After two exciting weeks of Thursday Night Football to open the season, Week 4 brought us a classic divisional battle. While it was more entertaining than Week 3’s snoozer, the Lions dominated the trenches and ran away with the game. Most of the fantasy discussion will revolve around the Lions featuring David Montgomery and the Packers featuring Romeo Doubs, but there were some IDP fireworks as well. IDP storylines include Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions holding a sack party in the Packers backfield, Quay Walker plying his LB1 wares, and former undrafted free agent corner Jerry Jacobs picking off two Jordan Love passes. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.
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IDP Start em, Sit em – Week 4
Start em
Deion Jones (LB – CAR)
Jones made an impact in Week 3, recording three solos, one assist, one interception, and one pass defended on 69 percent of the snaps. He played more snaps than Kamu Grugier-Hill and should be the player the Panthers tap to soak up most of the snaps alongside Frankie Luvu going forward. Luvu is dealing with a hip injury but is expected to play this weekend, in which case Jones is an LB3 option. However, if Luvu is inactive, Jones will become a low-end LB2 play. Start Jones where needed in deeper formats.
Henry To’oTo’o (LB – HOU)
The former Alabama product soaked up snaps in Week 3, playing 95 percent while making his second consecutive start. He responded with a strong six solos, four assists, and one pass defended. He is going to continue to get run for as long as Denzel Perryman is sidelined, and if his recent play is any indication, he has likely earned an expanded role afterward as well. Treat To’oTo’o as an LB3 with LB2 upside for the plus matchup against Kenny Pickett and a struggling Steelers offense.
Julian Blackmon (S – IND)
Julian Blackmon started the season slowly in Week 1 but has been a strong DB2 presence over the last two weeks. Drafted (or added) by most fantasy managers as a DB3 or depth option, Blackmon has played well enough to force himself into DB2 consideration. He has a tough on-paper matchup in Week 4 against a Los Angeles Rams team that has limited the position to the fewest fantasy points per game, but a small sample and projected gamescript suggest that Blackmon is going to have another strong outing. Tap Blackmon as a DB2 where needed, especially if you are dealing with injury issues at the position.
Jordan Whitehead (S – NYJ)
Whitehead has been electric through three weeks of the season and appears to have found true comfort in the Jets defensive scheme. After disappointing relative to fantasy expectations for much of his Jets tenure, Whitehead is finally back to the DB1 conversation. The DB4 on the year, Whitehead, has posted DB1 numbers every week this season and figures to keep the good times rolling against the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend. The struggles on offense mean more defensive snaps for the Jets, which in turn means more opportunity for production. Treat Whitehead as a DB1 until he cools down.
Denico Autry (DT/DE – TEN)
Autry has been excellent to start the season, recording at least one sack in every game. Sitting pretty at 3.5 sacks in three games, Denico may finally crack the elusive double-digit sack barrier this season. An edge rusher with DT eligibility in DT leagues, Autry should be considered a DT1/DL2 until he cools down. He will carry DT1 value all season but needs to be plugged into DL league lineups while he is cooking, especially with a plus matchup against a struggling Cincinnati Bengals team on tap for Week 4. Fire him up as a DT1/DL2 option where needed.
Sit em
Josh Uche (DE/LB – NE)
Uche was a revelation for the Patriots late last season but has not been given enough snaps to be an impact player in 2023. The Patriots use him situationally to maximize his skill set, and it is not like he was playing 60 percent or more of the snaps last season to begin with. He is worth a start when he is hot, but should be bench depth when he’s not. Uche has just one sack in three games and is not on the field enough to compile the counting stats needed to keep him as a serious DL3 candidate outside of the byes. Keep Uche benched for Week 4.
Emmanuel Ogbah (DE/LB – MIA)
Ogbah was excellent in Week 3, racking up one solo, two assists, one sack, one tackle for loss, one interception, and one pass defended. Despite the strong line, he continued to play under 30 percent of the snaps and could not see a role increase in a blowout. Ogbah is going to have a solid season in his pass rushing specialist role, but the low snaps make him impossible to trust on weeks without heavy byes. Keep him stashed where possible, but look elsewhere for your Week 4 DL3 option.
Darrell Taylor (DE – SEA)
Taylor had 9.5 sacks last season but is being treated like a second-class citizen on the Seahawks’ defense. He has been stuck behind Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe, which is a concern considering Mafe is a second-year man who managed just three sacks as a rookie. Taylor is also dealing with a leg injury that knocked him out of Week 3’s contest, so even if he is active for Week 4, he is likely to be limited and see even fewer snaps than usual. Taylor is worth keeping stashed in deeper leagues, but he should be started absolutely nowhere for Week 4.
Willie Gay Jr. (LB – KC)
Gay managed just 41 percent of the snaps in Week 3, a season-low, despite fellow starter Nick Bolton being sidelined. There is no word of a new injury, but he was dealing with a quad injury that kept him limited in practice. He has been a full participant this week but may have seen his role shrink in favor of Drue Tranquill. Gay was on the right side of the split prior to Week 3 but may now be on the 40 percent side of the equation if Nick Bolton returns this weekend. Bolton did miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday but still has a chance to suit up if he can get in a limited session on Friday. Even if Bolton is active, Gay has underwhelmed enough this season that he is hard to trust as anything more than an LB4, especially when Leo Chenal out-snapped him with the star linebacker sidelined. Keep Gay benched regardless of whether or not Bolton suits up.
M.J. Stewart (S – HOU)
Stewart ceded snaps to Eric Murray in Week 3 and figures to remain in a reserve role even if Jalen Pitre continues to miss time. It will likely take dual injuries like we saw with Pitre and Jimmie Ward for Stewart to play enough snaps to be fantasy-relevant again, especially with Grayland Arnold holding down the slot role. It is safe to move on from Stewart in redraft leagues, while those in deeper leagues can keep him stashed on the bench if league and roster size allows for it.
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Raju Byfield is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Raju, check out his profile and follow him @FantasyContext.