The Daily Blitz

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Fantasy Football WR Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 5

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

Embed from Getty Images
With that said, here are some wide receiver waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 5 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]

1. Devin Funchess, Carolina Panthers (26 percent)

An injury to Greg Olsen (and in-game injury to Kelvin Benjamin in Week 3) has led to Funchess getting 25 targets in the past three games with minimums of four catches and 58 yards in each of those weeks. The Week 5 matchup against the Lions may not be as favorable as last week, but there are more favorable matchups on the horizon as the Panthers face the Eagles, Bears and Buccaneers -- all plus matchups -- in the following three weeks.

2. Will Fuller, Houston Texans (32 percent)

One game, two touchdowns. Pretty good. If you remember back to last season, Fuller did something that only one other player (DeSean Jackson) did -- begin his career with back-to-back 100-yard games. Of course, things went downhill from there. While he's currently the WR2 behind DeAndre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson has played well and there could/should be some big games in Fuller's future even if there will be some weekly boom or bust with his rest-of-season outlook.

3. Danny Amendola, New England Patriots (50 percent)

Missing Week 2 with a concussion, Amendola has six catches and seven targets in two of his three games played this season. Even if Brandin Cooks and Chris Hogan both have more upside than Amendola, the slot receiver has some upside any week he's healthy given the trust Tom Brady has in him. To help his cause this week, the Patriots play on Thursday Night Football against the Buccaneers, who have allowed the most fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers this season.

4. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams (44 percent)

Kupp has six-plus targets in three of four games and has finished with at least 60 yards and a touchdown in two of four. The Rams have brutal matchups upcoming against talented outside corners -- SEA, JAX and ARI before their Week 8 bye, but Kupp may have more success from the slot in those matchups than Sammy Watkins may have on the outside.

5. Jaron Brown, Arizona Cardinals (8 percent)

With 29 targets in his past three games, Brown has at least 11 targets in two of those games as he finished with 8/105 on 12 targets, all career highs, in Week 4. Given the injury to David Johnson, it's perhaps no surprise that the Cardinals have called a pass on a league-high 69.93 percent of their plays. And no team has run more plays (71.5/G) than the Cardinals.

Given the injury history of John Brown, Jaron's recent role in the offense and two very favorable matchups on the horizon against the Eagles and Buccaneers, he offers fantasy owners a solid bye-week replacement as byes begin this week.

6. John Brown, Arizona Cardinals (39 percent)

See Jaron.

If healthy, John has more upside than Jaron on a weekly basis, and the team has been throwing the ball more than any other team with a couple of exploitable matchups on the horizon. The Eagles and Buccaneers both rank in the top-three most generous fantasy defenses to opposing wide receivers this season.

7. Robby Anderson, New York Jets (20 percent)

It's hard to get too excited about Anderson, but I expected him to be the team's most productive receiver, which isn't really saying much, but he's been more productive recently. With six targets in each of the past two games, Anderson has a total of 154 yards and a touchdown in those two games. On a positive note, the Jets will face the Browns and Patriots in the next two weeks.

- More Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 5

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Fantasy Football RB Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 5

"He won’t get any more opportunities [if he continues] -- the leash isn’t going to be long on that," [coach John] Harbaugh said. "When you come in here and drop the ball however many times he has dropped, I’m not going to tolerate it. I like him. He’s a good kid, and he makes plays, but he has to hold onto the football."

4. Wayne Gallman, New York Giants (4 percent)

Perhaps like calling a car the most luxurious Yugo, Gallman has clearly been the most productive Giants running back (when given the opportunity). The offensive line is obviously a mess and that won't help any running back look like Emmitt Smith, but Gallman has now played one game and he set a season high for Giants running backs in carries (11), touches (13), rushing yards (42) and fantasy points (11.0).

In fact, he has already scored more fantasy points than Paul Perkins has in four games combined (9.6 points). At a minimum, I'd be willing to drop Perkins for Gallman as I'd expect him to be most productive Giants running back for the rest of the season.

5. D'Onta Foreman, Houston Texans (28 percent)

With 12-plus carries in two of three games and double-digit touches in three straight, Foreman should be added in all 12-team leagues. The Texans rank third in the league in plays per game and are fifth in run-play percentage so Foreman will have the opportunity to approach double-digit touches even if Lamar Miller remains healthy and the starter. If Miller were to miss any time, however, Foreman would be in line for massive workloads.

6(a). Eddie Lacy, Seattle Seahawks (17 percent)

With Thomas Rawls a healthy scratch in Week 4, it appears that Lacy would be first in line to lead the backfield in opportunities with Chris Carson (leg) placed on IR on Monday. That said, my confidence level in Lacy is fairly low. Lacy finished with 11 carries for 52 yards in Week 4.

Seattle's offensive line leaves a lot to be desired and the team is better at home than on the road. In Week 5, they are 1.5-point underdogs to the Rams. The good news is that the Rams have allowed opposing running backs to average 4.96 yards per carry (113 carries for 560 yards) and a league-high six rushing touchdowns.

6(b). Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks (28 percent)

See Lacy, Eddie.

While I have Lacy ranked ahead of Rawls, that's a fluid ranking and I wouldn't be surprised if communication from the Seahawks talk about Rawls being the "starter." Either way, Rawls should be active in Week 5 and there could be an opportunity for him to emerge (or re-emerge) as the team's lead back.

7. Andre Ellington, Arizona Cardinals (24 percent)

When David Johnson went down with injury, many thought Kerwynn Williams would get the edge in the backfield workload. Then, the Cardinals re-signed Chris Johnson, who has 11-plus carries in each of the past three games. But his production has been (and his upside is) limited.

The most productive of the team's running backs has been Ellington, who now has eight-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games. In PPR formats, he's even better with 22 targets in the past two games including 14 last week. If I were to add an Arizona running back, it'd definitely be Ellington.

8. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers (11 percent)

Several days ago, it seemed likely that Jones would appear higher on this list as both Ty Montgomery (ribs) and Jamaal Williams (knee) suffered injuries in the team's Thursday Night Football victory over the Bears. In that game, Jones rushed 13 times for 49 yards and a touchdown. Early in the week, Jones may be the favorite to get the start in Week 5, but it's even possible that Montgomery won't miss Sunday's game in Dallas.

9. Elijah McGuire, New York Jets (2 percent)

With Matt Forte (toe) sidelined, the duo of Bilal Powell and McGuire erupted for a combined 321 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. McGuire himself had 10 carries for 93 yards (including a 69-yard touchdown run) and two catches for 38 yards. It's unclear whether Forte will be back this week, but McGuire is at least worth a stash at this point.

10. Matt Breida, San Francisco 49ers (12 percent)

Through one-quarter of the season, Carlos Hyde is off to a great start. The fourth-year back is on pace for 1,284 rushing yards, 68 catches for 352 yards and eight touchdowns over a full 16-game season and is averaging a career-high 4.94 YPC this season. The concern with Hyde, of course, is that he has yet to play a full season and has missed at least three games in each of his first three NFL seasons. If Hyde were to miss time at any point this season, Breida would presumably be the lead back.

- More Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 5

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Fantasy Football QB Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 5

Every week, we examine players that may be available on your league's waiver wire that could help your team in the short and/or long term.

For a player to be listed, he must be owned in 50 percent (or less) of Yahoo! leagues. The goal is to provide recommendations of players that have a greater chance of being available on your league's waiver wire. Of course, your league's size and settings could significantly impact whether these players (or better options) are available in your particular league(s).

Embed from Getty Images
With that said, here are some quarterback waiver-wire options that I like heading into Week 5 (Yahoo! ownership in parenthesis):

[Note: Players listed below are sorted by my preference to add.]

1. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans (35 percent)

Things won't always go as well for Watson as they did in Week 4. In fact, that may end up being his best game over his entire rookie season. And he could certainly have some bad starts, as is typical for all rookies.

Even if he has some ups and downs over the rest of the season, it's been so far, so good with Watson. In three starts, Watson has finished with 17.7, 20.14 and 33.72 fantasy points as the QB7, QB15 and QB1, respectively. Heading into Week 5, the rookie is currently the QB7.

On the season, Watson has completed nearly 65 percent of his pass attempts as he has thrown for 811 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions. More importantly for his fantasy outlook, he has 19 runs for 148 yards and two touchdowns. That dual-threat ability allows him to have a solid fantasy performance even when he struggles in the passing game like in Week 2 (125 passing yards and no touchdowns while finishing as the weekly QB7).

2. Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills (45 percent)

Watson is the clear QB1 on this list. Taylor and Andy Dalton are fairly similar (in terms of my ranking on this list). While they face each other, neither has a great matchup although Dalton's may be tougher. That said, Taylor's ability as a runner always boosts his floor (and ceiling) so I'd prefer to roll with Taylor this week if I needed a bye-week replacement and Watson wasn't available.

3. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (47 percent)

As badly as Dalton and Cincinnati's offense played in the first two games, they have played much better in their last two games. Dalton has yet to throw for 300 yards in a game, but he has six touchdowns and no interceptions (although he did lose a fumble) over the past two weeks. That said, the matchup in Week 5 isn't great. Only the Jaguars have allowed fewer fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks than the Bills. And then Dalton has his bye in Week 6.

4. Sam Bradford, Minnesota Vikings (19 percent)

Missing three consecutive games, Bradford has a "chance" to play in Week 5. So, if he doesn't return this week, he should be back soon thereafter. Three of the team's next four games are plus matchups with Chicago, Green Bay, Baltimore and Cleveland on the schedule from Weeks 5 to 8. In his 16 games this year and last with the Vikings, Bradford has thrown for 4,223 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions.

5. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (23 percent)

First, the good news: Goff has thrown for 1,072 yards, seven touchdowns and only one interception through four games. That means, he's the QB10 after a quarter season. So, what's the bad news? The schedule gets much tougher from here. Here are Goff's next seven weeks: Seahawks, Jaguars and Cardinals, then a Week 8 bye followed up with the Giants, Texans and Vikings.

- More Fantasy Football Waiver-Wire Advice Heading Into Week 5

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Monday, October 2, 2017

Week 5 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)

Every week, four of our contributors pick between two and five games each and assign a number of units (one to five) to their selection based on their confidence in the pick.

Going into Monday Night Football, we are collectively off to a good start -- 28-20 against the spread (+29 units). One of our handicappers has Washington +7 for three units for MNF so that'll change by a change one way or the other.

Either way, John Trifone is off to a great start personally with 8-5 ATS record (61.5%, +7 units) and has been positive for three of the first four weeks.

Embed from Getty Images
With that said, here are John's Week 5 NFL picks against the spread:

Indianapolis Colts -2 over San Francisco 49ers (4 Units)

Without Andrew Luck, I thought the Colts would just be atrocious this year. And while they may not be good, they’re certainly a lot better than I expected. They’ve been competitive so far, and were tied 18-18 in Seattle with only a few minutes left in the third quarter of Week 4.

Jacoby Brissett has been a pleasant surprise in what appears to be a great acquisition for the Colts. San Francisco’s offense just can't seem to get anything going. I’ll take the home team and give the two.

Philadelphia Eagles -6.5 over Arizona Cardinals (3 Units)

The Eagles have been the best team in the NFC East out of the gate. Carson Wentz is quickly becoming one of the better and more reliable quarterbacks in the league.

The Cardinals, though 2-2, have been far less impressive. They have a -17 point differential and have had to go to into overtime to win both their games -- against the Colts and 49ers. This may have been a playoff team if David Johnson did not get hurt Week 1, but as it stands now, they look like a mess. I like the Eagles by more than a touchdown.

- Note: All of our NFL picks against the spread will be centralized here.

Check out some of our fantasy football resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

POLL: Passing yards and TDs for Jameis Winston in Week 5?

As you already know, Tom Brady is pretty good at football.

Despite the slow start in Week 1, Brady currently leads all quarterbacks in fantasy football points scored (97.66, 24.42 per game). Through a quarter season, Brady has a total of 1,399 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.

While no individual quarterback has been better over a four-game stretch, his (i.e., New England's) opposing quarterbacks have collectively been better.

All four opposing quarterbacks -- Alex Smith, Drew Brees, Deshaun Watson and Cam Newton -- have scored a total of 106.44 fantasy points (26.61 per game) in their matchups against the Patriots.

Not only have all four of these quarterbacks scored a minimum of 20 fantasy points per game, they have all thrown for 300-plus yards and multiple touchdowns. The Patriots have already allowed more 300/2 passing games this season than they did in all of 2016 (three such games).

This week, the Patriots will head to Tampa to face Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers.

Going into this game, Winston brings a two-game streak of 300-plus yards and two-plus scores against two good pass defenses -- 328 yards and two TDs at Minnesota in Week 3 and 332 yards and three TDs vs. NY Giants this past week.

Will Winston extend his streak (and that of New England's defense) with another 300/2 performance on Thursday night?

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Tight Ends

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Charles Clay is listed below as a "start" for Week 4. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 4 with him as my starting tight end.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you owned both Travis Kelce and Clay, you should start Kelce -- and in turn, bench Clay.

So, while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football TE Start'em

TE - Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills (at ATL)

Scoring the fifth-most fantasy points (TE4 in PPR) among tight ends, Clay has totaled 13 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns through the first three weeks of the season. His 18 targets equates to 23.08 percent of the team's targets and that ranks fourth among all tight ends.

Only Jason Witten (25.00%), Zach Ertz (24.56%) and Rob Gronkowski (23.36%) have higher target shares among tight ends. Meanwhile, LeSean McCoy (20, 25.64%) is the only Bill to see a higher percentage of targets than Clay.

The Falcons have yet to allow any big games to opposing tight ends and the ninth-fewest fantasy points to the position this season, but the Bills are 8.5-point underdogs on the road and could throw more often than usual. Through three weeks, the Bills have thrown the ball only 47.31 percent of their plays -- only the Ravens have thrown the ball on a lower percentage of plays.

Given his high target share and expectations for a higher percentage of pass plays in absolute terms, Clay has an opportunity to finish as a top-10 fantasy tight end for the third time in four weeks this season.

TE - Evan Engram, New York Giants (at TB)

Through the first three weeks of the season, Engram has been plenty involved in the passing attack. He has a minimum of four catches, five targets and 40-something yards in every game this season. That may not seem terribly impressive, but there are only 11 players in the league that have done that in each of the first three weeks of the season and only one other tight end (Ertz). In PPR formats, he has finished as a top-14 fantasy tight end in every game this season.

TE - Jared Cook, Oakland Raiders (at DEN)

Similar to Engram, Cook has a minimum of four catches and five targets in each of his team's first three games. On the year, Cook has a total of 13 catches for 124 yards and a touchdown on 17 targets. With at least 20-percent target share in back-to-back weeks, it's possible Cook sees a similar volume of targets in Week 4 given the difficult matchup on the outside for the team's top receivers (Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree).

While the Broncos arguably have the best defense in the NFL, they have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends early this season. In their past two games, both Jason Witten (10/97/1) and Clay (6/39/1) finished as top-eight weekly performers.

Note: Like Clay and Engram, Cook is available in a significant number of Yahoo! leagues if you typically stream the position. Cook is owned in 53-percent of Yahoo! leagues while Clay and Engram and owned in 63 and 45 percent of leagues, respectively.

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football TE Sit'em

TE - Austin Hooper, Atlanta Falcons (vs. BUF)

A popular breakout candidate heading into his second season, Hooper has been a model of consistency with exactly two targets in each of the team's first three games. Of course, that type of consistency isn't something that fantasy owners will appreciate unless he's scoring 88-yard touchdowns like in Week 1.

Over his first three weeks, Hooper has finished as fantasy's TE1, TE51 and TE38 with less than one full fantasy point in standard-scoring formats in each of the past two weeks. Until Hooper starts to see a higher volume of targets, he's dependent on a big play to not be a total flop. Especially given the quality of streaming options this week (as noted above), he needs to be on your bench this week.

TE - Jack Doyle, Indianapolis Colts (at SEA)

Doyle has just two catches in two of three games and has finished outside the top-12 weekly tight ends in every game this season. With a tough matchup against the Seahawks, he appears outside my top-12 weekly fantasy tight ends for Week 4 as well. Based on implied totals from Vegas odds, no team is projected to score fewer real points this week than the Colts (14.50).

TE - Hunter Henry, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. PHI)

Henry (97) and Antonio Gates (110) have played a relatively similar number of snaps, but I expected Henry to have the larger share as opposed to the other way around. One concern for Henry's fantasy outlook is that he has been used as a blocker on 52-of-97 snaps (53.6 percent). By comparison, Gates has run routes on nearly twice as many snaps as Henry (81 to 45).

It wouldn't surprise me if Henry becomes more involved as a receiver going forward and perhaps he still finishes the year as a top-12 fantasy tight end. Through three weeks, however, he has had two goose eggs with zero targets and a 7/80 performance. The weekly inconsistency makes him too difficult to trust for now.

- More Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em for Week 4

Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings:

Week 4 DFS Resources:

More of our content and resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Wide Receivers

hUltimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Golden Tate is listed below as a "start" for Week 4. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 4 with him as one of my starting wide receivers.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you owned both Julio Jones, Keenan Allen and Tate and start two receivers, you should start Jones and Allen -- and in turn, bench Tate.

So, while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football WR Start'em

WR - DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans (vs. TEN)

No duh, right? That said, I highlight Hopkins this week, because I was really low on him last week (WR25 in my Week 3 rankings) and he's my WR8 for Week 4.

Volume is key and Hopkins has a massive 41.11-percent target share through the first three weeks of the season. No other player is even close. Only three other wide receivers are above 30 percent: A.J. Green (36.05%), Antonio Brown (33.03%) and Jarvis Landry (32.91%).

Even though the Patriots defense hasn't played well this season, the concern with Hopkins in Week 3 was how well the Patriots typically game plan to take away an opponent's top offensive threat. In a more favorable matchup this week, however, Hopkins should see high volume and have an opportunity to put up huge numbers. The Titans have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers this season.

WR - DeVante Parker (and Jarvis Landry), Miami Dolphins (vs. NO)

It was a disappointing performance for the entire ~~offense~~ team last week. Saved by a garbage-time touchdown, one exception to that rule was Parker, who finished the week with eight catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Parker now has more than 75 yards in both games and a total of 19 targets this season.

In terms of the team's top-two receivers, Parker has the tougher matchup (Marshon Lattimore). That said, I expect both Parker and Landry to finish as top-20 fantasy wide receivers in Week 4. The Saints have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers so far this season.

WR - Golden Tate, Detroit Lions (at MIN)

With Xavier Rhodes on the outside, Tate's matchup from the slot is much more favorable than the team's other wideouts. With double-digit targets in two of three games, Tate has 21 catches for 190 yards and a touchdown on the season. Tate is a solid WR2 heading into Week 4.

WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals (vs. SF)

It's been an up-and-down start for Fitzgerald, but the volume has mostly been there with 13 targets in Week 1 and 15 in Week 3. Coming off a huge week against the Cowboys with 13 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown, Fitzgerald should be able to put up another strong performance against the 49ers. San Francisco allowed a pair of 100-yard games to Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods last week.

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football WR Sit'em

WR - Terrelle Pryor, Washington Redskins (at KC)

Pryor had 11 targets in Week 1, but he's only been targeted four times -- less than 15 percent of team targets -- in each of the past two games. Against the Rams and Raiders, Pryor had just 2/31 and 2/19, respectively, as he finished outside the top-70 weekly wide receivers in both of the past two weeks. Based on talent, there is always the potential for Pryor to go off in any week, but he's just outside my top-30 wide receivers for Week 4.

WR - Willie Snead, New Orleans Saints (at MIA)

Returning from a three-game suspension, it shouldn't be assumed that Snead returns to the WR2 role immediately. Added to the injury report towards the end of the week, Snead (hamstring, questionable) could end up being held out another week. If he plays, the matchup is favorable, but I'd prefer to take a wait-and-see approach before inserting him into any of my lineups.

WR - T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts (at SEA)

Hilton had a monster game (7/153/1) against the Browns last week, but how much do you trust him to put up strong back-to-back performances? It's another week without Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett has certainly played better than Scott Tolzien, but this week's matchup is also more difficult as the Colts go to Seattle (as opposed to hosting Cleveland last week). No team has a lower implied total than the Colts (14.50) this week. Based on my rankings, Hilton is more of a WR3 or flex as opposed to a must-start WR2 (or higher).

WR - Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers (at BAL)

Always a threat for a big play, Bryant has been a boom-or-bust type of fantasy performer and that trend has continued into the 2017 season. In his first three games, Bryant has finished as fantasy football's WR77, WR6 and WR70, respectively. So, perhaps he's due for another "boom" performance, but the Steelers offense is less typically much less potent on the road than at home and this game has one of the week's lowest over/under (42.0). Only three games have lower weekly totals.

- More Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em for Week 4

Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings:

Week 4 DFS Resources:

More of our content and resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Running Backs

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Joe Mixon is listed below as a "start" for Week 4. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 4 with him as one of my starting running backs.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you owned Le'Veon Bell, Todd Gurley and Mixon and only start two running backs, you should start Bell and Gurley -- and in turn, bench Mixon.

So, while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football RB Start'em

RB - Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks (vs. IND)

The Colts run defense has yet to allow a 50-yard rusher this season, but I expect that to change this week. Meanwhile, Carson has seemed to take firm hold of the lead-back role for the Seahawks. Through the first three weeks of the season, he has 37 carries for 166 yards (4.49 yards per carry) and four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Carson's 41 touches is more than the rest of the backfield has combined: C.J. Prosise (14), Thomas Rawls (five) and Eddie Lacy (five).

With Prosise out for Week 4, Carson should be more involved as a receiver in this game as well. That said, the Seahawks are favored by nearly two touchdowns and have one of the highest implied totals of the week (27.25). Positive game script should lead to a massive workload with some touchdown upside for the rookie.

RB - Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals (at CLE)

In Mixon's first two NFL games, he had a total of 17 carries for 45 yards and four catches for 20 yards. In the first game following a coaching change, Mixon had as many touches against the Packers as he had in the first two games combined with 101 scrimmage yards.

Based on talent and how high the Bengals selected him, we knew that Mixon would eventually become the lead back and that time has come with Bill Lazor running the offense. Even though the Bengals are on the road, they are three-point favorites and I think they win by more than three. In other words, this game should have positive game script for Mixon to get a sizable workload and he has plenty of upside against the Browns in this spot.

RB - Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers (at NE)

The Patriots defense has been bad, as has Cam Newton, so far this season. In last week's loss to the Saints, the one player that was productive on Carolina's offense was McCaffrey as he hit the 100-yard mark as a receiver. The Panthers are nearly double-digit underdogs and could find themselves in catch-up mode early. While Tarik Cohen (29) has more targets than McCaffrey (23), no running back has received a higher percentage of his team's targets than McCaffrey (25.84 percent). Especially with Greg Olsen (foot) out, that should continue for the foreseeable future.

RB - Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints (vs. MIA)

Perhaps nobody should feel too confident about starting a Saints running back, but Ingram is ranked inside my top-24 fantasy running backs, making him a solid RB2 for the week. In a game that should feature a lot of offense, the Saints have the fourth-highest implied total this week and Ingram is clearly the leader in running back workload for the Saints.

Through the first three weeks, Ingram has 39 touches (45.88 percent of the team's backfield usage) and he's the most versatile of the group. On the year, Ingram has 28 carries for 125 yards and 11 catches for 108 yards.

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football RB Sit'em

RB - Marshawn Lynch, Oakland Raiders (at DEN)

Looking at rush attempts by running backs only, the Broncos have limited opposing backs to a league-low 2.45 yards per carry and no rushing touchdowns despite facing three top-end running backs: Melvin Gordon, Ezekiel Elliott and LeSean McCoy. Opposing running backs were a little more efficient in the receiving game (18/105/1, 5.83 Y/R), but Lynch is virtually a non-factor as a receiver for the Raiders.

In his first three games as a Raider, Lynch has seen a variety of workloads -- 18 to 12 to six carries with one reception in each game. There is always the chance that Beast Mode scores a touchdown, but he's likely to have an inefficient performance this week. Ranked just outside my top-24 running backs, Lynch is more of a flex option this week.

RB - Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts (at SEA)

While the Broncos have allowed a league-low 2.45 YPC to opposing RBs, the Seahawks have allowed a league-high 5.84 YPC to running backs even if that's skewed a bit by a 75-yard run by DeMarco Murray. That said, negative game script will make it tough sledding for Gore as the Colts are nearly two-TD road underdogs and projected to be this week's lowest-scoring team based on Vegas implied totals. So, even though Gore has scored touchdowns in back-to-back weeks, it's unlikely that he extends that streak to three games this week.

RB - Tevin Coleman, Atlanta Falcons (vs. BUF)

A big-play threat out of the backfield, Coleman always has the potential to turn one carry or reception into a productive fantasy outing overall. That said, it's been the Devonta Freeman show over the past couple of weeks. Coleman has single-digit touches in back-to-back games while Freeman has more than 20-plus touches in back-to-back games.

The Bills have been playing really good defense and have allowed opposing running backs only 3.33 yards per carry and just 5.27 yards per reception (second-lowest in NFL). Going into the season, Coleman was ranked inside my top-20 running backs, but he's 30th in Week 4 rankings and more of a flex option this week.

- More Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em for Week 4

Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings:

Week 4 DFS Resources:

More of our content and resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Quarterbacks

Ultimately, the decision of which player to start is largely determined by the composition of your roster (as well as your league's settings).

As an example, Trevor Siemian is listed below as a "start" for Week 4. And I'd feel comfortable going into Week 4 with him as my starting quarterback.

That said, he may be a sit for your team.

In other words, if you owned both Drew Brees and Siemian, you should start Brees -- and in turn, bench Siemian.

So, while you won't find absolute start-sit recommendations below (use my Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings for that instead), the goal here is to highlight some players that I like (and would feel comfortable starting) as well as some players that I dislike for this week (and would prefer to keep on my bench).

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football QB Start'em

QB - Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks (vs. IND)

Throwing for less than 200 yards in back-to-back games with only one touchdown in his first game, Wilson exploded for 373 yards and four touchdowns in Week 3 to finish with 33.52 fantasy points against the Titans. Installed as two-TD favorites at home, Wilson is in a great spot to build upon the momentum he started last week.

The Colts get Vontae Davis back this week, but they have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. In addition, they have the fifth-highest implied total this week based on Vegas odds.

QB - Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (vs. LAR)

In three difficult matchups to start the season, Prescott still managed to finish as fantasy's QB12, QB11 and QB10, respectively. On the season, he has accounted for six touchdowns -- five passing and one rushing -- while throwing two interceptions.

The Rams have allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, but they faced Scott Tolzien in Week 1, McVay knows Kirk Cousins well as his previous offensive coordinator and Brian Hoyer scored 26 fantasy points against them last week. In other words, this is Dak's easiest matchup to start the season.

QB - Trevor Siemian, Denver Broncos (vs. OAK)

In Weeks 1 and 2, Siemian accounted for seven touchdowns -- six passing and one rushing -- and scored 22-plus fantasy points each week to finish as fantasy's QB4 and QB3, respectively. It was tough sledding last week for Siemian as he threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in the team's 10-point upset to the Bills. Siemian is set up to have a bounce-back week on Sunday Night Football. The Raiders have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Embed from Getty Images

Week 4 Fantasy Football QB Sit'em

QB - Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (at NE)

With a soft matchup at home against the Saints, Newton threw for a season-low 167 yards and a season-high three interceptions as he failed to reach double-digit fantasy points. While Newton played poorly on Sunday, he just hasn't been right all season as he has averaged just 188.7 passing yards and thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdowns (two) on the season.

The Patriots have allowed three consecutive 300-yard passers with multiple touchdowns and 20-plus fantasy points to begin the season so perhaps there is some hope for Newton. That said, he continues to lose weapons in the passing game as Kelvin Benjamin (knee) left Sunday's game early and we've just seen Newton bomb in one of the best possible matchups for a quarterback.

At least until he shows us more, Newton is too risky to start in fantasy if you have another option.

QB - Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers (at BAL)

In his career, Roethlisberger has played nine regular-season games in Baltimore. Big Ben's home-road splits are well-documented and his road struggles have continued at M&T Bank Stadium. Completing just 57.6 percent of his pass attempts there, Roethlisberger has averaged 236.3 passing yards per game and 6.26 Y/A with more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (eight). In fact, he has thrown no touchdowns in a third of those nine games and multiple touchdowns only twice.

QB - Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (at DEN)

Heading to Denver to face the No Fly Zone, Carr is likely to have another disappointing performance to follow up last week's dud. In five career games against the Broncos, Carr has failed to reach the 200-yard mark in four of those games. Meanwhile, Carr will be without one of his top two weapons as Michael Crabtree was downgraded to doubtful for Sunday's matchup.

- More Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em for Week 4

Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings:

Week 4 DFS Resources:

More of our content and resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Week 4 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Hanson)

Every week, four of our contributors pick between two and five games each and assign a number of units (one to five) to their selection based on their confidence in the pick.

Embed from Getty Images
With that said, here are my Week 4 NFL picks against the spread:

New England Patriots -9 over Carolina Panthers (3 Units)

There is no doubt about New England's ability to put up points. After a relatively slow start for Tom Brady, he has thrown for a total of 825 yards, eight touchdowns and no interceptions in his past two games. And even though there is no Julian Edelman, there is no shortage of weapons for Brady with Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, etc.

On the other side of the ball, we should question New England's ability to slow down anyone. Houston rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson nearly pulled off an upset in Foxboro despite Brady's five touchdowns. The Patriots have allowed a 300-yard passer and multiple passing touchdowns in all three games this season.

That said, do you trust Cam Newton to be able exploit the Patriots defense this week? I don't. The 2015 league MVP has not looked like the MVP version. Just last week at home against the Saints, Newton threw for 167 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions as the Panthers lost by 21. I expect the Pats to win by double digits this week.

FanDuel's Sunday Mllion: With $4 Million up for grabs, play for a top prize of $1 Million in the FanDuel NFL Sunday Million. Only $7 to enter, the contest is free for new members/depositors.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 over Cleveland Browns (4 Units)

The Battle of Ohio features a pair of winless teams. So, on a positive note, that will change for at least one of these teams. The Bengals have had their share of issues, but I expect them to get their first win of the season this week. After calling for the ball more, A.J. Green had 10/111/1 against the Packers last week and I see another monster game in AJG's near-term future.

New York Giants +3 over Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 Units)

Losing to a division rival on a 61-yard walk-off field goal, the Giants will look to get their first win of the season in Tampa this weekend. Their offensive line is clearly an issue, but we could see more quick passes from Eli Manning and the presence of a healthy Odell Beckham makes a big difference for this offense. Even if the G-Men don't get their first win of the season, I expect them to at least keep this game close so I'll take the points here.

Jacksonville Jaguars -3.5 over New York Jets (3 Units)

The Jets are coming off a surprising beat-down of the Dolphins, but they are still one of the league's worst teams in the league. It's always difficult to trust a Blake Bortles-led offense, but Jacksonville's defense is one of the best in the league. In fact, they have the league's best cornerback duo with Jalen Ramsey and A.J. Bouye. Points will be at a premium for Josh McCown and the Jets, which could allow the Jags to run the ball often behind rookie Leonard Fournette.

- Note: All of our NFL picks against the spread will be centralized here.

Check out some of our fantasy football resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Week 4 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Beazley)

Los Angeles Chargers -2.5 over Philadelphia Eagles (4 Units)

I'm gonna keep picking the Chargers this year until I am right. Hahaha. This is a classic let-down spot for the Eagles traveling across the country after a big win vs. the Giants. I think Philip Rivers has a big game in this spot throwing three TDs and the Chargers defense gives Carson Wentz fits. Chargers, 34-17.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 over Cleveland Browns (5 Units)

The Bengals are better than their record indicates. They have had tough matchups the first three weeks and now get a soft matchup vs. the Browns in the 'Land. It’s the Joe Mixon coming out party this week. Bengals 27, Browns 16.

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans -- Over 44 (3 Units)

While it wouldn't shock me to see a 17-13 final, I think this game goes over more than it does under. The Titans should be able to somewhat stop the Houston pass rush, and the Texans are beatable in the air. The Titans pass defense, although improved from last year, still gives up too many big plays. I'm rolling out 20 Watson/Nuk stacks in DFS this week. Texans 27, Titans 26.

- Note: All of our NFL picks against the spread will be centralized here.

Check out some of our fantasy football resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

Week 4 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Yanotchko)

Jacksonville Jaguars -3.5 over New York Jets (4 Units)

Ok, so this has been quite a weird start to the season, and we aren't even a quarter of the way through, and the Jacksonville Jaguars are road favorites? The Jaguars defense is legit as they have the best pass defense in the league that currently allows 124 yards per game and an opposing quarterback completion percentage of 53.3.

In addition, Jacksonville has picked up a running game with Leonard Fournette, who has averaged 66.3 yards per game and three touchdowns. The rookie gets a woeful Jets rush defense that allows 133.3 yards per game and 4.8 yards per carry. While the Jets had an impressive win last week, I think the Jags are starting to right the ship, and will smother the Jets like they did to Baltimore last week.

New Orleans Saints -3.5 over Miami Dolphins (3 Units)

The London game still has not matched up two teams with a winning record, but the way both of these teams play defense, they could be in for a treat with a shootout. The Dolphins have been perplexing to say the least so far, as they needed to block a field goal to beat the Chargers, and then proceeded to get beat up by the Jets. Something has to be said for all of the travel the Dolphins have been doing, as they missed Week 1, flew out to the west coast, back east, and now over to London. I also love the matchup of Drew Brees going against that Dolphin secondary that allows 278 yards passing per game, and a 79% completion percentage to opposing quarterbacks. While this one will be high-scoring, I still think the Saints will figure out what they need to do to pull their record to .500.

Washington Redskins +7 over Kansas City Chiefs (3 Units)

While the Chiefs have been the darling of the league this year, stunning everyone with their running game and superb rookie Kareem Hunt, who has posted an impessive 401 yards rushing. This week though, they will certainly be tested by the Redskins rushing defense that is second in the league with only allowing 62.3 yards per game, and 3.2 yards per carry. Both of these teams can play defense, and they also both have explosive playmakers in Chris Thompson and Tyreek Hill, respectively. While Kansas City is very tough to beat at home in Arrowhead, I think the Redskins will be able to hang with them the entire game.

- Note: All of our NFL picks against the spread will be centralized here.

Check out some of our fantasy football resources:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle

The Daily Blitz

Pages

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Fantasy Football WR Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 5

Fantasy Football RB Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 5

Fantasy Football QB Waiver-Wire Options Heading Into Week 5

Monday, October 2, 2017

Week 5 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)

POLL: Passing yards and TDs for Jameis Winston in Week 5?

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Tight Ends

Week 4 Fantasy Football TE Start'em

Week 4 Fantasy Football TE Sit'em

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Wide Receivers

Week 4 Fantasy Football WR Start'em

Week 4 Fantasy Football WR Sit'em

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Running Backs

Week 4 Fantasy Football RB Start'em

Week 4 Fantasy Football RB Sit'em

Fantasy Football Start'em, Sit'em: Week 4 Fantasy Quarterbacks

Week 4 Fantasy Football QB Start'em

Week 4 Fantasy Football QB Sit'em

Week 4 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Hanson)

Week 4 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Beazley)

Week 4 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Yanotchko)

Fantasy Resources

NFL Draft Resources

More