Week 4 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Advice on Fantasy Football Stars to Play or Bench

Week 4 will get underway on Thursday night with a battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns that will, at least temporarily, determine first place in the AFC North.

Similarly, fantasy managers will be looking to stay ahead of the proverbial pack as the season approaches the quarter mark. Lineup decisions will be critical, and while some starts are obvious, others may require a deeper dive.

Who can managers trust in Week 4? Let's dive into the most recent results and the looming matchups for some start/sit recommendations.

All picks and analysis are based on point-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones is still looking to recapture his 2024 form. He's thrown just three touchdown passes through three games and hasn't regularly tested his surgically repaired Achilles as a scrambler.

However, Jones has the potential for a breakthrough game this week against the Washington Commanders in London. Only the Detroit Lions have surrendered more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than Washington.

Deshaun Watson has actually looked like a competent quarterback in each of his past two games. In Week 3, he had 45 rushing yards to go with a pair of passing touchdowns, which might be enough to earn some streamer consideration.

However, no one should trust Watson on a short week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland's offensive line is suspect. The Steelers have a terrific pass rush and have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

The Minnesota Vikings have been able to lean on Aaron Jones since fellow running back Jordan Mason landed on injured reserve with a thumb injury. Last week, Jones logged 17 carries, five receptions, and 92 scrimmage yards.

This week, Jones will face a Miami Dolphins defense that has regularly played from behind and surrendered volume rushing as a result. While Miami has allowed just 3.5 yards per carry, it has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing RBs than any other team.

Sit: Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers cannot seem to find any semblance of an offensive rhythm under new coordinator Mike McDaniel. Omarion Hampton hasn't been regularly used as a receiver (3 catches) in McDaniel's offense either.

This hurts Hampton's floor significantly, and Week 4 is not bringing a friendly matchup. The Seattle Seahawks have surrendered the fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing RBs.

With Alec Pierce (heel) sidelined, Josh Downs has become a prolific piece of the Colts' offense. Over the past two weeks, he has logged 20 targets, caught 12 passes, and topped 70 receiving yards twice.

This week, Downs will face a Commanders defense that has surrendered more fantasy points to opposing wideouts than any other team. The list of other WRs to trust this week includes:

Buffalo Bills receiver D.J. Moore suffered a shoulder injury in Week 2 but returned to catch six passes for 67 yards in Week 3. He'll be back in the lineup for Week 4, though he's likely to see a lot of Christian Gonzalez on Sunday.

The New England Patriots' top corner makes this a dicey matchup for Moore, even if the Patriots' defense has been average overall. New England has surrendered the 15th-most fantasy points to opposing WRs.

Houston Texans tight end Dalton Schultz came back to earth in Week 3, catching just three passes for 30 yards a week after going off for 12 and 140. However, he's looking at a potential bounce-back game in Week 4.

Houston's defense simply hasn't been as dominant as it has been in recent years. This means that the Texans will likely have to pass early and often to keep pace with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas' defense, meanwhile, has been suspect and has surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing TEs.

The Chicago Bears showed that they can keep the offense rolling with Case Keenum at quarterback. However, star tight end Colston Loveland did not take off with Keenum Behind center.

Loveland caught four passes for 31 yards, which is by far his best stat line of the season. However, those are modest numbers, and Loveland will next face a New York Jets defense that has surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing TEs.

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros .