Week 4 Fantasy Football Busts? Players Who May Disappoint (2026)

October 2, 2026

Who should I start or sit for fantasy football in Week 4 of the 2026 season? Ryan's potential fantasy football busts to avoid in Week 4 fantasy football lineups.

After three full weeks of the fantasy football season, we finally have enough information to start separating a slow start from players who might actually be having a problem. Roles are changing, injuries are piling up (I mean, they are really piling up!), and some players we felt great about in August and early September suddenly don't look quite as comfortable in our starting lineups.

This year's weekly bust list won't focus on the names you are likely not starting on your roster; we know players picked near the end of drafts belong on the bench in most cases. This is also not automatically a recommendation to sit a player. Look at the bust list as a way to manage expectations for players who might be on-the-fence decisions.

Below are my 10 fantasy football busts, or players that may disappoint, for Week 4 of the 2026 NFL season. Good luck in the opening week, RotoBallers! May all your tough lineup decisions be correct.

Javonte Williams (RB, DAL) at Houston

Williams has had an amazing fantasy role so far, so it's strange putting him on a bust list, but the opponent warrants it. He is playing nearly 76% of Dallas' offensive snaps, averaging 14.3 carries and four targets per game, and has already received 14 red-zone opportunities. That is exactly the kind of workload we normally want to chase.

The problem is Houston. The Texans have been a beast against opposing running backs, holding Jonathan Taylor, James Cook, and Chase Brown to modest fantasy performances over the first three weeks. Williams has also not been that efficient, so this is a week where the Cowboys may need 20 touches or a touchdown to get him where fantasy managers want him. He is still start-worthy in most leagues, but I would lower expectations to a RB2/Flex play.

Omarion Hampton (RB, LAC) at Seattle

I keep waiting for the Chargers to give Hampton a huge amount of work, but in two of three weeks he hasn't seen that volume. He finished last week with only 15 touches and 56 total yards after 12 touches and 43 yards in Week 1.

That's not what fantasy managers expected from a running back drafted to be a weekly starter. Now he has to go to Seattle. The Seahawks have allowed only 2.9 yards per carry and have been one of the league's toughest defenses against running backs.

Hampton is talented enough to overcome the matchup, but with Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal taking pieces of the backfield, there isn't much room for error.

Hampton looks much more like a touchdown-dependent RB2 than the high-end option fantasy managers hoped they drafted in the second round this summer. I am watching closely to see how the breakdown shakes up this week between the three running backs.

Saquon Barkley (RB, PHI) vs. Los Angeles Rams

Here is the one that I'm most scared about, but also seems to have a lot of evidence supporting it. You probably spent a first-round pick on Barkley, and I understand if there is absolutely no chance you are benching him. But through three games, Barkley has 34 carries for 174 yards, three catches for six yards, and zero touchdowns.

Saquon Barkley's Lack of Valuable Touches Affecting his Fantasy Value https://t.co/aYQdFt65zX

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 1, 2026

Yes, Barkley missed most of Week 2, so the numbers will be down. Still, the passing-game involvement has disappeared, the Eagles' offensive line hasn't been nearly as dominant, and Jalen Hurts remains a major threat to steal touchdowns near the goal line, like in Week 3.

The Los Angeles Rams have also been solid against the run, allowing the fifth-fewest points per game to the position. I'm not telling you that Barkley suddenly isn't a player to start, but I am saying an RB1 performance is not guaranteed. If we're making one bold running back bust call this week, this one would be mine.

Emeka Egbuka (WR, TB) vs. Green Bay

This one has almost nothing to do with Egbuka himself because he finally was starting to turn things around. He saw nine targets last week, catching five for 62 yards, and has now been targeted 20 times through three games.

The usage is good enough to keep him relevant, especially with Tampa Bay dealing with injuries up and down the receiving corps and Chris Godwin looking old.

Unfortunately, Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb and will miss at least three weeks. That leaves undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels starting against Green Bay after he went 0-for-3 with an interception in relief of Mayfield last week.

That's a massive quarterback downgrade. Egbuka should continue getting some targets in this offense, but how many of them will actually be catchable?

George Pickens (WR, DAL) at Houston

Pickens is trending in the right direction, but has been unlucky with his fantasy points compared to his usage. His targets have climbed from six to eight to 11 through the first three weeks, and he turned that opportunity into a seven-catch, 82-yard performance against Baltimore. He also owns a healthy 32.4% share of Dallas' air yards; he just has had some trouble securing some of them.

A first down in Rio for George Pickens 😤@BALvsDAL on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/3DX1KRVtmP

— NFL (@NFL) September 27, 2026

But Houston has made life miserable with their stingy cornerbacks, and Pickens still hasn't scored a touchdown this season. His volume and the offensive environment will keep him in the WR3/Flex conversation, but don't be surprised if the breakout gets delayed another week. But it is Pickens. All he needs is one big catch.

Jameson Williams (WR, DET) at Carolina

Like Pickens, Williams is going to hit one of those huge plays soon that reminds everyone why he is so difficult to bench. But I don't know if this is the week. Williams has 17 targets through three games but has turned them into only 10 catches for 127 yards, and he still hasn't scored a touchdown.

After seeing nine targets in Week 1, he has received only eight combined in the last two games. Williams can always erase a quiet afternoon with one 60-yard touchdown, but right now you're basically betting on that play happening.

The matchup doesn't help. Carolina has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers (12.5 per game), and Williams enters the week with only a 16% target rate.

Against a Carolina defense that has been excellent against wide receivers, I'm very cautious about him heading into Week 4. Add in the likelihood of bad weather in Carolina on Sunday night, and this might be a situation where I'm not expecting more than a Flex performance.

Mark Andrews (TE, BAL) vs. Tennessee

Andrews hasn't been a disaster, but he hasn't exactly been the difference-maker fantasy managers were hoping for either. Through three games, he has 13 catches on 18 targets for 122 yards and hasn't scored a touchdown. Last week against Dallas, he finished with only three catches for 24 yards.

Tennessee is 0-3, but don't confuse a bad team with an easy tight end matchup. The Titans have allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per opportunity to the position. With Zay Flowers back in the offense and Baltimore having plenty of ways to attack Tennessee, this doesn't necessarily need to become an Andrews game. He's still a starter in plenty of leagues because of the state of the position, but his ceiling looks lower than usual.

Dalton Kincaid (TE, BUF) vs. New England

Dalton Kincaid has been one of the best fantasy tight ends in football through three weeks, and because he is the TE4, this is a hard pick to make.

He has a 23.3% target share is strong and he is running a route on 65.7% of the team's passing plays. When Josh Allen has looked his way, Kincaid has been super efficient, but can that be maintained every week?

New England has allowed just 2.9 fantasy points per game to tight ends, the fewest in the NFL. Kincaid is obviously too good to bench, but this feels like a week where the production finally comes back toward earth if the receivers are all healthy. Kincaid could easily finish with four or five catches for 55 yards and leave fantasy managers wanting more.

Justin Herbert (QB, LAC) at Seattle

Maybe the most surprising thing about the Chargers' 0-3 start is just how bad this offense has looked. Herbert hasn't reached 14 fantasy points in any game and has thrown three touchdowns compared to four interceptions. He is also near the bottom of the league in completion percentage, passer rating, success rate, and EPA per dropback.

On the road in Seattle is the last place I want to send Herbert to try and get things fixed. The Seahawks have been excellent defensively in Weeks 1 and 2, and Los Angeles has yet to show that it can consistently protect Herbert or create explosive plays.

There are enough streaming quarterbacks (like Tyler Shough or Sam Darnold) with better matchups this week that prefer.

Matthew Stafford (QB, LAR) at Philadelphia

Stafford gave fantasy managers a great performance in Week 3, finishing as the QB9, but it took 55 pass attempts to get there. That's not a number I'm expecting the Rams to repeat in Philadelphia. Case Keenum might have carved up the Eagles on Monday night, but the Rams will rely on the run game on the road as much as possible.

Puka Nacua Listed As Limited on Thursday, Says He Practiced In Full https://t.co/sd5z7HyTqh

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 1, 2026

Puka Nacua's groin injury adds another complication if he's limited. As does the fact that Terrance Ferguson and Colby Parkinson are unlikely to play. Stafford can absolutely get 250 yards and a couple of touchdowns, but he gives nothing with his legs, so he needs passing volume and touchdowns to produce a big fantasy score.

Against Philadelphia, Stafford is a borderline QB1 for me.

More Potential Week 4 Busts

• Bo Nix (QB, DEN) at San Francisco
• Jaylen Waddle (WR, DEN) at San Francisco
• Alvin Kamara (RB, NO) vs. Atlanta
• Isaiah Likely (TE, NYG) vs. Arizona