Weekly Positional Rankings: Week Four

In this series, I’ll give you my top 30 quarterbacks, 60 running backs, 60 wide receivers, and 30 tight ends each week to help you with your start/sit decisions in your leagues. To generate this list each and every week, I examine team trends, Vegas over/unders, implied points, pace of play, among various other factors to build a projection for each player and subsequently adjust rankings for upside and more detailed matchup specifics.

Among the rankings, there will surely be some that surprise you or that you may disagree with. At the end of each position section, I’ll give you my thoughts on some players that perhaps are ranked higher/lower than you might expect and insights as to why they are a good/bad play this week. Ultimately, these rankings should help your start/sit dilemmas and ensure you have the requisite resources to make an informed decision. Starting this week, there will be NFL byes, so start/sit decisions are even more crucial to your team’s success.

Without further ado, let’s dive into Week Four’s positional rankings!

Quarterbacks

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 4 Rank
QB	Patrick Mahomes	@DET	1
QB	Deshaun Watson	CAR	2
QB	Lamar Jackson	CLE	3
QB	Russell Wilson	@ARI	4
QB	Dak Prescott	@NO	5
QB	Philip Rivers	@MIA	6
QB	Kyler Murray	SEA	7
QB	Aaron Rodgers	PHI	8
QB	Jared Goff	TB	9
QB	Matt Ryan	TEN	10
QB	Carson Wentz	@GB	11
QB	Josh Allen	NE	12
QB	Jacoby Brissett	OAK	13
QB	Matthew Stafford	KC	14
QB	Jameis Winston	@LAR	15
QB	Daniel Jones	WAS	16
QB	Kyle Allen	@HOU	17
QB	Baker Mayfield	@BAL	18
QB	Tom Brady	@BUF	19
QB	Andy Dalton	@PIT	20
QB	Derek Carr	@IND	21
QB	Garnder Minshew	@DEN	22
QB	Mitchell Trubisky	MIN	23
QB	Kirk Cousins	@CHI	24
QB	Teddy Bridgewater	DAL	25
QB	Marcus Mariota	@ATL	26
QB	Mason Rudolph	CIN	27
QB	Joe Flacco	JAC	28
QB	Case Keenum	@NYG	29
QB	Josh Rosen	LAC	30

Start ‘em: Kyler Murray, QB ARI

Rising up as high as QB6 in dynasty ADP this off-season, dynasty owners not only had hopes Murray would be a long-term starter for their team but an immediate contributor. That hasn’t been the case so far in 2019, but things are looking up for 2019’s first overall draft pick. From a volume perspective, Murray and the Cardinals stand out as league leaders. Murray currently leads the NFL in passing attempts and is the only quarterback to attempt 40 or more passes in every game this season. While the efficiency hasn’t been there – predictably so – for the rookie, he has shown flashes of fantasy success.

This past week, he finally showcased his abilities on the ground, rushing eight times for 69 yards. This aspect of his game is huge from a fantasy perspective and gives Murray a solid weekly floor if he can keep it up. My projections heading into 2019 had Murray as the most heavily used player in the NFL (passing and rushing attempts), and it looks to be shaping up that way this season. At home against the Seahawks, who have allowed six passing touchdowns on the year and the eighth-most passing attempts allowed, Murray should continue his massive volume and has three or more total touchdown upside this week.

Sit ‘em: Baker Mayfield, QB CLE

Baker Mayfield vaulted in my dynasty rankings after the Odell Beckham acquisition this off-season. While there’s still plenty to be hopeful for both in 2019 and beyond, dynasty rankings should not influence sit/start decisions on a weekly basis. Despite his place as a top-five dynasty quarterback, Mayfield deserves a spot on your bench this week. This Browns offense looks nothing like what many expected. Mayfield ranks as the QB25 in points per game in 2019, behind below-average starters like Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, and Jacoby Brissett. Traveling on the road against a very good Baltimore Ravens defense, it would be wise to look at other options for this week. Baker is in the “prove it” territory before we can fully trust him in our starting lineups again, especially in a tough matchup.

If you’re desperate: Kyle Allen, QB CAR

In many respects, it was not that difficult to be an upgrade from what Cam Newton has been in 2019. Allen, however, blew all expectations out of the water in his first start of the season. With four touchdowns on just 26 attempts, Allen looked the part of a starting NFL quarterback. While Allen’s performance was solid, it should be noted that the Arizona Cardinals have allowed Matthew Stafford and Lamar Jackson to also post big games against them. This is a fair caveat to Allen’s performance, but Allen’s week four matchup is against a similarly bad passing defense. The Houston Texans have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks in 2019. This includes rankings the worst in the NFL in completions allowed, fourth-worst in attempts allowed, and sixth-worst in yards allowed. All of this points to Kyle Allen being a solid desperation starter in what’s looking like a very thin quarterback landscape at the moment.

Running Backs

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 4 Rank
RB	Christian McCaffrey	@HOU	1
RB	Alvin Kamara	DAL	2
RB	Ezekiel Elliott	@NO	3
RB	David Johnson	SEA	4
RB	Austin Ekeler	@MIA	5
RB	Kerryon Johnson	KC	6
RB	Dalvin Cook	@CHI	7
RB	Joe Mixon	@PIT	8
RB	James Conner	CIN	9
RB	Todd Gurley	TB	10
RB	Leonard Fournette	@DEN	11
RB	Mark Ingram	CLE	12
RB	Marlon Mack	OAK	13
RB	Nick Chubb	@BAL	14
RB	Chris Carson	@ARI	15
RB	Josh Jacobs	@IND	16
RB	Devonta Freeman	TEN	17
RB	Phillip Lindsay	JAC	18
RB	Derrick Henry	@ATL	19
RB	Lesean McCoy	@DET	20
RB	Aaron Jones	PHI	21
RB	David Montgomery	MIN	22
RB	James White	@BUF	23
RB	Miles Sanders	@GB	24
RB	Wayne Gallman	WAS	25
RB	Chris Thompson	@NYG	26
RB	Kenyan Drake	LAC	27
RB	Justin Jackson	@MIA	28
RB	Carlos Hyde	CAR	29
RB	Frank Gore	NE	30
RB	Sony Michel	@BUF	31
RB	Tarik Cohen	MIN	32
RB	Duke Johnson	CAR	33
RB	Adrian Peterson	@NYG	34
RB	Jordan Howard	@GB	35
RB	Peyton Barber	@LAR	36
RB	Darrell Williams	@DET	37
RB	Latavius Murray	DAL	38
RB	Rashaad Penny	@ARI	39
RB	Ronald Jones	@LAR	40
RB	Royce Freeman	JAC	41
RB	Jaylen Samuels	CIN	42
RB	Giovani Bernard	@PIT	43
RB	Devin Singletary	NE	44
RB	Tony Pollard	@NO	45
RB	Jamaal Williams	PHI	46
RB	Alexander Mattison	@CHI	47
RB	Kalen Ballage	LAC	48
RB	Malcolm Brown	TB	49
RB	Nyheim Hines	OAK	50
RB	Dion Lewis	@ATL	51
RB	Jalen Richard	@IND	52
RB	Darren Sproles	@GB	53
RB	TJ Yeldon	NE	54
RB	Dare Ogunbowale	@LAR	55
RB	Chase Edmonds	SEA	56
RB	Gus Edwards	CLE	57
RB	Ito Smith	TEN	58
RB	Rex Burkhead	@BUF	59
RB	Darwin Thompson	@DET	60

Start ‘em: Josh Jacobs, RB OAK

The 2019 1.01 for many this off-season (not including superflex leagues), fantasy owners were hoping for immediate production from Jacobs as a weekly RB2. The rushing volume has been there for Jacobs, as the rookie ranks tenth in the NFL in attempts per game. One of the problems for Jacobs from a fantasy production standpoint thus far, however, has been his usage – or lack thereof – in the passing game. With just three targets on the year, Jacobs is in Sony Michel/Derrick Henry territory of being game script dependent. The problem is, the Raiders haven’t been one of the better teams in football.

Recently, Jon Gruden has come out and said he wants to feature Jacobs more as a pass-catcher, something Jacobs showed very capable of in college. Week four may be just the right time for this to happen. The Raiders take on the Colts this week who have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2019. Moreover, this production has occurred both on the ground and through the air. The Colts are one of two teams to have allowed running backs at least two touchdowns in both aspects of the game (rushing and receiving). The Colts are seven-point home favorites, so it’s likely we get to see Gruden’s words in action in week four. I’m confidently starting Jacobs as an RB2 this week.

Sit ‘em: Sony Michel, RB NE

Speaking of running backs without receiving production yet in 2019, Sony Michel’s usage since he came into the NFL has to be one of the most frustrating things in fantasy football. One of Michel’s strong suits in college was thought to be his ability as a receiver. Some even compared him directly to Alvin Kamara. This seems ridiculous now, as through 16 career games, Michel has just 12 targets. This is clearly not an area of the game the Patriots want to use their first-round pick. For week four, the Patriots travel to perhaps the surprising 3-0 Buffalo Bills. While the Patriots should continue their roll to start the season, the Buffalo defense is no joke. Other than a predictably good game against the Miami Dolphins, Michel has rushed 24 times for 25 yards on the season. Similar to other running backs of his profile, Michel always has the capability to a multiple touchdown game. However, against a defense that ranks tenth-best in fantasy points allowed per rush, Michel may have a hard time delivering this week.

If you’re desperate: Justin Jackson, RB LAC

Last week, the desperation play of the week was Tony Pollard for nearly all the same reasons Justin Jackson is a quality play this week. The Miami Dolphins have allowed the most fantasy points in the league to opposing running backs. In Jackson’s case, he looks to be in line for a good workload against this vulnerable defense. Jackson has had at least eight total touches in every game thus far in 2019. His efficiency on the ground has been fantastic, averaging nearly eight yards per carry. While he does not have a rushing touchdown on the season, Jackson had a long touchdown called back due to holding. He is getting his chances in this offense despite Austin Ekeler taking the league by storm. With Melvin Gordon out this week again (as of this writing), Jackson is a quality RB3 play against the worst team in professional football.

Wide Receivers

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 4 Rank
WR	Keenan Allen	@MIA	1
WR	Juju Smith-Schuster	CIN	2
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	CAR	3
WR	Julio Jones	TEN	4
WR	Davante Adams	PHI	5
WR	Michael Thomas	DAL	6
WR	Amari Cooper	@NO	7
WR	Tyler Boyd	@PIT	8
WR	Tyler Lockett	@ARI	9
WR	Cooper Kupp	TB	10
WR	Kenny Golladay	KC	11
WR	Christian Kirk	SEA	12
WR	Sammy Watkins	@DET	13
WR	DJ Moore	@HOU	14
WR	Odell Beckham Jr	@BAL	15
WR	Mike Evans	@LAR	16
WR	Chris Godwin	@LAR	17
WR	Adam Thielen	@CHI	18
WR	Robert Woods	TB	19
WR	Brandin Cooks	TB	20
WR	Mike Williams	@MIA	21
WR	Terry McLaurin	@NYG	22
WR	Tyrell Williams	@IND	23
WR	Allen Robinson	MIN	24
WR	Larry Fitzgerald	SEA	25
WR	Marvin Jones	KC	26
WR	Will Fuller	CAR	27
WR	Calvin Ridley	TEN	28
WR	TY Hilton	OAK	29
WR	Sterling Shepard	WAS	30
WR	Marquise Brown	CLE	31
WR	DJ Chark	@DEN	32
WR	Marquez Valdes-Scantling	PHI	33
WR	Josh Gordon	@BUF	34
WR	DK Metcalf	@ARI	35
WR	Nelson Agholor	@GB	36
WR	Demarcus Robinson	@DET	37
WR	Emmanuel Sanders	JAC	38
WR	Stefon Diggs	@CHI	39
WR	Julian Edelman	@BUF	40
WR	Jarvis Landry	@BAL	41
WR	John Brown	NE	42
WR	Dede Westbrook	@DEN	43
WR	Corey Davis	@ATL	44
WR	Courtland Sutton	JAC	45
WR	Paul Richardson	@NYG	46
WR	John Ross	@PIT	47
WR	Curtis Samuel	@HOU	48
WR	Mecole Hardman	@DET	49
WR	James Washington	CIN	50
WR	Randall Cobb	@NO	51
WR	Phillip Dorsett	@BUF	52
WR	Dionte Johnson	CIN	53
WR	AJ Brown	@ATL	54
WR	Mohamed Sanu	TEN	55
WR	Devante Parker	LAC	56
WR	Cole Beasley	NE	57
WR	Geronimo Allison	PHI	58
WR	Adam Humphries	@ATL	59
WR	Kenny Stills	CAR	60

Start ‘em: Mike Williams, WR LAC

It’s been a slow start for the hyped third-year wide receiver. Williams has just eight catches and no touchdowns in 2019 through three games. This, in large part, could be attributed to Keenan Allen’s historic start to the 2019 season. However, things are looking up for Mike Williams being an impact player in this offense. In weeks one and two, Williams only saw about 65% of the team’s total snaps and saw just 112 air yards total in those two weeks. In week three, however, Williams saw his snap share jump to about 93% and saw 133 air yards. Despite his lackluster box score production, Williams’s opportunity improved massively in week three. This is key as the Chargers head into Miami, who you already know is a fantastic matchup. The Dolphins have allowed the third most fantasy points per target to wide receivers in 2019. Start Mike Williams this week.

Sit ‘em: Stefon Diggs, WR MIN

It’s 2019 and Stefon Diggs is the WR72 in PPR formats through three weeks of the NFL season. That’s correct. He’s behind Mack Hollins, Willie Snead, and Bennie Fowler in total points, to give you some context to that ranking. Not all is lost, however, for 2018’s WR10. While the Vikings have completely abandoned any hope for passing at an above average rate, Diggs has still managed to see 41% of the team’s air yards through three weeks. He could have a big game at any moment. However, in week four, the Vikings travel to Chicago. With a game total of just 38 points, this game has the lowest projected total of any game in week four. Diggs’s talent and peripheral opportunity metrics keep him as a WR4 in this week’s rankings, but his floor is very low against a stout Chicago defense. If your team needs a safe ten points with upside this week, I’d look elsewhere.

If you’re desperate: Paul Richardson, WR WAS

“Scary” “F1” Terry McLaurin has been the star of this otherwise dreadful Redskins team through three weeks. One hidden gem, however, has been Paul Richardson. Richardson currently ranks as the WR35 in PPR formats. Did you realize the Redskins were supporting not one but two top 36 options? The oft-injured veteran wideout put up an impressive 8-83-1 stat line on nine targets against the Chicago Bears this past week and is a clear passing option on this team. This week, the Redskins play the Giants, a matchup featuring two of the worst defenses in the NFL. In fact, these two teams rank worst and second-worst in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. Richardson is a solid bet for seven to ten targets this week, which means fantasy points in this matchup.

Tight Ends

Pos	Player	Matchup	Week 4 Rank
TE	Travis Kelce	@DET	1
TE	Evan Engram	WAS	2
TE	Zach Ertz	@GB	3
TE	Mark Andrews	CLE	4
TE	Vance McDonald	CIN	5
TE	Austin Hooper	TEN	6
TE	Darren Waller	@IND	7
TE	Greg Olsen	@HOU	8
TE	Will Dissly	@ARI	9
TE	Delanie Walker	@ATL	10
TE	OJ Howard	@LAR	11
TE	TJ Hockenson	KC	12
TE	Jared Cook	DAL	13
TE	Jimmy Graham	PHI	14
TE	Kyle Rudolph	@CHI	15
TE	Jack Doyle	OAK	16
TE	Eric Ebron	OAK	17
TE	Vernon Davis	@NYG	18
TE	Tyler Eifert	@PIT	19
TE	Jason Witten	@NO	20
TE	James O’Shaughnessy	@DEN	21
TE	Noah Fant	JAC	22
TE	Trey Burton	MIN	22
TE	Mike Gesicki	LAC	23
TE	Hayden Hurst	CLE	24
TE	Blake Jarwin	@NO	25
TE	Gerald Everett	TB	26
TE	Tyler Higbee	TB	27
TE	Geoff Swaim	@DEN	28
TE	Irv Smith	@CHI	29
TE	Nick Boyle	CLE	30

Start ‘em: Will Dissly, TE SEA

Dissly made his first appearance in this article series in week one as a desperation play. As it turns out, that call was a week too early. Over the past two weeks, Dissly has been the TE2, catching 11 of 12 targets and scoring three touchdowns in the process. This week, he goes up against a Cardinals team who has been absolutely awful guarding tight ends in 2019. The Cardinals have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends and it isn’t close. Rookie tight end TJ Hockenson, Mark Andrews, and Greg Olsen have all scored 25 points or more against this defense. With the recent departure of teammate Nick Vannett, Dissly is in an even better position for increased volume. He’s a locked-in TE1 this week and should be started in all leagues.

Sit ‘em: Trey Burton, TE CHI

The tight end landscape is absolutely barren past the few 11 or 12 options, so it’s difficult to really call any of these players ”sits”. One player I would not look to start this week under most circumstances, though, is Trey Burton. Last season, Burton was the TE8 in total scoring but was the TE12 in points per game (min ten games). He hasn’t shown the consistent ability to score at a high level in fantasy football, and this season has been no different. After missing week one while recovering from his offseason injury, Burton has come back to the tune of six catches for 25 yards in two games. Burton’s lack of usage and efficiency is not promising but especially so in week four against the Vikings. While the Vikings have ranked in the middle of the pack in regards to production allowed to tight ends, they’ve faced Darren Waller, Austin Hooper, and Jimmy Graham on the season. The former two are currently the TE3 and TE6, respectively, in 2019. Given who they’ve defended, the Vikings have actually fared well against the position. I would stay away from Burton this week if I could.

If you’re desperate: Tyler Eifert, TE CIN

Eifert’s struggled with consistency in 2019, but week four against the Steelers is an opportunity for him to get back on track. After a strong five target outing to start the season, Eifert faced the 49ers and Bills, two teams who have been solid against tight ends this year. While Eifert has been playing only about 50% of offensive snaps, he has the potential for high value looks in week four. The Steelers are coming off a two-week stretch where they let Will Dissly explode for two touchdowns and let George Kittle get back on track with six receptions. In what should be a relatively competitive game, Eifert has solid touchdown upside, which is the main thing you’re looking for when digging deep at tight end.

That concludes this week’s rankings article! As this series is released on Thursdays, be sure to follow any lingering injuries and changing injury status updates for players as Sunday approaches. If you’re wondering about a player I didn’t dive into detail about, feel free to reach out to me @FFzinger on Twitter. Best of luck this week, and I’ll be back next week to give Week Five’s positional rankings.