Fantasy Football Week 4 Rankings: Projections and Matchups to Love

There are two key steps behind fielding a quality fantasy football team. First, find the best and most consistent players; second, you identify the best matchups. If you're fortunate, the two will go hand-in-hand on occasion.

Finding the right matchups can help boost the back end of a fantasy roster, too.

In Week 3, for example, Las Vegas Raiders wideout Mack Hollins went up against a poor Tennessee Titans defense and finished with eight receptions, 158 yards and a touchdown. He was likely viewed as a low-end flex play, if he made it into starting lineups at all.

Since it's almost impossible to draft an elite player at every position, playing the matchups can really round out a weekly lineup.

Here, we'll examine some of the juiciest fantasy matchups remaining in Week 4 and make statistical projections for each. We'll also project top plays at each key position, ranking skill players based on points-per-reception (PPR) scoring.

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

4. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

5. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

6. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

8. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

9. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos

10. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

11. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

12. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

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Matchup to Love: Josh Allen at Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is a must-start in any fantasy format anyway, but his matchup this week with the Baltimore Ravens is particularly spicy.

The Ravens have been awful against the pass this season, surrendering 1,060 yards and seven touchdowns through three games. Only the Miami Dolphins have allowed more fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Allen, meanwhile, has thrown for at least 297 yards and two touchdowns in every game this season. Despite losing to Miami in Week 3, he threw for 400 yards and two scores with no interceptions.

Add in the quarterback's rushing potential—he's tallied 113 yards and a touchdown on the ground—and a potential shootout between him and Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, and this is perhaps the liveliest matchup at any position this week.

Projection: 385 passing yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 55 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD

1. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts

2. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers

3. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants

4. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns

5. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers

6. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

7. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers

8. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

9. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers

10. Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta Falcons

11. Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints

12. Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions

13. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings

14. Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears

15. Jeff Wilson Jr., San Francisco 49ers

16. James Conner, Arizona Cardinals

17. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

18. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans

19. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

20. Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders

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Matchup to Love: Austin Ekeler at Houston Texans

Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler hasn't been particularly consistent this season, at least as a runner. While he's averaged just over seven receptions per game, he hasn't reached 40 rushing yards and has yet to find the end zone.

While he doesn't have the floor of players ranked above him, this feels like a get-right game for the 27-year-old. He'll be going up against a Texans team that hasn't fared well against the ground game.

Houston has 607 yards and three touchdowns on the ground thus far, and only the Detroit Lions have allowed more fantasy points to opposing running backs through the first three weeks.

Expect Ekeler to finally find the end zone in Week 4, and even if he doesn't, he should record enough receptions to make him one of the top fantasy backs of the week.

1. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

2. Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams

3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

5. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles

7. Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers

8. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts

9. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

10. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars

11. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

12. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns

13. Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos

14. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

15. Mike Williams, Los Angeles Chargers

16. Diontae Johnson, Pittsburgh Steelers

17. Brandon Cooks, Houston Texans

18. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints

19. Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals

20. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

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Matchup to Love: Deebo Samuel vs. Los Angeles Rams

Since the Ravens have been putrid against the pass, you can assume Stefon Diggs is a top play for Week 4. Here, let's highlight San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel, who, like Ekeler, may have disappointed fantasy managers to this point.

Samuel hasn't gone off as a ball-carrier as he often did last season, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan believes it's because that role is now expected.

"We're not surprising anybody, that’s for sure," he told reporters. "Everyone knows how committed all 11 guys have to be when Deebo’s back there."

Expect a breakout game this week against a Los Angeles Rams team that couldn't slow the 26-year-old at all last season. He racked up nine receptions, 192 receiving yards, 81 rushing yards and three touchdowns in two regular-season games. He also logged four receptions, 98 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against L.A. in the postseason.

L.A. has been susceptible to the pass this year, too, and only the Ravens have allowed more fantasy points to opposing receivers.

1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs

2. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

3. Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

4. Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons

5. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers

6. Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals

7. Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

8. Tyler Higbee, Los Angeles Rams

9. T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions

10. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers

11. David Njoku, Cleveland Browns

12. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers

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Matchup to Love: Robert Tonyan vs. New England Patriots

We're going outside of our top rankings for our tight end matchup, largely because most managers don't roster two top-tier players at the position. You're probably not choosing between Travis Kelce and George Kittle this week.

You may find yourself seeking a streamer at the position, though, and Robert Tonyan of the Green Bay Packers is a prime candidate. He doesn't have a particularly high floor, but he is coming off of a six-catch game and heading into a spicy matchup.

The New England Patriots have been burned by tight ends this season, and they have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to the position. That number is skewed a bit by them facing Mark Andrews last week (8 catches, 89 yards, 2 TDs), but he isn't solely responsible for the ranking.

Pat Freiermuth caught four passes for 22 yards and a touchdown in Week 2, Expect Tonyan to have better receiving numbers and to find the end zone in Week 4. He's one of the most reliable pass-catchers Aaron Rodgers has and a big red-zone target.

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*Fantasy points against via FantasyPros