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Scott Engel breaks down his Week 4 fantasy football lineup rankings, spotlighting key NFL players to start and tougher lineup start/sit decisions to make.
Welcome to Week 4, RotoBallers! Below you will find some of my spotlight plays and tough lineup decisions for the upcoming week of the fantasy football season.
These player selections are based off my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller's NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a 10% discount and get access to all of my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the entire 2019 season.
Note that all skill position picks here are based off of my PPR ranks.
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Spotlight RB Starters for Week 4
Sony Michel vs. BUF (RB17): He has two games with under 20 rushing yards and has definitely been a disappointment so far. But the Patriots will likely get him back into the flow of the offense this week against Buffalo. The way to attack the Bills is to run the ball rather than challenging their secondary to start out.
Wayne Gallman vs. WAS (RB19): If you picked him up, you likely spent a lot of FAAB on Gallman and you have to start him. Sure, he is a long way from Saquon Barkley in terms of talent, but the Giants should be able to move the ball effectively against the Redskins and Gallman could finish off more than one scoring drive.
Darrel Williams vs. DET (RB24): Damien Williams will be out again this week and that means Darrel Williams will likely get a significant workload again as part of a time share with LeSean McCoy. While McCoy may be a better bet to score, Williams has already showed off his versatility and is a strong PPR flex start in Week 4.
Spotlight WR Starters for Week 4
Marquise Brown vs. CLE (WR14): There is absolutely no way the banged up Browns secondary can contain this explosive first-year playmaker. Brown will have his best game since the season opener this week. Look for more than one big gainer from Hollywood.
Sterling Shepard vs. WAS (WR15): He made a successful return to action in Week 3. Daniel Jones certainly looks like a poised passer already and Shepard is ready to emerge as the team’s best WR with Odell Beckham Jr. gone. The matchup is a good one this week and Shepard will have a good outing as he embarks on his best Fantasy season ever.
D.J. Moore vs. HOU (WR22): Kyle Allen was quite impressive in his first pro start, and made nearly all the correct throws the coaching staff wanted him to. He inserted more spark into the Carolina offense than we have seen in some time under Cam Newton. Moore should have a busy and productive day against a vulnerable Houston secondary.
Spotlight QB Starters for Week 4
Matt Ryan vs. ATL (QB6): As I outlined in my Buy and Sell column this week, there seems to be overly negative perceptions surrounding Ryan and the Falcons and the matchup appears challenging vs. the Titans. The reality is Ryan already has three 300-yard passing games and eight TD tosses and can deliver quality Fantasy production in any sort of game script.
Kyler Murray vs. SEA (QB8): This is the week when we should see the best game of Kyler Murray’s career so far. The Cardinals will load up WRs against the vulnerable Seattle secondary and light up the scoreboard in an entertaining shootout. Murray has been compared so often to Russell Wilson and will enthusiastically trade offensive punches with him.
Spotlight TE Starters for Week 4
Greg Olsen vs. CAR: He has admirably recaptured his place among the better TEs in Fantasy Football at a point when many thought his career would be winding up. The Panthers should be able to move the ball effectively against the Texans and Olsen should find the end zone again.
Eric Ebron vs. OAK: This is a week when Ebron could move back into a featured role in the Indianapolis passing game. The Indianapolis receiving corps is looking depleted, and may have to rely on its TEs even more in the passing game. We all know Ebron can certainly be a significant TD threat.
Tough Lineup Decisions
Jared Goff over Tom Brady: The GOAT has gotten off to a terrific start this season and it is really hard to bench him against any opponent right now. But Goff has a healthy Cooper Kupp and a terrific matchup against the Buccaneers. He has just a bit more upside this week.
Josh Allen over Jameis Winston: I do not like either of these QBs this week, but if you have both of them, I am still going with Allen. The New England defense has looked outstanding so far but the Bills may come to play hard against the Patriots and Winston cannot be counted on to build on last week’s outing.
Frank Gore over Devonta Freeman: You cannot expect a high ceiling from Gore this week, but he can provide adequate totals and a trip to the end zone. Freeman looks like his best days are behind him, hence many Fantasy players have tried to sell him off in trades this week.
Phillip Lindsay over David Montgomery: Neither RB has a good matchup this week, and both play in unimpressive offenses. But Lindsay showed last week he could overcome the adversity surrounding him to perform well, while Montgomery has less of a chance to score in a Mitchell Trubisky led offense.
Demarcus Robinson over Brandin Cooks: I have always been of the opinion that Cooks is a bit overrated, and he certainly does not score often enough. Robinson is a major scoring threat right now. Both can get downfield for big plays, but I prefer Robinson as a potential TD producer right now.
D.K. Metcalf over Josh Gordon: The oft-troubled veteran still is perceived to have a high ceiling, but the rookie has already meshed well with Russell Wilson, who looks for the big play frequently. Metcalf has the better matchup for sure this week, and he has already done enough to be considered comparable to the mildly overrated Gordon.
Jason Witten over O.J. Howard: Fantasy owners are still tempted to use Howard, especially after he totaled 66 receiving yards in Week 3. But Witten has been a better Fantasy producer since he returned from broadcast hiatus, and he is the safer play.
