Welcome to the quarter-point of the NFL season. That’s right, we are already on our final slate of September.

Last week was, well, rough to say the least. Too much Chris Carson was an immediate recipe for disaster, but Zach Ertz, Calvin Ridley, and Kenny Golladay all aided in wrecking my cash lineups in Week 3. Short memories are what’s best for business. Bill Belichick says it best, “We’re on to Week 4.” However, there is just one additional caveat I feel is necessary to add before continuing:

After last night’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, which featured two players leave the field on stretchers, it’s tough to ignore the injuries that occur in this game we all love. This season has featured numerous star players miss substantial time due to injuries. As last night showed us, it doesn’t take a star player to get hurt to make it cringe-worthy.

Losing Saquon Barkley sucks for fantasy football and for the New York football Giants. Your DFS lineup in Week 3 likely sank with Barkley. In re-draft, your season is now on the brink of collapse.  The injuries suffered by Avonte Maddox or Jamaal Williams likely didn’t affect your fantasy team, however. That doesn’t mean that these injuries aren’t significant though.

It’s truly an inflection point for us all. Seeing people leave on stretchers is tough to stomach. It also puts this game we play into context. The guys we cheer for, root for, and bet for are humans. This is a game where one play can be the last one a guy plays. We are all going to suffer bad beats. The players we roster are the ones that actually suffer though. No matter your threshold for pugilism, just remember: This is a game we are privileged to play as fans, but these players owe us nothing. If your receiver drops a pass in the end zone this week, don’t curse his name. Don’t root for him to get hurt. If an opposing running back has a good game against you in a head-to-head, don’t root for him to tear his ACL. There are enough injuries and pain in the NFL already. Bloodlust among fans is definitely not needed.

With that said, here is a  list of the players I’m targeting for cash game considerations in Week 4:

Get a $5 bonus when you make your first deposit at FanDuel

Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers (LAC): $7,800 @ Miami Dolphins
This is going to become a recurring trend in this, and most, DFS cash game articles moving forward: Start skill players against the Dolphins. Last week starting Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, and Amari Cooper would’ve likely provided a safe (albeit high priced) cash game floor for your quarterback, running back, and receiver.

This week the quarterback against the Dolphins is priced as the QB7. We’ve seen three weeks of NFL football. Four different quarterbacks have thrown a touchdown against the Dolphins thus far. Both Tom Brady and Dak Prescott also rushed for touchdowns against this “defense.”

Russell Wilson (SEA): $7,800 @ Arizona Cardinals
Opposing quarterbacks are averaging 306 passing yards and three passing touchdowns per game thus far against the depleted Cardinals defense. With the final week of cornerback Patrick Peterson’s suspension, this is the perfect time to capitalize on the bad man making smoothies. Speaking of bad, what better way to describe the Cardinals’ defense thus far?

How to write about the Cardinals defense pic.twitter.com/tUlJpTzevJ

— Eliot Crist (@EliotCrist) September 25, 2019

Other notables:

Jacoby Brissett (IND): $7,300 vs. OAK

Matthew Stafford (DET): $6,900 vs. KC

Running Backs

Kerryon Johnson (DET): $6,500 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
When pricing discrepancies occur on DFS sites, it’s better to just take advantage of the situation. With C.J. Anderson’s release from the Lions, Johnson became the sole benefactor of the depleted Lions’ backfield.

In the first game of year without CJA, Kerryon Johnson:

* 80% of RB carries
* Career-high in carries (20)
* Season-high in snap rate (77%)

— Adam Levitan (@adamlevitan) September 23, 2019

In what is currently projected to be the highest-scoring game on the slate according to FantasyLabs, Johnson has high-floor upside against a Chiefs defense that has allowed an average of 113.7 rushing yards to opposing backfields (fifth-most in NFL) and one rushing touchdown per game.

Austin Ekeler (LAC): $8,100 @ Miami Dolphins
This is the highest that Ekeler has been priced in 2019, and is likely the highest he *will* be priced given the news that Melvin Gordon has reported back to the team. Ekeler’s usage as the starting running back has been absolutely ridiculous. Here’s the thing though: This isn’t a fluke.

In 2018, Austin Ekeler ranked:

– 6th of 61 RBs in PFF Grade (83.6)
– 7th of 56 RBs in Elusive Rating (67.6)
– 6th of 56 RBs in Yards per Carry (5.23)
– 7th of 31 RBs in Yards per Target (7.62)

… and was better than Melvin Gordon in each stat.

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) September 26, 2019

Other notables:

Christian McCaffrey (CAR): $9,000 @ HOU

Rex Burkhead (NE): $5,600 @ BUF

Wide Receivers

Keenan Allen (LAC): $8,100 @ Miami Dolphins
The undisputed WR1 of the 2019 season gets the undisputed worst defense in the NFL. So far this season the Dolphins have allowed five different receivers to score a touchdown against them, despite only allowed one 100 yard receiver.

I’m going to venture a guess that both of those numbers increase this week. Last week Amari Cooper took Xavien Howard’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What do you think Allen will do?

Unrealized Air Yards (Air Yards – (Rec yards – YAC) and Unrealized Fantasy Points (Unrealized Air Yards*.1 + (Targets – receptions)) leaders through three weeks

Davante Parker, Marquise Brown, Mike Evans, somehow Keenan Allen, Christian Kirk & Sammy Watkins have more ceiling pic.twitter.com/vTfKib4AcS

— Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) September 24, 2019

Cooper Kupp (LAR): $7,000 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Rams are a better team when Kupp is playing. Jared Goff is a better passer when Kupp is playing. With the Buccaneers on the schedule this week, suffice to say, the Rams need to get Kupp the ball.

From 2017-2019, Jared Goff averages a passer rating of

– 101.0 in the 27 games Cooper Kupp has been active

– 85.7 in the 11 games Cooper Kupp has been inactive

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) September 25, 2019

Per Sports Info Solutions, Kupp has the most targets from any receiver in the NFL in the slot this season. Now he gets to face Vernon Hargreaves who has been torched by D.J. Moore and Sterling Shepard in back-to-back weeks.

Other notables:

Tyler Lockett (SEA): $6,600 @ ARI

Demarcus Robinson (KC): $6,700 @ DET

Tight Ends

Will Dissly (SEA): $5,400 @ Arizona Cardinals
Last week Greg Olsen was a cash game recommendation against the Cardinals. What did he end up doing? Well…the same thing that every tight end has done thus far against the Cardinals. He scored a touchdown (two to be exact).

This week Dissly gets his shot at the Cardinals. At his cost and projected ownership, it really comes down to how much chalk you want to eat with the Chargers’ skill players and a tight end against an atrocious defense. For whatever reason, I faded Olsen last week in my cash lineups. This week I won’t do the same. Until the Cardinals can prove otherwise, opposing tight ends get the green light in cash games.

Darren Waller (OAK): $6,700 @ Indianapolis Colts
Antonio Brown who? While the gazelle Tyrell Williams has done his fair share of damage to opposing secondaries, Waller has quickly become Derek Carr’s woobie. Over the first three games of the regular season, Waller has recorded 26 catches on 29 targets (!!!) for 267 receiving yards.

Last week against the Minnesota Vikings Waller was targeted early and often in a very early garbage time comeback attempt from the Raiders. Fortunately or unfortunately for the Raiders, they’re always in garbage time. Waller’s 29 targets have been spread out evenly too over the season. Eight targets in Week 1, seven targets in Week 2 and 14 targets against the Vikings in Week 3.

Other notables:

T.J. Hockenson (DET): $5,200 vs. KC

Evan Engram (NYG): $6,800 vs. WAS

Defense

Los Angeles Chargers DST: $5,300 @ Miami Dolphins
Until the Dolphins prove to be NFL competent, start defenses against them. It doesn’t matter who their quarterback is when their receivers are worse than Clifford Franklin.

Poor Josh Rosen pic.twitter.com/lmNqEusqPe

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) September 23, 2019

New England Patriots DST: $4,800 @ Buffalo Bills
The Patriots have not faced a team that had a win yet in 2019. If you think that diminishes the performance of their defense, it’s being incredibly short-sighted.

The #Patriots defense hasn’t given up a touchdown since last years AFC championship game. That’s:

– 8 months ago
– 249 days ago
– 119 Patriots points ago

The Dolphins have given up 133 points in just 3 games this year. pic.twitter.com/NqDfik3YFb

— Jordan Moore (@iJordanMoore) September 26, 2019

Granted, there’s been just one additional game that’s been played in that time-span, but the Bills aren’t exactly a high-powered passing attack. The two highest-priced defenses this week are priced that way for a reason. Safety in numbers.

Other notables:

Seattle Seahawks DST: $3,700 @ ARI

Create Optimal FanDuel lineups using our DFS Lineup Optimizer tool

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS

Matt Giraldi is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Matt, check out his archive or follow him @Mgiraldi.