RADIO
Andy's running back start 'em, sit 'em picks for fantasy football Week 4 lineups (2025). Read his expert RB start/sit advice for Breece Hall, TreVeyon Henderson, Jaylen Warren, others.
Week 3 saw the running back position get crushed with injuries. Najee Harris (Achilles) and James Conner (foot) are both out for the remainder of the season, which has opened the door for many young running backs to take a lead role.
As a result, we will have some new faces enter the "fringe" lineup territory, and we will determine which ones should be included in our lineup and which ones should be held out.
In this weekly piece, we don't look at those must-start options because if you have them, you start them. Instead, we look at those low-range RB2/flex options that are on the verge of start territory. Let's take a look at which running backs we should lock into our fantasy lineups and which ones are better off on our bench. Don't see the running back you're looking for? Be sure to check out more running back start 'em sit 'em content, and our Week 4 RB rankings on RotoBaller. Let's dive in!
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Week 4 Starts - Potential Fantasy Football Booms
Jaylen Warren - Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings (In Dublin, Ireland)
Jaylen Warren has finally taken over the Steelers' backfield. After nearly splitting snaps in the season opener with Kenneth Gainwell, Warren established himself as the clear lead option over the past two games.
In Week 2, Warren saw 58% of the snaps and totaled 1.4 PPR points as he ran for 48 yards and caught all four of his targets for 86 yards. Then in Week 3, Warren remained the clear RB1, logging 78% of the snaps with 47 yards on the ground and 34 on the air (on five catches). Given his ability to see at least four targets in each of his past two games, he has a safe floor to carry RB2 value on a weekly basis.
Even though he has a tougher matchup on paper, facing the Vikings, who have allowed the 10th-fewest PPR points to RBs, Warren's elite usage propels him into must-start RB2 status in PPR leagues.
It's not just that the coaches are giving him a larger role; his own QB has given him high praise and views him as a key part of the offense. Warren is a must-start RB2 until further notice.
“We might have to keep giving him more opportunities in the pass game, because every time he touches it, something good happens.”
Aaron Rodgers isn’t the only one wondering if it’s time to give Jaylen Warren a heavier workload.https://t.co/UX6k6k42pd
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) September 18, 2025
Update - Warren is listed as questionable for this game. He still carries RB2 upside if cleared to play
Quinshon Judkins - Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions
After finally signing his rookie contract a day before the Browns' season opener, fantasy managers did not expect the Browns to lean on their second-round pick immediately. However, even with a proven veteran in the backfield, Judkins has quickly claimed the top spot on the depth chart.
In Week 2 (his season debut), Judkins led the team in rushing, totaling 61 yards on just 10 carries against the Baltimore Ravens. Then in Week 3, Judkins not only saw a larger role but also took the lead role and ran with it. Facing the top Green Bay defense, Judkins rushed for 94 yards and a score on 18 attempts. He also brought in one of his targets in the passing game.
In this game, Judkins was the focal point of the offense, logging 58% of the RB snaps. While Jerome Ford said the other 33% of the snaps, he did not receive a carry, suggesting that he is no more than a change-of-pace option in the passing game.
While he has a tough matchup similar to Warren, his recent usage should put him in a must-start RB2 range in all formats going forward. The Lions have allowed the 11th-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs this season, but that shouldn't deter managers. He tallied 16.5 PPR points against the Packers last weekend and should provide strong RB2 numbers once again facing Detroit.
Breece Hall - New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
After falling under the 10.0 PPR points mark in each of the past two, Hall seems poised for a major bounce-back in Week 4, facing the Dolphins. Despite disappointing in each of the last two games, Hall has continued to see elite usage and remains the team's clear RB1. Any concern of Braelon Allen taking over the backfield does not seem to be in the cards.
In Weeks 2 and 3, Allen has averaged 9.5 rushing attempts per game and seen 4.5 targets per game. He also logged 64% and 56% of the snaps during this two-game stretch. However, he has only run for 50 combined yards in these two games.
Despite this, managers should feel confident slotting him as their RB2 this weekend. On Monday evening, Hall has the perfect matchup to get back on track, facing the Miami Dolphins, who have allowed the eighth-most PPR points to opposing RBs this season.
Given his workload and matchup, Hall could push for a top-12 finish as he did in the season opener against Pittsburgh.
Week 4 Concerns - Potential Fantasy Football Busts
Chase Brown - Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos
Chase Brown was a popular pick in the second and third rounds of drafts this summer, but has failed to live up to expectations. While he was able to score 13.1 PPR points in Week 1 (thanks to a goal-line score), Brown has gone on to tally 8.5 and 6.0 PPR points in his last two.
With Jake Browning under center in Week 3, Brown tallied just three yards on 10 attempts and earned most of his points on his four catches (for just 17 yards).
While Brown was inefficient on the ground during the 2024 season, his elite usage as a pass-catcher pushed him into high-end RB2 territory. However, with Burrow now sidelined for the majority of the season, the entire offense lacks the upside it once possessed. In addition, with defenses not expecting the Bengals to push the ball downfield with Browning under center, they can focus their attack on defending the run.
Even though Brown has a potential get-right matchup against the Broncos, who have struggled to defend the run (allowing the ninth-most PPR points to the position), expect Denver to focus their attention on stopping the run, as Browning threw for only 140 yards last weekend.
Nick Chubb - Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans
Nick Chubb opened the season as Houston's clear RB1 and had solid FLEX value in all half-PPR formats. However, in Week 3, Chubb began to lose a significant amount of work to rookie Woody Marks and could be falling out of favor in Houston.
In their Week 3 loss to the Jaguars, Chubb took just nine carries (a season-low) for 38 yards. He logged just 51% of the team's total snaps, which was a drop from Week 2. More importantly, Marks nearly doubled his snap% total from Week 2, logging 49% (compared to 28% in Week 2), and was effective with the ball.
The rookie tallied 27 yards on six attempts last weekend and caught a 37-yard pass in Week 2.
While Chubb may be listed as the "starter" and managers may be tempted to lock him in their FLEX spot, especially when facing the Titans, who have allowed the third-most PPR points to opposing RBs, this could be a trap game as he could see less than double-digit attempts for the second-straight game.
Woody Marks Could Be in Larger Role in the Timeshare https://t.co/kEFL42I8UK
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 20, 2025
TreVeyon Henderson - New England Patriots vs. Carolina Panthers
Rounding things will be a "temper your expectations" call. After Rhamondre Stevenson likely fumbled his job away in Week 3, many expect the Patriots to finally turn to their second-round rookie. Henderson saw a season-high 11 attempts last weekend and also caught all three of his targets.
However, despite the increase in workload, Henderson was not very efficient with them. On his 11 carries, the Ohio State product ran for only 28 yards and added just 19 on three catches.
Through the team's practices this week, it appears Henderson is gaining traction and may be the top option. However, if he continues to struggle from an efficiency standpoint, the Patriots will look to keep Stevenson involved, as he is averaging 4.0 yards per carry (compared to Henderson's 3.4).
While this stage appears to be set for Henderson to take over the backfield eventually, do not expect a drastic shift this weekend. He will hold FLEX value in PPR leagues given his pass-catching skill set and potential for an increased role, but he should not be viewed as a reliable RB2 until he is given the workload consistently.
TreVeyon Henderson the First RB Up in Drills at Wednesday's Practice https://t.co/6YKfMaCuuW
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) September 24, 2025
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