Postseason Shootout | RealTime Fantasy Sports

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 4

Sat Oct 1 6:20pm ET
By MIKE BARNER
Contributing Writer

There are a few marquee matchups on the schedule for Week 4, including when the Ravens host the Bills. Another game that stands out amongst the crowd is the Buccaneers hosting the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football. As we dig into the DFS slate on RealTime Fantasy Sports, here are some players to consider for your lineups, as well as a few to possibly avoid.

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen, BUF at BAL ($8,400): Allen produced another stellar stat line in Week 3, finishing with 400 passing yards, two touchdowns and 47 rushing yards. He hasn’t thrown for fewer than 297 yards in any of his first three games, totaling nine touchdown passes along the way. A monster stat line could be coming against a Ravens team that has allowed the most passing yards per game in the league.

Cooper Rush, DAL vs. WAS ($5,300): The Commanders haven’t been as bad as the Ravens, but they have allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game. This could be an opportune time to take a chance on Rush, who has filled in admirably for Dak Prescott (thumb). He hasn’t thrown an interception, while combining for 450 passing yards and two touchdowns in two games as a starter.

Player to Avoid

Carson Wentz, WAS at DAL ($6,000): The Cowboys have as good of a pass rush as any team in the league. Their ability to apply pressure on the opposing quarterback has contributed to them allowing the fourth-fewest passing yards per game. Coming off of a dreadful performance in Week 3 in which Wentz threw for 211 yards and no touchdowns against the Eagles, another underwhelming stat line could be coming.

Running Backs

Nick Chubb, CLE at ATL ($7,900): It’s no secret that the Browns want to run the ball early and often. Still, teams can’t stop Chubb. He steamrolled the Steelers in Week 3, rushing for 113 yards and a touchdown. Through three games, he has 62 carries for 341 yards and four scores. With his heavy workload, he has among the highest floors of any running back for this slate.

Dameon Pierce, HOU vs. LAC ($5,600): Working our way further down the salary scale, Pierce isn’t someone to overlook. After an impressive preseason, the Texans have been increasing his workload as the season has moved along. He topped out with 20 carries last week against the Bears, finishing with 80 rushing yards and a touchdown. He also caught both of his targets for an additional 21 yards. As the Texans try to keep the ball out of Justin Herbert’s hands, they could rely heavily on Pierce in this matchup.

Player to Avoid

Clyde Edwards-Helaire, KC at TB ($6,200): The Buccaneers had one of the best run defenses in the league last season, and that’s carried over into this year with them allowing the fifth-fewest rushing yards per game in the league. I want no part of Edwards-Helaire, who finished with zero rushing yards on his seven carries in Week 3. He hasn’t had more than eight carries in any of the Chiefs’ first three games.

Wide Receivers

CeeDee Lamb, DAL vs. WAS ($6,700): The absence of Prescott has not had a negative impact on Lamb. He recorded seven catches for 75 yards in Week 2, then followed that up with eight receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown in Week 3. What makes him so appealing in DFS is that he’s received at least 11 targets in all three games. If you take a chance on Rush at quarterback, be sure to pair him with Lamb. Even if you don’t deploy Rush, Lamb is an excellent option.

Richie James, NYG vs. CHI ($4,000): It’s falling apart at wide receiver for the Giants. Sterling Shepard tore his ACL against the Cowboys, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) were unable to play in Week 3, and might remain sidelined for at least another game. Finally, Kenny Golladay looks washed up. If Toney and Robinson are out again, we could see plenty of James, who has already received at least five targets in each of the Giants first three games.

Player to Avoid

Dionte Johnson, PIT vs. NYJ ($6,000): Having Mitch Trubisky as his quarterback isn’t doing any favors for Johnson. He still doesn’t have a touchdown catch, and he’s finished with fewer than 60 receiving yards in two of his first three games. With the expectation that Trubisky continues to struggle, Johnson’s upside will remain limited.

Tight Ends

Mark Andrews, BAL vs. BUF ($7,100): It’s not difficult to make a case for deploying Andrews in DFS. He’s stormed out of the gate with 22 receptions, 245 yards and three touchdowns through three games. The Ravens have given him at least 11 targets in back-to-back games, and will likely continue to rely heavily on him in Week 4 as they try to keep pace with Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense.

David Njoku, CLE at ATL ($3,700): After two quiet performances to begin the season, Njoku bounced back in Week 3 to catch nine of 10 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. He’s received five red zone targets through three games, and should continue to be a favorite for Jacoby Brissett when the Browns do decide to throw it in close. At such a cheap salary, Njoku is a viable option in tournament play.

Player to Avoid

George Kittle, LAR vs. SF ($5,300): After a groin injury kept Kittle sidelined through the first two games, he finally made his season debut last week against the Broncos. He didn’t do much, catching four of five targets for 28 yards. Kittle can explode any given week, but he also had seven games last season in which he finished with 40 or fewer receiving yards. Facing a talented Rams defense makes Kittle a risky option.

Mike Barner has been covering fantasy sports since 2007. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, SportsLine and RotoWire. Mike was also a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.

RealTime DFS Strategy: Week 4

The Paur Report