Show of hands, who had Las Vegas WR Tre Tucker as NFL Week 3’s fantasy WR1? Or Jags RB Travis Etienne Jr. as RB8? Or Bears QB Caleb Williams as QB3?
Just as I thought. Nary a hand to be seen.
My hand’s not raised, either, so it’s debatable as to how seriously anybody should take my Week 4 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Ems.
But that won’t stop me from trying.
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NFL Week 4 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Packers QB Jordan Love: Start ‘Em
Packers @ Cowboys - 8:20 p.m. ET (SNF)
Is Jordan Love an average quarterback, or is he a great quarterback in desperate need of a clear-cut WR1?
Considering Love is currently fantasy’s QB18 — three spots behind his elderly predecessor, Pittsburgh’s Aaron Rodgers — it’s probably the former. Dude’s mediocre.
On the other hand, his top-producing wide receiver is Romeo Doubs, currently fantasy’s WR50, so it’s probably the latter. Dude has nobody to throw to.
That all being the case, two things can be true at once — Love is meh, and the Packers’ wide receiver room is blah — but when you’re a quarterback facing the 2025 Dallas Cowboys’ defense, that all goes out the window.
The ‘Boys allowed 24.3 fantasy points to Philly’s Jalen Hurts in Week 1, 31.3 to New York’s Russell Wilson in Week 2, and 29.1 to Chicago’s Caleb Williams in Week 3. So until further notice, if you have a quarterback facing Dallas, welp, you know what to do.
Jordan Love PrizePicks Projection: 233.5 Pass Yards, 6.5 Rush Yards
Commanders QB Marcus Mariota: Start ‘Em
Commanders @ Falcons - 1:00 p.m. ET
With Washington’s QB1 Jayden Daniels nursing a bum knee last Sunday, Mariota crushed it as a starter, putting up 23.3 fantasy points (QB6), and having pundits (like me) wondering just how good Daniels is.
An inconsistent journeyman, Mariota delivered what might be one of the finest overall performances of his career, begging the question, is it offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s system that makes the quarterback, or is it the quarterback who makes the system?
We’ll have a better idea after the Commanders’ Week 4 clash with an Atlanta team that just allowed 30 points to the freakin’ Carolina Panthers. Yikes.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott: Sit ‘Em
Cowboys vs. Packers - 8:20 p.m. ET (SNF)
This isn’t a stat thing. This is a revenge thing.
Packers EDGE Micah Parsons returns to Dallas for the first time since he was traded to Green Bay right before Opening Day, and, after an acrimonious end to his Cowboys tenure, will likely want to tee off on everybody and everything sporting a blue star on their helmet.
It’s Parsons’ job to abuse opposing quarterbacks, and it’s a job he takes quite seriously — and is quite good at — so if I’m Prescott, I’m not super-excited for this prime time contest.
And if Prescott is my fantasy QB1, I’m even less excited.
Dak Prescott PrizePicks Projection: 241.5 Pass Yards, 5.5 Rush Yards
Patriots QB Drake Maye: Sit ‘Em
Patriots vs Panthers - 1:00 p.m. ET
In their Week 3 game against Atlanta, the Panthers held a sophomore quarterback — that being one Michael Penix Jr. — to 5.8 fantasy points.
This week, the Panthers face another second-year signal caller, concerning for Maye, as last Sunday’s surprise shutout performance (sort of) proved that the Carolina D knows how to abuse second-year signal callers.
Listen, I know, that’s not much of a sample size, but I’m not willing to wait and see if Carolina’s D knows what it’s doing. Because maybe they do.
Drake Maye PrizePicks Projection: 230.5 Pass Yards, 29.5 Rush Yards
Bills RB James Cook: Start ‘Em
Bills vs. Saints - 1:00 p.m. ET
Here’s a dirty little secret: James Cook is fantasy’s overall RB2, ahead of draft day darlings Bijan Robinson (RB3), Christian McCaffrey (RB4), Jahmyr Gibbs (RB7), Derrick Henry (RB11), and Saquon Barkley (RB15).
This is extra notable because Cook is on a team in which he shares a backfield with the reigning MVP, a quarterback who likes to spread the ball and vultures seemingly hundreds of rushing attempts from his backs. (Yes, Josh Allen can be a vulture. Which isn’t a bad thing for the Bills Mafia.)
The Saints aren’t terrible at stopping the run — they’ve allowed the 19th fewest rushing yards in the league — but Cook is on such a heater — we’re talking 16-plus fantasy points in each of his three 2025 outings — that he should be your RB1 going forward.
James Cook PrizePicks Projection: 77.5 Rush Yards, 18.5 Receiving Yards
Commanders RB Jeremy McNichols: Start ‘Em
Commanders @ Falcons - 1:00 p.m. ET
McNichols broke off a 60-yard TD run last week, and though I have no metrics to support a repeat, my gut is telling me to roll with J-Mac. So I will.
Jaguars RB Travis Etienne Jr.: Sit ‘Em
Jaguars @ 49ers - 4:25 p.m. ET
They say that it’s difficult for West Coast NFL teams to perform at their best when they have to fly to the East Coast. And they’re right.
Last season, for instance, only two California RBs managed to post 100+ yard games out East, those being the Chargers’ J.K. Dobbins (131 yards @ Carolina on September 15, 2024) and the Rams’ Kyren Williams (122 yards @ the Jets on December 22, 2024)
Last time I checked, Jacksonville is in Florida, and San Francisco is in California, so this might be the week for fantasy managers to avoid any and all Jags skill players.
Travis Etienne Jr. PrizePicks Projection: 55.5 Rush Yards
Steelers RB Jaylen Warren: Sit ‘Em
Vikings @ Steelers - 1:00 p.m. ET
The Vikings defense was downright frightening on Sunday, holding the visiting Bengals to 10 points and 171 total yards. And Chase Brown, Cincy’s ostensible RB1, managed 3 yards on 10 carries. How is that even possible?
Warren is coming off of an 8.1 fantasy point game, and taking into account what the Vikes did to Brown, I don’t think any of us have high hopes for him to even equal that number, let alone top it.
Jaylen Warren PrizePicks Projection: 59.5 Rush Yards
Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka: Start ‘Em
Buccaneers vs. Eagles - 1:00 p.m. ET
The breakout rookie is one good performance away from being a plug-and-play WR1…and that performance could be this week, as there’s a distinct possibility he’ll be the only elite Tampa pass catcher dressed for the game.
Mike Evans is dealing with a hamstring, while Chris Godwin’s ankle and groin might keep him in the locker room, and if Evans and Godwin are out — which appears to be more likely by the day — we’re looking at Egbuka and a cast of thousands. But even if the entire Bucs wide receiver room takes the field, never fear, as the former Buckeye has averaged 7 targets a game.
Panthers WR Hunter Renfrow: Start ‘Em
Panthers @ Patriots - 1:00 p.m. ET
As noted, the Panthers dropped a thirty-burger on the Falcons last week. Admittedly, Renfrow had very little to do with that, managing just 2 catches for 6 yards. The previous week, however, the veteran hauled in 7 of his 9 targets, racking up 40 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The Pats’ pass D is solid enough — last week, they held Pittsburgh to 139 yards in the air — but it’s not like the waiver wire is flooding with sure-thing receivers, so Renfrow could be Your Guy.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown: Sit ‘Em
Eagles @ Buccaneers - 1:00 p.m. ET
Brown is averaging 6.8 fantasy points per game, less than Cleveland’s Cedric Tillman (7.3), New England’s Kayshon Boutte (6.9), and Dallas’ KaVontae Turpin (6.8).
That said, Brown looked more like his usual self last Sunday against the Rams, racking up 109 yards, a TD, and 16.9 fantasy points, but I’ll need to see some more consistent production before I hop on the A.J. Express.
Yes, he’s a legit WR1, but if you have a quality WR2 behind Brown on your bench, it might be time to unleash him.
A.J. Brown PrizePicks Projection: 71.5 Receiving Yards
Giants WR Malik Nabers: Sit ‘Em
Giants vs. Chargers - 1:00 p.m. ET
Rookie Jaxson Dart is taking over starting duties for the G-Men, and I don’t trust rookie quarterbacks (see: Ward, Cam), so I’ll be fading every Jints skill player other than RB Cam Skattebo until Dart shows me something.
Malik Nabers PrizePicks Projection: 72.5 Receiving Yards
Packers TE Tucker Kraft: Start ‘Em
Packers @ Cowboys - 8:20 p.m. ET (SNF)
The Cowboys defense hasn’t gotten any better since the beginning of this column, and Kraft is, believe it or not, currently fantasy football’s TE1 (9.7 fantasy point average), so (checks notes), the math tells us this is a relatively safe play.
Bears TE Colston Loveland: Start ‘Em
Bears @ Raiders - 4:25 p.m. ET
I have exactly no stats to support this take.
The Bears’ rookie has, to this point, been a bust, snatching 3 of his 6 targets, and putting up a piddly 43 yards. The first-round draft pick does, however, have a plus in the start ‘em column: The Raiders pass defense is perfectly mediocre, to the tune of 237.0 yards allowed through the air.
At some point, Bears HC Ben Johnson has to make use of his 2025 first-round draft pick. Doesn’t he?
Ravens TE Mark Andrews: Sit ‘Em
Ravens @ Chiefs - 4:25 p.m. ET
Andrews dropped a vintage performance on Monday night, running over the Detroit Lions for 91 yards and a pair of tuddies. But on a short week facing a desperate, homestanding Kansas City team isn’t what we in the sportswriting industry call, “A good situation.”
Hell, I’d start Browns rookie Harold Fannin Jr. over Andrews, and taking a Cleveland skill player rather than a Ravens skill player is rarely, if ever a thing, but here we are.
Saints TE Juwan Johnson: Sit ‘Em
Saints @ Bills - 1:00 p.m. ET
Averaging 7.9 fantasy points a game, Johnson is this year’s TE6 through Week 3, and that’s extra-impressive considering his quarterback is Spencer Rattler.
But it’s unlikely Rattler will continue being decent at football, especially on the unforgiving turf of Highmark Stadium.
Juwan Johnson PrizePicks Projection: 46.5 Receiving Yards
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