These are Fantasy Sleepers for Week 4! Which players Should YOU be adding to your rosters this week.
Fantasy Sleepers Week 4
Last week was an all-timer for this column. Devon Achane exploded to finish as RB1 overall on the week. Tank Dell had five catches for 145 yards and a TD. Luke Musgrave led Green Bay in targets and caught six of them.
This week is far more challenging. Yahoo managers have scooped up the players they should have (for the most part), but there are still lower rostered players who could deliver BIG fantasy performances.
Unless noted as a SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD, all players listed are available in 75% or more of Yahoo Leagues.
Quarterbacks
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD CJ Stroud | Houston (42%)
Stroud will be making his way into a few of my lineups and should be in consideration there in the future. Over the last two weeks, Stroud passed for 662 yards and four TD passes. He was named AFC Offensive Player of The Month- the first time a Texan won that award since Deshaun Watson in 2017. Stroud being available in 58 percent of Yahoo leagues seems like a big mistake. His trajectory is pointing up, and the Texans have been a high-volume passing attack.
Jimmy Garoppolo | Las Vegas (14%)
We see you, LA Chargers, and appreciate how you play defense. Here are the passing totals from opposing QBs against the Chargers this season: 367 (Kirk Cousins), 246 (Ryan Tannehill), and 466 (Tua Tagovailoa). Garoppolo is one of the best matchup-based plays on the week among all streaming QBs. The targets are extremely consolidated for the Raiders, with Garoppolo peppering Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers with targets. Last week against Pittsburgh, Garoppolo passed for a season-high 324 yards. He will have a chance to top that number in a shootout against the Chargers.
Jameis Winston | New Orleans (2%)
The revenge game narrative makes its way to the Sleepers column. Starting Winston in single QB leagues would take a giant leap of faith, but Superflex managers can strongly consider him. Winston faces off against the team who selected him with the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
The Bucs defense has been opportunistic, but they have given up two top 12 QB performances in three games. Will we see a very conservative Winston, managing the game? Or will we see a few deep shots? It does not hurt that Alvin Kamara makes his return to the lineup. He is always a threat to score on a reception.
Running Backs
Tyjae Spears | Tennessee (24%)
Spears caught a season-high four passes last week in Tennessee’s loss to Cleveland. For the second time this season, he played more snaps than Derrick Henry. The game flow certainly helped, but Spears’ role seems to be increasing. The Titans need a spark. Roster Spears wherever you can.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Elijah Mitchell | San Francisco (42%)
After missing Brandon Aiyuk in Week 3, San Francisco may be without another WR this week as Deebo Samuel is banged up. San Francisco are heavy favorites on the road against a plucky Arizona team. Christian McCaffrey has been sensational to start the season, but working in Mitchell to take the pressure off seems part of the big-picture plan. Last week, Mitchell had his best game of the season, with three catches and 42 rushing yards. Mitchell should have an even larger role and the chance to close out the game all 2nd half.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Matt Breida | New York Giants (26%)
A TD bailed out Breida, bailing out Fantasy Managers who had to start him on the road in San Francisco last week. This week, the matchup is much more fantasy-friendly. Seattle has given up four RB2 or better weeks this season in only three games played. If you need a 10-12 point type performance, Breida is capable. If you need anything more, look elsewhere. WARNING- this could flip on its head and be Gary Brightwell. Tread lightly.
Chuba Hubbard | Carolina (23%)
Miles Sanders is dealing with Pec and Groin issues. He looks set to play, but if he has any setback, Hubbard would be set to absorb considerable volume. If he is sitting on your Waiver Wire, consider grabbing him immediately. If Sanders were to miss games, Hubbard would be a helpful flex or low-end RB2. Stash him.
Kendre Miller | New Orleans (24%)
This is more of a stash recommendation than anything else. Kamara returns this week, but Miller should be rostered in many more leagues than he currently is. Miller has the handcuff role locked up, and he could turn that into a handcuff plus role.
Last week, Miller was quiet and unimpressive production-wise, but he is a talented player whose role should be more entrenched as he acclimates to the NFL. Roster him.
Wide Receivers
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Marvin Mims (39%) | Denver
STOP EVERYTHING. ADD MARVIN MIMS. ADD MARVIN MIMS. ADD MARVIN MIMS. Oh, he is rostered in your league? Trade for him. Do what you can to get some Marvin Mims. He is going to shine this weekend and have an expanded role. Mims is ELECTRIC. We will start him every week in the second half of the season. Get him on your team now.
SHALLOW LEAGUE ADD Rashee Rice (33%) | Kansas City
Rice had his most productive game of the season last Sunday and has the opportunity to build on it this week against the Jets. The Kansas City pecking order is shaping up, with Skyy Moore and Rice settling in behind Travis Kelce. The second-round pick has an ascending role attached to the best QB in the league. Add him if available.
Michael Gallup (18%) | Dallas
Gallup had his best performance since 2021 last Sunday, with six catches for 92 yards in Dallas’ loss to Arizona. Dallas has a tricky matchup against a tough New England defense. Oftentimes, we will see New England funnel an offense away from their best playmakers- and with CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard set to command a great deal of attention, Gallup could have another big day.
DJ Chark (17%) | Carolina
Chark is coming off of an 11-target performance where he caught four passes for 86 yards and a TD. Bryce Young will be back under center, but Chark could be in for another big day. Jonathan Mingo is out with a concussion, and Chark and Adam Thielen will see their fair share of targets headed their way.
Josh Downs (10%) | Indianapolis
Downs has been a target magnet through games, with at least five in every game, including 12 in Sunday’s win over Baltimore. Downs seems to have slipped through the cracks in many Yahoo leagues, with players like Tank Dell and Marvin Mims available this week.
While Downs has won on short and intermediate routes, he has big play ability. In three seasons at UNC, Downs had 22 TD receptions.
Rondale Moore (9%) | Arizona
Moore had an eye-opening performance in Arizona’s big win over Dallas, and he did it surprisingly fashion with 54 rushing yards and a TD. Moore also added four receptions for minimal yards. Kliff Kingsbury gave Moore the occasional WR sweep, but offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has Moore in an actual hybrid RB-WR role. This is not 2021 Deebo Samuel, but Moore has a shot to lead all WRs in rushing attempts. Moore could also eat in garbage time all second half, as Arizona is most likely trailing for a large portion of the game.
Darius Slayton (3%) and Wan’Dale Robinson (3%) | New York Giants
Seattle has been the second most generous team in football against opposing WRs. Last week, Chark and Thielen went nuts, combining for 231 receiving yards. Slayton is your bet for a long TD, while Robinson can do his thing on volume and low ADOT targets. Pick one if you are in desperation mode.
Tight Ends
Gerald Everett (32%) | Los Angeles Chargers
While most Sleepers articles will discuss Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston, I want to look at Everett. Everett had a season-high six targets and caught all of them last week, setting season highs in both. Donald Parham had two TD catches, but it is Everett who is running the majority of TE routes.
Fantasy managers who added Palmer or hope for a Johnston breakout game may walk away frustrated after watching Everett put up a big fantasy performance. (NOTE: Parham is also an interesting cheap/free stash.)
