Fantasy Football Week 4: Start ’em/sit ’em
By Leo Howell
Week 4 of the NFL season is already upon us, and you need to make sure you’re ready to set your fantasy football lineup. So here are some borderline players to start and sit to make sure you have the best possible lineup for this weekend’s action.
Players to Start
Jay Cutler, QB, Chicago Bears
Cutler probably isn’t your starting quarterback, and he might not even be owned in your league. But a Week 4 matchup against the Lions promises a strong week for Cutler.
So if you own Cam Newton or Aaron Rodgers and need a bye week fill-in quarterback, Cutler is your guy. He’s got multiple reliable weapons, a head coach who is using him correctly, and a favorable opponent.
Bilal Powell, RB, New York Jets
Powell will be the primary ballcarrier for a surprisingly good New York Jets offense, and against the Tennessee Titans he has a decent matchup. There are still leagues where he’s available on waiver wires, which should be a criminal offense. Snag Powell now, and start him this week as a flex option or an RB2 in a deeper league.
Golden Tate, WR, Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have started the season much stronger than the Texans, but this should still be a competitive game. That means the Seattle offense should have to throw more often than usual, and Tate is a primary target. The Texans are thinner than they’d like at defensive back, so Tate should have some opportunities. If you’ve got a Green Bay wide receiver you need to replace on a bye week, Tate is a good option.
Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns
He can’t do it again, can he?
Sure he can, even against a tougher opponent. The Bengals aren’t fully healthy at defensive back, and Gordon was very heavily targeted by Brian Hoyer last week. Expect Gordon to be force-fed the football, which is great for fantasy purposes.
Minnesota Defense/Special Teams
It’s a 1 PM Eastern time game, but it’s going on at night in London. Neither team is going to be sharp, which is an advantage for the defenses. The edge goes to Minnesota, who doesn’t have to face Adrian Peterson. Expect some sacks and turnovers with a low points allowed total.