Week 4 is the time where patterns emerge, but surprises are still possible. Let\u2019s lean into matchups, volume and inefficiencies. Here are your starts, locks and avoids going into Week 4.<\/p>\n
Quarterbacks<\/p>\n
Start: Drake Maye, Patriots vs. Panthers<\/p>\n
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Maye has steadily improved each week, showing poise in the pocket and the ability to extend plays with his legs. New England has leaned on quick reads and play action to build Maye\u2019s confidence, and he\u2019s responded with efficient stat lines. Carolina\u2019s defense has struggled on the road, especially against mobile QBs, giving Maye legitimate QB1 streaming potential in Week 4.<\/p>\n
Other Locks:<\/p>\n
\u2014Jared Goff vs. Browns<\/p>\n
\u2014Jordan Love vs Cowboys<\/p>\n
\u2014Josh Allen vs. Saints<\/p>\n
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Avoid: Dak Prescott, Cowboys vs. Packers<\/p>\n
Prescott\u2019s matchup this week is less forgiving. The Cowboys offense has leaned on ball control when the deep passing game isn\u2019t there, which could limit Prescott\u2019s attempts. He\u2019s an OK option in season-long leagues, but not the ceiling play you want in Week 4. The Micah Parsons revenge narrative is strong here too.<\/p>\n
Running backs<\/p>\n
Start: Trey Benson vs. Seahawks<\/p>\n
Benson has quickly earned trust in Arizona\u2019s backfield, stepping into a top role with James Conner out. Seattle\u2019s defense has been strong up front, but it has also given up big runs when over pursuing, which plays into Benson\u2019s one-cut style and burst. He\u2019s also been more involved in the passing game than expected, giving him a dual-threat profile that boosts his PPR value. With 15 to 20 touches on the table, Benson carries RB2 security and the upside to reach the top 12 at the position this week.<\/p>\n
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Other Locks:<\/p>\n
\u2014Bijan Robinson vs. Commanders<\/p>\n
\u2014Jordan Mason vs. Steelers<\/p>\n
\u2014Javonte Williams vs. Packers<\/p>\n
Avoid: Isiah Pacheco, Chiefs vs. Ravens<\/p>\n
Pacheco has been Kansas City\u2019s early down workhorse, but he has yet to reach 50 all-purpose yards in a game this season. The Ravens\u2019 front seven has been inconsistent, but at 1-2, they\u2019ll dig deep this week. Kansas City is also more likely to lean on Patrick Mahomes\u2019 arm in a matchup of this magnitude, further reducing Pacheco\u2019s ceiling. Unless he punches in a short touchdown, he\u2019s unlikely to deliver RB2 value this week.<\/p>\n
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Wide receivers<\/p>\n
Start: Rome Odunze vs. Raiders<\/p>\n
Odunze\u2019s matchup with Las Vegas offers big-play potential. Odunze\u2019s combination of size and speed makes him difficult for Vegas corners to handle one-on-one, and the Raiders have been prone to giving up intermediate and vertical completions to physical WRs. Averaging nine targets a game and having scored in every game so far this season, he has a chance to deliver his best fantasy line yet in 2025.<\/p>\n
Other Locks:<\/p>\n
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\u2014Cortland Sutton vs. Bengals<\/p>\n
\u2014Elic Ayomanor vs. Texans<\/p>\n
\u2014Garrett Wilson vs. Dolphins<\/p>\n
Avoid: Marquise Brown, Chiefs vs. Ravens<\/p>\n
Brown\u2019s target share has been inconsistent. If the Chiefs go toward other route options such as Tyquan Thornton or run-heavy scripts, he becomes less of an option. In a matchup where deep passes are less certain, he\u2019s a risky WR3. Unless he hits on a long play, he\u2019s more likely to disappoint than deliver.<\/p>\n
Tight ends<\/p>\n
Start: Sam LaPorta vs. Browns<\/p>\n
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LaPorta has emerged as one of Detroit\u2019s most dependable playmakers, ranking near the top of the league in tight end targets. The Browns have been middling versus tight ends and LaPorta\u2019s chemistry with Jared Goff makes him a focal point in scoring territory. His route participation is elite and his consistent usage gives him one of the safest floors at the position. With both steady volume and touchdown equity, he\u2019s a locked-in TE1.<\/p>\n
Other Locks:<\/p>\n
\u2014Jake Ferguson vs. Packers<\/p>\n
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\u2014Tyler Warren vs. Rams<\/p>\n
\u2014Juwan Johnson vs. Bills<\/p>\n
Avoid: Zach Ertz, Commanders vs. Falcons<\/p>\n
Ertz is trending down in Washington\u2019s passing hierarchy and hasn\u2019t been commanding steady volume. The Falcons have played tight ends well this season, they\u2019re top ranked against the position right now, limiting their scoring opportunities. At this stage in his career, Ertz lacks the explosive plays to overcome low target counts. Unless Washington falls behind early and throws nonstop, he\u2019s best left on the bench.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
This column was provided to The Associated Press by RosterWatch, www.rosterwatch.com.<\/p>\n
Dorian Colbert Of Rosterwatch, The Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Week 4 is the time where patterns emerge, but surprises are still possible. Let\u2019s lean into matchups, volume…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166538,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[436],"tags":[5585,19206,49,48,85922,1762,8823,2221,38600,2222,35308,83113,19257,13296,13682,25579,27561,2212,42922,3311,1483,85924,1731,19260,514,85923,2218,33512,83913,13280,7675,82,1626,16449,70279,18466,85925,80230],"class_list":["post-166537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-arizona","tag-bijan-robinson","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cowboys-vs-packers","tag-dak-prescott","tag-detroit","tag-drake-maye","tag-elic-ayomanor","tag-garrett-wilson","tag-isiah-pacheco","tag-jake-ferguson","tag-james-conner","tag-jared-goff","tag-javonte-williams","tag-jordan-love","tag-jordan-mason","tag-josh-allen","tag-juwan-johnson","tag-kansas-city","tag-las-vegas","tag-marquise-brown","tag-micah-parsons","tag-new-england","tag-nfl","tag-passing-game","tag-patrick-mahomes","tag-rome-odunze","tag-sam-laporta","tag-seahawks","tag-seattle","tag-sports","tag-steelers","tag-the-browns","tag-trey-benson","tag-tyler-warren","tag-tyquan-thornton","tag-zach-ertz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166537"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166537\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}