Hopefully, you found success with our picks last week and are back for week 4 of our Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em series for 2020. Week 2 was a mixed bag. I said Ronald Jones, but did caveat it with saying the Tampa RB. Meanwhile, Carson performed well out of the backfield, so mixed success after a good Week 1.
Our Week 4 Start ‘Em and Sit ‘Em selections for 2020 are chosen deliberately for players that I’ve seen people questioning. Slam dunk starts and sits aren’t going to be included. You should always be starting those guys.
If you have a particular start/ sit question then you can always check out our weekly rankings page, or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. I answered all of you that reached out last week, I will always try to get to every single one of you.
Start ‘Em
Joe Burrow v JAX
Burrow has been playing well this season. Against the Eagles last week he threw for 312 yards and 2 TDs. Infact, he is yet to score less than 20 points in each of the games that he has played this season. The Bengals now matchup against Jacksonville, who on paper at least, is the easiest matchup the rookie has had.
Ryan Fitzpatrick v SEA
Fitzpatrick is a name that I think you should start this week. The matchup is great- with Seattle giving up an average of 28.7 points to the position this season. However, Fitzpatrick feels almost like a ticking time-bomb for a huge disappointment for a week. Despite the risk, I’m still willing to put him in if I need an upside starter for the week.
Kenyan Drake @CAR
What a surprise, another RB start against the Carolina Panthers. This week, it’s the turn of the Arizona Cardinals. Drake has disappointed this season from his draft cost, but this is a get right game. The Panthers have given up an average of 32.2 points to the position, but crucially, 7 TDs this season on the ground- which leads the league.
James Robinson @CIN
Robinson is the type of player I love to watch. Great backstory, coming in as and UDFA and just running with the starting job. Robinson seems like the RB that the Jaguars have wanted and needed, and now has a great matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals have given up over 150 yards to the position this season, with an average of 26.8 points. This feels like another game to slot him into your lineup.
Allen Lazard & Marquez Valdes-Scantling @ATL
I’m hedging here a little bit, as I don’t know which one of these two players is going to have a good game. The Falcons secondary is not good. In fact, it’s awful. The team has given up an average of 32 points to the position. Even if Davante Adams ends up playing, there will be plenty of points to go around.
Odell Beckham @DAL
Beckham used to be an automatic starter, but he now feels like a matchup-type. The issue being volume for the passing game. However, Dallas have found some success against stopping RB production this season. That might mean the team need to air it out a little more (which is one reason to stream Baker Mayfield this week)
Dalton Schultz v CLE
Schultz took the opportunity of Blake Jarwin’s injury and has run with it. He had a fantastic game against Atlanta, catching nine passes for 88 yards and a TD, but feel back to earth against Seattle. The Cleveland Browns are one of the worst units in defending the position, so this feels like a great start this week.
T.J. Hockenson v NO
Hockenson has had an unspectacular start to the season, but it has been somewhat solid. Hockenson has had an average of 4 receptions for 57 yards per game this season, but has only recorded a single TD this season. The New Orleans Saints are a good matchup for TE’s though- infact they have given up the most points to the position this season.
Jake Elliott @SF
The Eagles offense is not effective (and more crucially, not fit). However, they are still able to move the ball in stages. That should mean plenty of opportunity for their kicker to attempt some long-range kicks.
Rodrigo Blankenship @CHI
Blankenship wasn’t in this column last week, but that was because I expected him to have several PAT attempts instead of FGs. However, against a stout Bears defense, I could see that changing. The Colts might find situations where they settle for FGs, meaning Blankenship is a great option for the week.
Los Angeles Rams v NYG
The Rams struggled against Buffalo, but still managed to get four sacks and two turnovers. Against the porous offensive line that the Giants have, I’d expect the sacks number to increase. If the team get enough pressure to Jones it’s a decent bet that the turnovers will be there too.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v LAC
Selecting Tampa seems odd to me because they don’t feel like a great defense- but they are. Tampa has recorded 12 sacks so far this season, to go alongside 4 INTs and 4 fumble recoveries. A matchup with the Chargers offensive line could mean trouble for rookie QB Justin Herbert. If they bring the heat, the rookie has shown he can make errors.
Sit ‘Em
Nick Foles v IND
So Foles has been announced as the team’s starter (at least for this week) but this is not the week to play him. The Colts have given up an average of just 8.7 points to the position, and lead the league in interceptions. That could be due to the teams that the Colts have played, but I’d still stay away.
Philip Rivers @CHI
My other sit is in the same game. Rivers has had some good matchups this season, but is yet to have a top fantasy performance. He now faces the Chicago Bears, who are one of the most effective defenses against the position this season. The unit has only conceded two TDs so far this season. If you have the ability to look elsewhere, you should.
Leonard Fournette v LAC
Fournette feels like one of the riskiest backs to put in your starting lineup this season. Tampa Bay are due to face up against the Chargers this week that just got torn apart by Mike Davis, but they are still the best unit in the league against the position. With Tampa Bay looking for Mike Evans in the red zone, instead of rushing the ball, Fournette feels like a bad start this week.
Myles Gaskin v SEA
Gaskin has been a popular pickup in leagues recently, but I’m avoiding him in this game. Seattle has been effective at stopping RBs this season, giving up an average of just 13 points to the position. With Miami still using Jordan Howard at the goal line, Gaskin feels like a bad start.
Terry McLaurin v BAL
This matchup is rough for Washington. The Ravens defense are an effective unit, and really only have to deal with McLaurin’s threat through the air. There is a chance he takes a single reception for a long TD, but if I could pivot to another option this week, I would.
Stefon Diggs @LV
Diggs has really hit the ground running in Buffalo, but this could be a tough matchup for him this week. The Raiders have been a tough defensive unit, giving up just 16.6 points to the position this season and only one TD. I’d dampen my expectations of a big week.
I said last week, I’m not going to include Rob Gronkowski anymore here. Until mentioned otherwise, assume he is a sit.
Jimmy Graham v IND
Graham is one player I have gone back and forth on this week. The Bears new QB loves TE’s. The offense works with TE’s performing well, but yet he finds himself on my sits? This comes down to the matchup. The Colts are the best team against defending TEs, giving up an average of just 1.1 points to the position. If Graham does well in this match, then I’ll believe.
Hayden Hurst @GB
Hurst hasn’t lived up to expectations this season. Coming into the year, I thought Hurst was going to be great. But we are yet to see it. Despite starting last week with a TD, Hurst ended up being an after-thought for the offense. Facing Green Bay next, who are a good unit against the position, if you can find a streaming option I’m here for it.
Graham Gano @LAR
The Giants are just not a good team right now. They weren’t good with Saquon Barkley, without him this is a tough start. The Rams defense should be able to get to Daniel Jones enough that the team is forced to make long-range attempts. Gano has hit some in the past but is inconsistent at that range.
Joey Slye v ARI
Slye was decent last week, so this was a miss for me last week. However, I really didn’t expect the Panthers to give the Chargers that much of a game. I don’t think they will manage that against the Arizona Cardinals, so I’m going to include him this week.
New England Patriots @KC
The Patriots DST have had a great opening to the season. That will lead many to think they are the unit they were last year- but they aren’t. The Patriots are a sit this week against the best offense in the league. If you can keep them on the bench that would be ideal with Denver next week.
Minnesota Vikings @HOU
The Vikings DST is a shadow of what it used to be. The team has only recorded four sacks in the year, as they struggle to get the QB. They have also only forced 3 turnovers this season. Houston isn’t a great offense, but Deshaun Watson should still be able to avoid getting sacked in this game and lead the team’s offense.
So that’s it for our 2020 Week 4 version of Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em. Remember, you can always reach out to us for help in setting your lineup. Check out our weekly rankings page, or reach out to us on any of our social media channels. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Remember, if you want something more specific to your league- reach out!
Image Credit: Douglas DeFelice – USA TODAY Sports
