5 Start, 5 Sit for Week 4 of the 2024 NFL Season
Week 4! We’re getting into the meat of the 2024 season now, and the cream of this year’s crop is starting to rise. Some players that we thought would be dynamite this year have turned out to be pop rocks, and some undrafted guys have emerged as potential league winners. I’m going to take you through five guys I think you should be starting this week and five that you should leave on your bench.
Start:
Aaron Rodgers vs. DEN – Start
This pick feels nostalgic. It’s been about two years since Aaron Rodgers was a viable fantasy option. Now that he’s healthy with the Jets, he seems to be back in elite form. His numbers through three weeks truly aren’t overly impressive, but it’s the consistent improvement that I like. Remember that this was only Rodgers’ third real game with this team; he’s still learning the game speed of the offense. Now, because he is who he is, he’s going to pick that up quickly, and we saw what that looks like against the Patriots last week. New England had been playing really tough against some good offenses, and Rodgers made them look like a D2 school.
This week, the biggest issue the Jets may face is a lack of Garrett Wilson. Pat Surtain continues to blank #1 receivers, and I’m not expecting any different for Wilson. the good news, however, is that Aaron Rodgers has made a career out of throwing touchdowns to sub-elite players. Garrett Wilson’s touchdown last week was the first time that Rodgers has thrown a touchdown to a wide receiver drafted in the first round. Sounds fake, but it’s true. Rodgers is going to find a way to get the ball where it needs to go and will be able to score fantasy points no matter what the Broncos throw at him. (Also, Nathaniel Hackett’s revenge game!)
Chuba Hubbard vs. CIN – Start
All it took was a new quarterback for Carolina to rejoin the NFL. With Andy Dalton at the helm, the Panthers actually look like a team that could win a few games. Moreso, if they can keep feeding Chuba Hubbard, winning should continue to get easier for them. Hubbard put up a career-high fantasy day, going for 114 yards on 21 carries and adding five catches for another 55 yards and a touchdown. With no real competition for touches, Hubbard should realistically get 25 touches every week he’s healthy. Johnathan Brooks’ return might change that a bit, but for now, Hubbard is the guy.
This week, the Panthers have the opportunity to put the Bengals to a soul-crushing 0-4. Judging by the state of the Bengals’ defense, I think it’s well within the realm of possibility. Cincinnati is 26th in rush yards allowed per game, giving up an average of 142.3 on the ground (Note: they allow fewer passing yards per game (8th) because teams don’t need to pass to beat them). I think that the Panthers can continue to roll and Chuba will be a big part of it.
Jauan Jennings vs. NE – Start
Who saw that performance coming?! Jauan Jennings with the highest score of the week: 11 catches, 175 yards, and 3 touchdowns! Jennings benefited from a lack of Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey, but still way outproduced his projection. Brandon Aiyuk, meanwhile, had a pretty quiet day (and has been quiet all season). Going forward into New England; I think Jennings has another opportunity to outscore his projection, though I doubt he’ll go for 40+ again. Jennings’ target share is what convinces me that he can be counted on this week. 12 targets in a game that went down to the wire shows that he has Brock Purdy‘s confidence. I expect that if the 49ers are once again put into a tough situation, Jennings could be the go-to guy.
Dallas Goedert vs. TB – Start
As an Eagles fan, it brings me joy to see Goedert finally involved in the offense in a big way. With AJ Brown inactive and DeVonta Smith injured, Goedert became the #1 target, and boy did he deliver. He ended the day with ten catches, 170 yards, and a touchdown. A huge chunk of that came on a last-minute catch to set the Eagles up for the win. Goedert should be this involved every week if you ask me, but certainly, with major pieces missing from the offense, he will shine. Tampa Bay has played well so far this year, but their loss to Denver last week definitely exposed some weaknesses. The Eagles (hopefully) will be able to exploit those weaknesses, and Goedert will be a good start.
Malik Nabers vs. DAL – Start
The concern for Nabers going into the year was whether or not Daniel Jones could get him the ball without tripping over his own feet. Through three games, it seems like he can. Nabers has 23 catches on 37 targets, 278 yards, and three touchdowns in those three games (top 10 in all of those stats). TClearly, it is the Giants’ mission to get the ball into his hands, and thus far, defenses haven’t been able to stop it. Dallas was supposed to have a really good defense, but so far, it has just been kinda mid. Traditionally, the Cowboys stomp the Giants, but I think Nabers at least will have a solid fantasy day.
Sit:
Jordan Love/Malik Willis vs. MIN – Sit
Since it isn’t clear whether Love is playing or not, I included Willis here as well. My main concern here is that the Vikings’ defense is just too good. through 3 weeks, each quarterback to play the Vikings has had their worst fantasy performance. I don’t think the Packers will be any different. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores’ ability to disguise pressure and coverages, get to the quarterback, and stop the run is incredibly hard to overcome. Regardless of which QB suits up for Green Bay, I think they’re going to be in for a long day.
Zamir White vs. CLE – Sit
I had High hopes for Zamir white this season. He was a relatively cheap addition in dynasty leagues for a “starting” running back, but it has not turned out well. White has not yet accumulated 100 yards through 3 games and has been outscored by Alexander Mattison in 2/3 games. Las Vegas’s proclivity to have to play from behind and White’s uselessness in the passing game often means that he barely gets any touches when things matter. In last week’s loss to Carolina, White only recorded a 22% snap share. This is why I put “starting” in quotes. Zamir White has been wholly unimpressive this season and is getting close to cuttable unless things turn around.
Keon Coleman vs. BAL – Sit
Another player I had high hopes for this season was Keon Coleman. I figured that a big-body receiver coming into a pass-heavy offense with a dynamic QB would be great to have on my team. Incorrect, it seems. Coleman has only five catches in 3 games and recorded a goose egg in week 2. In a recent interview with Josh Allen, he mentioned that “the team feels better when the players don’t care about their own stats and just do what it takes to win” (paraphrase). That’s great for the Bills, not for my team. At this point, I probably wouldn’t even roster Coleman in redraft leagues. Until he proves that he can be a consistent contributor, keep him on your bench, at best.
Mark Andrews vs. BUF – Sit
After week 1, most people thought, “Surely Mark Andrews isn’t dead.” After week 2, most people thought, “Ah! signs of life!.” Now, I think we can be pretty certain that things don’t look good. Andrews was only on the field for 33% of the offensive snaps against Dallas and only ran four routes. Yes. 4 routes. Even John Harbough said that things are not likely (heh) to change for Andrews. For now, try to see if you can pawn him off to another gullible manager and pick up a tight end that might actually get a few targets (like Jordan Akins apparently?). Andrews should be sat at least until injuries or gameplan improve his involvement.
Quentin Johnston vs. KC – Sit
This year, Johnston’s big fantasy day came against the struggling Carolina Panthers in week 2. Last week against Pittsburgh, he only had two catches for 44 yards; one of them just happened to be a touchdown. Johnston’s production isn’t very consistent, and his success could in part be contributed to Justin Herbert being good and his opponents being bad. This week against the Chiefs, things get a lot tougher. The Kansas City secondary is really good, and with Johnston’s target share already being low, tight coverage isn’t going to make things easier. On top of that, the running rumor is that Justin Herbert is going to be rested until after the bye week, meaning we get Taylor Heinicke at QB. All signs are pointing toward a dud from Johnston this week. Don’t get caught!
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