The NFL has a massive Week 4 slate on tap for fans with the undefeated Arizona Cardinals facing the undefeated Los Angeles Rams, Tom Brady returning to Gillette Stadium when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the New England Patriots and former No. 1 overall picks squaring off Thursday with Trevor Lawrence’s Jacksonville Jaguars taking on Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals. It’s also a big week for fantasy managers who are looking to turn things around or stay the course, depending on their record.
Four weeks typically is a good enough sample size to gauge how players will perform during the year and that leads to the most compelling time of the year for fantasy leagues. Here are two quarterbacks to support in Week 4 and two to stay away from.
Quarterback Starts in Week 4
Sam Darnold, Panthers vs. Cowboys
The Cowboys are ranked 31st in passing yards allowed per game this season, largely due to their Week 1 loss to the Bucs. However, Darnold has been playing well for Carolina and is showing signs of why he was highly valued in the draft. Expect the quarterback to put up good numbers even with Chuba Hubbard filling in for Christian McCaffrey. Darnold represents a strong streaming option for Week 4.
Joe Burrow, Bengals vs. Jaguars
The Jaguars have been abysmal defensively. They’re ranked 28th in passing yards allowed and points allowed per game. Burrow, on the flip side, has been impressive to start the season with seven touchdowns through three games. He has a good rapport with Ja’Marr Chase and should have success against one of the worst defenses in the league.
Quarterback Sits in Week 4
Matt Ryan, Falcons vs. Washington Football Team
Washington’s defense has been below expectations this year, but the Falcons present a great opportunity for that unit to turn things around. Ryan has looked washed at times this season and is still getting accustomed to Arthur Smith’s offense. Atlanta is not putting up points like it used to and doesn’t have a strong running game to lean on. That means bad things for Ryan, who will face a lot of pressure from Washington’s front in this game.
Jared Goff, Lions vs. Bears
Goff had a four-interception performance against the Bears a few years ago in poor weather conditions, but he hasn’t done much against them in general. Remove that anomoly game. In the other two career outings against Chicago, Goff has two touchdowns and one interception. He’s not going to have much success against this Bears defense with Detroit’s current skill group. Fortunately for Goff and the Lions, they may still be able to win this game due to Chicago’s struggling offense. Just don’t expect a lot of fantasy points from the Lions quarterback.