FantasyPros Staff | Fri, Sep 26th 2025, 3:12am EDT

Fantasy Football Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Sleepers (Week 4)

If fantasy football were easy, we’d all be 3-0 and pretending we’re masterminds who saw everything coming. Instead, most of us are staring at our benches, wondering why we started the guy with three targets instead of the one who went off for 120 yards. That’s where the Featured Pros step in. They’ve done the homework (and spared you the regret) with their Week 4 Sleepers and Duds list, so you can feel smart without actually having to be psychic.

Fantasy Football Week 4 Start/Sit Advice

Sleepers

Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?

Ollie Gordon (RB – MIA)

“Ollie Gordon seems like a good pick for this week. The Dolphins face the Jets on Monday Night as part of a doubleheader, so Gordon and the Dolphins will have a lot of rest after their Thursday night game last week. The Jets only allowed 78 yards on 30 carries to running backs against Tampa Bay, which isn’t amazing. However, with the disarray that Miami is in, I expect them to need a spark. I think Gordon will be that spark. His ECR of RB38 and 109 overall makes him a fine sleeper option for me this week.”
– Andrew Hall (FantasyPros)

Dontayvion Wicks (WR – GB)

“While I’ve gone on record calling for Matthew Golden to have a breakout performance Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, Dontayvion Wicks is an underrated flex option. Last week, he tied Golden for the team lead among wide receivers in targets (four) while leading in target per route run rate (21%). More importantly, Wicks is Green Bay’s best downfield threat, meaning he only needs one big play to score double-digit fantasy points. Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys have arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL. Last week, the Chicago Bears’ wide receivers scored 54.4 PPR fantasy points against the Cowboys. DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden III each had at least 12.8 fantasy points. Furthermore, Odunze and Burden each had a touchdown of at least 35 yards last week.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)

“If there is ever a week to be gutsy and play Dontayvion Wicks, this might be it. Despite not being able to catch a cold last year, Wicks has yet to record a drop in 2025. This includes a few very difficult grabs this season. With Jayden Reed out with a broken collarbone, Wicks could see an increase in volume. This week, they face a Cowboys team that puts the L’s in Dallas. This squad is miserable and should get torched even if DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs both play. If you need an upside play with a floor of four fantasy points, Wicks could be your guy this week.”
– Ellis Johnson (FantasyPros)

Rashod Bateman (WR – BAL)

“Rashod Bateman is shaping up to be an excellent sleeper candidate heading into Week 4. While his early-season performances were quiet, he showed significant improvement in Week 3 with an impressive game against the Lions. In that matchup, he caught five of seven targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. This performance earned him a solid fantasy score and also showed an upward trend in his usage within the Ravens offense, especially as Lamar Jackson is spreading the ball among his receivers. In Week 4, the Ravens are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs in what is likely to be a high-scoring game, an ideal game script for Bateman to build on his recent performance.”
– Luke Renton (The Franchise Tag UK)

KaVontae Turpin (WR – DAL)

“Sign me up for as many KaVontae Turpin shares as I can have! Turpin has finished as WR24 and WR39 the last two weeks, respectively, and now faces off against the Green Bay Packers in what should be a shootout. On top of that, with the injury to CeeDee Lamb, he should be getting extra targets his way for the next few weeks.”
– Trevor Land (FlurrySports)

Jalen Tolbert (WR – DAL)

“Jalen Tolbert had 98 yards last week and saw a bigger bump in opportunity than Turpin. With CeeDee Lamb out and bye weeks approaching, he is an add to consider, given his six targets in Week 3. The Cowboys’ defense is awful; you want to attack them in fantasy. I also want pieces of this passing attack with potential shootouts each week. Bonus: Parker Washington.”
– David Heilman (Sports Gambling Podcast Network)

Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)

“Stop me if you have heard this story before… Mark Andrews starts slow, and owners are freaking out about what to do with the star tight end! Don’t forget that the story ends with him coming alive and ending the 2024 season with 11 touchdowns! Well, here we go again, but this time he came back to fantasy relevance sooner. From the onset of the Monday night game, Baltimore targeted Andrews, and he showed out to the tune of 6 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns! He is Lamar Jackson‘s favorite and best target, and going forward, he will be the player that is leaned on to help lead the receiving corps in Baltimore.”
– Adam Dove (The Fantasy Couriers)

“Mark Andrews reminded us in Week 3 that he’s still a useful fantasy asset, going for 91 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. Andrews went into Week 3 ranked behind Juwan Johnson in the Expert Consensus rankings. Andrews has been a top-five TE for more than half a decade. Ranking Johnson ahead of Andrews was like turning down a job candidate with a great resume and hiring a guy with a sparse resume but a firm handshake. Andrews is still worth starting.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)

Zach Ertz (TE – WAS)

“Zach Ertz (Flex Rank 102) is a sneaky sleeper for Week 4 with Terry McLaurin nursing a quad injury and Jayden Daniels potentially sidelined. If Marcus Mariota starts, expect Ertz to be featured on stick routes and short option concepts that suit Mariota’s timing-based rhythm. Atlanta has struggled against tight ends this season, making this a 5-star matchup for the veteran. Ertz’s experience and reliability give him a strong chance to capitalize on increased volume. He’s a low-cost flex play with touchdown upside in a game that could quietly tilt pass-heavy.”
– Lawrence Iacona (Gridiron Experts)

Tyquan Thornton (WR – KC)

“The caveat here is IF Xavier Worthy misses his third straight game Sunday, Tyquan Thornton absolutely becomes an intriguing play against the Ravens. The Chiefs’ offense has been off thus far; however, Thornton has stood out. Through three weeks, all without Worthy, Thornton has played at least 70% of the snaps in all three games and has finished inside the top-30 in two of those three occasions. Kansas City will need to put up points in this game to avoid going to 1-3, and if there is no Worthy this week, the pathway to offensive success may come through Tyquan Thornton.”
– Ed Birdsall (Talking Points Sports)

“Tyquan Thornton’s 76% snap share and 14% target share have led the Chiefs over the past two games. It appears Xavier Worthy may return to action this week, but only in a “limited role,” meaning we likely shouldn’t factor him into the equation too much (although it’s worth noting he would likely play a similar role to Thornton’s and potentially take snaps away from him). The Chiefs host the Ravens this week in a game with the third-highest over/under this week. We have seen Baltimore’s defense gashed by the Bills and Lions this year, and it is expected that the Chiefs will need to score to keep pace. Thornton is a high-variance play, but if your lineup needs some juice, his big-play ability may be able to supply it. Per PlayerProfiler, he currently leads the NFL in deep targets, aDOT, and is 3rd in air yards. Thornton’s stats are being somewhat held down by the fact that he is also 2nd in the league in unrealized air yards (193).”
– Charlie Sisian (The Fantasy DC)

Christian Kirk (WR – HOU)

“Christian Kirk, wide receiver for the Houston Texans, is a compelling fantasy football sleeper option for Week 4. After missing the first two games due to a hamstring injury, he returned in Week 3 and played 67% of the offensive snaps. During that game, he was targeted eight times, second only to Nico Collins, and caught three passes for 25 yards. Christian Kirk faces the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. The Titans’ defense has struggled against the pass, allowing significant yardage to opposing wide receivers. This presents a favorable matchup for Kirk to further establish himself as a key contributor in the Texans’ passing game. Given his involvement in the offense and the favorable matchup, Christian Kirk is a solid sleeper pick for fantasy managers looking to capitalize on emerging opportunities.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

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