The biggest NFL stories this week was the Steelers-Titans game being postponed after several members of Tennessee's organization tested positive for Covid-19. Then, Saturday morning we got reports that Cam Newton has also tested positive, which will delay the scheduled Patriots-Chiefs game.
We obviously hope everyone is OK and healthy, but now Fantasy managers have to adjust their lineups with star players like Derrick Henry, Jonnu Smith, James Conner, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson, Ben Roethlisberger, Newton and possibly Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and the rest of Kansas CIty's great offense unexpectedly out.
It has left many Fantasy managers scrambling for replacement options, so I'm going to treat the beginning of this column like an emergency waiver wire. Here are players on CBS Sports who you might be able to add and start if needed. They also could be injury replacements for other players out as well, and some of these players will be addressed below as the sleepers to target this week.
As always, we'll only look at players rostered in 65 percent of leagues or fewer.
The top quarterbacks available are Ryan Fitzpatrick (39% rostered), Baker Mayfield (57%) and Kirk Cousins (39%). I consider Fitzpatrick a must-start option this week against Seattle, and Mayfield and Cousins are sleepers mentioned below.
At running back, we don't have great options, but Jeff Wilson (65% rostered) could be the best. Wilson will work in tandem with Jerick McKinnon, and Wilson has flex appeal in Week 4.
Other guys who could be useful, especially in PPR, include Nyheim Hines (64%), Chase Edmonds (61%), Chris Thompson (19%) and Cordarrelle Patterson (11%). The Bears might need Patterson to help replace the injured Tarik Cohen (ACL).
Other options in deeper leagues include Jordan Howard (46%), Travis Homer (19%), Brian Hill (36%), Gus Edwards (18%) and Dion Lewis (42%). Howard has scored a touchdown in every game this year but doesn't do much else, and Homer could help Seattle if Chris Carson (knee) is limited at Miami.
There are a lot of receivers to look for this week, which is beneficial. My favorites are Preston Williams (59% rostered), Marquez Valdes-Scantling (56%), Hunter Renfrow (62%), Greg Ward (17%) and Cole Beasley (57%).
Williams has a great matchup against Seattle, and Valdes-Scantling has a big role coming with Allen Lazard (core) out. Renfrow is the last healthy receiver for the Raiders, and the same goes for Ward with the Eagles. And Beasley has been playing well for the Bills, even with John Brown (calf) healthy.
Other receivers you can use this week include Laviska Shenault (63%), Keelan Cole (42%), Brandon Aiyuk (54%), Tre'Quan Smith (28%), Golden Tate (53%), Christian Kirk (49%), Andy Isabella (8%), Tee Higgins (46%) and Zach Pascal (7%). Keep an eye on Shenault and Cole with D.J. Chark (chest) back, but I like both still against Cincinnati. And Kirk and Isabella could benefit with DeAndre Hopkins (ankle) hobbled coming into Week 4 at Carolina.
At tight end, my favorite option is Dalton Schultz (61% rostered), and he's a must-start option against Cleveland. I also like Robert Tonyan with his matchup against the Falcons, especially with Lazard out. Others to consider include Mo Alie-Cox (42%), Jimmy Graham (57%), Logan Thomas (28%), Tyler Eifert (8%), Jordan Akins (5%) and Drew Sample (9%).
Ideally, you wouldn't be starting many of these guys in Week 4. But they might be needed, and hopefully they perform well.
Now, let's dive deeper into the sleepers for this week, as well as give you some options to use on DraftKings and FanDuel.
The FFT crew breaks down the TNF game and key Week 4 lineup decisions on the Friday Fantasy Football Today podcast. Follow all our podcasts and subscribe here.
Week 4 Sleepers
Sleepers
I'm expecting Minshew to rebound in Week 4 against the Bengals after a huge letdown game in Week 3 against Miami when he scored just nine Fantasy points. D.J. Chark (chest) looks like he will return, and Minshew scored at least 25 Fantasy points in the first two games of the year. Don't give up on him yet.
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Mayfield has attempted just 46 passes in his past two games, and he hasn't passed for more than 219 yards in a game this season. But he might have to throw more this week against the Cowboys if the Dallas offense shows up, and this is a secondary Mayfield can exploit. In their past two games, the Cowboys have allowed Ryan and Wilson to pass for 588 yards, nine touchdowns and no interceptions.
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Cousins found a second option in the passing game in Week 3 against the Titans with rookie Justin Jefferson having a breakout performance. Now, if we can get Jefferson and Adam Thielen performing well in the same game, Cousins could have a big outing. I don't mind Cousins this week as a low-end starter since Minnesota could be chasing points, and Houston has allowed two quarterbacks to pass for multiple touchdowns in three games this year.
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He's from Washington and grew up in a suburb of Seattle, so this game should be exciting for Gaskin, even though it's in Miami. He's been great through three games in PPR with 15 catches on 16 targets, and he's had at least 82 total yards in each of the past two weeks against Buffalo and Jacksonville. Seattle is also top 10 in most receptions allowed to running backs this year.
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Now that McKinnon is healthy you should be able to start him as a No. 2 running back in all leagues against the Eagles. He left Week 3 at the Giants with a rib injury, but he's been practicing in full and should lead the 49ers in touches. Jeff Wilson will also have a role and work in tandem with McKinnon with Raheem Mostert (knee) out, but McKinnon should have the most production. Against the Giants, McKinnon had 14 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown, as well as three catches for 39 yards on four targets. Wilson, who had 12 carries for 15 yards and a touchdown, along with three catches for 54 yards and a touchdown against the Giants, is worth using as a flex option.
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With the news that Leonard Fournette (ankle) is out, this should be a good week for Jones. Maybe even a great week. The duo of Jones and Fournette has combined for at least 24 total touches each game. Hopefully, all of that work goes to Jones, although LeSean McCoy could take on a bigger role. It's not an easy matchup against the Chargers, who have yet to allow a rushing touchdown or someone over 70 rushing yards. But Jones still qualifies as a low-end starter this week given his increased workload.
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Valdes-Scantling could be the No. 1 receiver for the Packers this week against the Falcons with Davante Adams (hamstring) and Allen Lazard (core) hurt. But even if he's not No. 1 on the depth chart you can still take a flier on Valdes-Scantling this week given the matchup with the Falcons. Atlanta has been miserable against opposing receivers this year with six guys scoring at least 12 PPR points in three games, including a pair of receivers in each outing hitting that mark against Seattle, Dallas and Chicago.
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Lamb should still be considered a high-end No. 3 Fantasy receiver this week even though he was outplayed in Week 3 at Seattle by Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson, as well as Amari Cooper. In Lamb's lone home game in Week 2 against Atlanta he had six catches for 106 yards on nine targets, and maybe this week against the Browns he'll catch his first NFL touchdown.
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The Raiders receiving corps is a mess right now with Henry Ruggs (hamstring) and Bryan Edwards (ankle) banged up, and Renfrow could emerge as a prime target for Derek Carr. In Week 3 at New England, Renfrow had six catches for 84 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Going back to last year, Renfrow has six games with at least six targets, and he has scored at least 17 PPR points in four of them.
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Beasley has been underrated this season based on his production so far. He has 20 targets through three games with 15 catches for 228 yards, and he's scored at least 12 PPR points in each of his past two games. Even with John Brown (calf) expected to play this week, Beasley is worth using as a low-end starter in PPR. Josh Allen is leaning on Beasley, and you should as well.
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Ward could be the best Eagles wide receiver in Week 4 at San Francisco if DeSean Jackson (hamstring) is out and Alshon Jeffery (foot) isn't ready to play, as well as Dallas Goedert (ankle) being hurt. Ward stepped up in Week 3 against the Bengals with eight catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and he could emerge as a key weapon for Carson Wentz behind Zack Ertz and Miles Sanders. It's a tough matchup against the 49ers on the road in Week 4, but Ward could be a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues given his expected target share.
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The Saints have struggled with tight ends all season. It started with O.J. Howard in Week 1 (13 PPR points), Darren Waller in Week 2 (28 PPR points) and Robert Tonyan in Week 3 (16 PPR points). Hopefully, Hockenson follows suit this week, and he scored 16 PPR points in his last home game in Week 1 against Chicago.
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Tonyan just beat up the Saints with five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, and he has now scored in consecutive games. He's helping Aaron Rodgers with Davante Adams (hamstring) banged up, and he could benefit with Allen Lazard (core) out as well. It also helps that the Falcons have allowed a tight end to score a touchdown each week this season (Greg Olsen in Week 1, Schultz in Week 2 and Jimmy Graham in Week 3).
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Maybe Gronkowski isn't done after all? While he didn't have a dominant game in Week 3 at Denver, he was finally involved with seven targets for six catches and 48 yards. And that could continue for Gronkowski with the Buccaneers' receiving corps battered with injuries heading into Week 4 against the Chargers. We'll see how Gronkowski does if he gets another quality amount of targets, but he could be a low-end starting option in deeper leagues.
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DFS LINEUPS
DraftKings
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick $5,400
RB: Alvin Kamara $8,000
RB: Darrell Henderson $5,800
WR: Tyler Lockett $7,000
WR: DeVante Parker $5,700
WR: Hunter Renfrow $4,600
TE: Dalton Schultz $4,300
FLEX: Odell Beckham $5,800
DST: Buccaneers $3,400
I love stacking the Dolphins this week given their matchup against Seattle, so Fitzpatrick and either Parker or Preston Williams would work. I went with Parker since he has a higher ceiling.
I wanted Lockett in my lineup given his production so far this year, and Renfrow rounds out my receiving corps. I'm also using Beckham as a flex given his matchup with Dallas.
The running backs were easy to use with Kamara and Henderson, who is the Start of the Week. And I love Schultz at tight end with his matchup against the Browns.
FanDuel
QB: Lamar Jackson at WAS $9,600
RB: James Robinson at CIN $6,600
RB: Devin Singletary at LV $6,000
WR: D.K. Metcalf at MIA $6,900
WR: Tyler Boyd vs. JAC $6,000
WR: Preston Williams vs. SEA $5,500
TE: Mark Andrews at WAS $7,400
FLEX: Darrell Henderson vs. NYG $6,400
DEF: Ravens at WAS $5,000
Like the DraftKings lineup, I'm playing Henderson here, and I'll also use Williams with his matchup against Seattle. And I'll play Metcalf over Lockett here, just as long as I have a piece of the Seahawks passing game.
I expect the Ravens to smash the Washington Football Team after being embarrassed by the Chiefs in Week 3, so give me Jackson, Andrews and the Ravens defense. I like Boyd against the Jaguars as my third receiver as well.
At running back, look for Robinson to have another big game against the Bengals. And Singletary should do well against the Raiders, although I would like him better if Zack Moss (toe) were out again.
So who should you start and sit this week? And which surprising quarterback could lead you to victory? Visit SportsLine now to get Week 4 rankings for every position, plus see which QB is going to come out of nowhere to crack the top 10, all from the model that out-performed experts big-time last season.
