Week 4 Rankings

Updated 9/28 at 3:20 PM ET. Harry Douglas removed.

Updated 9/28 at 12:05 PM ET. Restored Arian Foster to No. 11. Removed Denarius Moore, moved Andre Holmes up. Moved Eric Decker down.

When Ahmad Bradshaw underwent neck surgery last October, there was a chance he was never coming back. Neck operations and running backs don’t mix. Just ask Bradshaw’s former teammate David Wilson.

But Bradshaw isn’t just back, he’s thriving. Through three games, he’s turned 37 touches into a whopping 264 yards and three touchdowns. Bradshaw is a modest 17th in running back snaps, but only nine runners have more yards from scrimmage. Averaging a cool six yards per carry, Bradshaw is sixth in running back fantasy points.

All this is despite splitting Indy’s backfield with Trent Richardson, a back Bradshaw is predictably running circles around. Although T-Rich is improved on his nightmarish 2013, he’s turned in 38 fewer yards (226) than Bradshaw on four more touches (41). Richardson, who has already fumbled twice, comes off the field for Bradshaw in the red zone. He has zero touchdowns.

Now 28, Bradshaw doesn’t just look good in comparison to Richardson. He’s amazingly agile for a back who’s racked up 1,138 career touches and undergone five foot operations. He’s the anti-Richardson as a runner, using quick feet and excellent vision to hit the hole before it collapses. Bradshaw is decisive, and always moving forward. When he gets in space, he knows what to do with it. There is no dancing. When Bradshaw is moving with the ball in his hands, he almost resembles Darren Sproles. That is not to suggest Bradshaw moves with anywhere near the same speed as Sproles, but instead the same urgency and cleverness.

Now Bradshaw gets the Titans, a team fresh off getting humiliated by the Bengals, and allowing the 12th most fantasy points to opposing running backs. As long as Richardson is healthy, Bradshaw isn’t going to be a 20-touch per game player. Coach Chuck Pagano reiterated as much on Wednesday. But Bradshaw has proven he only needs 10-15 touches to make a major fantasy impact, especially since so much of his work comes in the red zone. Bradshaw is best utilized as an RB2/FLEX, but there will be weeks — say when he has a plus matchup and six teams are on bye — when he’s a legitimate RB1. Week 4 is one of those weeks. Fire Bradshaw up against the Titans, and never look back.

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Week 4 Quarterbacks

QB Notes: Everyone knows Drew Brees isn’t as potent on the road as he is at home. It gets mentioned in this space almost every week. But Dallas is one of the shortest road trips the Saints can make, and it’s to a domed JerryWorld that should have no shortage of Saints fans. That’s fine, but largely inconsequential. The real draw is a Cowboys defense that’s allowed the 14th most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks despite facing a 49ers offense that didn’t have to throw in Week 1, Jake Locker and Austin Davis. Brees is going to exorcise some road demons on Sunday Night Football. … Aaron Rodgers is just the No. 13 fantasy quarterback through three weeks, but as he told Packer fans on Tuesday … relax. Any time the league’s best pure thrower has Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to toss BBs to, he’s going to be fine. … Andrew Luck has 12.2 more points than any other quarterback. His Week 4 home matchup with the Titans could scarcely be more inviting.

For the Lions to win a game in which Matthew Stafford turned the ball over three times and generated zero touchdowns was … unique, to put it mildly. It was not the Stafford meltdown of yore, however, as the side-arming kimosabe never lost his composure, and kept the chains moving. Stafford’s reward is a Jets defense getting gutted by opposing passing games. Just be sure to double-check Calvin Johnson’s (ankle) status before setting your lineup on Sunday. … Nick Foles has missed some throws this season. A lot of them. There’s no two ways about it. He’s also reeled off three straight 320-yard games, and leads the league in passing. Although the 49ers’ defense is not the unit we’ve grown accustomed to, Foles’ Week 4 trip to San Francisco will be a telling indicator of whether he’s not just an every-week QB1, but an elite every-week QB1. … Jay Cutler is playing the best football of his post-Mike Shanahan career, but needs Brandon Marshall (ankle) to get healthy to remain a top-six quarterback for Sunday’s likely shootout with the Packers.

Kirk Cousins has made successful relief appearances for Robert Griffin III in each of the past three seasons. The question now is, can he become a successful starter? Cousins lit up the defense-less Falcons last Week 15 before wilting as the Redskins closed out a lost season, completing just 47 percent of his passes for a combined 366 yards and 1:3 TD:INT ratio across Weeks 16-17. In the finale, he was a horrid 19-of-49 for 169 yards (3.44 YPA), zero scores and two picks. His opponent that day? The Giants. (In the rain.) That’s who he’ll take on Thursday night. The matchup looks plum on paper, as only five teams have coughed up more fantasy points to rival signal callers than the G-Men. Cousins is coming off arguably the best game by any quarterback this season, and has an entire arsenal of weapons at his disposal. But fantasy owners know what a horror show Thursday nights can be, while again, we’ve seen Cousins succeed before only to come unglued once he’s put some throws on film. Week 3 offered convincing evidence that Cousins is here to stay in 2014, but Thursday night should be the true indicator of which way the wind is blowing.

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Matt Ryan’s 2014 has been a truly abysmal road start bookended by two dominating home efforts. Sunday will be a nice outdoor road test against a Vikings team that’s allowed the fourth fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks even after facing Tom Brady and Drew Brees. … Fantasy’s No. 6 quarterback through three weeks, Philip Rivers gets a Jaguars team that’s been torn apart by Andrew Luck, Nick Foles and Kirk Cousins this season. He should keep the train rolling. … Consistency, thy name has not been Colin Kaepernick. Luckily for Kaep, The Walking Shootout Patrol — the Philadelphia Eagles — are coming to town. Only the Jags have allowed more fantasy points to opposing QBs. … Fresh off getting immolated by Matt Ryan and the Falcons in Week 3, the Bucs have allowed the 14th most fantasy points to quarterbacks despite facing just Austin Davis and Derek Anderson in addition to Ryan. Although Gerald McCoy will be back to push the pocket for Tampa, it’s not an imposing home matchup for Ben Roethlisberger.

Battling rib and ankle issues, Cam Newton got battered by the Steelers in Week 3. With the Panthers’ running back corps still a MASH unit, it may not be the best week to start Newton on the road in Baltimore. … Tom Brady is an unseemly 1-of-13 on passes traveling 20-plus yards in the air. Brady got off to a similarly slow start in 2013, but with no one walking through that door at “X” receiver, he’s nearly impossible to trumpet as a QB1 for the time being. … Eli Manning has shown signs of life in two straight games, and could easily make it three against the Redskins’ approximation of a secondary. … Geno Smith is fantasy’s No. 11 quarterback, but will be extremely hard to trust as a QB2 against Detroit’s stout defense if Eric Decker (hamstring) doesn’t play. … After ludicrously threatening to bench Ryan Tannehill this week, expect the Dolphins to go extremely run-heavy in London. … You need to wait at least a week before considering either Blake Bortles or Teddy Bridgewater as a streaming option. That being said, both have decent Week 4 matchups.

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Week 4 Running Backs

RB Notes: DeMarco Murray has 10.6 more fantasy points than any running back suiting up for Week 4. Per Pro Football Focus, Murray’s 269 yards after contact are 103 yards more than any other back. … Second in yards after contact? Le’Veon Bell, who is third in fantasy points behind just Murray and Marshawn Lynch. Among many other things, Bell has 14 more yards from scrimmage than any other player. He’s a legitimate threat to finish No. 1 overall this season. … LeSean McCoy was the runaway No. 1 back in preseason rankings, but he finds himself just No. 18 through the season’s first three games. Shady is averaging a piddling 2.91 yards per carry, and coming off a monumentally ineffective Week 3 where he rushed 19 times for 22 yards (1.15 YPC). McCoy is obviously going to bounce back, but the matchup is tough in a 49ers run defense that’s shored up since getting gashed by DeMarco Murray in Week 1. Good news on the horizon for McCoy is the Week 5 return of RT Lane Johnson.

With so many other slow starts, Matt Forte’s hasn’t gotten much attention. Forte is averaging a meager 3.23 yards per carry, and has yet to find the end zone. His 19 receptions are one of the only reasons he checks in as fantasy's No. 21 back through three weeks. If you’re looking for good news, it’s that only three teams have allowed more fantasy points to rival backs than Green Bay, while Forte piled up 336 yards from scrimmage in two games against Dom Capers’ “defense” a year ago. Coming off two straight tough matchups, Forte should be fine. … A slow start that has been getting a lot of attention? Eddie Lacy’s. Part of being a fantasy stud is producing even in bad matchups. But man. Lacy’s have been really bad. Each of the Seahawks, Jets and Lions are among the top seven in fewest running back fantasy points allowed, and Nos. 5, 1 and 2, respectively, in “real-life” run defense. As a collective, they’re surrendering 2.81 yards per carry. Enter the Bears, a team coughing up 5.04 yards per tote, and getting stung for 18.4 weekly running back points. This should be the week Lacy gets on track.

Jamaal Charles (ankle) appears poised to return for Monday’s showdown with the Patriots, but his practice status is among this week’s most critical. The Chiefs held Charles out in Week 3 because they weren’t confident he could do everything on the field. That means if he’s active for Week 4, he’ll be expected to serve in his normal role. Translation, Knile Davis should not be a threat to siphon significant work. … Rashad Jennings’ 68 carries are second to only DeMarco Murray. The Redskins are shaping up as a much-improved run defense, but that kind of volume makes Jennings a cinch RB1 in a week where six teams are on bye. … Forget, if you can, Donald Brown’s 62 yards on 31 carries and focus on his 36 touches from Week 3. Although that absurd number has no chance of being repeated, Brown is undoubtedly in for a massive workload against the Jaguars, a team surrendering the most fantasy points to opposing runners. There’s no guarantee that starting Brown in Week 4 will be pretty, but it has to be done.

Lamar Miller is averaging 5.75 yards per carry. The Raiders have allowed the second most rushing yards in football. The Dolphins are so dissatisfied with their quarterback play that they openly mulled a change this week. Connect the dots. … You knew it was too good to be true, but were hoping it wasn’t. Alas … Arian Foster’s massive early workloads led to a hamstring injury, and Week 3 absence. He appears 50-50, at best, for Week 4, meaning Alfred Blue could be in for another close up. The Bills are a tough customer for opposing runners, but there’s no substitute for volume. In a game that should be tight from the opening whistle, Blue will have it in spades if Foster doesn’t suit up, and be in the RB2 conversation. … DeAngelo Williams at 14 probably looks like a misprint, but he’s going to have the Panthers’ backfield all to himself. That’s an increasingly rare thing these days. The Panthers should also commit to the ground one week after the Steelers teed off on Cam Newton in the absence of any run game. You probably won’t get many chances to use D-Will this season, but this is one of them.

Stevan Ridley is an unpredictable volume play, which is an upgrade on the completely unpredictable volume play he was in 2013. … Playing Matt Asiata is one of life’s grim duties. Approach it with as much dignity as possible. … It’s now or never for Doug Martin, who returns from his knee injury to face the Steelers’ truly abysmal run defense. He’ll be on a short leash, and in danger of a mid-game committee or benching. The matchup makes Martin an RB2, but he comes with high risk. Bobby Rainey, despite his fumbles, has shown more this season. … Chris Ivory is averaging 3.9 yards after contact, the most in the NFL. The Lions are a rough matchup, but as coach Rex Ryan said earlier this week, no one wants to tackle Ivory right now. Ryan also hinted at more work going forward. Ivory deserves it after running circles around Chris Johnson the past two weeks. … Reggie Bush is the Lions’ “space” back, making him a better bet against the Jets’ elite run defense than Joique Bell. … The Ravens’ running back corps is a total crapshoot right now, but don’t be surprised if Lorenzo Taliaferro ends up leading it.

Week 4 Receivers

WR Notes: Calvin Johnson has the matchup of a lifetime in the Jets’ makeshift secondary, but is battling a minor ankle injury. We’ve seen Megatron be a surprise inactive before, so just be sure to confirm his status on Sunday morning. … Julio Jones is over his foot injury, wouldn’t you say? … Fantasy’s No. 7 receiver last season, Antonio Brown is No. 2 in 2014. The last time he posted fewer than five catches or 50 yards was Week 17 2012. … Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) is absent from the Week 4 injury report, and present on the Week 4 WR1 report. … Jeremy Maclin is No. 3 in receiver fantasy points, and tied for sixth in targets. He’s drawn at least 10 looks and scored a touchdown in all three games. He’s going to eat against a 49ers defense allowing the most fantasy points to enemy wideouts. … Since being limited with a calf injury in Week 1, Michael Crabtree has caught 17-of-20 targets for 162 yards and two touchdowns.

Brandon Marshall turned in one of 2014’s best performances on a bum ankle in Week 2, but was considerably less productive after re-injuring it in Week 3. His Week 4 status should not be taken for granted. … One year after leading the league in targets, Pierre Garcon finds himself back in the top six. With Kirk Cousins more than willing to pepper Garcon on short-to-intermediate routes, he could again get and stay in the WR1 conversation. As Dynasty League Football’s Ryan McDowell points out, Garcon has had three 100-yard games over his past 10 starts. All three have come with Cousins under center. … A highly average touchdown scorer, Julian Edelman should not be as good of a fantasy option as he is, but he’s become a metronome as Tom Brady’s most-targeted weapon. The ceiling isn’t terribly high, but the floor is on stilts. … Much has been made of Andre Johnson’s diminishing returns under Ryan Fitzpatrick — and his inability to score — but this is still a receiver who appears to be in his physical prime. Averaging nine targets, Johnson is going to pay off sooner rather than later. The Bills are an excellent matchup.

All signs suggest the Dolphins will go run heavy this weekend, but averaging 5.6 catches for 70.3 yards on 10.3 targets, Mike Wallace is a WR2 until further notice. … Randall Cobb has three touchdowns, but has turned in back-to-back sub-40 yard efforts. A supposed YAC dynamo, Cobb is averaging just 2.6 this season. Cobb will likely get on track, but he’s more name than game right now. … Keenan Allen believes he “exposed” Richard Sherman in Week 2 by catching five passes for 55 yards. So what did the Bills do by limiting him to two grabs for 17 yards in Week 3? Allen has played as many snaps as any receiver in football, but is tied for 66th in targets. He needs to show signs of life against the Jaguars’ bottom-barrel defense. … This may be the last week I’m willing to wait on Cordarrelle Patterson as a WR2. The evidence is compelling. Minus Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph, the Vikings need C-Patt. He’s as explosive as any player in the NFL with the ball in his hands. But maybe his receiving skills, or lack thereof, means it’s just too difficult to get it there.

This could prove to be an overly aggressive ranking of Kelvin Benjamin, but he’s sixth in receiver points, and tied for 14th in targets. His 253 yards are ninth amongst receivers. Some early season patterns will fade, others will stay. I like Benjamin’s odds of doing the latter. … At least for one week, Victor Cruz is off fantasy probation. The matchup is alluring in the Redskins’ newly DeAngelo Hall-free secondary. … Can Roddy White (hamstring) stay healthy? It’s becoming a legitimate question. He’s still a WR2, but the argument is losing steam. … Maybe a quarterback change will spark Vincent Jackson, but his “slight” wrist fracture is an issue worth monitoring. … Golden Tate is a poor man’s Antonio Brown. There aren’t many better bets for a weekly 5/50. … T.Y. Hilton (ankle) should be a go. … Is Steve Smith going to play his way back into WR2 status? I wouldn’t put anything past Sr. … Sammy Watkins is a boom-or-bust WR3 with E.J. Manuel attempting to deliver the ball.

Brandin Cooks has been the Saints’ best fantasy bet at receiver through the season’s first three weeks, and it hasn’t been particularly close. He’s smoking Marques Colston in every meaningful category, out-catching him (18-7), posting more yards (168-134) and drawing more targets (24-13). That is not to mention his three rushes for 49 yards. Colston is unlikely to stay down forever, but going on what we’ve seen this year, Colston should not be ranked ahead of his rookie teammate. … Kendall Wright is a chain-moving, possession receiver. He should make Week 4 hay with Checkdown Charlie Whitehurst calling the shots for Tennessee. … Don’t be surprised if this is the week Rueben Randle starts earning his money. … Allen Robinson could blow up with Blake Bortles under center. … James Jones has two fumbles this season, drawn more than five targets only once and done the majority of his damage in garbage time. He’s an uninspiring WR4. … Amongst wideouts, Riley Cooper is tied for the most snaps with 207. He’s turned them into nine catches for 71 yards.

Week 4 Tight Ends

TE Notes: The Cowboys have allowed the second most fantasy points to tight ends through the season’s first three weeks. Sunday, they play host to Jimmy Graham. Don’t be surprised if the goggles do nothing. … Rob Gronkowski has just 11 catches for 116 games, but has found the end zone twice in three games, giving him 44 touchdowns in 53 career contests. He also played 57.5 percent of the Patriots’ snaps in Week 3, up from 43.1 percent in Weeks 1-2. He’s the clear TE2 with Julius Thomas on bye. … Greg Olsen is sixth in tight-end fantasy points, and third in targets. With so much inconsistency at the position, he’s finding himself elevated to inexplicable heights. … Martellus Bennett’s 20/161/4 line on 26 targets through three games is impossible to ignore, just know that no team has allowed fewer fantasy points to tight ends than the Packers through three games. That’s thanks in large part to a soft schedule, however.

Fantasy’s No. 5 tight end, Delanie Walker should soak up targets from checkdown maestro Charlie Whitehurst, but that’s if he plays. Walker missed Wednesday's session with a shoulder injury. It was likely just a precaution, but owners need to double-check Walker’s status before the weekend. … Philadelphia's spread-the-wealth passing attack caught up with Zach Ertz in Week 3, limiting him to just two catches on three targets. Ertz will have more off weeks, but an elite red-zone threat, he should remain locked into fantasy lineups. … Antonio Gates’ hot start came to a screeching halt in Sunday’s win over the Bills, but he checks in at No. 7 thanks to a dream matchup with the Jaguars’ defense. No team has allowed more fantasy points to enemy tight ends through the season’s first three weeks, and that’s despite a relatively unimposing slate of rivals. … With 14 catches on 20 targets over the past two weeks, Niles Paul is a TE1 until further notice. A former receiver, he clearly developed some nice chemistry with Kirk Cousins on the JV. Jordan Reed (hamstring) is out indefinitely.

Vernon Davis (ankle) returns from his Week 3 absence to a matchup with an Eagles team that just got stung by Paul on Sunday. Few pass catchers in the NFL score more touchdowns than Davis. … Larry Donnell is the latest in a long line of Eli Manning tight ends who give you no choice but to start them. Donnell is low upside, but has established a nice floor. … Travis Kelce played 65.2 percent of the snaps in Sunday’s win, by far his highest of the season. A big play waiting to happen, Kelce is rapidly trending toward every-week TE1 status. … Jason Witten has caught just 10 passes for 95 yards through his first three games, but has played more snaps than any tight end in football. Witten should eventually re-establish his TE1 bonafides, but it might not be against the Saints, who have allowed the sixth fewest points to opposing tight ends. … Ladarius Green emerged from the dead in Week 3, and is a high-upside play against the Jaguars’ struggling defense.

Week 4 Kickers

Week 4 Defense/Special Teams