Week 4: Sleepers | Busts | Buy-Low, Sell-High players
Superstars are difficult to keep out of your fantasy lineups, but a stretch of poor games or a bad matchup warrants doing just that (or at least thinking about it). Here are five potential busts who fit that bill. For all of your final lineup decisions, be sure to check out Start ’Em, Sit ’Em and my weekly fantasy rankings, which are updated daily throughout the season.
Note: Starting percent from Sleeper. Quarterbacks listed are being started in at least 40 percent of leagues. All other positions listed are being started in at least 50 percent of leagues.
Fantasy Starters Who Could Bust In Week 4
Javonte Williams, RB, at Texans (95% started): It’s difficult to justify sitting Williams in most leagues right now, especially with all the recent injuries to running backs, but I would temper expectations of him against the Texans. Their defense has held superstars Jonathan Taylor (9.2 points), James Cook (9.9 points) and Chase Brown (11.2 points) to modest stat lines, and no team has allowed fewer Expected Points Added to running backs. This could be a rough week for Williams.
Texans defense bringing the heat 🗣️
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Omarion Hampton, RB, at Seahawks (81% started): Let’s be honest, how many Chargers offensive players can you trust right now? Their offense appears to be broken, and the backfield is split up even more between Hampton, Keaton Mitchell and Kimani Vidal. Hampton also has a tough road matchup against the Seahawks, who have allowed just 2.9 yards per rush and the fourth-fewest fantasy points per touch. As a result, Hampton is a riskier fantasy option.
DJ Moore, WR, vs. Patriots (75% started): Moore will be started in plenty of fantasy lineups this week, so consider this more of a heads-up than a must-sit. That’s due to his tough matchup against Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has been shadowing the opponent’s top wide receiver in most snaps this season. He shadowed DK Metcalf nearly 90% of the time in Week 2. Assuming we see Moore get the shadow treatment this week, he could struggle to post a strong stat line.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, vs. Patriots (86% started): Admittedly, I was dead wrong about Kincaid last week … despite a hot start and a good matchup, he put up a stinker against the Chargers. And while I know he’ll start in most leagues, this week’s matchup against the Patriots isn’t favorable. After three weeks, no defense has allowed fewer fantasy points to the position. Also, only 17.2% of opposing targets have gone to tight ends against New England.
More Players To Beware
- Jalen Hurts vs. Rams (72% started): Hurts was held to just 12.6 points by the Bears last week; faces a potentially tough matchup against Aaron Donald and the Rams.
- Drake Maye at Bills (42% started): The Patriots offense is averaging 12 points per game. Maye hasn’t played well either, with a mere 63.8 completion percentage.
- Cam Skattebo vs. Cardinals (93% started): The Giants had four field goals last week without Jaxson Dart, and Arizona has allowed the eighth-fewest points to running backs.
- Ladd McConkey at Seahawks (79% started): The Seahawks have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers and the seventh-fewest to the slot.
