ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 20: Kenneth Walker III #9 of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after a third quarter touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
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Week 4 is just around the corner, which means everyone reading this article is going to have some tough start or sit decisions to make. For some, these decisions are absolutely crucial because they could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Especially for 1-2 or 0-3 teams in need of a win, you need to nail your fantasy football decisions. In order to be eligible for this list, these can’t just be obvious names.
At wide receiver, only players ranked outside of the top 36 (per Fantasy Pros Week 4 expert consensus rankings) are eligible for the start list. On the other side, players within the top 36 are eligible for sit of the week.
For running backs, that goes down to 24, while for quarterbacks and tight ends, that drops to the top 12.
Sit Running Back Kenneth Walker (RB13)
This take on Kenneth Walker is going to be 100% dependent on whether Zach Charbonnet plays or not. As of Monday, though, Charbonnet was a full participant in practice after suffering a foot injury that sidelined him last week.
In the first two weeks, Charbonnet had more carries than Walker, limiting his opportunity. Not only that, but Walker only has one game with over 2.5 YPC.
We saw in Week 1 what will happen if Walker doesn’t score a touchdown or have an explosive game on the ground. That week, Walker had 5.4 points (PPR).
Walker and the Seattle Seahawks take on the Arizona Cardinals as 1.5-point favorites per FanDuel, but their over/under is down at 43.5. Since Walker will likely see a significant drop in volume if Charbonnet plays, leave him on your bench this week.
Start Running Back D’Andre Swift (RB28)
Although Swift has struggled this year, he has a solid Week 4 matchup. Right now the Chicago Bears are 1.5-point underdogs, but the over/under is 47.5.
Coming off a week where the Bears just scored 31 points, this game could present a touchdown opportunity for Swift. Despite only having 63 rushing yards in Week 2, Swift’s touchdown gave him 13.9 points.
Given Swift’s command of the backfield with 36 snaps vs Kyle Monangai at 17 in Week 3 (per PFF) to pair with a solid game script, you should feel fine with him as your RB2.
Sit Wide Receiver Jameson Williams (WR29)
Despite having high expectations for Jameson Williams coming into the year, he’s averaging 10.6 PPG. He’s only had one game with over seven points, and that was in Week 2 (18.8 points) when the Detroit Lions as a whole had 52 points.
Since touchdowns are a lot more volatile than targets, it’s hard to trust Williams, who has yet to draw over five in a game this year. The matchup for him this week isn’t ideal either.
The Lions take on the Cleveland Browns as 8.5-point favorites with an over/under of 44.5 points. Expect the Lions to be able to run the ball a ton since they should be winning for most of the game. That takes away from Williams, who thrives in game environments with big play opportunities.
Start Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy (WR39)
Fantasy football managers are quick to forget that Jerry Jeudy had 14.2 PPG last year. Jeudy had a strong Week 1 with 11.6 points and eight targets, but has scored less than 10 points in both games since.
With that being said, Jeudy has 21 targets on the year, which is a strong number. For the same reason that we said to sit Williams, that’s why you want to start Jeudy.
The Browns are heavy underdogs, which favors the passing game and Jeudy. It seems like the Browns should be trailing, which means another eight-target game should be in store for Jeudy.
If he can capitalize on those targets and even possibly score his first touchdown of the year, he’ll be a great play in your flex spot.
Sit Tight End Dalton Kincaid (TE7)
Dalton Kincaid is quietly having a strong year with 13.4 PPG. The reason that we can’t lock Kincaid in as a must-start TE1 is due to the fact that he’s never had more than six targets.
That’s not to say that Kincaid is bad, and in fact, he’s a good start most weeks. The problem is that Kincaid has a very unfavorable game script.
At first glance, you could argue that Kincaid is a good start because the over/under is 49.5. However, the Buffalo Bills are 10.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots.
Especially with James Cook running for 94.7 YPG, you have to expect the Bills won’t be passing the ball too much. With that being the case, it’s a good idea to keep Kincaid on your bench this week.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 13: Mark Andrews #89 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates after catching a touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Washington Commanders at M&T Bank Stadium on October 13, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
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Start Tight End Mark Andrews (TE16)
After scoring less than two points in both weeks one and two, Mark Andrews had a monster Week 3 with 27.1 points. While betting on touchdowns is a bad idea at running back or wide receiver, the bottom of the tight end pool is extremely shallow.
In this case, if you’re looking for a low-end TE1 on the week, taking a shot on someone to score a touchdown isn’t a bad idea. Andrews is still a talented player, and he drew six targets last week as well.
Going up against the Kansas City Chiefs, this game has an over/under of 48.5 points. Although the Baltimore Ravens are 2.5-point favorites, the high scoring makes this matchup interesting.
If Andrews can take advantage of a high-scoring game to catch a touchdown, he’ll provide fantasy owners with good production this week.
Sit Quarterback Bo Nix (QB11)
Through three games, Bo Nix is averaging just 13.5 PPG. This has now become a case where you need to see him prove it for two weeks in a row before you feel good starting him.
If the matchup was good for Nix, you could still make an argument to start him, but that’s not the case. Nix and the Denver Broncos take on the Cincinnati Bengals as seven-point favorites.
Not only does this favor the Broncos’ running game, but it’s not even as if this is close to being a high-scoring game. The over/under is down at 43.5 points. You shouldn’t drop Nix just yet, but he’s a player you should bench this week.
Start Quarterback Justin Fields (QB19)
Since Justin Fields missed Week 3 with a concussion, this could change. As of Monday, there’s no update on whether Fields will play next week, but there hasn’t been a report confirming him out either.
If Fields does play, make sure to get him in your lineup as a low-end QB1. Just a few weeks ago, Fields had 29.5 points to kick the year off.
While Fields suffered an injury in Week 2 and only had four points on 16 opportunities (11 passing attempts, five rushing attempts), his upside is extremely high, as shown in Week 1.
The Jets take on the 0-3 Miami Dolphins, who have allowed 30 points in every single week. With the Jets being 2.5-point underdogs to pair with a 44.5-point over/under, it’s not as if this matchup is phenomenal.
With that being said, Fields offers your fantasy team a lot of upside, and all things considered, this seems like an above-average matchup. Make sure to keep an eye out for the injury report regarding Fields because that will dictate your decision to start or sit him.