Sunday Surprises-Breakout stars from NFL Week 4 for Fantasy Football

Brian Hartline (82) was just one of the breakout performers who emerged from a busy week four in the NFL. Check out who else made our list of Sunday Surprises. Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

Week 4 in the NFL continued the unpredictability of the early season. As always in fantasy football, there have continued to be players stepping up and taking bigger roles in their teams offense that make them suddenly solid fantasy options.

Come back to FantasyCPR throughout the week for waiver wire advice, starter rankings, and injury updates to help with your final lineup decisions. Here are some of Sunday’s surprises from around the league that fantasy owners need to take notice of.

Brian Hartline-Miami Dolphins-WR: Hartline was owned in less than 25% of ESPN leagues coming into the weekend, but expect his ownership to skyrocket after he tied Tom Brady for the high point total in standard scoring for week 4 (excluding Monday Night). Hartline pulled in 12 passes while going for a long touchdown and 253 yards. He’s been getting the targets (29 this season) but hadn’t converted until yesterday. He’s a great pickup and a solid #1 Wide Receiver for the Dolphins. I’d rank him as a high WR2 at this point for fantasy just because he doesn’t have a track record of continued production and Ryan Tannehill is bound to have his ups and downs.

Kevin Kolb-Arizona Cardinals-QB: Kolb showed Arizona isn’t only about the defense as he lit up the Dolphins through the air throwing for 324 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Kolb is playing well enough to be a matchup play even in  one QB leagues and is a solid QB2 as the Cardinals travel to St. Louis and then host the Bills before his schedule gets tougher.

Scott Chandler-Buffalo Bills-TE: Chandler has been a huge red zone target for Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills. He pulled in a pair of touchdowns among his four catches and 62 yards yesterday against the Patriots. He now has four touchdowns on the year. The only downside to Chandler’s value is that he did leave the game with a head injury. Keep an eye on his availability moving forward to see if he will be an option as tight ends start hitting their bye weeks.

Sept. 30, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Andre Roberts (12) celebrates after scoring a 46 yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Dolphins 24-21 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE

Andre Roberts-Arizona Cardinals-WR: Roberts has four touchdowns in four games after adding a pair in yesterday’s in over Miami. He totalled six catches with 113 yards and has locked up the second WR  spot in Arizona. He’s a good WR3 option going forward and will definitely help you as bye weeks start to come up for flex options.

Brandon Bolden-New England Patriots-RB: Even with Shane Vereen active, Bolden saw plenty of action taking 16 carries for 137 yards and a catch for 11 yards as well as punching in his second touchdown of this, his rookie season. Bolden and Stevan Ridley will share time in New England’s backfield which could limit his usability but he’s definitely worth an add if you need running back help after an impressive performance for the undrafted rookie out of Mississippi.

James Jones-Green Bay Packers-WR: With Greg Jennings continue to struggle with a groin injury, Jones finished with five catches and 56 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He was the top-scoring Green Bay wide receiver as they beat the Saints 28-27. He’s definitely worth a roster position and a start if Jennings can’t play next week against the Colts.

Jackie Battle-San Diego Chargers-RB: Ryan Mathews and Battle shared time in the Chargers backfield with Battle receiving the start and the work in the red zone. Battle scored a pair of touchdowns-one on the ground as part of his 39 yards on 15 carries, and one through the air as one of his four catches for 42 more yards. Most of the Chargers reporters think that this was a one-week role for Battle as the coaching staff made a point to Mathews about ball security after his fumble week 3. Battle could be worth a look in touchdown-heavy leagues though since he continues to get the looks at the goal line. Think of him as this year’s version of Mike Tolbert who shared time with Mathews but got eclipsed to often to be a regular in fantasy lineups.