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Editor's note: Welcome to Week 4! We're handling Jamey Eisenberg's Start 'Em & Sit 'Em column a bit differently this season. You're still getting the same in-depth analysis as always, we're just presenting a bit differently, in an effort to get it out to you earlier in the day. This column takes a long time to write, and in the past, we've usually gotten it out to you in the evening. This year, we're going to publish it position-by-position, to get it into your hands quicker. Here's Jamey's take on quarterbacks for this week.
Don't worry: If you want the classic Start 'Em & Sit 'Em, we'll still be publishing that at the end of the day with every position included. For now, here's quarterback.
Quarterback
Note: Projections are provided by SportsLine.com.
| 22.4 projected points |
Philip Rivers
Los Angeles Chargers QB
|
| In full disclosure, Rivers was my alternate choice for Start of the Week, and I'm expecting a dominant performance against the 49ers. San Francisco is without cornerback Richard Sherman (calf), but even if he played it might not matter. The 49ers have been torched all season by Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes for 905 passing yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions. And Rivers comes into this game averaging 27.7 Fantasy points a game, with at least 21 points in each outing. He has top-three upside this week. | |
| 20.2 projected points |
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons QB
|
| Remember after Week 1 when Ryan was being called washed up because he struggled on the road against the defending champion Eagles? It was a silly conversation then, and he's combined for 82 Fantasy points in the past two games against Carolina and New Orleans. He has the chance for another solid outing this week at home against a Bengals defense that has allowed eight combined touchdowns to Andrew Luck, Joe Flacco and Cam Newton, with Luck and Flacco each passing for at least 300 yards. Ryan will also benefit from injuries to his defense because most games with the Falcons will likely result in high-scoring affairs. | |
| 17.8 projected points |
Andy Dalton
Cincinnati Bengals QB
|
| As stated above, the Falcons defense is a mess. Safeties Keanu Neal (ACL) and Ricardo Allen (Achilles), as well as linebacker Deion Jones (foot) are out, and pass rushers Takk McKinley (groin) and Derrick Shelby (groin) are also banged up. That's led to some big production from opposing quarterbacks the past two games for Newton and Drew Brees, who combined for 731 passing yards and eight total touchdowns. Dalton has multiple touchdowns in all three games this season, but he has just one game with more than 20 Fantasy points, which was Week 2 against Baltimore. This should be his second game with at least 20 points, and he should have A.J. Green (groin) after he was banged up in Week 3 at Carolina. | |
| 20.8 projected points |
Andrew Luck
Indianapolis Colts QB
|
| Too much was made about Luck not throwing the Hail Mary attempt at the end of Week 3 at Philadelphia in favor of Jacoby Brissett. It's clearly not ideal that Luck can't heave the ball 60 yards yet in his comeback from last year's shoulder surgery, but that doesn't mean he's lost appeal as a starting Fantasy quarterback. And while he's struggled the past two games at Washington and at Philadelphia with 15 Fantasy points in each outing, he should rebound coming back home against the Texans. Houston has struggled in two of three games this year against Tom Brady and Eli Manning, who each scored at least 23 Fantasy points, and Luck scored 22 points at home in Week 1 against Cincinnati. I'm trusting Luck as a No. 1 quarterback again in Week 4. | |
| 18.2 projected points |
Eli Manning
New York Giants QB
|
| The Saints defense has underperformed this season, and they just lost cornerback Patrick Robinson (ankle) for the year. Brees and the Saints are going to put up points in this matchup, and Manning should be chasing the scoreboard at home. He does lose a key weapon in Evan Engram (knee), but Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard and Saquon Barkley should pick up the slack. Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week 1 and Ryan in Week 3 both scored 49 Fantasy points against New Orleans, and Manning should find his way to 20-plus Fantasy points. He's worth starting as a low-end No. 1 quarterback this week. | |
Sleepers
- Ryan Tannehill (at NE): Tannehill comes into this game 10-1 in his last 11 outings going back to 2016, and he's playing well with at least 20 Fantasy points in his past two contests against the Jets and Raiders. New England has allowed 639 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions in the past two games against Blake Bortles and Matthew Stafford, and Tannehill has passed for at least 300 yards in four games in a row against the Patriots, with multiple touchdown passes in two of those outings.
- Case Keenum (vs. KC): Keenum started the season playing well with 25 Fantasy points against Seattle in Week 1, but he combined for just 18 points the past two weeks against Oakland and Baltimore. This week, he should be chasing points against the Chiefs, who have allowed an astounding 1,127 passing yards, nine total touchdowns and one interception to Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Jimmy Garoppolo in three games.
- Baker Mayfield (at OAK): Mayfield makes his first NFL start in what could be a tough place to play in the Black Hole in Oakland. Luckily for him, the Raiders defense hasn't been so tough this year. Jared Goff in Week 1 and Tannehill last week both had at least 21 Fantasy points against Oakland, and Mayfield could reach that total if he doesn't make mistakes. He's a good streaming option in deeper leagues.
| 18.6 projected points |
Matthew Stafford
Detroit Lions QB
|
| I don't expect Stafford to play poorly this week. I just don't expect him to have a high ceiling given the matchup with the Cowboys . No quarterback has scored more than 19 Fantasy points against Dallas this year, including matchups with Newton and Russell Wilson . And I think Detroit can run the ball this week with Kerryon Johnson since the Cowboys will be without standout linebacker Sean Lee (hamstring). Stafford could easily expose this Dallas secondary with his standout receiving corps, especially if the Lions are chasing points because Ezekiel Elliott runs through their defense. But this game should be low-scoring – Las Vegas has the over-under at 44 points – and I don't expect a big Fantasy day from Stafford this week. | |
| 20.8 projected points |
Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks QB
|
| Wilson has scored fewer than 20 Fantasy points in each of his past two games against Chicago and Dallas, and I expect him to be under 20 points again this week. Arizona has only allowed three passing touchdowns with two interceptions against Alex Smith , Goff and Mitchell Trubisky , and the Seahawks can lean on their ground game for the second week in a row with Chris Carson in this matchup. Like Stafford, I don't expect Wilson to struggle, but I'm concerned about his ceiling on the road. The over-under for this game is 37.5, and Wilson isn't expected to light up the scoreboard in Week 4. | |
| 19.0 projected points |
Carson Wentz
Philadelphia Eagles QB
|
| Wentz is more of a bust alert than a must-sit option, and it will help if Alshon Jeffery (shoulder) is able to play now that he's been cleared for contact. But I'm not ready to call Wentz a safe start this week on the road at Tennessee. The Titans defense has played well against opposing quarterbacks this season in holding Tannehill and Blake Bortles to their worst games of the season, and only Deshaun Watson has scored more than 17 Fantasy points. I'm hopeful that Wentz had the shake off the rust game last week against the Colts when he scored 13 Fantasy points, but I'm concerned about his ceiling. He's a low-end starting option at best in 12-team leagues. | |
| 18.0 projected points |
Blake Bortles
Jacksonville Jaguars QB
|
| Bortles was a huge letdown in Week 3 against Tennessee with eight Fantasy points after he had 40 points against the Patriots in Week 2. He doesn't have a tremendously difficult matchup in Week 4 against the Jets, although they have allowed just three touchdowns with five interceptions in three games against the Lions, Dolphins and Browns . Bortles will likely revert to more of a game-manager with Leonard Fournette (hamstring) expected to play, and Bortles is only worth using in two-quarterback leagues this week. | |
| 16.4 projected points |
Derek Carr
Oakland Raiders QB
|
| It's the same story with Carr again that you can't trust him unless you're stuck -- even in two-quarterback leagues. He has yet to score more than 17 Fantasy points in a game against the Rams, Broncos and Dolphins, and the Browns defense has played well this year. In matchups against Roethlisberger, Brees and Sam Darnold , Cleveland has held those quarterbacks to an average of 249 passing yards with three touchdowns and five interceptions. We'll see if Carr can turn things around at home, but I'm not confident in his outlook for Week 4. | |
Bust Alert
I understand if you're reluctant to bench Fitzpatrick. He's the only quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 400 yards in three games in row. For the season, Fitzpatrick has video game stats with 1,230 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions, and he also added 62 rushing yards and a touchdown. He's scored at least 30 Fantasy points in all three games. But this could be the week it all comes crashing down. Maybe not to the point where Fitzpatrick becomes Fitztragic, but this could be his first week not finishing as a No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in 2018. The Bears will get after Fitzpatrick with their pass rush, and they have 14 sacks on the season. Chicago also has five interceptions, and the Buccaneers are playing on the road on a short week after playing on Monday night. Fitzpatrick also has Jameis Winston now waiting for his job back after his three-game suspension is over, and Tampa Bay has a bye in Week 5. It's a bad setup for Fitzpatrick to remain Fitzmagic. I consider him a low-end starting option at best for Week 4.
So who should you sit and start? And what shocking QB could win you Week 4? Visit SportsLine now to get Fantasy football rankings for every single position, and see which shocking QB finishes in the top 12 this week, all from the model that out-performed experts big time last season.