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Every week, I share some of my favored choices and players to go with when dealing with challenging lineup decisions. These selections are based on my Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings, available as part of the RotoBaller NFL Premium Pass. Enter promo code KING at checkout for a discount and get access to my ranks in all formats, plus a full roster of tools and analysis for the 2022 fantasy football season.
We feature players that you should lean to in tough calls, and guys who may exceed expectations this week are also highlighted, so you can feel even more confident about starting them.
Skill position analysis here is based on my PPR rankings.
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Running Backs – Fantasy Football Week 4
Devin Singletary
The Bills RB had a career-high nine catches and 91 scrimmage yards and his fourth career TD catch in Week 3. Singletary is aiming for his fifth game in a row on the road with 60+ scrimmage yards. The Ravens have allowed 25 receptions to running backs, the third-most in the league. Baltimore has also allowed 162 receiving yards to the position, fourth-most in the NFL.
Josh Allen + Devin Singletary = 6️⃣
pic.twitter.com/lM3zZINePk— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) September 25, 2022
Rain and winds just under 15 mph are in the forecast for Sunday’s game at Baltimore, according to nflweather.com. Singletary should be significantly involved in the Buffalo game plan as both a runner and pass-catcher. If the conditions do not turn out to be highly adverse for the passing game, then the Bills should still feature him as a receiver out of the backfield. Singletary is a quality flex play for Week 4.
Dameon Pierce
The rookie had 101 scrimmage yards (80 rushing) in Week 3, his first career game with 100+ scrimmage yards. Pierce leads all rookie RBs in rushing yards (182) and ranks second among all rookies in scrimmage yards (217). He should be a focal point of the Houston offense in Week 4 as the Texans attempt to control the clock against the Chargers.
Pierce had 20 rushing attempts last week, so it’s apparent he is being established as the guy to solve Houston’s longtime issues in the running game. He will get a healthy amount of touches every week and should at least be a fairly steady source of reliable fantasy production. The Chargers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to running backs, so the matchup may not be as daunting as some might think.
Miles Sanders
Even though visits to the end zone still seem to be a rare happening, Sanders is operating as the clear lead RB for a potent Eagles offense even though many of us expected Philadelphia to exhibit a committee approach. Sanders has 80+ rushing yards in two of his past three games. He has 85+ scrimmage yards in three of his past four home games.
Sanders has 32 rushing attempts in his last two games. The Jaguars have also allowed the most receiving yards (201) and second-most receptions (26) to RBs, so Sanders may be involved more as a pass-catcher this week. He can continue to see more open running room now that the Eagles have an improved passing game along with the major threat of a running QB. Sanders is a quality RB2 play for Week 4.
Breece Hall
You may be tempted to start Hall this week, as it appears his value is on the rise, and he was a popular trade target this week. The Jets rookie has six catches in two of three games this season. Hall leads all rookie RBs with 13 catches and ranks second with 213 scrimmage yards (112 rushing, 101 receiving). He has been a productive flex option for those who chose to start him in previous weeks.
But Zach Wilson is returning this week, and we have to wait and see how Hall will be utilized with the change back to the original projected starting QB. We cannot be certain if Wilson will check down to Hall quite as much as Joe Flacco did, and it is also possible we could see more carries from Hall.
It’s a good matchup for Hall, as the Steelers have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards to RBs (364). Still, we have to wait and see how the offense operates under Wilson, as the Jets could conceivably deliver an underwhelming performance in the QB's first game back. If you have a tight call involving Hall and another RB this week, lean towards the alternative option.
Wide Receivers – Fantasy Football Week 4
Chris Olave
Olave had nine catches for 147 yards in Week 3, the most receptions and receiving yards by a rookie in a single game in 2022. He was regarded as possibly the most pro-ready wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft class. With Michael Thomas out for Week 4, Olave should continue to play a large role in the New Orleans passing game.
Usually, when a team turns to its backup quarterback, it is widely assumed that the “downgrade” will negatively affect the pass-catchers. Jameis Winston, however, was playing hurt, and not performing well. The move to Andy Dalton may not affect the New Orleans offense much at all, and Olave should still be one of the Saints’ top receivers against the Vikings, who have the second-worst pass defense in the NFC. Lock Olave in as a fantasy WR3 this week.
Josh Reynolds
The Lions have been hit hard with injuries at wide receiver, as both Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Chark are out for Week 4 with ankle injuries. Reynolds, who is listed as questionable with his own ankle issue, should be able to play after getting in two limited practices on Thursday and Friday. He is being widely touted as the top WR to use among the Lions’ remaining options.
If he was facing a secondary with established cornerbacks, Reynolds would be more of a risk of not successfully operating as a No. 1 WR for Detroit. But Seattle has a rookie (Tariq Woolen) and the unproven Michael Jackson Sr. at their top CB spots. So Reynolds is a viable flex play if you need one, but do not start him over another guy who has been performing more consistently so far this season.
Reynolds had six catches for a team-high 96 yards in Week 3. In deeper leagues, you should also consider Kalif Raymond, who has an established rapport with Goff. Raymond had a two-TD outing in Week 3 last season, and he finished with 101 receiving yards and a TD in the regular season finale.
Jerry Jeudy
Jeudy played through shoulder and rib issues against the 49ers last week, and he had only two receptions for 17 yards. This week, he is not on the injury report. and Jeudy has a much better matchup against the Raiders. Las Vegas’ pass defense ranks 25th in the league so far this season. This is a situation where Russell Wilson can get the Denver passing game pointed in the right direction, and Jeudy will benefit.
The Raiders have been burned by Jeudy before. He had a career-high 140 yards and a TD vs. them in Week 16 of the 2020 season, and he had 60 yards on just three catches vs. Las Vegas in Week 15 of the 2021 campaign. Jeudy also has 60-plus receiving yards in his last six road games, so he should be in your lineup as a fantasy WR3 in Week 4.
Josh Palmer
Keenan Allen will sit again with a hamstring injury, and Mike Williams will be battling against top Texans rookie CB Derek Stingley Jr. often this week. Justin Herbert is still playing hurt, but he will still get the ball to Palmer often enough to make him a worthy flex option. Palmer led the Chargers with career highs in catches (six) and receiving yards (99) in Week 3.
Houston’s pass defense has not been as bad as expected so far this season, but Palmer will see a lot of targets in this matchup after totaling 17 in the past two games. He is a viable fantasy WR3 start for Week 4.
Chargers WR Josh Palmer has had 5 career games with 6+ targets.
In those games he's averaged:
-7.8 targets
-55.6 receiving yards
-15.3 fantasy points per gamePalmer must be kept actively involved offensively by the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/X2Um3PBoK4
— Moody (@EricNMoody) September 26, 2022
Quarterbacks and Tight Ends
Jared Goff
Goff passed for season-high 277 yards in Week 3. He is 4-1 and has 14 TDs vs. two INTs in his past five home starts. Goff is aiming for his seventh game in a row at home with two-plus TD passes. The Detroit QB plays better at home, and he should still be a respectable streaming option even with notable injuries at wide receiver.
You can still expect Goff to get good pass protection against the Seahawks and he will distribute the ball to T.J. Hockenson, Reynolds, and Raymond. A strong running game will also help Goff move the offense well enough. He has less upside without St. Brown and Chark, but Goff can still be considered a back-end fantasy QB1 for this week.
Derek Carr
This is a challenging draw for Carr against Denver’s third-ranked pass defense. He passed for 303 yards and two TDs with an INT in Week 3, his 32nd-career 300-yard game. He is one of three QBs (Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are the others) with two or more TD passes in each of the first three weeks. Carr has 340+ passing yards and 2+ TD passes in two of his past three games vs. Denver.
Many fantasy analysts and players thought this would be a big year for Carr, but we haven’t seen great results yet, as he is fantasy QB12 through three weeks. But the Raiders are going to fight hard for their first win against a top rival this week, and Carr may be able to overcome the perception of a tough matchup while delivering at least a respectable fantasy outing.
Noah Fant
Will Dissly is the only NFC tight end with two TD catches. He does have a good rapport with Geno Smith, who will look for him in potential scoring situations. But Fant was the one acquired in the Russell Wilson trade, and the Seahawks need to get him going against the Lions, who have allowed the fourth-most Fantasy Points Per Game to TEs among NFC teams.
Expect Fant to catch some key passes and score against Detroit’s 29th-ranked defense. He is a nifty streamer for Week 4 if you are digging deep for a TE option.
David Njoku
In Week 3, we saw why fantasy players have long been enamored with Njoku. He led the Browns with a career-high nine catches and he had 89 receiving yards and a TD. Njoku may still be an inconsistent fantasy option while Jacoby Brissett is at QB, but so many other players in the position are very unreliable. This week, he faces the Falcons, who have allowed the second-most FFPG to TEs. Expect a second consecutive quality fantasy outing from Njoku.
Scott Engel's fantasy and betting analysis is also featured at The Game Day.
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