Week 4 is here, and with it comes countless injuries and the first bye week for a couple of teams. Number one fantasy QB Tom Brady and number 1 TE Rob Gronkowski are both taking a break this week, which means you’ll have to find someone else. You might feel your season is already doomed, but fantasy football is won week-to-week. Breakout players are there. It is just a matter of picking them up before anyone else does and using them. Here is the latest edition of Start/Sit.
Quarterback
Start: Tyrod Taylor (BUF)
Taylor has been a huge surprise for the Buffalo Bills this year. Whoever the Bills were to start this year, the plan seemed to just get the ball in the playmaker’s hands, especially LeSean McCoy. Taylor has shown the poise of a seasoned veteran, despite these past three weeks being his first three career starts. Expect him to shine and add to the running game against the Giants with LeSean McCoy out.
Andy Dalton (CIN)
Andy Dalton is the third best fantasy quarterback this year. Go ahead and read that sentence again. The so-called overrated QB who can’t win a playoff game has looked better than ever this season. This week the Bengals play the Chiefs, who just gave up 5 touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers. Surprisingly enough, both Dalton and Taylor are available in almost a third of ESPN leagues. Add them if either is still available and put them in your lineup this week.
Sit: Matthew Stafford (DET)
Stafford hasn’t looked like himself this year, and playing against the Seahwaks, who now finally have Kam Chancellor back at safety, certainly won’t help. Stafford has had as many picks as touchdowns and can’t seem to find anyone deep. With superstars in the secondary for Seattle, it definitely won’t be any easier this week.
Running Back
Start: Melvin Gordon (SD)
Newsflash: you can run the ball on the Browns. The Browns are last in rushing defense are giving Cleveland fans another reason to be depressed. Gordon has improved every week and should be able to find the end zone for the first time ever. Even though Danny Woodhead will still likely catch more balls than him, Melvin should be able to gain many yards on first and second downs. In reality, former Brown Peyton Hillis could be in the backfield for the Chargers and they’d still do fine.
Karlos Williams (BUF)
As I mentioned before, the plan before the season for the Bills was to give the ball to McCoy until he couldn’t run anymore. He hasn’t looked spectacular this year and actually can’t run this week as he is out with a hamstring injury. Fifth round pick Williams has looked much better this year in limited time. He has earned a very high 8 yards per carry and got a touchdown each game. Another touchdown seems likely this week, and a start is a must.
Sit: Lamar Miller (MIA)
Miller has been dealing with an ankle injury all year, but he would still end up this list regardless of the injury. Miller has never really separated himself as a clear starter in Miami, and now New England reject Jonas Gray has stepped up and has earned more playing time. Although, no Dolphin running back should expect to do too much against the Jets defense this week in London.
Doug Martin (TB)
The Buccaneers are clearly moving forward with Jameis Winston, and are letting him have full control of the offense. Tampa Bay hasn’t thrown the ball this much since the Jeff Garcia era, and they don’t seem to be slowing down one bit. Martin is losing many carries because of this and isn’t usually on the field to catch the ball. Even without Luke Kuechly, the Panthers defense still excels against the run, and they shouldn’t even have to worry against the Bucs.
Wide Receiver
Start: Marvin Jones (CIN)
As I said before, Andy Dalton is on fire (insert awful red hair joke here). A.J. Green had a career game last week, and even though the Chiefs have not been successful against the pass, they likely practiced and game-planned for Green all week. Eric Berry will more than likely be on Green’s side of the field, freeing up space deep for Jones, who has 3 touchdowns this year.
Amari Cooper (OAK)
Cooper showed why the Raiders picked him in the top 10 in the draft in the past two weeks. He and QB Derek Carr look like they have been together for years. So far, the Bears have made Larry Fitzgerald look 5 years younger and make Randall Cobb look like 2010 Greg Jennings. Cooper should have another strong performance like what he showed last week.
Sit: Terrance Williams (DAL)
Williams was supposed to be the top receiver for the Cowboys after star Dez Bryant went down, but the story has changed. Tony Romo got hurt, and now the Cowboys are stuck with either Brandon Weeden or Matt Cassel. Weeden wasn’t overly awful last week, but he always looked unsure of what to do. Most of the time, he decided to take it easy and check down to Jason Witten or Lance Dunbar. I wouldn’t expect much from deep threat Williams as long as Romo is out.
Rueben Randle (NYG)
Randle was viewed as a solid flex option coming into the year with Victor Cruz out and Odell Beckham Jr. facing double coverage. However, he and Eli Manning seem to have lost some of the chemistry established in the second half of last season. Randle hasn’t been a consistent play all year and shouldn’t be this week.
Tight End
Start: Charles Clay (BUF)
What? Three Bills players in one week? The Giants defense isn’t the same as their two-time Super Bowl winning defense, it’s the one with the guy with one and a half hands. Clay wasn’t a great fantasy option before last week, but he still on the field more than other tight end in the league and is an integral part in the Bills offense. Don’t treat last week’s performance as a fluke because he was more motivated to play against his old team last week. Coach Rex Ryan has assured that Clay will continue to have a bigger role.
Jordan Reed (WAS)
Somehow, Reed was unowned in one of my leagues, and I picked him up immediately. I have Gronk, and needed someone to at least try to replace him. Reed is second in receptions and is a close third in yards among tight ends this season. Expect Reed to have a good day against the Eagles this week.
Sit: Eric Ebron (DET)
For many of the same reasons for sitting Stafford, Ebron is not a good option for this week. The Seahawks prevented talented Bears TE Martellus Bennett to get anything going last week, and this week Kam Chancellor will be on the field to help Bobby Wagner (as if he needed any help) guard Ebron.