X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Under-The-Radar Booms and Busts: Week 4

Gardner Minshew Fantasy Football Dynasty

Craig Rondinone looks at some fantasy football booms and busts for Week 4 lineups. These NFL players could be high-upside flex plays, or options to avoid.

There are going to be a few familiar fantasy football faces missing this week, and not because of injuries.

The first week of byes are upon us, fantasy folks! If you own any New York Jets (if so, I feel sorry for you) or San Francisco 49ers, you will need to find other alternatives to fill your starting lineup, and if you play in one-day fantasy contests than you are not going to have Le’Veon Bell, George Kittle or Jimmy Garoppolo winning you thousands of dollars this weekend. But if you need some under-the-radar booms and busts from other teams, you came to the right place.

Coming on the heels of Mitchell Trubisky, Taylor Gabriel and Greg Olsen making me look like Nostradamus in my last column, I am ready to give fantasy players another round of booms and busts! Here are my under-the-radar booms and busts for Week 4! Good luck, RotoBallers!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 4 Under-the-Radar Booms

Carlos Hyde (HOU, RB) vs. CAR

Hyde has certainly landed on his feet after it appeared his fantasy value was going to be zero as Kansas City’s No. 3 RB or as a tailback in the XFL. He has become Houston’s starting RB after a fortuitous chain of events and is averaging 14 touches per game. Carolina’s 24th-ranked run defense has been disappointing, and don’t you feel like rookie rifleman Kyle Allen is going to come back down to Earth in his second start in place of Cam Newton? I can see Hyde rumbling for 100-plus yards between the tackles and finding the end zone once or twice, possibly after an Allen interception leaves Houston’s offense inside the 10-yard-line.

Eric Ebron (IND, TE) vs. OAK

Fantasy players with half a brain knew Ebron was not going to duplicate what he did last season when he led all tight ends in touchdowns, but he has gotten off to a slower start than everyone expected, especially since quarterback Jacoby Brissett has played extremely well. Ebron only has seven catches for 80 yards and a TD over his opening three games, but he may match those numbers this Sunday versus Oakland’s 25th-ranked pass defense. With T.Y. Hilton questionable with a quad injury and no other receiver on the roster who scares secondaries, watch for Ebron to be leaned on heavily and look like the player he was in 2018.

Christian Kirk (ARI, WR) vs. SEA

Have you ever seen a wide receiver do less with 10 receptions than Kirk did last weekend? 59 yards? His longest gain was 13 yards? Wow. The good news for Kirk is he will be getting “covered” by a Seattle secondary that no longer has Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman or any other “Legion of Boom” members. The only reason the Seahawks pass defense has not allowed more yards (250 per game) is because the three quarterbacks they faced were Andy Dalton, Mason Rudolph and Teddy Bridgewater. I am penciling Kirk in for eight receptions, 12 targets, 100 yards and a visit to the end zone.

 

Week 4 Under-the-Radar Busts

Gardner Minshew (JAC, QB) at DEN

You have to love this guy’s moustache and the fact that he has been more than serviceable since taking over for the injured Nick Foles. But fantasy players cannot like that Minshew has to find open receivers against Denver’s staunch secondary. The Broncos are ranked sixth against the pass and will be downright desperate for a win at home since they are 0-3 and their season is on the line. Aaron Rodgers only threw for 235 yards and one touchdown against Denver, so odds are Minshew is looking at 180 yards with a TD and two picks. Pro Bowl corner Chris Harris might be able to cover the Jags receiving corps by himself.

Irv Smith (MIN, TE) at CHI

It is hard to consider second-rounder Smith as Kyle Rudolph’s heir apparent when the latter signed a long-term contract worth multimillions in the offseason, but Smith has been the more productive tight end of the two thanks to Rudolph only managing 20 receiving yards in his first three games. Smith’s production comes to a grinding halt this Sunday afternoon, however. We all know how fearsome and formidable Chicago’s defense is, and the Bears have yet to allow a tight end to break the 40-yard barrier against them this season. Smith will not be the first, especially if Minnesota realizes that paying Rudolph big bucks and failing to throw to him five-to-seven times per game is a humongous mistake.

Rex Burkhead (NE, RB) at BUF

Burkhead has been New England’s best back from a fantasy perspective through three games, besting both James White and Sony Michel in the rushing and receiving departments. Three-headed backfield monsters never really help anybody fantasy-wise, however, and Burkhead is going to feel the pinch this week in a battle of undefeated AFC East squads. Buffalo is ranked in the top 10 in run defense, pass defense, total defense and scoring defense. So Burkhead is looking at 10 touches tops against one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the guy is banged-up again (questionable with a foot injury). Have you ever see someone who plays so little get injured more often than Burkhead does?  Me neither. Stay away, stay very far away.

Kenny Stills (WR, HOU) vs. CAR

I know Houston needed another receiver because Will Fuller and Keke Coutee have a harder time staying healthy than 90-year olds at a nursing home, but when Stills was thrown in with tackle Laremy Tunsil during their preseason blockbuster with Miami it made no sense to me. Stills is the same type of home run threat that Fuller is, and the Texans implement an offense that revolves around passing to DeAndre Hopkins 10-15 times a game. I understand Stills is coming off an 89-yard outing, but the man is averaging four targets a week and in his career against Carolina has averaged 41 yards per game and has never scored in five contests. I am avoiding Stills until he either plays against Arizona or Cleveland, or whenever Fuller has his annual injury.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jake McCarthy6 mins ago

Gabriel Moreno, Jake McCarthy Sitting On Thursday
Ketel Marte17 mins ago

Sitting On Thursday After Signing Extension
Jake Meyers29 mins ago

Taking Seat For Third Straight Contest
Luis Garcia40 mins ago

Shut Down With Elbow Inflammation
Brett Harris49 mins ago

Activated, Optioned To Triple-A
Yainer Diaz56 mins ago

Sitting On Thursday
Carlos Rodón2 hours ago

Carlos Rodon Undergoes X-Rays After Taking Liner Off His Arm
Drew Waters2 hours ago

Hits For The Cycle On Wednesday
Harry Ford2 hours ago

Showing Strong Eye Through First Taste Of Triple-A
Christian Vázquez2 hours ago

Christian Vazquez Getting The Day Off
Jose Miranda2 hours ago

Out Again On Thursday
Chase Meidroth2 hours ago

Launches Second Long Ball
Lucas Giolito2 hours ago

Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito "Not Close" To Returning To Rotation
Baltimore Orioles3 hours ago

Michael Forret Making Jump To Double-A
Connor Wong3 hours ago

Getting The Day Off In Matinee
Grayson Rodriguez3 hours ago

Throws Second Bullpen Session
Enrique Bradfield Jr.3 hours ago

Starting Season With Double-A Bowie
Ryan Mountcastle3 hours ago

Sitting In Series Finale Against Boston
Baltimore Orioles3 hours ago

Nestor German Starting Campaign At Double-A
Gunnar Henderson3 hours ago

Probable To Return From Injured List On Friday
A.J. Puk6 hours ago

Holds On For Second Save Of The Season
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP
10
9
11
10
12
19
13
22
14
24
15
25
16
33
17
39
18
40
19
41

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
1
1
2
3
3
7
4
11
6
14
7
15
8
18
9
19
10
20

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 
Russell Wilson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Fantasy Football Outlooks For QBs On New Teams: Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Sam Darnold, Geno Smith, more

The NFL quarterback carousel gets to spin every offseason, and plenty of QBs have already found new homes ahead of the 2025 NFL season. For fantasy football, a player's surrounding team is extremely important, so it's worth looking into each of their outlooks with their new squads. There are still a few unsigned QBs, but […]


Shedeur Sanders - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks

2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Mock Draft: 12-Team, Superflex/Two-QB

The 2025 NFL Draft is still less than 30 days away. Therefore, dynasty fantasy rookie mock drafts are nearly here. Much will change between now and the NFL Draft. However, it’s time for another dynasty rookie mock draft. This rookie mock draft is a two-round, 12-team, and two-quarterbacks. For a deeper dive into dynasty strategy, […]


Deshaun Watson - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Offseason Team Needs: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

The AFC North, comprised of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers, sent two teams to the playoffs in 2024 and had one on the cusp of a playoff berth. The Ravens have the best roster of the four teams by a long shot. The Steelers have a solid defensive group, and […]


UFL RANKINGS, FANTASY FOOTBALL,

UFL Fantasy Football Rankings for Week 2: QB, RB, WR, TE Rankings and Analysis (2025)

Week 2 of the UFL season is just around the corner. This week will feature one game on Friday, one game on Saturday, and two on Sunday. Birmingham and Michigan will play at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, followed by Memphis-D.C. on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. EDT. Sunday's game pits the 1-0 Renegades against the […]


Calvin Ridley - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL DFS Picks, Draft Sleepers

Dynasty Fantasy Football Rankings: Overvalued, Undervalued Players (2025)

Dynasty fantasy football rankings constantly shift, especially as we inch closer to the new season and fantasy drafts. Dynasty managers know the importance of finding those underrated players who could be steals in drafts or trades. They also know some players are overhyped due to unsustainable trends or past production. I'll break down two overvalued […]


Justin Fields - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Best Fantasy Football Moves During 2025 NFL Free Agency

It has been a wild offseason so far in the NFL. Plenty of players have switched teams in free agency, and some stars were even traded. Deebo Samuel Sr. was dealt to the Washington Commanders, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, and DK Metcalf has a new home with the Pittsburgh Steelers. These […]


Tyreek Hill - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Three Aging Fantasy Football Players To Sell In Dynasty Leagues

It's hard to always know when to sell off your aging fantasy football players. Often, it's also difficult to accept that it's better to move on from a player when he's coming off a productive season and still has a lot left in the tank. But I believe it's better to be a year early […]


J.J. McCarthy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Draft Sleepers

Five Fantasy Football Superflex Quarterback Breakouts, Draft Targets (2025)

If you’ve ever played in a Superflex fantasy football league, then you know how important quarterbacks are in this format. The ability to start multiple stud quarterbacks can carry you to a Superflex title. Unfortunately, finding two such players isn’t so easy. All the top signal-callers come off draft boards first, and that makes it […]


Omarion Hampton - College Football Rankings, NCAA CFB DFS Lineup Picks - NFL Draft

Ideal Landing Spots For The Top 12 Fantasy Football Rookies - 2025 NFL Draft

Then, the NFL Draft continues to inch closer and closer. This is a very interesting class, with a handful of players who could be stars in the NFL and reshape fantasy football leagues going forward. Here are the ideal landing spots for the top 12 fantasy football rookies. These picks exist in conversation with each […]


Jalen Coker - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Eight Best Ball Late Round Value Fantasy Football Players To Target For 2025

Fantasy football is the most popular game in all of sports. It has gone from a paper-and-pen game to a multi-million dollar-a-year one. While redraft leagues are the most popular form of fantasy football, best ball leagues are quickly gaining steam. The best part of best ball leagues is the ability to draft thousands of […]


Abdul Carter - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

2025 NFL Draft Rankings: Top 10 Fantasy Football Edge Rusher Prospects

Edge rusher is the most important, most coveted, and most highly-paid position on defense in the NFL. It stands to reason that the most important position in the entire game being quarterback, and by a wide margin, means the most important position on defense are the players that are tasked with disrupting opposing QBs as […]


Brock Purdy - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Picks

Brock Purdy Dynasty Fantasy Football Outlook and Trade Value

Despite becoming the all-time leading passer for the Iowa State Cyclones, Brock Purdy wasn't a highly touted prospect due to his perceived lack of athleticism. The 49ers picked him with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but Mr. Irrelevant quickly proved everyone wrong. In his first two years, he started in back-to-back NFC […]


Michael Florio's Football Show - Podcast RotoBaller Network

Florio's Football Show: Scouting NFL Draft Prospects!

Michael F Florio goes over some of the top prospects from this years NFL Draft. Florio talks about what he looks for when watching prospect tape and explains what traits translate best to the NFL level. Be sure to also tune into RotoBaller Radio on SiriusXM (SiriusXM channel 87) on Sundays from 6-7 am. You can […]