Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith start or sit: Week 4 fantasy football advice

The New England Patriots will place their trust in their backup quarterback as they face the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. The positional change will likely affect the fantasy performances of noteworthy Patriots players, including both tight ends Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. Ahead of Sunday’s contest, we assess whether either player is worth consideration to start in your fantasy lineups this week.

Fantasy Football analysis: Patriots TEs Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith

It’s safe to say that the tight end position has yet to play a prominent role in New England, at least through the first three weeks of the season. Henry has accumulated just 5.8 total PPR points to start the season, and Smith has 12.8 PPR fantasy points during the same time span. Both Henry and Smith finished with goose-egg fantasy performances in the Patriots’ Week 2 loss. Now both will prepare for an unfavorable matchup in Green Bay, and they will do so with a backup quarterback under center.

The Packers have surrendered the sixth-fewest fantasy points (3.4) to opposing tight ends this season, and making matters worse is that regular starter Mac Jones will be out due to injury. Instead, Brian Hoyer will be under center, and Belichick could very well play it safe and opt for an offensive strategy that sticks to the ground game. That only means fewer opportunities for Henry, Smith, and the larger Patriots receiving corps.

Start or sit in Week 4?

Both Henry and Smith are options to sit in Week 4. The matchup was already unfavorable to both tight ends, but the added factor of Hoyer under center renders both players’ fantasy ceilings moot. Of the two, Smith may at the very least warrant a roster spot, but Henry’s limited fantasy production makes him a candidate to drop on the waiver wire.