Week 4 fantasy football TE start ’em, sit ’em: Darren Waller on the come-up

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller is a Week 4 fantasy football start 'em pick at home against the Detroit Lions , while Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland lands on the sit 'em side against the New York Jets .

Detroit has allowed 29 catches, 351 yards and six touchdowns to tight ends through three games, all league highs. New York has allowed just 5.4 half-PPR points per game to the position, the second-fewest in the NFL.

Loveland ranks TE15 in this week's rankings, one spot ahead of Waller at TE16, but the matchups favor the Carolina veteran.

Week 4 TE start 'em: Darren Waller, Panthers

Carolina Panthers tight end Darren Waller (88) | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Week 4: vs. Detroit Lions, 28.5 FP/game to TEs (32nd)

Week 3: at Cleveland Browns , 5 catches for 51 yards on 8 targets

Waller has 10 catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns through three games. He caught three passes for 33 yards and scored twice in a 34-3 win at Atlanta in Week 2.

His role grew in Sunday's 21-18 loss in Cleveland. The 34-year-old drew a season-high eight targets, and Carolina's tight ends combined for 11 catches and 128 yards.

That workload could carry over against Detroit. Wide receiver Jalen Coker is questionable with a quad strain , and fellow wideout Xavier Legette sat out Week 3 with a knee injury. So quarterback Bryce Young may keep throwing to his tight ends Sunday night at Bank of America Stadium.

How bad is the Lions defense against tight ends?

Every Detroit opponent has scored twice through its tight ends this season. Saints tight ends Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant each caught a touchdown in Week 1. In Week 2, Bills tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox both scored, with Kincaid catching seven passes for 95 yards.

The Jets' tight ends then caught 13 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in Detroit's 31-24 win on Sunday. The Lions surrender 28.5 half-PPR points per game to the position, the most in the league.

Waller has a path to a top-12 finish in this matchup, which makes him one of the best tight end streamers in Week 4.

Week 4 TE sit 'em: Colston Loveland, Bears

Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Week 4: vs. New York Jets, 5.4 FP/game to TEs (2nd)

Week 3: vs. Philadelphia Eagles , 4 catches for 31 yards on 4 targets

Loveland has five catches for 34 yards and no touchdowns through three games. He didn't catch either of his two targets in a 59-37 win at Carolina in Week 1, and he caught one pass for 3 yards in a 9-3 loss to Minnesota in Week 2.

Monday's 27-7 win over Philadelphia was his best game so far. The former Michigan star caught all four of his targets for 31 yards.

Chicago's quarterback situation adds risk, because quarterback Caleb Williams has a Grade 2 hamstring strain that doctors consider a three-to-four-week injury. Quarterback Case Keenum went 24-of-34 for 247 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles, but head coach Ben Johnson hasn't named a starter for Sunday.

Johnson also pointed to quarterback Tyson Bagent after the game. " There was a reason Tyson ended training camp as our No. 2 quarterback," Johnson said.

How tough is the Jets defense against tight ends?

New York has held tight ends to 12 catches for 101 yards and no touchdowns in three games. Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught three passes for 44 yards against the Jets on Sunday, and Detroit's tight ends finished with six catches for 59 yards.

Loveland led the Bears in routes run through two games, but he's turned that playing time into nine targets all season. With a backup quarterback likely under center against the Jets, he's a risky start.