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Should I start Sterling Shepard, Luther Burden III, KaVontae Turpin for Week 4? Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks and recommendations for the 2025 NFL season.
Somehow, Sterling Shepard, Luther Burden III, and KaVontae Turpin are all in the fantasy discussion heading into Week 4. Suppose you told me that back in August, I'd have probably dropped the "Sure Jan" gif. But, here we are. Depth receivers you usually ignore suddenly become important when bye weeks and injuries hit.
That doesn't mean these guys belong in your starting lineup this week. Yes, Shepard showed up last weekend, Burden ripped off a huge play, and Turpin finds himself in a bigger role with a CeeDee Lamb injury. Plenty of upside, but plenty of risk.
So which of these wideouts is worth starting, and who is just a stash? Let's take a look at these WRs' situations and what we're doing with them in Week 4.
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Should I Start Sterling Shepard for Fantasy Football?
Thanks to injuries across the league, Shepard becomes an intriguing option for fantasy football. He's tallied just 11 catches for 153 yards across three games, but his involvement last week is notable. In Week 3, the veteran hauled in four of his five targets for 80 yards while handling a team-high 75.8% of routes.
The Buccaneers are excited to be getting Chris Godwin back, but Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan are sidelined. Shepard should find himself in a spot for more work, especially if Godwin isn't at full health or ends up on a snap count.
Todd Bowles says that Chris Godwin had a “good day today.” He says they haven’t discussed a pitch count if he plays.
He says the Wirfs and Godwin will both be “end of the week evaluations” for this Sunday vs. Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/UmmpmBeBgq
— River Wells (@riverhwells) September 24, 2025
Baker Mayfield has used Shepard as a steady third target this season, something that could continue if Tampa Bay spreads the ball around. His reliability makes him appealing in deeper formats.
The issue this week is the matchup with the Eagles. Philly has one of the toughest secondaries in the league, and Shepard doesn't have that big-play upside to offset limited looks.
Shepard is worth a stash in deeper PPR leagues, but this is a week where sitting him is advised. He should only be started in the deepest leagues.
Should I Start Luther Burden III for Fantasy Football?
The rookie finally showed up in Week 3, catching three passes for 101 yards and a score against the Cowboys. Burden's highlight play came on a 65-yard flea-flicker, carrying most of his production. He has explosiveness, an important trait for fantasy depth pieces.
The issue with Burden is that his usage remains extremely limited. He's run 24 routes through three contests, including just nine last week. Burden played 17 snaps in Week 3, a season high, but the workload is discouraging.
Caleb Williams with the farthest-traveling completed pass of the season.
62.1 yards in the air. Man in his face.
pic.twitter.com/SOmI47Zoob— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 21, 2025
When a guy needs one big play to be fantasy-relevant, he's a classic "boom-or-bust". That's where Burden sits right now, no matter how exciting the flashes have been.
The Bears' passing game is crowded with Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and Olamide Zaccheaus. Add in Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland at tight end, and there are many mouths to feed. Burden just doesn't have a consistent enough role yet.
The rookie is a stash-and-wait player, not someone you can trust to start at the moment. This week, he's best left on your bench unless you're in a deep league and need a desperation swing.
Should I Start KaVontae Turpin for Fantasy Football?
With Lamb sidelined by a high ankle sprain, Turpin becomes an attractive option in Dallas. His speed makes him exciting, as he displayed in Week 3, catching two passes for 64 yards, adding four yards on a rush, and tacking on 77 return yards.
Turpin's explosiveness was on full display with gains of 27 and 37 in that matchup. His big-play ability makes him appealing, even if his volume stays low.
Cowboys OC Klayton Adams was asked whether KaVontae Turpin is ready for an increased workload with CeeDee Lamb out. He said Turpin is 100% ready for it.
“He’s the straw that stirs the drink out there.” pic.twitter.com/Nxfgz3iIWb
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) September 25, 2025
Jalen Tolbert led the receivers with an 88% snap share in that matchup, followed by George Pickens and 82%, and Turpin at 66%. Even with fewer snaps and just three targets, Turpin still outproduced Tolbert in yardage.
The Cowboys take on the Packers this week, a defense that has been tough against wideouts. They've permitted the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position and just two touchdowns. Notably, the leading pass-catcher facing the Packers in every game so far has been a tight end. That sets up better for Jake Ferguson than it does for Turpin.
Turpin is another stash with flex appeal in deep leagues, especially where return yardage counts. Against Green Bay, the speedster is best left on your bench. Don't drop him, but don't force him into your lineup unless you're desperate in a 14+ team league.
Who Should I Start Tool
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Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 4 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Sterling Shepard, Luther Burden III, and KaVontae Turpin. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 4. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
Week 4 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Sterling Shepard, Luther Burden III, and KaVontae Turpin. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 4.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool, but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our Who Should I Start? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, enhanced search results with data to compare, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week, our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circles), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 4 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 4 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 4 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular Week 4 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Sterling Shepard, Luther Burden III, and KaVontae Turpin compared to others:
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