Week 4
Games through Oct. 4

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Week 3 gave us quite a few fantasy highlights. Javon Walker, Rod Gardner, Thomas Jones and Brett Favre, for example, had tremendous efforts, as did Peyton Manning, Donovan McNabb and Daunte Culpepper, whose owners might be starting to take their excellence for granted. Culpepper has a bye this week and will surely be missed by fantasy owners, as will his top receiver, Randy Moss. But what else will week 4 have to offer? Can Curtis Martin continue his success after his bye week? And which version of Michael Vick are we going to see this time? Let’s take a look at this week’s upside players as well as a few you ought to leave on your bench in our weekly Start & Sit column.

START

QB:

Kurt Warner, NYG: A lot of people expected Warner to make way for top pick Eli Manning after a game or two, but so far, the veteran has held onto the starting job in New York and has served as a useful backup fantasy quarterback. Facing a Packers secondary that was torn to pieces by the Colts last week makes Warner a nice option this Sunday.

Byron Leftwich, Jax: Leftwich may not exactly be the guy who you want to see in your lineup every week, but when the matchup is right, he can be a solid fantasy contributor. This week, he plays against an Indianapolis team that has problems against the pass. Furthermore, if the Indianapolis offense keeps rolling, the Jaguars may have to call lots of pass plays as they attempt to keep pace with the Colts.

Others to start:
Marc Bulger, StL
Jake Delhomme, Car
Trent Green, KC
Michael Vick, Atl
Chad Pennington, NYJ

No-brainers:
Brett Favre, GB
Donovan McNabb, Phi
Aaron Brooks, NO
Peyton Manning, Ind

RB:

Kevan Barlow, SF: Barlow was nearly invisible last week when the 49ers were shut out by Seattle. He has yet to show that he truly can be the #1 fantasy RB many hoped for, but at least against weaker defenses, Barlow should be a safe start. And that’s exactly what he is this week: with the Rams coming to town, Barlow faces a defense that ranks 30th in the league against the rush.

Travis Henry, Buf: Henry has been a big disappointment in his first two games this season, but things could change this weekend. The Patriots have had problems stopping the run in both games so far, and the Bills will certainly try to exploit this unexpected weakness. With Drew Bledsoe struggling, Buffalo will have to depend on Henry early and often.

Others to start:
Fred Taylor, Jax
Warrick Dunn, Atl
Edgerrin James, Ind
Brian Westbrook, Phi
Tyrone Wheatley, Oak
Aaron Stecker, NO
Duce Staley, Pit

No-brainers:
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Jamal Lewis, Bal
Priest Holmes, KC
Marshall Faulk, StL
Clinton Portis, Was
Ahman Green, GB
Curtis Martin, NYJ
Thomas Jones, Chi
Chris Brown, Ten

WR:

Jimmy Smith, Jax: Despite not catching a TD pass so far this season, Smith is still the go-to guy among the Jaguars’ wide receivers. His performance has been unspectacular so far, but mainly because Jacksonville has faced tough defenses in Denver, Buffalo and Tennessee. This week, the Jaguars have a home game against the Colts who rank last in the league in pass defense, allowing 313 yards per game through the air. Expect Smith to once again be the centerpiece of the Jaguars’ air attack.

Chris Chambers, Mia: A forgotten man in the fantasy world so far this season due to a struggling Miami offense, Chambers should be a nice start this week against a questionable New York Jets defense. Jay Fiedler is back at the helm for the Dolphins, and Chambers always has been Fiedler’s favorite WR target. Expect Chambers’ numbers to improve this week.

Others to start:
Eric Moulds, Buf
Derrick Mason, Ten
Andre Johnson, Hou
Rod Smith, Den
Reggie Wayne, Ind
Laveranues Coles, Was
Amani Toomer, NYG
Donte Stallworth, NO

No-brainers:
Torry Holt, StL
Terrell Owens, Phi
Marvin Harrison, Ind
Joe Horn, NO (if healthy)
Javon Walker, GB
Chad Johnson, Cin
Isaac Bruce, StL
Hines Ward, Pit

TE/K/D:

Jeb Putzier, TE, Den: It looks like Putzier has won the battle for the starting tight end spot in Denver, and he should be able to produce decent numbers in that role. With the TE position thin as always, he immediately warrants fantasy consideration, and should be in your lineup this week. He ought to get his share of looks as a security blanket for Jake Plummer against an aggressive Tampa Bay defense.

Matt Stover, K, Bal: The Baltimore offense showed some signs of life last week, and this trend should continue this week as the Ravens face a suspect Chiefs defense on Monday night, and Stover should receive several opportunities to put the ball through the uprights.

Washington Defense: The Washington defense was expected to be solid, but this unit’s performance so far – especially against the run – has been astonishing. The Redskins have allowed a league-low 47 yards on the ground per game, and are third in the NFL in total yards allowed. Combine this with a struggling Browns offense that has scored just 22 points in the last two games and you have a must-start defense here.

 
BENCH

QB:

Tom Brady, NE: Brady looked good in his first two games, but his life will be a lot tougher when his Patriots visit the Bills. Buffalo has allowed only 171 yards per game through the air so far, and this might be about what you can expect from Brady this week. If you have other options with a better matchup, keep Brady on your bench.

Brad Johnson, TB: The way the Tampa Bay offense is running so far, it’s safer to keep Johnson on your bench. Denver’s pass defense ranks second in the league right now, and could make it a long Sunday afternoon for Johnson. Keenan McCardell, where are you?

RB:

Michael Pittman, TB: With Charlie Garner lost for the season, Pittman comes back from his suspension at the right time to jump right into the starting lineup. So much for the good news; the bad is that he might not find too room to run this week against a stingy Denver defense.

Any Cleveland RB: Sound like a déjà vu? Well, sort of, as we had exactly this term here a couple of weeks ago. Now, with Lee Suggs possibly ready to go again, the RB situation in Cleveland is cloudy once again. But don’t waste time searching for a silver lining by figuring out which back will get the most carries; the Redskins lead the league in run defense, allowing only 47 yards per game on the ground, so don’t bother starting any of the Browns’ rushers.

WR:

Bill Schroeder, TB: Did the Buccaneers finally find a new #1 wideout last week? Schroeder only had one great game, so don’t jump to conclusions just yet. He had his ups and down in Detroit, but never produced consistently enough to become a good fantasy WR. Furthermore, Tampa Bay plays against Denver this week, a team that has allowed just 130 yards per game through the air so far. So if you acquired Schroeder, you may want to leave him on the bench for now.

David Terrell: All those who believed that this is finally Terrell’s year probably learned their lesson by now. But if not, we urge you to sit Terrell, at least until he proves he can produce with anything approaching consistency. Add to that a new QB taking over in Chicago whose preferred have yet to be determined, and you have a very risky start. Keep an eye on him, but hopefully, you’ll have other options for now.

TE/K/D:

Daniel Graham, TE, NE: The Patriots travel to Buffalo to face a stingy defense that will put up a fight on every down. The New England passing game in particular might suffer (see Tom Brady), making Graham a gamble this week. If you have other TEs on your roster, use them.

Phil Dawson, K, Cle: Considering the way Cleveland has struggled to move the ball and score points, not many owners will have Dawson on their rosters any more. Just in case you do, look for another option for now, as life won’t get any easier for the Browns when the Redskins come to town.

Jacksonville: It’s tough to leave a defense like Jacksonville on the bench, but the way the Indianapolis offense is playing, it may be wise to search for a better matchup. The Colts have yet to meet their match this year, and counting on the Jaguars to stop them is an unnecessary risk. Bench this unit on Sunday, and enjoy what should be a very interesting game to watch.

 
Fantasy Football Cafe’s Start & Sit lists are suggestions intended to give fantasy football players an edge in their weekly matchups. Savvy owners will see these lists not as an absolute ranking, but as an indication of possible outcomes of a given week, and use them together with their own opinions and hunches to field the lineup that will give their team the greatest odds of winning. The Start & Sit lists are compiled by Dan Spazierer (not Madame Zelda). For more insights and additional fine-tuning, visit our Who to Start/Bench forum section.