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Fantasy football starts/sits for TNF, expert advice for all Steelers, Browns. Week 4 matchups on Thursday Night Football. Our start em, sit em picks for DK Metcalf, Quinshon Judkins, Jaylen Warren, and more.
Week 4 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night as the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cleveland to face the Browns in an AFC North showdown. Both teams are coming off Week 3 wins, and the winner will slide into the top spot in the division.
In addition to our start/sit recommendation and matchup ratings for each player, you can also read the fantasy football outlooks for key players like Quinshon Judkins, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, Michael Pittman Jr., Harold Fannin Jr., Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion Jr., and more. Which Steelers and Browns players should you start or sit in Week 4?
Make sure to set your winning lineups for Week 4, whether you're setting season-long or DFS lineups. We will have our fantasy football start/sit matchup charts available all season long -- focusing on who to start, who is on the fence, and who should find the bench -- so be sure to check back. Good luck in Week 4, RotoBallers!
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Pittsburgh Steelers Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Start/Sit | Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 118 | Start | DEF | PIT | @ CLE |
| Jaylen Warren | 114.2 | Start | RB | PIT | @ CLE |
| DK Metcalf | 106.7 | Start | WR | PIT | @ CLE |
| Chris Boswell | 106.1 | Start | K | PIT | @ CLE |
| Darnell Washington | 101.9 | Sit | TE | PIT | @ CLE |
| Michael Pittman Jr. | 101.8 | Sit | WR | PIT | @ CLE |
| Pat Freiermuth | 101.7 | Sit | TE | PIT | @ CLE |
| Germie Bernard | 101.7 | Sit | WR | PIT | @ CLE |
| Aaron Rodgers | 101.5 | Sit | QB | PIT | @ CLE |
| Roman Wilson | 101.4 | Sit | WR | PIT | @ CLE |
| Ben Skowronek | 96.4 | Sit | WR | PIT | @ CLE |
| Travis Homer | 95.8 | Sit | RB | PIT | @ CLE |
| Robert Tonyan | 93.6 | Sit | TE | PIT | @ CLE |
| Kaden Wetjen | 92.4 | Sit | WR | PIT | @ CLE |
| Riley Nowakowski | 92 | Sit | RB | PIT | @ CLE |
| Eli Heidenreich | 92 | Sit | RB | PIT | @ CLE |
| Will Howard | 91.2 | Sit | QB | PIT | @ CLE |
| Mason Rudolph | 91.2 | Sit | QB | PIT | @ CLE |
| Drew Allar | 91.2 | Sit | QB | PIT | @ CLE |
DK Metcalf, WR, Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf finally turned some of his early-season opportunity into fantasy production in Sunday's 30-27 win over Cincinnati. Metcalf caught three of five targets for 31 yards, with a six-yard touchdown in the third quarter giving him his first score of the season. He had drawn 19 targets over the first two games but managed only eight catches for 67 yards, so there had been plenty of involvement without much to show for it.
The target total dipped against Cincinnati, but the offense around Metcalf looked much better. Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, while Pittsburgh finished with 411 total yards after struggling badly the week before. Metcalf still has only 98 receiving yards through three games, so this was not a full breakout. Still, the touchdown and a much healthier-looking passing attack give his fantasy value a needed push heading into Thursday night's matchup with Cleveland.
Roman Wilson, WR, Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Roman Wilson made the most of a smaller role Sunday, catching three of six targets for 60 yards and his first touchdown of the season in a win over Cincinnati. His 38-yard score came on Pittsburgh's opening drive, but the six targets may be the more useful number for fantasy managers.
Wilson has now seen exactly six in each of the Steelers' first three games, turning them into 11 catches for 114 yards overall. His playing time dipped with Michael Pittman Jr. back in the lineup, as Wilson handled just 38.7% of the offensive snaps, so there is still some risk attached to the role. Even so, RotoBaller recommends him as an add in 14-team leagues for Week 4.
Wilson does not need to be forced onto rosters in shallow formats, but three straight games with the same target volume gives him a better foundation than most speculative wide receiver stashes.
Cleveland Browns Start/Sit Matchups
See the full stats in our Fantasy Football Matchup Ratings Projections
| Player | Matchup Rating ▾ |
Start/Sit | Pos. | Team | Game Matchup |
| Quinshon Judkins | 104.9 | Start | RB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Harold Fannin Jr. | 104.3 | Start | TE | CLE | vs PIT |
| Denzel Boston | 103.7 | Risky Start | WR | CLE | vs PIT |
| Cleveland Browns | 102.4 | Risky Start | DEF | CLE | vs PIT |
| KC Concepcion Jr. | 101.7 | Sit | WR | CLE | vs PIT |
| Andre Szmyt | 101.6 | Sit | K | CLE | vs PIT |
| Deshaun Watson | 100.9 | Sit | QB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Raheim Sanders | 99 | Sit | RB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Jerry Jeudy | 96 | Sit | WR | CLE | vs PIT |
| Blake Whiteheart | 94.9 | Sit | TE | CLE | vs PIT |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | 92.5 | Sit | RB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Isaiah Bond | 92.2 | Sit | WR | CLE | vs PIT |
| Taylen Green | 90.7 | Sit | QB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Shedeur Sanders | 90.7 | Sit | QB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Michael Burton | 90.3 | Sit | RB | CLE | vs PIT |
| Carsen Ryan | 89.4 | Sit | TE | CLE | vs PIT |
| Tylan Wallace | 89.4 | Sit | WR | CLE | vs PIT |
| Malachi Corley | 89.4 | Sit | WR | CLE | vs PIT |
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns
Cleveland Browns tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is getting harder to ignore. His target total has climbed every week, from three in the opener to six in Week 2 and nine against Carolina on Sunday. Fannin turned that latest workload into seven catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns, including the 14-yard score that put Cleveland ahead for good late in the fourth quarter.
He now has 14 catches for 126 yards and two scores through three games. The targets are the part that matters most here. Fannin already showed as a rookie that he could handle steady volume, finishing 2025 with 72 catches for 731 yards and six receiving touchdowns. Cleveland has gone back to him more often each week, and Week 3 was the first time that increased involvement came with a big fantasy payoff.
The Browns' passing game can still be uneven, so there will be quieter weeks. Even so, Fannin's volume is headed the right way as he prepares for Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Denzel Boston, WR, Browns
Cleveland Browns rookie wide receiver Denzel Boston found the end zone in each of his first two NFL games. Connecting with Deshaun Watson against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay, Boston did not score a touchdown in Week 3's win over Carolina.
He will look to get back in the end zone in Week 4's home game against Pittsburgh. Boston is averaging 21.7 yards per catch and has emerged as the Browns' big-play threat in the passing game. He is beginning to develop a rapport with Watson and looks like Cleveland's biggest threat on the outside.
The Steelers will be without Joey Porter Jr. again on Thursday night, and Jalen Ramsey is questionable with a broken wrist that he hopes to play through. Look for Boston and tight end Harold Fannin Jr. to emerge as the top two targets in the passing game for Watson. Expect Boston to get back in the end zone against a depleted Steelers' secondary. Boston's big-play ability will be on display at home, and he won't rest until he finds his way into the end zone again.
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 4 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Quinshon Judkins, DK Metcalf, Jaylen Warren, Michael Pittman Jr., Harold Fannin Jr., Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion Jr., Pat Freiermuth. But not to worry, we are here to help make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 4.
Week 4 Player Decisions. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 4 of the 2026 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.
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, 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 (2026)? 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:
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