Week 4 Predictions: Top Scorers, Sleepers, and Encore Performers

Wow, here we go, There we go.

Everybody.

It's Thursday, September twenty sixth, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show where we were born in the darkness. It's me your man, MG, Marcus Grant, joined by Michael F. Florio and Lakwan Jones and Fellas Floria. Four weeks, I guess, three plus weeks into the season. How are we feeling. We've got through three weeks, we think we know everything. Are we ready to be great for the rest.

Of the year.

Well, if you asked me after week two, I would have said no because a lot of my calls did not work out. But Week three was a much better week for me. So yeah, I mean, I'm feeling great right now.

We know everything.

I didn't draft CMC one overall, which feels great right now because every day it just seems like we're getting a report that he's out even longer. So yeah, I'm feeling good right now.

How How are you look?

I know you're not a Giants fan, but your home state has a game today.

Yes we do, and I hope everybody is enjoying the pizza man, because I am homesick and one of my cousins actually last week came out for the weekend and he was like, man, I know you're dying, man, but I know a pizza spot out here in Long Beach and we went there and it was pretty good.

I actually was enjoying it. All right. Well, you can also tell all your folks back home that we got better burritos.

You do.

That's all you do.

We got better burritos. That's the trade off when you come out here to California.

That's right.

Week four does start tonight. It is the Cowboys and the Giants from MetLife Stadium.

We're gonna go.

Through our calls for the week, the top scores, the sleepers, and the guys who might be riding a hot streak if they can repeat from last week as well. Let's start with a one quick fantasy headline that is in Tampa Bay, Bucky Irving started the week by we're hearing reports that he was gonna start getting more touches in the Tampa Bay offense, although Todd Bowles was quick to point out that he was not going to justly make

I originally, before we knew he was like missing practice time, I would have said yes, I think so. But now with it being him potentially up in the air, and even if he does suit up, not sure how much time, how much, like if he'll get a normal workload or whatnot, So I would choose to I want Bucky Irving on my roster, but I would choose to wait a week

One other quick headline Lakwan Justin Herbert dealing with an injury. He says he's planning to play this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. One would you play Justin Herbert? If he goes, and what does that mean for the rest of the Chargers.

I guess you feel good about the pass catchers now, and I think you feel good about Lad McConkie if Herbert's playing. But it's a low pass volume offense, so he's not doing much out there other than handing the ball off in quick little throws short to the line of scrimmage. But I'm not really a fan of putting Justin Herbert in my starting lineups. I feel as though, like you're looking for the JK. Dobbins, the Lad McConkie's,

I got I've got a super flex team with him, and I got a real decision about whether I start him this week against the Chiefs or if I maybe just pivot and play like a wide snoop or something Pro Bowl screw. Yeah, maybe I just play a wide receiver in that spot. I have no idea. Anyways, get to some of our Week four predictions here.

We'll start with.

Club's going to be the top score the non quarterback top scorer here and uh Lakwan, you are going with I guess the guy who's the wide receiver one in Buffalo.

Now, yes, we are going to the club. The shirts are loud, the music's good, the Sparklers are coming. With Khloe Shakir going against his Baltimore Ravens defense man. I mean, Josh Allen has a perfect passer rating win targeting him. He's catching literally every single ball that Josh Allen's throwing to him, and this defense man they're playing a ton of his own coverage. And right now, Khalise Shakir is a top five slot wide receiver versus his own coverage.

I mean, it's just it's so different because you know, past year's the targets have been pretty narrowly funneled to a couple of guys this year. Josh Allen is spreading the ball around all over the place, a lot of different guys getting involved, which is great for the Bills, a little bit harder for us to sort of predict where things are going. You got a guy Florio that was in a pretty widely funneled offense, but it looks like one of his teammates could be missing, So maybe this helps out.

A little bit in Houston.

Yeah, I think whether or not Tank Dell plays this week, I think it's a week for both Tank Dell and Nico Collins if Tank is able to suit up. But Nico Collins is the big dog in this offense, like everything runs through him. I know, uh, Steph Diggs has gotten has a couple of good games too, but watching this team like Nico Collins is clearly the alpha there, like he is the first read. For Nico Collins, he is getting all the air yards, the big plays that

Yeah, I think fish after last week, I think there's a bounce back coming for the Houston Texans offense after shut down by Minnesota.

Bounce back for sure.

This is kind of chalky, don't really care Sae Kwon Barkley, and this is really about the matchup because the Butts are okay, they're sort of middle of the road defensively, but it's kind of about who's not there in Philadelphia right now. AJ Brown likely out, DeVonta Smith still in the concussion protocol. I'm sure they've got Dallas godd Or they can throw the football too, but beyond that, not a lot of places that you feel confident in on

So I guess consider this my apology.

Yeah, I'm on that same train, Marcus, Like we are just completely wrong about Tony Poller man, and this is a sleeper week for him, going up against his Dolphins defense Monday Night Football. Hopefully you're not in a nail bier all the way up over the weekend through Tony Poler being starting lineups.

But this is a great matchup.

Man.

It really feels though you're going up against his Dolphins defense, who are allow on the second most fantasy points and the second most rushing touchdown to running back so far this season. Man, And look, the game plan should be to run the ball, get the ball ali Will Levis's

Yeah, I do like Tony Pollard.

I'm also like one last chance to try to make Taija spears happen. But I think I think I'm ready to kind of give up on that dream at this point, it doesn't seem like it's happening. Don't get there, all right, I'll hold on a little bit longer. We'll see for Florido. Who's your out your sleeper for the week.

I like Justin Fields this week because we have seen the Colts really get carved up on defense now three weeks in a row, but they really struggle on the ground. They've allowed these second most rushing yards this season, which is why I like Najie Harris, but it's also why I I think we get the first real vintage running Justin Field's game. He had fifty four yards in Week one, he had a rushing touchdown last week. Let's combine those two. Let's get a season high in rushing yards for him.

I mean, they've been fantastic, and Richardson kind of on the struggle bus, especially when it comes throwing the football so far through the first three weeks of the season. I'm gonna keep it with the Ohio State University, and I got Jackson Smith and Jigba this week as a sleeper. I think he has officially taken over as the wide receiver to there in Seattle. And while you got DK Metcalf taking the top off the defense, JSN is sort of working in that nice intermediate spot right around ten

I think we could get that again this week.

And even though Detroit has really made efforts to improve its secondary, I'm still some holes there, so I think JSN can certainly take advantage of that. So those are the guys we think are going to have some big weeks this week. Those are some guys who had some big weeks last week and whether or not they can repeat so as jay Z once said, can I get an encore who do you like this week?

To back it up?

LQ and I do want more to run it back for Tuba Hubbard going up against the Bengals Man, he was a top five running back last week. That is amazing and that just shows that Andy Dallon at the starting position just brings a new spark for this offense. And look Bengals man, their defense have allowed one hundred yards on the ground in each of their last three games to running back, so looking at the last two weeks,

Are really like that.

He's out there running routes and going out there and participating in the passing game. And he has just as many explosive runs in the last couple of weeks as Album Kamara, JK. Dobbins as Brian Robinson junior. So he's running hard and looking good with his opportunities. So shout out to that Panthers O line stepping up in that run game as well, because last week the Panthers had the highest rushing yards over expected, So this looks like a good situation for Chewba Hubbard.

So you like Chewba Hubbard, Florio, you like another big time receiver to have a big time week this week?

Yeah, because what's it that you say about low hanging fruit.

Look, it's just as tasty as the stuff at the top of the tree. You don't have to work, is hard to get it boom.

Dk Metcalf is that this week because DK has had two big games in a row. He has a very healthy target share, and nearly half of the Seahawks' air yards all go to DK Metcalf, so he is always a big play threat. We've already seen him connect two weeks in a row, and now he gets the Lions. The last three times that these teams have faced they have scored anywhere between sixty eight and ninety points combined.

Be the top scorer of Week four this year. Clubeah.

You know, it's funny because you know, early in the season he didn't have a couple he had a couple of, you know, not so great games, and everybody's like, oh, oh, are we worried about d No, No, we're not worried about DK Metcalf.

No.

Fu.

I think Tyler Lockett's still looking for his helmet on the sideline.

That's probably what's happening.

I mean, it's just I've been such a Tyler Lockett stand for the last couple of years. Like, you know, time March is on, I came, man.

I mean, he had his time. Robert Woods had his time.

You know, those guys are the guys that you know, just Bobby Trees.

Man, pour one out for Bobby Trees this week? Do this finest? Anyway?

For me, it's Deontay Johnson. It finally happened, right. We were all on board with Deontay Johnson. Obviously, the first few weeks, the first couple of weeks were not great with Bryce Young at quarterback.

They make change to Andy Dalton and suddenly this whole offense comes to life a little bit.

I guess that's what happens when you have a thirteen year veteran back there under center versus a guy in his second year who's had to deal with some offensive coordinator changes and that sort of thing.

Whatever. Hopefully Bryce Shung works it out.

In the meantime, let's all continue to prosper with Deontay Johnson.

The Bengals showed last.

Week they are able or not able, but willing maybe not even willing that they will give up big plays they did against the Commanders. We saw Terry McLaurin get behind the defense a couple of times. Don't know if Deontay Johnson is going to be that kind of a deep threat, but I do think he can get open, he can get targets from Andy Dalton had a great Week three. I think he's going to have a great Week four for the Carolina Panthers and for your fantasy

Of the week as well. In the meantime.

That'll do it for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, The Happy, Safe, and Healthy, do good, and live well, and we will talk to you all tomorrow