As the fantasy football season presses on, it becomes more difficult to field an optimal lineup. Knowing which under-the-radar players to start can be the difference between winning and losing a matchup.
Here are some sleepers to consider starting in Week 4 lineups.
Target These Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 4
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears (vs. LAR)
There was a whole lot of bad for a third consecutive week by Caleb Williams. But there was also plenty of good.
The No. 1 overall pick finally threw a touchdown. In total, he threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.
Caleb Williams best plays from his 363-yard game vs. Colts.
You can see the growth. pic.twitter.com/agsoLKKPdf
— Dave (@dave_bfr) September 23, 2024
Now, to be fair, it took him 52 pass attempts. But it’s nice to see the upside finally shine through.
This week, the Bears get a Rams defense that struggled against the pass this season. Two weeks ago, they couldn’t stop Marvin Harrison Jr. Last week, they gave up 175 yards to Jauan Jennings.
This could be the week DJ Moore really gets going. If he does, Williams is bound to have a solid game. He remains a mid-QB2, but he has sleeper upside this week.
Justice Hill, RB, Baltimore Ravens (vs. BUF)
It goes without saying you don’t want to need Justice Hill. But if you do need to dig deep, he’s not a bad option.
When the Ravens play from ahead, it’s going to be a lot of Derrick Henry. The Bills have the ability to not only keep up with the Ravens, but to force the Ravens into more passing situations.
Even in a positive game script game against the Cowboys, Hill played 41% of the snaps and touched the ball seven times.
If he can handle 3-5 carries and see 2-4 targets in a high-scoring game, that could be enough to push double-digit fantasy points. That works for a fantasy RB4.
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. PHI)
Can you feel it? The Bucky Irving takeover is in progress. I don’t know when it will happen, but one week in the not-too-distant future, Irving is going take the primary back job from Rachaad White.
Through three weeks, White has 31 carries for a dreadful 66 yards. Meanwhile, Irving is averaging 6.7 yards per carry running behind the same offensive line. Coaches definitely notice. Eventually, they will have no choice but to act on it.
#Bucs HC Todd Bowles on why Rachaad White out-snapped Bucky Irving 42-18:
“We were behind. We threw it a little bit more, Rachaad’s probably a better pass protector at this point, but Bucky has definitely earned more reps.”
Bowles has an 80% reliability rating on usage/workload… pic.twitter.com/VmhGOs7aUE
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 23, 2024
The matchup isn’t the greatest, but Irving is averaging 10.3 opportunities per game. With these sleepers, we’re talking about fringe options with the potential to produce better than expected. Irving fits the bill in Week 4.
Michael Wilson, WR, Arizona Cardinals (vs. WAS)
Death. Taxes. Wide receivers against the Commanders. This was written prior to the Monday night game against the Bengals. So, I don’t yet know how badly Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins torched the worst pass defense in the NFL.
Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to do his thing. But every pass can’t go to him.
Michael Wilson is the Cardinals WR2, running just as many routes as Harrison. He had eight catches for 64 yards against the Lions. Perhaps this is the start of Wilson emerging into a viable WR4. He could put up WR2 numbers against the hapless Commanders.
DeMario Douglas, WR, New England Patriots (at SF)
Perhaps this is a bit of point chasing. That’s going to happen when looking this far down the weekly WR rankings.
DeMario Douglas was an afterthought in the Patriots’ offense over the first two weeks. In Week 3, he was the clear top target for Jacoby Brissett, catching seven of nine targets for 69 yards. Perhaps this is the start of the Patriots utilizing Douglas more.
The Patriots should find themselves in negative game script against a 49ers team that is angry following a rough loss to the Rams. Douglas is not going to win you your matchup, but he could have another solid PPR day if the Patriots are forced to throw.
Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers (vs. MIN)
Malik Willis has played better than anyone could’ve expected. But Jordan Love was very close to playing in Week 3. I expect him back in Week 4, which puts all of his pass catchers back on the menu.
Tucker Kraft had an injury scare, but he returned to the Week 3 win over the Titans. Even with a brief absence, he still out-snapped Luke Musgrave, playing 67% of the snaps.
With Love back and there virtually no trustworthy tight ends, Kraft is a viable dart-throw option in what could be a sneaky high-scoring game against the Vikings.