September 28, 2025
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Chicago Bears running back
D'Andre Swift (hip) is likely to be active for the Week 4 matchup between Chicago and the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran back is officially listed as questionable on the Bears' final injury report, though it seems as if he'll still play this week. He's been a serviceable starter this year with some receiving upside, catching nine passes on 11 targets through three games, albeit in an offense that has really struggled at times. Swift is a playable flex option this week against a good Raiders run defense.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: NFL Network
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Malik Washington brings intriguing upside to Monday Night Football's divisional matchup against the Jets. The second-year receiver from Virginia returned a punt for a touchdown in Week 2 and played a larger role in Week 3. He's operating as the team's third receiver behind
Tyreek Hill and
Jaylen Waddle, and has played over 50% of snaps each week. Against the Bills in Week 3, he had a season-high three catches on five targets and also had 20 rushing yards on two carries. He has 34 receiving yards and 52 rushing yards to go with that punt return touchdown this year, and the Dolphins will continue to try to find ways to get the ball into his hands. They need an offensive spark with
Tua Tagovailoa struggling, and incorporating Washington more could be a way to find some big plays on Monday night. He's a very high-risk start at this point as RotoBaller's WR73 this week, but he's also a player with breakout potential who is worth keeping an eye on with bye weeks just around the corner.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
Wide receiver
Jauan Jennings (ankle, shoulder) of the San Francisco 49ers is expected to play in Week 4 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. However, Jennings' activity comes with a catch: he's also likely to be limited. The circumstances point to the possibility that Jennings could be a snap count for the game, obviously hampering his fantasy ceiling for this week. Jennings is otherwise a strong WR3/flex play with a great matchup, though his injuries will present the risk that he plays fewer snaps than normal.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Jaylen Waddle has posted five catches and a touchdown each of the last two weeks, and he'll look to extend his scoring streak this week in a favorable matchup against the Jets. Waddle was questionable last week with a shoulder injury, but played a season-high 87% of the team's snaps against the Bills. He caught five of his six targets for only 39 yards but did find the end zone for the second straight week. Waddle could get more work this week if Sauce Gardner focuses on locking down
Tyreek Hill, leaving more space for Waddle, who is third on the team in targets behind only Hill and
De'Von Achane. With
Tua Tagovailoa playing very conservatively, Waddle will likely have to pick up most of his yardage after the catch. However, his volume and his red zone work keep him as a solid play despite the offense's issues. This week, he is the No. 35 wide receiver in RotoBaller's rankings, making him a solid WR4 or flex option in most leagues.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver
Ricky Pearsall (knee) is likely to be available when his team takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 4, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The second-year receiver is listed as questionable on the injury report, but it appears as if he'll be able to play come game time Sunday. Pearsall has gone over 100 yards twice in three games this year, including a season-high eight catches for 117 yards last week in a win against Arizona. Pearsall is a high-quality WR3/Flex play against a suspect Jags pass defense.
--Nick PiotrowiczSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Tyreek Hill has dealt with numerous off-field issues and rumors over the last year, and his on-field production has been inconsistent as well. He'll look to put all that behind him with a big game against the Jets this Monday night, and hopefully help his team get its first win of the season. Last year, Hill had 10 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown in his first matchup with the Jets before only snagging two catches for 20 yards in the regular season finale in the rematch. This year, he and
Tua Tagovailoa have struggled to get on the same page, leaving some big plays on the field. He has had solid fantasy games the last two weeks, posting 109 yards against the Patriots before 49 yards with a touchdown against the Bills last Thursday. Hill brings a very high ceiling but is a volatile play due to his team's struggles. He's RotoBaller's WR19 this week, indicating he's a WR2 that should still be started in most formats.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
Jaylen Wright was active last Thursday after missing the first two weeks of the season with a knee injury, but he didn't play a single snap on offense or special teams.
Ollie Gordon II had a solid game as the complement to
De'Von Achane, taking nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. Achane also continues to be a PPR beast as a receiver out of the backfield, not leaving any room for Wright to get any chances yet. Coach Mike McDaniel said he wants to incorporate Wright into the game plan, but trade rumors have also been swirling this week since Wright showed some potential as a rookie last year after he was a fourth-round pick from Tennessee. He's only the RB81 in RotoBaller's Week 4 rankings, so he shouldn't be started in any format until he has a role, but it is worth watching to see if he can get involved this Monday night in a favorable matchup against the Jets.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
Ollie Gordon II had a good training camp and preseason, but it took until Week 3 for him to really get a chance to shine this season. He'll look to build on his success this week in a favorable Monday Night Football matchup against the Jets, who have allowed three running back touchdowns in three games. Gordon got his first NFL touchdown last week after taking over in the red zone for
De'Von Achane on his team's opening drive. He finished with nine carries for 38 yards and a touchdown, after getting only three carries in the first two games of the season. Gordon's physical running style is especially effective between the tackles and in the red zone, making him an excellent complement to Achane. If he is in that role again on Monday, he has touchdown-dependent upside as a flex option. RotoBaller's rankings have Gordon as the No. 46 RB, so he isn't quite a starter yet. However, if he can lock into his change-of-pace role with another strong showing this week, he definitely brings sleeper potential.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins running back
De'Von Achane has been one of the few bright spots in the Dolphins' offense this season, and he makes a strong RB1 start against the Jets on Monday Night Football. Achane has scored two touchdowns this season, both as a receiver out of the backfield, and he totaled 147 rushing yards and 141 receiving yards over his three games. He has totaled 15 catches on 19 targets in his last two games, making him a strong PPR option that brings both a high ceiling and a high floor with so much volume. The Jets have allowed three running back touchdowns in their three games, and if the Dolphins play from ahead, the game script could call for plenty of work for Achane. He's the RB5 in RotoBaller's PPR rankings this week, and a very strong start on Monday night in all formats
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
Miami Dolphins quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa has struggled so far this season, playing very conservatively but also turning the ball over at critical times. He and his team will look to turn things around and get their first win on Monday when they host the Jets. Tua has thrown at least one interception in each game this season, with five touchdowns to go with his four interceptions on the year. He threw two touchdowns in each of his last two games, with 315 yards against the Patriots and 146 yards against the Bills. He has failed to exceed 5.0 yards per attempt in two of his three games, and when he has pushed the ball down the field, the results have usually not been good for his team. Even in a very favorable matchup on Monday against the Jets, he is only a fringe starter in dual-quarterback leagues. He's the QB21 in RotoBaller's rankings, so he can be a QB2 in desperate spots, but he'll need to bounce back after struggling in the first three weeks of the season.
--Zach ThompsonSource: NFL.com
September 28, 2025
Seattle Seahawks rookie quarterback
Jalen Milroe did not factor into his team's 23-20 win over the hosting Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. Milroe snuck into Seattle's thrashing of the Saints in Week 3, picking up three yards on his second tote of the season. It doesn't appear that the Seahawks will force him into the game plan every week and would rather have him continue to develop off the field. The University of Alabama product is an incredible athlete, but more of a raw talent in regard to his ability as a passer. If the rookie were ever to take the field in a starting capacity, he'd immediately draw intrigue due to his prowess as a rusher. For now, fantasy managers in superflex dynasty leagues can stow him away in hopes that the job eventually becomes his. Otherwise, he doesn't figure to have any value in redraft formats, barring injuries to the competition in front of him. Seattle will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Carolina Panthers running back
Trevor Etienne could potentially see a few more snaps this weekend when his team takes on the hosting New England Patriots. Etienne has logged exactly two snaps in each of his first three appearances and two total touches thus far as he's comfortably behind teammates
Chuba Hubbard (calf) and
Rico Dowdle in Carolina's backfield pecking order. However, that may change in Week 4. Hubbard sustained a calf injury during the week of practice, and he's been labeled as questionable ahead of Sunday's outing with New England. If he's inactive, Dowdle figures to pick up most of the work in his stead, leaving the rookie in line to take over the former's backup duties. The sentiment is that Hubbard will play, but if he does not, Etienne would see extended work for the first time and could boast a larger role moving forward if he performs well. For now, he's RotoBaller's PPR RB85 for Sunday's contest.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Los Angeles Rams running back
Jarquez Hunter doesn't figure to make an impact in this Sunday's matchup with the visiting Indianapolis Colts. The rookie has yet to make an appearance for LA on offense, although he's been out there on special teams over the last two weeks, and sported a modest increase in snaps from Week 2 to Week 3. The Auburn product offers the most athleticism of the Rams' backfield trio. However,
Kyren Williams has yet to handle less than 70% of the Rams' offensive snaps in a given week, and has handily out-touched backup
Blake Corum 4:1 (60-15). Hunter is an interesting hold in dynasty formats, but his path to relevance in redraft is less clear, as Williams dominates opportunities. He'll be off the radar in season-long leagues until garnering his first touch as a pro.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Denver Broncos wide receiver
Pat Bryant could see a modest uptick in snaps this week when his team squares off against the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Monday Night Football. Bryant is currently a distant option in Denver's WR corps, ranking fifth in snaps and amassing just two receptions for 18 yards (three targets) through three weeks. He could see the field a bit more in Week 4 with the news that fellow wideout
Marvin Mims Jr. (hip) is questionable with a hip injury. The 22-year-old was highly touted in camp, but for the time being, teammates
Courtland Sutton and
Troy Franklin are the only Broncos' pass catchers worth starting. He'll land as RotoBaller's PPR WR105 ahead of Monday night's doubleheader.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Kansas City Chiefs running back
Brashard Smith doesn't project to be a factor for fantasy when his team takes the field against the visiting Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. With teammates
Isiah Pacheco and
Kareem Hunt essentially splitting all of Kansas City's backfield work, the rookie is left scraping for scraps, as he's yet to handle more than two touches or eight snaps in any appearance. There was some speculation that Smith would take on a heavier role with his backfield mates lacking explosivity. However, he doesn't quite yet have the complete trust of his coaches. The 22-year-old is a dynamic athlete capable of game-breaking plays, but his services can't be depended on for fantasy until he picks up a larger workload. Smith is a better stash in dynasty formats.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
September 27, 2025
Although Christopher Bell is one of the best drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, intermediates to some extent have been his Achilles' heel. Despite winning four poles at Kansas, Bell has rarely factored for the win here but last year's fall race was a big exception when he led 122 laps until hitting the wall near the end of Stage 2. Despite that mishap, he has finished 8th or better in seven of his last eight starts and will probably do so again unless he crashes in this race. Having said that, his fifth-place starting position means he has the potential to finish worse than he starts, thereby costing him valuable Place Differential points. Bell is still a very strong option, but it's somewhat hard to justify starting him when Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney are all starting in the 30s.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
A week after dominating the first half of the race at Loudon, Joey Logano was astonishingly slow in Kansas qualifying, where he starts 35th and was even outqualified by Cody Ware, although he starts one row ahead of his teammate Ryan Blaney after Blaney crashed in practice and Logano blew a tire. Nonetheless, you should strongly consider starting both teammates even though they weren't fast in practice either because it is very rare that you get the opportunity for that many Place Differential points from them. Blaney is probably a better choice Logano since his recent record here is better while Logano has only led 14 laps with this car here and has never finished better than 5th, but even if he only finishes 15th, he'll outscore several drivers who finish better. Since he's not locked into the Round of 8 while Blaney is, which may make him more intensely motivated to move through the field.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Chase Elliott is aimlessly drifting through the playoffs via consistency despite not factoring for many race wins, but with Kansas and the Charlotte roval remaining in this round, he probably should advance to the Round of 8 regardless. Elliott starts fourth tomorrow and he leads more races here than not with six races where he led between 29 and 48 laps in his last 14 starts including his win in 2018. While he was never really dominant, he was always competitive as he only finished worse than 15th once, but he tended to finish worse than where he is starting tomorrow in most of those races so other drivers who are starting worse might score more points. However, Elliott is no sure thing to advance to the Round of 8 since he only leads Ross Chastain by 14 points with polesitter Chase Briscoe in between, which may incrase Elliott's motivation for this race.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Austin Cindric is probably not going to advance to the Round of 8 this year since he rarely posts good finishes, even though he has a lot of good runs. Cindric sits 19 points behind his former Xfinity Series rival Chase Briscoe for the final transfer spot, but Briscoe is starting on the pole while Cindric only qualified 26th at a track where he has never led a lap or finished better than 11th. Briscoe will likely score a lot of stage points while Cindric will not, which will likely put him out of contention. Cindric did qualify poorly enough to make him a possibly strong option for DFS play, but the thing is, his superior Penske teammates, Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, are both starting even worse, which means they would be better bets for place-differential points unless you want to save money for another top driver since Cindric costs much less at $7,200.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Ty Gibbs's historical record at Kansas is quite similar to the early record of his predecessor, Kyle Busch, when Kansas was generally regarded as his best track. Despite the consistent speed his grandfather's team has shown at the track, Gibbs has tended to qualify well and consistently finish worse than he starts. He did finish fifth in last year's fall race after starting second, but aside from that, he only finished better than 28th once. Since he is starting eighth and is very likely to lose positions from his starting position and score negative place-differential points, you likely don't want to start him, even though he is in a Joe Gibbs Racing car and is very inexpensive with a $7,400 salary.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Although Josh Berry was eliminated from the opening round of the NASCAR playoffs, he rebounded last week with his best career race at Loudon. Berry is typically very fast at intermediate tracks and he'll likely be undervalued because of his shaky finishing record here, particularly his opening lap crash in last year's race, but in last year's race he drove from 38th to 6th for a dying Stewart-Haas Racing team, so he has some value. What might hold him back is Penske's inexplicable lack of speed this weekend. Although Berry himself qualified 13th in the Wood Brothers satellite entry, the three official Penske cars all qualified 26th or worse and the team will likely be more focused on getting good finishes for Joey Logano and Austin Cindric so they can advance in the playoffs instead of Berry who's already advanced. Penske's questionable speed is probably the main reason to stay away.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Austin Dillon used to be pretty solid at Kansas in his early years in the NASCAR Cup Series in the Gen 6 along with five top-10 finishes, with his most recent coming in 2023 with the Next Gen car, but admittedly, he has not finished better than 10th since his sixth-place finish in 2016. He rarely leads here, and Richard Childress Racing has lacked speed seemingly everywhere of late except for Dillon's win at Richmond. His 16th-place qualifying run is too good to consider him for qualifying points, but he is also starting too far back in the field to be a realistic contender for lap-leader or fastest-lap points, which makes him a pretty weak selection on Sunday. The only good things to say about him are that he nearly always finishes, and his $6,500 salary is pretty cheap. The only reason to start him would be to save money to roster a better top driver.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Despite his awful first decade at Kansas, Kyle Busch was quite productive with the Gen 6 car, with which he won twice and led 320 laps. He had some speed with the Next Gen car as well with 70 laaps led and a third-place finish in the spring 2022 race, but he really hasn't had much speed anywhere since he led the most laps at Circuit of the Americas and it's hard to imagine that changing tomorrow. Typically, you'd want to start Busch after he qualified 29th, but he qualified even worse in the spring where he started 35th and only made it back up to 21st. Busch for the first time in his career has below average speed and his crew chief Randall Burnett is now a lame duck after it has been announced he will be joining Connor Zilisch's team next year. Although you might be tempted by his weak starting position, stay away.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Shane van Gisbergen did not run very well in his Kansas debut in the NASCAR Cup Series, starting 34th and finishing 20th with a weak average running position of 28th, but that is admittedly typical for nearly all drivers learning the Next Gen car on ovals for the first time. He has tended to have somewhat more speed in the second half of the season on ovals, although that is normally reflected more in his improved starting positions than his finishes, which makes him arguably an even worse option than he was in the spring since he is less likely to earn place-differential points. It certainly wouldn't be surprising if he eventually breaks through on ovals at some point, but it doesn't seem likely that Sunday will be that day.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Although Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hasn't crashed as much as he did in many previous seasons, he has arguably been less relevant. Despite cleaning up his racecraft somewhat, he now sits 28th in points and is poised to have the worst points finish of his NASCAR Cup Series career. He's unlikely to turn it around at Kansas, where he only finished in the top 10 once, an eighth-place finish in the 2022 spring race. He did have one of his best career runs in his debut here in 2013 when he passed both Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth in a matter of seconds to take the lead, but that was clearly an aberration that had nothing to do with his future performance here. Even worse is the fact that he is starting 18th, which is better than he typically has finished this year, and he hasn't even finished better than that since Atlanta 13 races ago. Stenhouse is a must to avoid.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Michael McDowell does not typically run well at Kansas. He has only scored a single top ten here in his entire career, although that was recent in the 2024 spring race where he started eighth, finished tenth, and actually had decent speed throughout. He's certainly had some intermediate speed for Spire Motorsports this year, particularly his surprise run at Texas, but normally intermediates are his worst track type and his 21st-place qualifying run is far off his teammate Carson Hocevar's 6th. McDowell is in that dead zone where he qualified too well to score many Place Differential points and too slowly to give him much of a chance at earning either lap leader or fastest lap points. When you further onsider that he matched his worst qualifying run in his last five starts, it's hard to envision him having much speed.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
Proving that results patterns can significantly diverge even at similarly-styled racetracks, Daniel Suárez has been pretty miserable at Kansas despite its similarity to Las Vegas, where he had a pretty consistent record. At Kansas, however, Suárez has earned only a single top-10 finish since his career-best seventh-place showing in his Kansas debut in 2017. He has also only led three races here for a total of 26 laps, and generally, Kansas is a track that doesn't reward strategy as much as Las Vegas, which bumped up several of his recent finishes here. His 30th-place qualifying run on Saturday is actually his worst on speed since he failed to post a qualifying time in the two races where he started worse. Trackhouse Racing is probably going to be all in on trying to get Ross Chastain through to the Round of 8, so the odds of Suárez having a good run seem unbelievably remote.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 27, 2025
New York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge smashed his 53rd home run of the season in a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday. Judge, who hit a 383-foot solo shot off
Tomoyuki Sugano in the first inning, later added a two-run single to finish the day 2-for-4 with three RBI. Already a two-time AL MVP, Judge has made a compelling case for a third award this season, though he'll have to fend off Mariners catcher and 60-home run man
Cal Raleigh. Judge, who is assured the first AL batting title of his career this year, has slashed a jaw-dropping .331/.458/.691 with 114 RBI and 136 runs scored in 151 games and 675 trips to the plate.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 27, 2025
San Francisco Giants right-hander
Justin Verlander pulled a George Costanza and went out on a high note in a 4-3 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday. Making his last start of the season, the 42-year-old future Hall of Famer fired six innings of two-run, five-hit ball with seven strikeouts against one walk to notch the 266th win of his career. Verlander went a dismal 4-11 in 29 starts this season, but his numbers suggest he deserved far better than that. Across 152 innings, he posted a 3.85 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP, 137 strikeouts, and 52 walks. The three-time Cy Young winner saved his best month for last, logging a sparkling 2.09 ERA over five starts and 30 1/3 innings in September. Verlander, who said earlier this month that he plans to pitch in 2026, should draw plenty of interest in free agency during the offseason.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 27, 2025
New York Yankees right-hander
Cam Schlittler (4-3) shut down the Baltimore Orioles to collect his fourth win of the season in a 6-1 victory on Saturday. The hard-throwing 24-year-old tossed seven scoreless, two-hit innings with a career-high nine strikeouts and one walk on 97 pitches to wrap up an impressive rookie campaign. After earning a promotion to the majors on July 9, Schlittler went on to record a sterling 2.96 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP, 84 strikeouts, and 31 walks over 14 starts and 73 innings. Schlittler pitched so well that he'll likely head into the postseason as the Yankees' No. 3 starter behind left-handers
Max Fried and
Carlos Rodon.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
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