Running back PPR rankings for Week 4 fantasy football

Another week has passed, meaning more injuries at what was already a scarcity in fantasy football leagues. If it’s not the injury bug that has your teams in a bind, there’s always a potential that you’ve found some duds in your lineup that need to be reevaluated in terms of their season-long value.

Jonathan Taylor comes to mind as one of the most disappointing assets through three games, currently sitting as the RB29 in half PPR scoring formats.

Injury news

The biggest injury news of the week is undoubtedly that of Christian McCaffrey. He came out of the Panthers Thursday Night Football matchup versus the Texans with a hamstring injury and was promptly ruled out, a generally ominous sign. The team hasn’t placed him on IR, which means they haven’t fully ruled out the possibility of a return in the next three weeks, but if he does, it’s unlikely he’ll be at 100%.

Dalvin Cook was inactive Sunday after logging the DNP tag throughout the week. He’s managing an ankle injury, and Alexander Mattison looked solid in his absence always leaving room for the potential that the team doesn’t feel the need to rush him back. Cook is a must-start even if he’s not 100%, but if he does miss more time, Mattison will continue to fill a role with a pretty safe floor as an RB2.

Rams RB Darrell Henderson was ruled out Sunday with a rib injury. It’s primarily a pain tolerance issue, so there is the potential we see his return in Week 4. In his absence, Sony Michel saw 23 touches for 78 scrimmage yards.

Streaming options

Chuba Hubbard vs. Cowboys

As noted above, Christian McCaffrey’s hamstring injury will have him out for an unknown amount of time. Once he was forced from the game, Hubbard stepped up to the plate and came out swinging. He saw 11 carries in his 55% of offensive snaps played, but his five targets are where the real money could be in PPR formats. This week, the Panthers get the Cowboys, and Carolina will need to pass the ball if they plan to keep up with the high-flying Cowboys, providing the perfect opportunity for Hubbard in Week 4.

Zack Moss vs. Texans

It seemed as though a tide turned in the Buffalo backfield Sunday, as RB Zack Moss finally out-snapped and out-touched teammate Devin Singletary after Moss made the list of healthy scratches in Week 1. Moss caught all three of his targets in Week 3, including a clutch receiving touchdown to top off the day. In Week 4, the team will face the Texans, who can’t stop much of anything on the ground, and with Davis Mills under center for Houston, the Bills will have the perfect game script to run the ball early and often.