*Mike Barner*
Daily Fantasy Football Recommendations – Week 4
Week 4 is upon us and this is the last full week of games before bye weeks start Week 5. That means this is your last week for a while to have a full complement of players to choose from in DFS. Put your favorite daily fantasy football recommendations from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the NFL Player Lab.
**QUARTERBACKS**
Tom Brady vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $8,000
FanDuel = $9,500
Remember when the sky was falling after Brady threw for only 267 yards and no touchdowns Week 1? Brady shook off those worries in a hurry as he has thrown for 825 yards and eight touchdowns in two games since. Yeah, that will do. While the big performance in Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints was no surprise, he put up five touchdowns last week against a solid Houston Texans defense. Week 4 brings a favorable matchup against a Panthers defense who gave up three passing touchdowns last week against Drew Brees and the Saints. Brady is the most expensive quarterback of the week, but he’ll produce enough to warrant the price.
Carson Wentz vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Stadium – StubHub Center
DraftKings = $6,600
FanDuel = $7,600
Wentz’s numbers Week 3 don’t stand out as he threw for 176 yards and one touchdown. However, it should be noted that it came against a very talented Giants secondary who have one of the best trios of cornerbacks in the NFL. He didn’t throw an interception and posted a 67.7% completion percentage, making for a solid performance all things considered. He put up big numbers the first two weeks of the season, throwing for a combined 640 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. His mobility has also been a plus as he has 14 rushing attempts for 83 yards this season. At this mid-range price, I like Wentz to put up valuable numbers against the Chargers Week 4.
Tyrod Taylor vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
DraftKings = $5,300
FanDuel = $7,100
Taylor laid an egg Week 2 against the Panthers, but threw for at least 213 yards and two touchdowns in each of the other two games this season. While his passing yards aren’t overly impressive, he adds a lot of value with his legs as he already has 24 rushes for 106 yards this season. That’s always been a big part of his game as he has posted at least 95 rushing attempts and 568 rushing yards in both of the last two seasons. I like this matchup for Taylor because he’s going to need to produce to try and keep up with the Falcons high-scoring offense. If they get down big, he could be looking at a lot of pass attempts in the second half. At this price, Taylor is worth a shot Sunday.
**RUNNING BACKS**
Kareem Hunt vs. Washington Redskins
Stadium – Arrowhead Stadium
DraftKings = $8,500
FanDuel = $8,900
To say Hunt is off to a great start is an understatement. He has already posted 401 rushing yards, 137 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. His 8.5 yards per carry is insane and he also has caught all nine passes thrown his way. There was a lot of hype around him when Spencer Ware went down for the season, but even this start couldn’t have been expected. The Chiefs will continue to lean heavily on him Week 4 against the Redskins and I expect him to be up to the task.
Christian McCaffrey vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $6,800
FanDuel = $6,400
McCaffrey hasn’t been able to get much going on the ground the past two weeks as he only has 12 carries for 26 yards combined. He has failed to reach the end zone this season as well. However, his big value comes in the passing game as he has already received 23 targets this year. He exploded Week 3 against the Saints as he caught nine passes on 11 targets for 101 yards. The Panthers will be without tight end Greg Olsen again, meaning they need McCaffrey to continue to be a significant weapon in their passing attack. The Panthers are going to have to throw the ball a lot to keep up with the Patriots, meaning big production should be in store for McCaffrey.
Wendell Smallwood vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Stadium – StubHub Center
DraftKings = $4,100
FanDuel = $5,300
The Eagles offense was dealt a significant blow Week 3 when Darren Sproles was lost for the season with a broken arm and a torn ACL. Smallwood posted his best game of the season, rushing 12 times for 71 yards and catching one pass for nine yards. LeGarrette Blount is clearly the team’s power back and may see an increase in rushing attempts with Sproles down, but Smallwood should be more involved as well. Blount is not much of a receiving threat out of the backfield, so Smallwood may be counted on to produce more in that area. The Chargers have allowed the second most rushing yards in the NFL this season, so I think Smallwood could be a nice value play at a very cheap price.
**WIDE RECEIVERS**
Odell Beckham Jr. vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $8,900
FanDuel = $9,100
Beckham missed the first game of the season due to injury and was limited in Week 2 as he had only four receptions for 36 yards. His health improved for Week 3 and he cashed in big time, posting nine receptions on 13 targets for 79 yards and two touchdowns. It’s no coincidence that the Giants offense finally showed signs of life when Beckham was playing at his best. While he does a lot of questionable things when he scores or is on the sideline, his play between the lines is stellar. This is a very favorable matchup against the Buccaneers who allow the second most passing yards per game in the NFL. Beckham might be on in store for his first 100 yard game of the season Sunday.
Emmanuel Sanders vs. Oakland Raiders
Stadium – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
DraftKings = $6,100
FanDuel = $6,900
Sanders is coming off of a solid performance Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills where he posted seven receptions for 75 yards. The key stat though is that he received 15 targets, bringing his season total up to 29 targets over three games. Sanders has received at least 136 targets and recorded at least 1,000 receiving yards in three straight seasons, making him a very reliable option. He’ll take on a Raiders defense Sunday who has allowed the 10th most passing yards per game this season, so this has the makings of another valuable stat line.
DeVante Parker vs. New Orleans Saints
Stadium – Wembley Stadium
DraftKings = $6,700
FanDuel = $6,500
Parker has developed a nice chemistry with new quarterback Jay Cutler and has received at least nine targets in both games this season. He recorded eight receptions, 76 yards and a touchdown Week 3 against the New York Jets, an impressive line considering how much the Dolphins struggled on offense in the game overall. Week 4 brings a great matchup against the Saints as they have allowed the second most passing yards in the league. I’m rolling with Parker Sunday, especially at this reasonable price.
Devin Funchess vs. New England Patriots
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $5,300
FanDuel = $5,400
While the Panthers passing attack has struggled this season, Funchess has put up respectable numbers as he has 10 receptions on 18 targets for 146 yards overall. He had 371 receiving yards all of last season, so he looks to be well on his way to blowing past that mark. The Patriots have allowed the most passing yards in the NFL this season, some of which may be because teams have to throw so much to try and keep up with their offense. Expect much of the same Week 4, meaning Funchess has the potential to outproduce his price point.
**TIGHT ENDS**
Rob Gronkowski vs. Carolina Panthers
Stadium – Gillette Stadium
DraftKings = $6,600
FanDuel = $8,500
Gronk is back to his old tricks after struggling Week 1 against the Chiefs when he posted only 33 receiving yards. In two weeks since, he has 205 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots offense is firing on all cylinders right now and a healthy Gronk is a big reason for their success. Health is the only concern you should ever have with Gronk, but he’s fine heading into Week 4. Expect major production from him again against the Panthers.
Charles Clay vs. Atlanta Falcons
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Stadium
DraftKings = $3,700
FanDuel = $5,300
Clay hasn’t produced more than 53 receiving yards in a game this season, but he has scored a touchdown in two of three games. The Bills are lacking talent at wide receiver and Clay has become one of the more trusted targets for Taylor. In a game where the Bills will need to keep pace with the Falcons elite offense, they are going to need to throw the ball a lot. Considering Taylor’s comfort level with Clay, he’s a great option at this cheap price Sunday.
**DEFENSES/SPECIAL TEAMS**
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Jets
Stadium – MetLife Stadium
DraftKings = $3,600
FanDuel = $5,200
The Jaguars defense has been a bit inconsistent through the early part of the season as they allowed only seven points each in Weeks 1 and 3, but they allowed 37 points Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans. They have produced a lot of turnovers though as they already have four interceptions and four fumble recoveries for the season. While the Jets put up a solid offensive performance against the Dolphins last week, the Jaguars defense is a much tougher opponent. With the Jets lack of playmakers on offense, the Jaguars are an excellent option for your lineup Sunday.
New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium – Raymond James Stadium
DraftKings = $2,900
FanDuel = $4,300
The Giants defense was expected to be one of the better units in the league this season, but they have allowed at least 18 points in all three games this season. Surprisingly, they have allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL. Their offense has left them with some short fields and forced them to log a lot of snaps due to short drives this season, but I think the offense will play better again Week 4. Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston can be turnover prone, such as the three interceptions he threw against the Minnesota Vikings Week 3. If you need a cheap defense to fill out your lineup, I like the Giants chances to be improved this week.
