What You Need to Know From Week 4

Cleveland 27 - Pittsburgh 24

• Deshaun Watson played well in his stiffest test yet to keep the Browns in first place. This team is playing for Todd Monken. Their offense is respectable, and Watson is harvesting the value of young talent at wide receiver and tight end. The Browns offense is actually going to support fantasy value this year if Watson keeps playing like this. He's a solid QB2/Superflex and high-floor streaming QB1 on the road against the Jets in Week 5.
• Quinshon Judkins was bottled up most of the night, but he scored and caught six balls, so his night was a success nonetheless. He's a solid RB2 play, and Raheem Sanders is playing well enough to have some upside as a pickup if Judkins were to go down.
• Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion Jr. and Harold Fannin Jr. are all startable while the Browns offense is functioning at this level. They are getting consistent enough target share and quality from Watson to be WR3/Flex and TE1 plays, respectively. Boston has a high weekly ceiling and is preferable in .5 and in non-PPR, and Concepcion has a higher weekly floor in PPR leagues. It also appears Fannin is Watson's favorite red-zone target after he scored his third touchdown of the season.
• If you guessed Aaron Rodgers filling the air with footballs as the Steelers 2026 Plan A, you were correct. Rodgers has put up good fantasy numbers in each of the last two weeks and has elevated himself to QB2/Superflex and streaming QB1 consideration against the Colts in Week 5.
• DK Metcalf posted his best game of the season yet (5-115) and will be a weekly WR3/Flex play as long as the offense is Rodgers-centric. 
• Roman Wilson has six targets in every game, and he has scored touchdowns in each of the last two. He's on our waiver wire watch list while Rodgers is flinging it like it's old times.
• Jaylen Warren was a strong lead back for the second straight week and should be considered a strong RB2 going forward. The team won't rely on him quite as much when Rico Dowdle is back from his toe injury, but he has clearly earned the lead back job.

Indianapolis 30 - Washington 13

• Both teams looked flat to start this game, and Marcus Mariota leaving the game with a knee injury didn't help.
• Daniel Jones was uneven against a weak Commanders pass defense. He didn't have Keenan Allen, but that didn't allow Josh Downs or Tyler Warren to post a big game in a good matchup. Downs is just a what-the-heck flex and Warren a low ceiling TE1 (with a PPR/TE premium target volume bump) against the Steelers.
• Jonathan Taylor put the offense on his back, and he is continuing to display the "league winner" form that was one of the biggest fantasy football stories of the first half of the season.
• Mariota aggravated a camp knee injury and will miss multiple weeks. 2026 seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis was surprisingly effective in the deep passing game (throwing on Sauce Gardner!), hooking up with Treylon Burks for a long score and Dyami Brown for another long gain in garbage time. Jayden Daniels should be back for the game against the Giants in Week 5, but Kaliakmanis will be a game competitor if he gets the call.
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt continues to be the least effective starting running back in the league. He's droppable. Austin Ekeler was the best back for Washington, and he was just signed right off the street. Rachaad White could have flex value once he's over his shoulder injury, but mostly this running game is a fantasy graveyard as expected.
• Stefon Diggs was quiet, but he should go back to being a solid WR3/Flex once Daniels is back, especially in PPR leagues. Daniels won't be running as much while playing with an injured left elbow, and the running game is anemic, so Diggs should get a lot of targets.

Dallas 34 - Houston 30

• The Cowboys were held to six points in the first half and then stormed to four touchdowns, with three drives of at least seven plays and 64 yards. The Texans defense isn't the shutdown unit we thought they would be, and the Cowboys offense is rounding into form. Dak Prescott is a solid QB1 against the Bucs on Thursday and hard to bench going forward.
• Javonte Williams was mostly bottled up, but he scored three times and caught five balls, so it was a week-winning kind of stat line anyway. He's a solid RB1 who should have been drafted a round earlier.
• The Texans had no answer for CeeDee Lamb, who Klayton Adams moved around the formation so well that Houston cited that as the reason they couldn't cover him. Lamb is playing at a level as high as we have seen him play at. He'll rival Jaxon Smith-Njigba for WR1 overall at this rate.
• George Pickens caught only two balls (one for 53), and he has yet to score this season. He has only 28 targets to Ryan Flournoy's 23 in a development that keeps Pickens in the WR3/Flex range, but with a high ceiling if teams decide to sell out to stop Lamb.
• C.J. Stroud and Nico Collins are going to have to carry the offense. They can at least keep the team in games and create fantasy value in the process. Collins could be a top five receiver, and Stroud is a streaming QB1 against the mediocre Titans pass defense. Give an assist to a Dallas pass defense that continues to be one of the easiest to solve. Tampa Bay UDFA rookie Jalon Daniels will take that test Thursday night.
• David Montgomery and Woody Marks are splitting a backfield that is one of the worst in the league for fantasy value. Neither is an essential hold in short bench leagues.

Chicago 23 - NY Jets 12

• Tyson Bagent started, and he was an effective ball-control quarterback. He got Rome Odunze involved more than he has been so far after starting the season at less than 100%, and fed Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland (who was this close to scoring for the second straight week). There will be more explosive passing game plays when Caleb Williams comes back, but this was still more than acceptable for a backup quarterback game. Bagent will start against the Packers in Week 5, and he's a low-ceiling QB2/Superflex play.
• Kalif Raymond was the odd man out in the target tree this week, but he is still a strong hold as a quality player in a quality offense.
• D'Andre Swift fumbled and also got stopped at the goal line on fourth down for the second time this season. Ben Johnson hinted that Swift was sore after the Monday night win over Philadelphia, so that could have played into this performance. Kyle Monangai ran angry for the rest of the game, mostly taking over the backfield. He had 30 carries for 146 yards and two scores (nearly notched a third). Monangai did leave the game with a thumb injury late, but early word is that it is minor. Monangai is a high-ceiling RB2, and Swift is an RB2/Flex against the Packers in Week 5 in a backfield that may have a fluid split week-to-week.
• Geno Smith and the Jets offense barely had the ball, with just over 17 minutes of time of possession and seven first downs. Everyone in the offense was a bust.
• Braelon Allen looked good in his clear lead back role and should still be at least a flex consideration against the Browns in Week 5.
• Kenyon Sadiq caught zero of his four targets in the loss. He can be dropped as it appears his Week 3 breakout was more about the frailties of the Lions pass defense.

New England 29 - Buffalo 26

• Drake Maye punched his way out of the corner as the Bills defense continues to leave the welcome mat out for opposing offenses. Maye had his most active game as a runner, and his only interception was on Romeo Doubs, who juggled the ball away. The Raiders defense is feisty, but Maye is back in our QB1 good graces for Week 5.
• Rhamondre Stevenson got the backfield touchdown as he and TreVeyon Henderson split the two red zone opportunities, and Henderson actually got 14 carries to Stevenson's 13. Stevenson was much more involved in the passing game than Henderson again as these roles appear to be set. Stevenson is at least a flex now that Maye has found his bearings, but Henderson is a mere what-the-heck flex with Stevenson injury upside.
• Mack Hollins was off to a strong start (3-53) before leaving this game with a calf injury. He'll probably miss time. Efton Chism III was his replacement with Kyle Williams' snap count actually going down. Chism caught two balls, including the game-winning score, but he's only a waiver wire watch list player in deep leagues.
• Doubs more than atoned for his mistake with a graceful one-handed touchdown, one of two on the day. He and Maye getting on the same page on the same day Maye got straightened out is not a coincidence. Doubs is a good pickup if he was dropped out of early-season frustration. He can be plugged in as a WR3/Flex against the Raiders this week and could have lasting value even after A.J. Brown returns in a month or so.
• Hunter Henry is back in consideration as a streaming TE1 from the waiver wire with Maye playing better. He posted a 5-62 line that is more than adequate if you had to play him out of desperation.
• Josh Allen was loose with the ball again, and the Patriots defense summoned up a bounceback performance after the Jaguars confounded them last week. Allen posted a floor game around 20 fantasy points, which is tolerable, but with DJ Moore also leaving this game with a shoulder injury aggravation that will likely sideline him for weeks, Allen is having trouble getting back to cruising altitude with the Rams up in Week 5.
• Keon Coleman replaced Moore and was very productive for the second time this season. He has Allen's trust on 50/50 balls, and Coleman should be a priority waiver pickup if he's available. If you have him, he's a high-ceiling WR3/Flex play in Week 5.
• Khalil Shakir's target and catch volume also spiked in this game, making him worthy of a pickup, especially in PPR leagues. If Allen is going to settle down without Moore on the field, that should involve a lot of targets to Shakir.
• The team lamented not targeting Dalton Kincaid more, so don't get too worried about his second straight dud. He still has a very high ceiling in a matchup with the Rams that should feature a lot of downfield passing.

Jacksonville 22 - Cincinnati 17

• Trevor Lawrence was efficient in this game, but the Jaguars' mistakes on offense bogged them down on field goal drives. Lawrence also didn't add value as a runner, so he was quiet for fantasy. It might be best to leave him on the bench against the Eagles in a London game, but Lawrence should heat up after that.
• Bhayshul Tuten had two touchdowns called back by penalty, and Chris Rodriguez Jr. got the rushing score on a breakaway run just outside of the red zone. Tuten continues to be an upside RB2 play, and Rodriguez is worth a bench spot because of the quality of this offense.
• Dax Hill did a good job on Parker Washington, who only caught one of his three targets for seven yards. Lawrence focused on tight end Brenton Strange as the Bengals are still not very good at covering tight ends. You can't use that to help you in Week 5 when they travel to Miami, but it might come in handy later this season. Washington is a bit more volatile than it looked like he would be after two weeks, but he's still a WR3/Flex at worst.
• This pass offense has been too low volume to support more than 1-2 strong plays, and that probably won't change against a compromised Eagles offense in Week 5.
• Joe Burrow threw the ball 54 times as the running game was nonexistent. Chase Brown ran for 10 yards on nine carries, but 71 yards on 11 receptions bailed out his fantasy day. Burrow threw for 428 yards, but only one touchdown against two interceptions. He also lost Ja'Marr Chase to a concussion when he was tackled by the facemask and Tee Higgins to an adductor injury after he took over in the passing game. Both are uncertain for Week 5.
• Dohnte Meyers - who once was a delivery driver to raise money to pay for a Canadian Football League tryout - caught seven balls and will be the top target if Higgins and Chase are out in Week 5. He's worth a pickup because the Dolphins pass defense has been very easy to solve this season.
• Mike Gesicki caught a touchdown for the third time this season. He's a viable streaming TE1 from the waiver wire against the defense that just allowed 13 catches to Hockenson. The starting wide receivers ailing only helps the case for playing Gesicki this week.

NY Giants 36 - Arizona 24