Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em
This Week 4 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em article will show you how to navigate the best players to start as we are near the end of September. We saw more injuries in Week 3. Tight end Trey McBride went down with a concussion, and Sam LaPorta suffered an ankle injury, so there might be a lot of movement at that position. Devonta Smith also suffered a concussion, while Amari Cooper got slightly banged up. I have had mixed results in my own leagues, being 2-1 in one and 1-2 in another after two weeks.
Let’s talk over what I got right. I was 100 percent right about Anthony Richardson. He cratered horribly against the Chicago Bears, getting just 5.1 fantasy points. Rachaad White had another bad game, getting just 8.5 fantasy points, so I was right about that, too, especially with Bucky Irving getting traction. Javonte Williams had only 6.1 fantasy points, failing below expectations, as I said he would. Now, he might even lose his job to a guy off the practice squad. Michael Pittman Jr. was awful, getting only 7.6 fantasy points, so I got that right, too. So now you know, you should listen to my suggestions because I have been right about all of them so far, with the exception of Joe Burrow in Week 2.
Now, let’s talk about the significant whiffs. The biggest whiff was Jameson Williams, who finished with 1.2 fantasy points. D’Andre Swift also whiffed, managing just 6.8 fantasy points. Derek Carr crashed back down to Earth with eight fantasy points. Brock Bowers only managed 7.1 fantasy points. Jordan Mason did not explode as he had in the previous weekends, but he still finished with a respectable 10.8 fantasy points, slightly less than his projections. Fantasy football is weird sometimes, as players who should dominate their matchups don’t always do so. Look at Brandon Aiyuk as proof of that.
But that’s over now. Our Week 3 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em article will combine what we have seen in both weeks and try to make sense of everything. Our Fantasy Football recap will show you more than what I have shown you. Don’t forget to optimize your lineups to help give yourself the best chance to create a winning lineup.
Week 4 Starts
*Start Stat Percentage, Via Yahoo
Jayden Daniels
Washington Commanders vs. ARZ (92% started)
Jayden Daniels has had a mixed start to his career. But he gets a great chance against Arizona this weekend. Consider the fact that his rushing ability makes him a duel threat that makes him dangerous against the Cards. Also, the Cards have done fairly decent over the last two weeks but got obliterated in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, with Josh Allen leading the charge. Now, I am not saying Daniels is at that level yet. But he certainly has the capabilities of running the ball in for a score, and if you have a difficult choice between Daniels and another mid-tier quarterback, he would be the better choice.
Zach Moss
Cincinnati Bengals vs. CAR (85% started)
It’s been an inconsistent start to the season for Zack Moss. The Bengals at least got him going on Monday Night Football, getting him several targets in addition to his usual rushing attempts. But he gets a perfect get-right game against the Carolina Panthers, who come into the week as the third-worst team in fantasy points allowed to running backs. They have allowed four touchdowns to running backs over three games. Also, they even let JK Dobbins run all over them. This is the perfect week for the Bengals to run the ball, especially since they are coming off a short week.
Rhamondre Stevenson
New England Patriots vs. SF (95% started)
Rhamondre Stevenson stumbled last week, sputtering to .3 fantasy points. While I think the 49ers will likely win this game, Stevenson will still have a good chance to inflict some damage against them. The Niners have allowed Breece Hall, Tyson Chandler, and Kyren Williams to do significant damage against them. Overall, San Francisco has allowed four touchdowns to running backs, including three to Williams last weekend. They also are allowing an average of 23.83 fantasy points to running backs. Stevenson will bounce back and make some noise against a rush defense that has struggled mightily without Dre Greenlaw.
George Pickens
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. IND (94% started)
George Pickens finished with a respectable 10.7 fantasy points despite facing one of the toughest pass defenses in the NFL. He hauled in five of seven targets for 57 yards. While he has not scored a touchdown yet, you know a big week is coming. Enter the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts are currently the fourth-worst in fantasy in points allowed to wide receivers, and even let D.J. Moore score 15.2 fantasy points last weekend. Pickens is way overdue for a big game, and it can definitely happen here.
Dalton Kincaid
Buffalo Bills vs. BAL (98% started)
If there is a week for Dalton Kincaid to thrive, it’s this week! He is playing the Baltimore Ravens, who have allowed an average of 17 fantasy points to tight ends through the first three weeks. They just allowed Jake Ferguson to torch them for six catches for 95 yards. The week before, Brock Bowers destroyed them. Ironically, the only tight end the Ravens contained was Travis Kelce. After scoring a touchdown on Monday Night Football, Kincaid has officially shaken off the cobwebs and is ready to rumble. Start him this week.
Week 4 Sits
Anthony Richardson
Indianapolis Colts vs. PIT (98% started)
No, I don’t hate Anthony Richardson. I am simply putting him on the sits list because he is facing the best defense regarding limiting quarterbacks in fantasy points. The Steelers have made life miserable for Kirk Cousins, Bo Nix, and Justin Herbert. They even injured him, forcing him out of the game. Pittsburgh is allowing an average of 8.17 fantasy points to quarterbacks. Coincidentally, Richardson is averaging 13.7, but his good Week 1 performance inflates that. You take his last two weeks, and he is averaging 7.5 fantasy points. Avoid him like the plague this week.
Kenneth Walker/Zach Charbonnet
Seattle Seahawks vs. DET (78% started)
You see Walker and Charbonnet here because we don’t know yet if Walker will be available to play. If he cannot, Charbonnet will go. Charbonnet has exploded to start the season, scoring in double digits in every single game. While you may want to keep the hot hand going, consider that the Lions are the number one team in fantasy football against the run. They just held James Connor to 3.5 fantasy points after he had thrived over the previous two weekends. If he is your best running back, then play him. Otherwise, this might be a sit this week.
JK Dobbins
Los Angeles Chargers vs. KC (87% started)
Los Angeles Chargers will attempt to run the football, regardless of the opponent. But they struggled last weekend, with JK Dobbins getting 8.4 fantasy points and Gus Edwards managing a meek .9 fantasy points. It will get a lot worse if Justin Herbert cannot play. This week, the Chargers face their divisional rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs. That makes it much more challenging, especially with the Chiefs being the third-best in fantasy football against running backs. If you start Dobbins, you might gain some points because of receptions, but the Chiefs have been a wall against running backs.
Michael Pittman
Indianapolis Colts vs. PIT (91% started)
Michael Pittman, unfortunately, lands on this list for the second consecutive week. It was another bad week for Pittman, as he managed just 7.2 fantasy points against the vaunted Chicago Bears defense. I believe he is incredibly talented and one of the better receivers in the NFL.
Hunter Henry
New England Patriots vs. SF (32% started)
Hunter Henry has been inconsistent over the first three games, having a big Week 2 sandwiched between two bad weeks. Will he bounce back in Week 4? It’s unlikely. Henry faces the San Francisco 49ers, who have struggled on defense but contained tight ends, holding them to an average of 3.30 fantasy points over the first three games of the season. It might be a long day for Henry as he attempts to get open against a defense that can still cover.
