy points are somewhat skewed with a three-touchdown performance against the 49ers last week, which also happened to be his first 100-yard rushing performance since Week 11 of 2015. Even though Gurley is only averaging 3.8 yards per attempt in 2017, he’s tied for the league lead with 63 rushing attempts on the season. The workload is available and the Cowboys don’t have a great run defense.
What to watch for: A huge workload for Gurley as the Rams protect Jared Goff, solidifying his RB1 status.
Eagles at Chargers
The only tight end I’m more concerned with missing than Austin Hooper is Hunter Henry. One of my top breakout candidates of 2017, Henry has been a huge disappointment so far. Henry hasn’t even received one target in two of three games this season. Even though Henry has played more snaps than Antonio Gates this season, he hasn’t run as many routes. Henry has so much potential that it is a shame to watch him used almost exclusively as a blocking tight end. The Chargers are eighth in passing attempts this season and I expect another shootout against the Eagles. With a bounce back game, Henry's stock could jump back up.
What to watch for: Chargers begin utilizing Henry to create positive matchups for Phillip Rivers.
Giants at Buccaneers
If it weren’t for Week 1 being cancelled due to Hurricane Irma, the Buccaneers would already have Doug Martin back. Jacquizz Rodgers instead will get one more week to prove his worth. Rodgers has had two tough matchups to begin the season facing the Bears and Vikings, but the Giants rank last in the NFL giving up 153.3 rush yards per game. Even though Rodgers will be regulated to a backup role when Martin returns, this is an audition for dynasty owners. When healthy, Martin has shown he can be a top-10 running back, but if he were to face another injury of have another off field episode that lands him in the dog house, owners will want a top backup.
What to watch for: Rodgers has a huge game, solidifying himself as Martin’s handcuff.
49ers at Cardinals
I am going to speculate in this section, but I’m keeping my eye on Matt Breida. There is a chance Carlos Hyde doesn’t play this week as he is dealing with a hip injury and will be a game time decision. Breida hasn’t totaled more than six touches in a game this season, but he will pass that by a wide margin if he’s asked to handle to workload in Week 4. The 49ers are asking themselves if Hyde is going to be worth a top dollar extension but it’s up to Breida to convince them he’s the back of the future and not Joe Williams.
What to watch for: Game-time decision for Hyde could lead to Breida start and jump on the fantasy radar.
Raiders at Broncos
At this point, everyone knows how difficult of a matchup the Broncos secondary is. Normally you are looking to put your receivers on the bench during this matchup, but that’s hard to do with Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree. Crabtree is questionable with a chest injury and did not practice this week. Sometimes that is not a concern for players, but add that to the tough matchup and Crabtree is not a safe play. So, if Crabtree is out, it makes it an equally difficult contest for Cooper as well.
What to watch for: Broncos defense shuts down Raiders and Cooper's value keeps dropping.
Colts at Seahawks
Doug Baldwin and Jimmy Graham owners rejoiced as both players finally had big games against the Titans last week, but who is more likely to continue trending up? Even though Baldwin is nursing an injury (although still expected to play this week) I think Graham has some major concerns moving forward. The Seahawks are currently 1-2 and could be looking to focus on the run game this week against a bad Colts team. If that happens, I expect Baldwin to be Wilson's go-to and Graham to see reduced targets. What concerns me the most is Grahams 52.4% catch rate this year, which would be a career low.
What to watch for: Seahawks get back to the run game and Graham suffers another disappointing week.
Redskins at Chiefs
The name of the game right now is “Which Redskins receiver breaks out first?” The Redskins will not win many games with Chris Thompson leading the team in receiving yards. Terrelle Pryor owners are starting to panic and jump ship, but I still have a lot of faith in him. We may have to wait a week until Pryor isn’t shadowed by Marcus Peters, but the breakout is coming. If the Redskins have any hope of winning the NFC East, Pryor will need to be a big factor in the passing games.
What to watch for: After surviving a difficult tilt, Redskins receivers will start to heat up.
