Week 4 of the NFL season kicks off Thursday night with Philadelphia playing Green Bay. That means it’s time to start thinking about your fantasy football lineups because this will be a very challenging week.
That’s because there are a lot of injuries and, when it comes to healthy players, roles are increasing and decreasing. Let’s take our weekly look at 11 fantasy football sleepers.
11. Tampa Bay’s defense
Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
In reality, Tampa Bay’s defense is not a good matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. But this is all about fantasy and Tampa Bay’s defense could score some points. That’s because outside linebacker Shaquil Barrett is off to the hottest start of any defensive player in the league. He leads the NFL with eight sacks, including four on Sunday against the Giants. With Jason Pierre-Paul out for at least half the season with a neck injury, a lot of people thought the Bucs wouldn’t have any pass rush. They were wrong. Barrett has been unstoppable.
10. Diontae Johnson, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Johnson is a deep sleeper because quarterback Mason Rudolph didn’t play well in his first career start. But Rudolph did show he has some chemistry with Johnson, who was targeted six times in the loss to San Francisco. Johnson caught three of those passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. Johnson could be a good guy to start this week. The Steelers play the Bengals, who haven’t been able to stop anyone so far.
9. Vernon Davis, TE, Washington Redskins
With Jordan Reed dealing with concussion issues, Davis needs to be Washington’s main tight end and start producing more in the passing game. In Monday night’s loss to Chicago, he had just two catches for 30 yards. Davis needs to be more involved and he has a favorable matchup this week because the New York Giants have played poorly on defense.
8. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, Green Bay Packers
The second-year receiver seems to be hitting his stride and has earned the trust of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. In Week 3, Valdes-Scantling caught six passes for 99 yards. His role in the offense should continue to grow. He could be a good receiver to start when the Packers play the Eagles on Thursday night.
7. DJ Chark, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Chark faces what should be a favorable matchup against Denver. Chark has clicked nicely with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew and their chemistry is likely to continue to improve. Chark has caught a touchdown pass in each of the first three games. He’s in the process of turning into a legitimate fantasy starter.
6. Adam Humphries, WR, Tennessee Titans
Humphries has been very quiet since arriving as a free agent in the offseason. In three games, he has nine catches for 97 yards with no touchdowns. Part of that may be because quarterback Marcus Mariota has struggled. But Humphries has a lot more to offer than he’s shown so far this season and Mariota needs to find a receiver he can trust in tight situations. Humphries might be a good fantasy play against Atlanta.
5. Jacoby Brissett, QB, Indianapolis Colts
The Colts tried not to put too much on Brissett in the first two games. But they opened up their offense in Week 3 and Brissett responded by throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns. With seven touchdown passes and one interception on the season, Brissett has earned the trust of the coaching staff. Plus, he has a very favorable matchup against Oakland this week. The Raiders have yet to intercept a pass.
4. Darrel Williams, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs came into the season with a crowded backfield. But Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy are dealing with injuries. That opened the door for Darrel Williams in Week 3 against Baltimore has he ran nine times for 62 yards and caught five passes for 47 yards. He’s moved ahead of Darwin Thompson on the depth chart and should get more touches this week against Detroit.
3. Kyle Allen, QB, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers already went ahead and announced that starter Cam Newton will miss his second straight game because of a foot injury. There was a report by The Athletic that Newton has Lisfranc injury, which could mean he’ll miss even more time. In the short term, that means Allen will get his second straight start. In the previous game, Allen threw for 261 yards and four touchdowns. Keep in mind that came against a bad Arizona team. So, there’s a chance that Houston’s defense could show this week that Allen was a one-hit wonder. There’s also the chance that Allen is legitimate. He at least seems like a winner. Besides beating the Cardinals, he also won his only other career start at the end of last season.
2. Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants
Can you still call the rookie a sleeper after he threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in his first career start? Yes, because not many fantasy owners started him in his debut. But they should start him this week against Washington. Jones might not be able to duplicate or surpass his numbers from last week. But he’ll have a chance to. That’s because running back Saquon Barkley is sidelined with an ankle injury. Now, that Jones has shown what he can do, the coaching staff won’t hesitate to let him throw even more.
1. Rex Burkhead, RB, New England Patriots
There are plenty of reasons to stay away from Burkhead as the Patriots take on division rival Buffalo. First, New England hasn’t run the ball well this season and a lot of blame falls on spotty blocking on the offensive line. Second, fullback James Develin, a strong blocker, was placed on injured reserve this week. Third, Burkhead has been splitting playing time with Sony Michel. So, why should you consider starting him this week? Call it a hunch more than anything. But the Patriots have a way of getting things fixed. The offensive line is going to start opening holes. Plus, Burkhead has outperformed Michel. That could mean more touches for Burkhead going forward.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
