Week 4 Fantasy QB Rankings

Matt Lutovsky

Week 4 Fantasy QB Rankings image

It's already been a weird year for quarterbacks -- well, not Patrick Mahomes, but other, mortal quarterbacks. It's not all that shocking to see Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott in the top three of our Week 4 fantasy QB rankings, but Baker Mayfield in the middle of the pack? Kirk Cousins barely playable in two-QB leagues? Daniel Jones in the start 'em, sit 'em discussion? Yes, it's all happening.

Obviously, matchups play a big part in all of this. Jones took advantage of a good one last week and gets another favorable one against Washington this time around. Cousins, who's disappointed all year as a game manager, now travels to Chicago to face the Bears. Good luck with that. Mayfield gets a neutral matchup against the Ravens, but his struggles this year (56.9 completion percentage, 3:5 TD-to-INT ration) can't be ignored. Chances are you drafted Mayfield early and don't want to sit him, but it's probably the right call. 

WEEK 4 NON-PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker

Jacoby Brissett (vs. Raiders) is another surprise riser in our rankings. He's posted multiple TDs in every week, and despite a first-half T.Y. Hilton injury, he topped 300 yards in Week 3 -- the first time all year he's even surpassed 200. Hilton's potential absence is a worry in Week 4, but Brissett just seems to find a way to get it done, and the Raiders aren't a fearsome defense.

WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiverTight end

Case Keenum (@ Giants) and Kyle Allen (@ Texans) are also interesting sleeper options, but they're a little riskier because they don't quite have the rushing upsides of Jones or Brissett. Still, if you're choosing between them and, say, Josh Allen (vs. Patriots) or Jameis Winston (@ Rams), you might want to play the matchups. Both Allen and Winston have the potential to produce every week, but given how mistake-prone both can be, these aren't the matchups in which to rely on them.

WEEK 4 DFS LINEUPS:
DK cash | DK GPP | FD cash | FD GPPY! cash | Y! GPP

With just the Jets and 49ers on bye this week, fantasy owners basically have all the usual starting QBs at their disposal. Once again it's a deep group, with matchups shuffling a few different names into the "start 'em" camp and few others down into the "sit 'ems". Quarterback shouldn't be a big issue for anyone this week -- at least if you're willing to think outside the box.

WEEK 4: Waiver pickups | FAAB planner | Trade valuesSnap counts

Reminder: These rankings will be adjusted throughout week, so check back often for the latest updates and analysis! 

MORE WEEK 4 DFS: Top values | StacksLineup Builder

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Week 4 Fantasy QB Rankings

These rankings are for standard leagues with 4-point passing TDs.

1 Patrick Mahomes II, KC @ DET.
2 Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. CLE.
3 Dak Prescott, DAL @ NO.
4 Philip Rivers, LAC @ MIA.
5 Russell Wilson, SEA @ ARZ.
6 Matt Ryan, ATL vs. TEN. It hasn't been particularly pretty, but Ryan is averaging just under 310 passing yards and almost three TDs per game. Garbage time or not, those stats will play. Tennessee did a good job limiting Baker Mayfield in Week 1, but Jacoby Brissett threw for three TDs it in Week 2 and Gardner Minshew II threw for 204 yards and two TDs without a turnover against it in Week 3. Back at home, where Ryan is typically better, he's a sure starter. 
7 Deshaun Watson, HOU vs. CAR.
8 Jared Goff, LAR vs. TB. Goff hasn't put up big numbers this season, but he's still averaged a respectable 276 yards and two TDs over the past two games. Given his significantly better home splits (22:3 TD-to-INT ratio at home last year vs. 9:10 on the road) and a favorable matchup against a Bucs defense that was just shredded by rookie Daniel Jones, Goff has major upside this week.
9 Tom Brady, NE @ BUF.
10 Kyler Murray, ARZ vs. SEA. The Cardinals finally let Murray run last week, and he paid it off with 69 yards on eight carries. Combined with his 173 passing yards and two TDs (and two INTs) and Murray had a solid fantasy day. Seattle has struggled against Andy Dalton, Ben Roethlisberger/Mason Rudolph, and Teddy Bridgewater this year, so Murray is in a good spot for fantasy production.
11 Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. PHI. Rodgers is basically a game manager at this point, averaging 215.7 passing yards per game with four total TDs. To be fair, he's played some tough defenses (Chicago, Minnesota, Denver), but those stats are beyond disappointing for those who viewed him as a top-five QB. He still has plenty of arm talent and relatively decent set of receivers around him, but his ceiling is fairly limited, at least by his historic standards. He gets a break this week against an Eagles defense that's ninth in fantasy points per game (FPPG) allowed to QBs -- and that's after limiting Matthew Stafford to just 201 yards and one TD this past week. If Rodgers can't produce in this one, it's time to get very worried.
12 Jacoby Brissett, IND vs. OAK. Brissett has put up multiple touchdowns in every game this year, but it wasn't until last week that he had the yards to go with them. Brissett topped his Weeks 1 and 2 total with 310 yards against the Falcons -- and that was without T.Y. Hilton (quad) in the second half. Hilton figures to be questionable for this week's game, and if he's out, it would certainly hurt Brissett's outlook. But the Raiders defense is still very much a question mark, and Brissett's efficiency, rushing ability, and lack of turnovers (1), gives him a high floor and plenty of upside. 
13 Carson Wentz, PHI @ GB. Despite a lack of reliable receivers, Wentz has produced multiple TDs in each of the first three weeks and averaged 267.7 yards through the air. In Week 3, he even showed off the running ability that made him so valuable in 2017, gaining 33 yards.on just four carries. Wentz always has a high ceiling, but if DeSean Jackson (groin) is out as expected and Alshon Jeffery (calf) can't make it back, he'll have a tougher time reaching that level against a tough Packers defense that's allowing the second fewest FPPG to QBs.
14 Daniel Jones, NYG vs. WAS. Jones dazzled in his starting debut, throwing for 336 yards and two TDs and running for another 28 yards and two scores. He lost two fumbles, but he didn't throw an INT. He'll likely be a high-ceiling, low-floor player all year, but this qualifies as a favorable matchup despite Washington having more talent on defense than Tampa. The Redskins gave up an average of 291 passing yards and three passing TDs in their first two matchups (Eagles, Cowboys), so Jones has plenty of upside. The only reason he's not higher is because of his lack of experience. 
15 Matthew Stafford, DET vs. KC. Stafford disappointed in a favorable Week 3 matchup against the Eagles, but he was solid in Weeks 1 and 2, averaging 315 yards and 2.5 TDs. Back at home, Stafford is in a potential shootout/garbage-time spot against a defense averaging just under 272 passing yards allowed per game. Stafford can put up numbers here, but his inconsistency is a worry. 
16 Baker Mayfield, CLE @ BAL. There's no way to get around it --  Mayfield has been bad this year. He managed some yards in Week 1 thanks to garbage time, and an 89-yard catch-and-run by Odell Beckham Jr. helped pad his stats in Week 2. But for the season, he has just three TDs compared to five INTs and is completing 56.9 percent of his passes. He has the talent around him to produce in any matchup -- and Baltimore has allowed over 300 passing yards per game -- but Mayfield is a mediocre play this week.
17 Case Keenum, WAS @ NYG. The Giants are allowing the fourth most FPPG to QBs, and Keenum produced big stats against the Eagles in Week 1 (380 yards, three TDs) and managed multiple scores in Weeks 2 and 3 against the Cowboys and Bears, respectively. He makes for a nice fill-in if you're in need of a streamer.
18 Kyle Allen, CAR @ HOU. Allen put up a monster line in Week 3 against Arizona, throwing for 261 yards and four TDs. The Texans are allowing just a shade over 300 passing yards per game, so this is another nice matchup for him. Like Keenum, he makes for a solid streamer or DFS value play, but his inexperience keeps from being higher in the rankings.
19 Derek Carr, OAK @ IND.
20 Mason Rudolph, PIT vs. CIN.
21 Jameis Winston, TB @ LAR.
22 Josh Allen, BUF vs. NE. Allen typically has a high floor because of his big arm and rushing ability, but against a Pats defense allowing the fewest FPPG to QBs -- thanks in large part to the fact they haven't any offensive touchdowns this year -- he's a risky play.
23 Andy Dalton, CIN @ PIT.
24 Gardner Minshew II, JAX @ DEN.
25 Kirk Cousins, MIN @ CHI.
26 Marcus Mariota, TEN @ ATL.
27 Teddy Bridgewater, NO vs. DAL.
28 Mitchell Trubisky, CHI vs. MIN.
29 Joe Flacco, DEN vs. JAX.
30 Josh Rosen, MIA vs. LAC.

Matt Lutovsky

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Matt Lutovsky has been a writer and editor for The Sporting News since 2007, primarily writing about fantasy sports, betting, and gaming.