Is everyone awake now, following that overtime slugfest between Dallas and Green Bay on Sunday night? I’m certainly glad I waited to write the majority of this fantasy football article until the conclusion, with several players managing to go full nuclear in a 40-40 tie.
Week 4 was a charcuterie board with various types of results, both good and bad.
Rookies like Jaxson Dart, Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, Tyler Warren and Woody Marks managed to finish as top finishers at their respective positions. Veterans who have struggled to start the season finally found their groove (looking at you, Kyle Pitts and Patrick Mahomes). The injury bug continued to rear its ugly head, and questions remain on several wideouts struggling to validate their lofty draft costs (A.J. Brown, Ladd McConkey and Jameson Williams).
I hope that your results continually feature more studs than duds, as we wrap up the first quarter of the fantasy football season this evening with Monday night’s doubleheader.
- Waiver Wire Pickups
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Fantasy Football Studs & Duds: Week 4
Quarterbacks
Stud: Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
Many wondered what sort of results Dak Prescott would be able to produce, following the news that wideout CeeDee Lamb would miss several weeks due to a high-ankle sprain. It turns out that we shouldn’t have been terribly worried. In Lamb’s absence, George Pickens became the favored option in Dallas’ passing game, and his talents were on full display on the national broadcast.
Prescott completed 31-of-40 pass attempts for 319 yards and three touchdowns, adding a rare rushing touchdown to boot. Though he doesn’t offer the same point floor as other mid-tier QB1 options due to his lack of mobility, Prescott will continue to be the NFC’s version of Joe Burrow — a high-volume passer who will compile plenty of yards due to his team’s lackluster defense. Dallas squares off against the New York Jets in Week 5, who are surrendering the fourth-worst point total on defense in the league (31 points per game allowed). Prescott should continue to be relied upon as a weekly asset.
Stud: Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC)
Patrick Mahomes managed to turn back the clock and deliver a vintage performance on Sunday, ripping apart the beleaguered Baltimore Ravens secondary for 270 yards and four touchdowns, in a 37-20 victory. This marked his first game with multiple touchdown passes of the season — a feat he accomplished by functioning as a pocket passer, rather than scrambling each play and forcing himself to improvise throws when his protection broke down.
The healthy return of receiver Xavier Worthy gives Kansas City the ability to call multi-level pass plays again, and Mahomes’ situation will be in even better shape once Rashee Rice comes back in Week 7. Despite the Chiefs’ initial struggles, I’m optimistic Mahomes and co. are in for a significant rebound in the short term, even against three stout opponents over the next four weeks (Detroit, Jacksonville, Washington).
Dud: Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)
Justin Herbert was off to a stellar start this season, eclipsing the 300-yard passing mark in two of his first three games, with a pristine 6:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Against a 0-3 New York Giants team that many analysts had left for dead, Herbert was constantly under duress by a ferocious pass rush, forcing him to rush throws and commit multiple turnovers. The loss of left tackle Joe Alt in the first quarter was a major contributing factor, as Herbert’s blind side was a revolving door of pressure by defensive ends Abdul Carter and Brian Burns.
Herbert was able to salvage his day later on with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Quentin Johnston, but he failed to come close to his weekly projection. If Alt misses any significant portion of time, fantasy managers should be concerned that Los Angeles will revert to a run-first team that plays clock control, rather than relying upon Herbert’s arm talent.
Dud: Daniel Jones (QB – IND)
One of the biggest surprises of the early season is “Indiana Jones,” who had played stellar through the first three weeks of the season, propelling the Colts to a perfect record, while not committing a single turnover in the process. The clock finally struck midnight against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, and Daniel Jones turned back into a pumpkin. Unable to find any room scrambling (he accounted for -1 rushing yard on the afternoon), Jones completed 24-of-33 pass attempts for 262 yards, with one touchdown and multiple interceptions.
Jones’ final totals could have been significantly better if a 76-yard touchdown to Adonai Mitchell hadn’t been negated by a boneheaded fumbling mistake, but we digress. Jones will look to rebound against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5, against a secondary that ranks amongst the bottom 10 in the league in passing yards surrendered.
Running Backs
Stud: Ashton Jeanty (RB – LV)
There he is. After three consecutive weeks of lackluster production, Ashton Jeanty single-handedly kept the Raiders competitive against Chicago, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, adding another two touchdowns as a receiving outlet for quarterback Geno Smith. We were initially concerned that the Raiders staff would consider benching Jeanty after an early fumble. Thankfully, they understand his importance to the team’s offense.
The Chicago defense has been a “get right” button for many players this year, and the hope is that Jeanty will continue to shine in the immediate future, with contests against Indianapolis, Tennessee and Kansas City on the docket before the Raiders’ early Week 8 bye. It is paramount for rookie running backs to find their confidence early on, and this breakout effort should do wonders for Jeanty’s mental health after three quiet games to start his career.
Stud: Kenneth Gainwell (RB – PIT)
Jaylen Warren was a surprise early-morning scratch due to a knee issue in the overseas contest between Pittsburgh and Minnesota in Ireland, leaving fantasy managers scrambling to determine how the Steelers would proceed. Head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed that veteran Kenneth Gainwell would draw the start, with rookie Kaleb Johnson mired permanently within his doghouse. Gainwell responded in grand fashion, rushing for 99 yards on 19 attempts with two touchdowns, and adding six receptions for 35 yards in the passing game.
Gainwell’s success will only further the divide between him and Johnson as Warren’s primary backup. With Pittsburgh on a bye in Week 5 and no reports from beat writers or insiders marking Warren’s injury as a long-term problem, we’d anticipate that Gainwell returns to a backup role in Week 6, against a stingy Cleveland defense. He should still be rostered as one of the best handcuffs across the league, but has minimal standalone weekly value otherwise.
Dud: Derrick Henry (RB – BAL)
Derrick Henry came into Week 4 on the heels of multiple poor outings, with questions raised about ball security following several lost fumbles. Though we were hopeful he would be able to turn things around against a Kansas City rushing defense that was surrendering more than 125 yards on the ground per game, Henry was unable to get anything going, finishing the day with just 42 yards on eight carries. Baltimore only had 17 rushing attempts total, as they were playing from behind throughout the entire contest.
With quarterback Lamar Jackson now dealing with a hamstring injury, the short-term outlook for Henry is murky, at best. Theoretically, the Ravens should stick to a ground-and-pound mentality and lean on Henry as the cornerstone of their offense, should Cooper Rush be forced to start. That said, backup Justice Hill is the superior receiving threat, should the team fall behind yet again. Is this the beginning of the end for Henry or just a bump in the road?
Dud: Kyren Williams (RB – LAR)
Drafted as a mid-tier RB1 in August, Kyren Williams has struggled out of the gate, with just one rushing touchdown total through the first four games of the season, and (even more concerningly) limited usage in the passing game. Sunday’s 16 total touches marked a season-low, with backup Blake Corum continuing to be a thorn in William’s upside.
Los Angeles’ pass-heavy scheme should work in favor of Williams, but with the majority of targets being siphoned exclusively to wideouts Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, his diminished value as a receiving threat is noticeable. If the bulk of Williams’ touches solely come on the ground, he is best viewed as a low-end RB1. The Rams’ upcoming schedule offers several plus-contests against defenses that struggle to defend the run (namely, Baltimore in Week 6), allowing Williams an opportunity to rebound.
Wide Receivers
Stud: Puka Nacua (WR – LAR)
At this point, there is little left to say about how phenomenal Puka Nacua is and the consistent level of production he provides each week. Through four weeks, Nacua leads the NFL in targets (50), receptions (42) and receiving yards (503), despite opposing defenses knowing that he is the alpha option and cornerstone of the Los Angeles passing attack.
Nacua is just too talented to stop, even with constant double teams and safeties blanketing him deep. Should Nacua remain healthy for a full season, he is a near-lock for a top-five finish, if not the overall WR1 title. The Rams will lean on him to move the ball in critical situations, and he is matchup-proof.
Stud: Romeo Doubs (WR – GB)
I wanted to make a point of including Romeo Doubs here, since I’m sure he will be a key mention in waiver wire articles heading into Week 5. Doubs led all Green Bay receivers this week with eight targets, converting that into six receptions for 58 yards and three touchdowns. Working primarily on short and intermediate routes, Doubs was the favorite option for quarterback Jordan Love to utilize in a back-and-forth game against Dallas.
While the statistical explosion was exciting to see, I’m hoping that fantasy managers see this finish as an outlier, rather than a new standard. Green Bay has a plethora of receivers for Love to lean on, and two of their most talented options (Jayden Reed and Christian Watson) are set to return in the next few weeks. With the Packers on bye this week, I’d anticipate the team taking a top-down look at how targets have broken down in the early going and lean on tight end Tucker Kraft more moving forward.
Dud: A.J. Brown (WR – PHI)
After a rebound 6/109/1 effort in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, A.J. Brown’s managers were hoping for a continued level of high production, rather than Philadelphia choosing to ignore the passing game — again. If the Eagles continue to win in this fashion, they have little incentive to change things, which creates a significant problem for both Brown and fellow wide receiver DeVonta Smith.
Brown took to social media after the game’s conclusion, posting a somewhat cryptic message for attention. Will the squeaky wheel get greased again? Or Will Brown need to keep biting his lip and hope for increased usage when Philly finally faces an opponent who will force them to pass? The Eagles square off against divisional foe New York in two of the following four contests, and Brown has historically tormented the Giants’ secondary. View him as a buy-low candidate for now.
Dud: Brian Thomas Jr. (WR – JAX)
The fact that Brian Thomas Jr. finished with his best game of the year and still made the “duds” section of this list tells you everything about how his 2025 campaign is going. Thomas hauled in five receptions on seven targets for 49 yards, but continues to be mired in mediocrity amidst a Jacksonville offense that has been increasingly run-heavy to start the 2025 season. Competing for targets alongside Travis Hunter, Brenton Strange and both running backs has capped his upside, turning him into the poster child for a sophomore slump.
I’m hopeful Thomas can gain confidence from this effort and put his early-season drop issues behind him, as the Jaguars head into a massive showdown with Kansas City for next Monday’s primetime matchup. Jacksonville would do itself a favor by remembering how dangerous Thomas is, and how he can completely take over a game when afforded the opportunity.
Tight Ends
Stud: Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)
Sure, technically Dallas Goedert and Tyler Warren had slightly better performances, but how many times this season will I be able to feature Kyle Pitts as a top-five finisher? Pitts finished Sunday afternoon with five receptions for 70 yards and a touchdown against Washington, and continually flashed glimpses of why he was considered the next “big thing” at the position coming out of college.
The hope is that Atlanta will come to its senses during their Week 5 bye and realize that tertiary targets like Ray-Ray McCloud and Casey Washington should be passed over in favor of looks to Pitts instead, especially after this outing. Atlanta returns to action against Buffalo and San Francisco, and I’m anxious to see how incorporated into the offense Pitts is.
Dud: T.J. Hockenson (TE – MIN)
Like many analysts, I was excited about T.J. Hockenson’s prospects for 2025, with J.J. McCarthy at the helm and now fully healthy. Perhaps expectations should have been tempered. During Sunday’s outing in Dublin against Pittsburgh, Hockenson was a total afterthought, not securing a catch until the Vikings’ first drive in the fourth quarter.
Quarterback Carson Wentz clearly favors throwing to wide receivers and running backs instead, and the return of Jordan Addison only complicates matters further. Considering his draft cost, I’ll continue to trot Hockenson out there as a top-10 option at the position, but I would not fault anyone searching for alternative choices.
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