Fantasy Football Start ’em Sit ’em Week 4 (2018)
If there is one thing I have learned in fantasy over the years is that you can’t be afraid to take risks. If you see an opportunity to improve your team, I urge you to turn over every rock and really study the landscape of your league.
A timely trade can rejuvenate your team and give you a crucial win that can help you from going 0-3, which happened to me last week when I traded my opponent Aaron Jones for Will Fuller and subsequently won the game by 3 points with a little Monday night help from Fitzmagic.
There are two things that can be learned from this situation. Think twice before trading with someone you are playing this week because it can end up hurting you directly. Also, running back scarcity is something you need to pay attention to. If you loaded up on running backs during the draft you are sitting on a valuable currency that can be used to upgrade your team.
I can guarantee there are people in your league who went with the Zero RB strategy and loaded up on WR’s and missed on their running backs who could be getting desperate and look to trade a much safer WR for a risky RB. These are the type of situations you need to exploit.
If you were a Jimmy G owner like me, I would urge you to take a swing for the fences and acquire Baker Mayfield instead of safer options like Ryan Tannehill or Jared Goff. Take risks and have fun this week!
Week 4 Start ’em
Baker Mayfield – Cle QB
BakerMANIA has finally arrived in spectacular fashion as the Heisman-winner and number one overall pick led the Browns to miraculous come from behind victory against the New York Jets, snapping a 19-game losing streak that felt like 19 dog years. Before coming into the game, the Browns offense looked inept with no one on offense becoming much of a factor.
But oh how things can change once you have a real playmaker at the QB position. Throws were coming out faster, players were running to get to the line of scrimmage, and the entire Browns team looked like they were finally playing for something meaningful.
Mayfield gets a chance to prove that he is the superstar that we all know him to be, as he faces the 0-3 Raiders on the road who just made Ryan Tannehill look like a QB1. The Raiders defense has been atrocious since letting Khalil Mack go to the Bears, who have allowed 8.7 yards per passing attempt and have struggled to generate any semblance of a pass rush. If you have an appetite for risk, pick up and start The Bake Show in Week 4.
Baker Mayfield Week 4 Projections: 335 passing yards, 2 passing TD’s, 4 rushing attempts, 15 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD, 1 INT
QBs to Start
Matt Ryan
Drew Brees
Philip Rivers
Ben Roethlisberger
Ryan Tannehill
Russell Wilson
Case Keenum
Joe Flacco
Matthew Stafford
Eli Manning
RBs to Start
Leonard Fournette (If Healthy)
Giovani Bernard
Carlos Hyde
Lamar Miller
Marshawn Lynch
Kerryon Johnson
Phillip Lindsay
Chris Carson
Matt Breida
Kenyan Drake
Austin Ekeler
Javorius Allen
Royce Freeman
Tarik Cohen
WRs to Start
Keenan Allen
Stefon Diggs
Will Fuller
Calvin Ridley
Emmanuel Sanders
Brandin Cooks
Robert Woods
Kenny Golladay
Cooper Kupp
Sammy Watkins
Demaryius Thomas
Tyler Boyd
Mike Williams
Chris Godwin
Antonio Callaway
Corey Davis (If Mariota Healthy)
Nelson Agholor
Sterling Shepard
Geronimo Allison
Christian Kirk
TEs to Start
Jimmy Graham
George Kittle
O.J. Howard
Trey Burton
David Njoku
Tyler Eifert
Jack Doyle
Vance McDonald
Jared Cook
Rhett Ellison
Week 4 Sit ’em
Amari Cooper – Oak WR
For Cooper owners, promises of the 3rd year WR finally breaking out and becoming a focal point of the offense under Jon Gruden have failed to materialize. He had flashes of brilliance in Week 2 against the Broncos going over 100 yards with double digit receptions but has since fallen to a risky FLEX play at best.
In Week 4 Cooper gets a much-improved Browns defense who have drafted talented playmakers including rookie Denzel Ward and second year ball hawk Jabrill Peppers. With an improved pass rush that should be able to put pressure on Derek Carr, Cooper is on track for another hard knock performance come Sunday.
Amari Cooper Week 4 Projections: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 35 yards, 0 TD’s
QBs to Sit
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Andrew Luck
Kirk Cousins
Jared Goff
Carson Wentz
Blake Bortles
Derek Carr
Dak Prescott
Mitchell Trubisky
Josh Allen
Josh Rosen
RBs to Sit
Devontae Freeman
Jay Ajayi
Dion Lewis
Derrick Henry
LeSean McCoy
Bilal Powell
Isaiah Crowell
Alfred Morris
Sony Michel
Latavius Murray
Duke Johnson
Rex Burkhead
Jamaal Williams
Ty Montgomery
T.J. Yeldon
Rashaad Penny
Theo Riddick
Wendell Smallwood
LeGarrette Blount
Jordan Wilkins
Nyheim Hines
WRs to Sit
Randall Cobb
Alshon Jeffery
Kelvin Benjamin
Doug Baldwin
Quincy Enunwa
Robby Anderson
Michael Crabtree
Marvin Jones
Jordy Nelson
Chris Hogan
Josh Gordon
Marquise Goodwin
Pierre Garcon
Danny Amendola
Dede Westbrook
Donte Moncrief
Ryan Grant
Jakeem Grant
Courtland Sutton
Taylor Gabriel
Albert Wilson
Mohamed Sanu
TEs to Sit
Eric Ebron
Dallas Goedert
Jesse James
Will Dissly
Ricky Seals-Jones
Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Antonio Gates
Cameron Brate
Austin Hooper
Jonnu Smith
To show me your appreciation, or kindly express your disagreements, hit me up on Twitter @MikeMital and tell him how you really feel!
Make sure to watch the Week 4 waiver wire video in case there are any players on waivers or free agency that you might have missed and also subscribe to the Fantasy Couch YouTube channel as well as our 2nd channel, Fantasy Couch Podcast.
