Welcome to the NFL week four. Hard to believe that we are this far into the season already, but it is true. Football, both real and fantasy, has been on a real roller coaster ride through the first three weeks. Fantasy managers may be looking for answers on who to start or who to leave on benches. No Worries! This Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition is here to help make those decisions easier.

For clarity’s sake, all position rankings are taken from ESPN. Of course, if there are disagreements about the players listed below, please make your feelings known! Additionally, if there are questions about players that are not included here, list them and let’s discuss! With all of that out of the way, let’s get down to it.

Week Four Starts

Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Those that were wondering if Caleb Williams was the real deal got a good glimpse of what he can do last Sunday. Williams threw for 363 yards on the road against Indianapolis with two touchdown passes. After throwing for just 93 and 147 yards in his first two games, it was a welcome sight for those managers that drafted him.

However, there still are concerns. Williams turned the ball over three times against the Colts and has five turnovers in his last two games. Even so, Williams and the Bears have a prime matchup in their next opponent. The Rams are missing all everything defensive lineman Aaron Donald, just as would be expected.

No one, though, could have seen them sink to this level: LA ranks just 30th against fantasy QBs. That information alone should be good enough for managers to get Williams into their starting lineups this Sunday.

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

There were many that thought Geno Smith was ready for the last roundup. Those that did need to hold the phone, however. Did you happen to see that beautiful pass to wide out DK Metcalf? That is what Smith is capable of. Through three games, Smith leads the NFL with 77 completions. He has a TD pass in each game played so far in 2024.

He and the Seahawks face the Lions on Monday night in their next game. Detroit and Seattle have played each other the last two years. The previous games have been absolute barn burners: 48-45 and 37-31. Smith threw four for four TDs in those games.

Further, he had zero interceptions. There is every reason to believe there will be a third points explosion in store. Detroit ranks 20th against QBs. There should be no question in anyone’s mind whether or not to place Smith in starting lineups.

Running Backs

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

Without question, all hope was lost with the Carolina Panthers this season. They lost their first two games and looked terrible doing it. They benched their first round draft choice QB after getting humiliated by the Chargers 26-3. Obviously, there is no reason to start any Panther the rest of the way, right? Not so fast. Take a look at what Chuba Hubbard did against the Raiders before drawing any conclusions.

In Vegas, Hubbard rushed 21 times for 114 yards and caught five of five targets for 55 more and a score. His yards rushing has gone up in each game: 16-64-114. He has caught nine of 10 targets on the year. The next opponent for the Panthers is the Bengals. Anyone that watched their performance on Monday night knows they can’t defend.

Their 19th ranking against fantasy backs looks better than it actually should. Surely, Hubbard will be one of the biggest adds off waivers this week. That is as it should be. Additionally, he needs to be in starting lineups this weekend.

Braelon Allen, New York Jets

Last week, I talked about needing to see Braelon Allen do it again before I would recommend him as a starter. After his performance against New England, there is no need to question his abilities. In that game, Allen rushed 11 times for 55 yards and caught three of three targets for 13 more. Next up on the schedule is the Denver Broncos.

They aren’t that bad against the running game, ranking 17th overall. However, not bad is not the bar, and Denver certainly isn’t great. That is good enough to get Allen into starting lineups this week on this Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition.

Wide Receivers

Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears

If we are going to start the quarterback, we might as well start his receiver, too, right? In this case, there’s every justification for doing so. Of course, the player is Rome Odunze.

After catching just two of five targets for 33 yards against Houston, Odunze stepped up big against Indianapolis. He caught six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown versus the Colts. Clearly, it was a huge breakout game for the rookie.

As great as that performance was, the best is yet to come for Odunze and the Bears. As terrible as the Rams are against quarterbacks, they’re even worse against receivers, ranking 31st. No other reason is needed. Get Odunze into your lineups.

Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns

After seeing how the Browns have performed over the beginning of the season, it may be a surprise that one of their players would be featured in this Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition. While it has been bleak in Cleveland, the outlook is black in Vegas.

Carolina looked like the worst team the first two weeks. Even after upsetting the Ravens in Baltimore, the Raiders look like they may assume that dubious distinction. It is an easy call to make since they got drubbed by the Panthers at home.

Enter Jerry Jeudy. In the past two games, Jeudy has caught nine of 13 targets. He has been targeted eight, six and seven times in the first three games. He has a touchdown. Vegas does not cover wide receivers well, ranking 20th. Mix it all together and Jeudy should be in for a nice game Sunday. If question marks cloud your team this weekend, Jeudy makes for a nice fall back position.

Tight Ends

Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears

Unbelievably, there are three Chicago players on this Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition. Like the other Bears listed here, Cole Kmet has, without doubt, earned the honor.

Against the Colts, Kmet was targeted 11 times. He came away with 10 catches for 97 yards and a score. Obviously, he and Williams are on the same page with their timing.

Going against tight ends hasn’t been very rewarding for the Rams this season, ranking 29th. If you have Kmet on the roster, get him into the starting lineup without delay.

Week Four Sits

Quarterbacks

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

There were many that looked for Anthony Richardson to step up big in his second NFL season. Of course, that could still happen, but the first few weeks haven’t looked encouraging. Through three games, Richardson has 583 yards passing.

That might sound good until you consider he only had 167 of them against the Bears in week three. Further, he hasn’t added much with the run game, only scoring one rushing touchdown, and that was in week one.

Even worse, he only has three TD passes against an unsightly six interceptions. The fact that the Bears have the number nine fantasy defense against quarterbacks might reveal a reason for his struggles. The bad news is that his next opponent, Pittsburgh, has the number one defense against QBs.

In the end, managers may not have a better option to start than Richardson, especially in 2 QB or Superflex leagues. However, this Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition says that if a better option exists, fantasy managers should put him in use and fade Richardson this weekend.

Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders

If anyone is looking for confirmation on how topsy turvy the first few weeks of the season have been, they need to look no further than Gardner Minshew. One game after leading the Raiders to an improbable victory on the road against Baltimore, he returned to Earth with a thud. The Carolina Panthers, looking quite possibly like the worst team in the league, invaded Vegas this past Sunday.

Unfortunately for Minshew, his 214 yards passing was far too few, as the Panthers rolled to a 36-22 win. In the first two games, Minshew threw for 533 yards. Where was that against Carolina is anyone’s guess. Worse still, his three season TD passes are crossed out by his three interceptions and one fumble lost.

If Minshew couldn’t get it going against the 24th ranked Panther defense, the prospects look absolutely grim against the Browns. Cleveland is very dysfunctional at the moment, but their defense ranks 6th against fantasy signal callers.

Unlike Richardson above, there has to be a better option in all leagues than Minshew. This Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition says find him.

Running Backs

Bucky Irving Tampa Bay

Last week was a pretty solid one for rookie Bucky Irving, a player that I liked when he got drafted. Against Denver, Irving rushed nine times for 70 yards.

The yardage sounds great, but not the nine carries. He has had 9/7/9 carries in the first three games. Further, he only has five receptions. There is no reason to expect that to change any time soon.

The really bad news is that Tampa doesn’t face the Broncos this week, but Philadelphia. Even though the game is at home, that doesn’t really help Irving or his fellow running backs.

The Eagles rank 10th against the fantasy run and shut down the Saints in week three. It isn’t a good matchup and Irving should hit the benches in fantasy this Sunday.

Antonio Gibson, New England Patriots

After rushing for 96 yards against the Seahawks in week two, things were looking up for Antonio Gibson. Unfortunately, the Jets turned the lights out on him and there is every expectation for that to happen again this week. The Patriots have to travel all the way across the country to take on a frustrated 49er team.

It would be safe to say that San Fran wants to take out that frustration on someone. Unfortunately, for New England, they are in the cross hairs. The 49ers rank 16th against RBs, which is far lower than could be expected coming into the season.

Expect that they will show out against the Patriots this Sunday. Keeping Gibson on the bench is a highly recommended move on this Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition.

Wide Receivers

Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers

As a first round draft pick last season, the ride hasn’t been smooth for Quentin Johnston. After catching just 38 passes as a rookie, Johnston has ten so far in three games. That may not sound so bad, but he had five of the grabs in one game. Last week against Pittsburgh, he was targeted just twice, catching both for 44 yards and a score.

Johnston had two TDs the previous week, but that was against Carolina, so that really doesn’t count for much. He and the Chargers will find the going much more difficult this week as they face Super Bowl champion Kansas City.

The Chiefs rank ninth against fantasy wideouts this season. To further complicate matters, quarterback Justin Herbert has been fighting an ankle injury. Even if he is a go Sunday, he may not be fully healthy. Add all of that together and it equals Johnston is a sit this week.

Gabe Davis, Jacksonville Jaguars

Anyone and everyone that watched the Jaguars play against Buffalo Monday night knows this is an organization in disarray. The troubles are team wide and certainly extend to Gabe Davis. Davis was brought in from the Bills in the offseason. He had a chance to show what Buffalo missed out on this last game when they didn’t resign him.

The result? Bills fans were glad to see him gone after he caught just two of six targets for a mere 18 yards. In the past two games, Davis has been targeted 13 times, but only caught five of them. He has yet to reach the endzone.

Next for Jacksonville is Houston. The Texans rank 23rd against WRs, but they have too good a defense for that to last. There is no reason to have confidence in this team or Davis until further notice. It is bench city for the foreseeable future.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders

 Most definitely, there are quite a few tight ends that need to stay on the sidelines in fantasy this week. However, one leads the way. That player is Zach Ertz.

Without question, that statement is true even after Ertz caught all five targets for 38 yards against Cincinnati. However, the Bengals have one of the worst defenses in their history.

The bad news is that Ertz has only 12 targets in the first three games. Further, he has not found the end zone. This week, Washington hits the road to take on the Cardinals. Arizona ranks 10th against tight ends in fantasy. Unless the cupboard is completely bare, get another tight end into your lineup this week.

The Final Word

Thank you for joining me for this Week Four Fantasy Starts/Sits edition! Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to bellyupsports.com/ and bellyupfantasysports.com/ for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news!

I am a co-host of The Sports Stove Fantasy Baseball Show. Our final show of the season will be live this Sunday September 29 at 8 pm Eastern. If you’ve missed a single episode this season, head on over to Youtube and give us a look! You can check out our latest show, dedicated to fantasy baseball championship strategies, waiver pickups and more here.