I don’t believe I can really begin to talk about football without acknowledging what happened to Tua Tagovailoa last night in the Dolphins game against the Bengals. I’m a Native Hawaiian, have family there and like everybody from Hawaii, we all have an irrational love for other Hawaiians. I suppose every state has some kind of state pride, identity or culture. It may just feel like to me that most people aren’t aware of what that is for Hawaiians since most of the stereotypes are about the beaches, surfing or hula dancing. When really it’s an amalgam of shared histories between many different nations and parts of the world.
So from Tagovailoa to Marcus Mariota to DeForest Buckner, I have a soft spot for them all. I don’t have anything more interesting to say than what’s already out there and I’m not educated enough about head trauma or ways the NFL and NFLPA could better prevent these types of injuries. It was just a really gut-wrenching result and it’s a sobering reminder of what these athletes put on the line with every snap of the football. I’m wishing Tua all the best and I’m sure he’s receiving support from millions. And while I’m wishing people well, my heart goes out to those dealing with life after Hurricane Ian, including my former SI colleague Dr. Roto, who lives in that part of Florida.
So in this Week 4 Cheat Sheet, I don’t want to spend much time focusing on the marquee fantasy players across the league, and instead I want to focus on borderline players who are either at the end of your starting lineup, the end of your bench or near the top of a 12-team league’s waiver wire.
1. Chasing Chase Claypool
Relying on Diontae Johnson this season is stressful enough given he has yet to find the end zone. I’m asking you to ramp the anxiety up a notch by trusting Chase Claypool to have a great Week 4. Yes, the same Claypool who has a whopping 11 catches for 79 yards this season. I know it’s not easy to watch Mitchell Trubisky put a hard cap on this offense’s potential, but I’m drawn to this matchup because of the matchup against the Jets.
New York ranks 32nd in defense DVOA and 32nd in pass DVOA. In Week 1, they allowed Devin Duvernay and Rashod Bateman to combine for six receptions for 113 yards and three touchdowns. In Week 2, it was Amari Cooper’s turn, as he posted nine receptions on 10 targets for 101 yards and a score. Finally in Week 3, the Bengals trio of Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd combined for 15 catches on 22 targets for 227 yards and two scores.
Long story short, you should give all the Steelers wideouts a bump up in your rankings this week. We’re just hoping Trubisky can funnel some of that love to Claypool.
2. That’s Njoku For You
In Week 4, David Njoku and the Browns have the Falcons on tap. Atlanta’s TE points allowed thus far is a bit skewed because Taysom Hill rushed four times for 81 yards and a touchdown. Safe to say Njoku probably won’t get carries, let alone a long touchdown run. Njoku did not practice Thursday and the Friday injury report isn’t ready yet. It’s possible he won’t play because of a knee injury. If that’s the case, then apply what I’m saying to backup TE Harrison Bryant, who’s made a few plays this year.
I’m interested to see how the Falcons use LB Deion Jones this week as he likely will return from injured reserve. Atlanta has two pretty good coverage linebackers, Mykal Walker and Rashaan Evans, but inserting a rusty Jones into the starting lineup could create some busted coverage plays for Njoku to exploit. Atlanta ranks 24th in pass DVOA but that has more to do with a lack of consistent pass rush. Through three games, the Falcons have seven sacks and they’re ranked sixth-worst in pass rush grade by PFF. Jacoby Brissett is ninth in passer rating according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which is far better than most would give him credit for. We just have to hope Njoku is able to play this week.
3. My Week 4 Friggin’ Bums
Every week, I’ll highlight eight players (two at each position) that I like who are rostered in less than 50% of Yahoo leagues. You can think of them as desperation plays or salary punts in DFS contests.
- QB Cooper Rush, DAL (vs. WAS)
- QB Jacoby Brissett, CLE (at ATL)
- RB Ken Walker III, SEA (at DET)
- RB Craig Reynolds, DET (vs. SEA)
- WR Isaiah McKenzie, BUF (at BAL)
- WR Greg Dortch, ARI (at CAR)
- TE Hunter Henry, NE (at GB)
- TE Logan Thomas, WAS (at DAL)
4. Week 4 SI Fantasy Must-Reads
Before setting your lineups, make sure you check out some of the world-class fantasy lowdown from our SI Fantasy analysts:
