Early Week 4 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers

Admin September 23, 2024

Week 3 was another joyful experience for most fantasy managers.

Malik Willis, Andy Dalton, and Sam Darnold were the QB4, QB5, and QB6, respectively. Chuba Hubbard, Zach Charbonnet, and Emmanuel Wilson were all RB1s. Jauan Jennings, Tre Tucker, and Jakobi Meyers were top-10 wideouts. And the tight end group was a complete cesspool of fecal matter.

With many already looking ahead to next week, here’s a look at my way-too-early Week 4 fantasy football rankings. Toggle between standard, half PPR (point per reception), and full PPR to see where players rank in your league’s format.

Our team at USA TODAY Sports has you covered with plenty of content to help with your Week 4 lineup and roster decisions. Wondering who the best waiver-wire claims are? We have that covered. Need to know what players you can drop? We have that as well. We also have a list of the 10 best buy low/sell high candidates for this week.

Please note: These rankings will change significantly as the week goes on. Check back on Sunday morning for final updates.

Week 4 fantasy football quarterback rankings

Risers

Caleb Williams – He faces a Rams defense that has allowed the most points to opposing quarterbacks.
Trevor Lawrence – The Texans have allowed finishes of QB6 and QB4 in two of their three games.
Baker Mayfield – Has finished as a top-five quarterback in two of three games. The Eagles are not an intimidating matchup.

Fallers

Patrick Mahomes – Has not finished higher than QB12 in eight straight games and 11 of his last 12. He shouldn’t need to throw much against a banged-up Chargers team.
Anthony Richardson – Upside is there but Richardson has posted QB21 and QB27 finishes over his last two games. The Steelers have allowed the fewest fantasy points to the position.
Matthew Stafford – He’ll still be without his top weapons and the Bears have held C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson to a combined 21.4 fantasy points over the last two weeks.

Week 4 fantasy football running back rankings

Risers

Kyren Williams – He’s fresh off a three-touchdown game and the Bears have allowed two top-12 finishes in three weeks.
Najee Harris – He has handled at least 18 touches in every game. The Colts front allowed Joe Mixon and Josh Jacobs to eat them alive in the first two games.
Chuba Hubbard – A better quarterback for the Panthers resulted in an RB5 finish for Hubbard on 26 touches. The Bengals are no cakewalk but that kind of volume makes for a plug-and-play RB2.
Alexander Mattison – Touchdowns have helped, but Mattison has now been a top-20 fantasy back in two of the first three weeks. He’s worth considering in flex spots, especially in PPR formats.

Fallers

J.K. Dobbins – The Chargers might be without Justin Herbert and both of their starting tackles against a Chiefs squad that’s held Derrick Henry and Bijan Robinson to 10.6 and 12.2 half-PPR points, respectively.
Rachaad White – His carries have dropped from 15 to 10 to 6 through three games. Bucky Irving has earned more reps, according to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles.
D’Andre Swift – Over the last two weeks, Swift has finished as the RB37 on 18 touches and the RB38 on 15 touches. It’s only a matter of time before he starts losing work to more talented backs on the Bears depth chart.
Zamir White – His best finish on the season has been RB41. He’s droppable in most leagues.

Week 4 fantasy football wide receiver rankings

Risers

Marvin Harrison Jr. – After dropping a dud in Week 1, Harrison has 194 yards and three tuddies in his last two games. He’ll face a Commanders secondary that ceded 18.3+ half-PPR points to three wideouts through Week 2.
D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze – Both could feast versus a Rams team that has allowed Jameson Williams (WR5), Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR1), and Jauan Jennings (WR1) to finish as top-five receivers in their first three games.
Jauan Jennings – He was the overall WR1 on 11 targets in Week 3. He should stay heavily involved as long as Deebo Samuel and George Kittle are out.
Jahan Dotson – It’s entirely possible that both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will miss Week 4. Dotson should be the de-facto WR1 for the Eagles.

Fallers

Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle – The dolphins’ quarterback situation is a mess, which has resulted in Hill finishing as the WR52 and WR49 over the last two weeks. Waddle hasn’t fared much better, finishing as the WR39 and WR59.
Xavier Worthy – He exploded for two touchdowns in Week 1 but has managed just 52 scoreless yards on eight targets in the two games since.
Michael Pittman Jr. – Through three games, Pittman has posted WR61, WR72, and WR53 finishes. The Steelers have ceded the sixth-fewest points to opposing wideouts.
Adonai Mitchell – The rookie has just 32 scoreless yards on 10 targets this season. He can safely be dropped with Josh Downs back for the Colts

Week 4 fantasy football tight end rankings

Risers

Dallas Goedert – Posted career-highs in receptions and yards in Week 3 and should have a massive role as the passing game’s top option in Week 4.
Jake Ferguson – He returned from a one-game absence to 11 targets and 95 yards. He should remain heavily involved as long as he stays healthy.
Cole Kmet – He has racked up 16 targets over the last two weeks, which is first among all tight ends.

Fallers

Travis Kelce – Taylor Swift’s boyfriend has been limited to 69 receiving yards and no touchdowns through three games. He needs to be downgraded until further notice.
Mark Andrews – He ran just four routes and had one target in Week 3. Start him again at your own risk.
Dalton Schultz – He looks like the odd man out in this offense and has yet to finish higher than TE24.