Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Week 4 Wide Receivers

Week 4 start 'em and sit 'em recommendations for the wide receiver position from senior fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano.

Start 'Em & Sit 'Em is the ultimate weekly look at the NFL matchups and how they'll affect your fantasy football team. Fantasy superstars such as Patrick Mahomes and Alvin Kamara will not be featured in this column. All player matchups are based on a PPR scoring system.

Be sure to check out my Week 4 PPR rankings before finalizing any lineup decisions or if your league has special scoring rules, sign up for SI Fantasy+ for customized rankings. Members also get access to myself and our team of high-stakes winners all week long to answer your specific fantasy questions.

Week 4 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
QUARTERBACKS | RUNNING BACKS | WIDE RECEIVERS | TIGHT ENDS | KICKERS | TEAM DEFENSES

MORE: Week 4 Rankings, Articles, Reports & Tools Hub

Week 4 Start 'Em: Wide Receivers 

Start of the Week

Odell Beckham Jr. at Cowboys

It feels odd to mention OBJ as a start ‘em, but look at his numbers. Since the start of 2018, he’s 25th among wideouts in fantasy points and is averaging fewer than 13 points a game. In 2020, he’s scored fewer than 10 points in two of three contests. Not good. However, I wouldn’t consider sitting him this week. The Cowboys have allowed the third-most points to receivers lined out wide. Also, OBJ has five touchdown catches and has averaged 16.3 points in his career versus Dallas.

Start ‘Em

D.K. Metcalf at Dolphins

Metcalf might be remembered for last week's gaffe at the goal line against the Cowboys, but it shouldn't take away from the fact that he's been an absolute stat-sheet monster this season. He's in a great spot to continue that success too, as the Seahawks travel to South Beach to take on a vulnerable Miami defense. After three weeks, the Dolphins have allowed an average of 21.1 fantasy points to receivers who line out wide. Consider Metcalf a borderline No. 1 receiver this week.

DeVante Parker vs. Seahawks

Parker has not been 100 percent in recent weeks, but he's still posted five catches in back to back games and has had 10 days to heal for a matchup against the Seahawks. It's a very attractive matchup too, as their defense has allowed an average of 11.3 catches, 179 yards, and a league-high 31.3 fantasy points per game to receivers lined out wide. That's where Parker has run 82 percent of his routes this season. DK Sportsbook has the over/under in this contest at 54.

CeeDee Lamb vs. Browns

I absolutely loved Lamb last week, but unfortunately, I didn’t see the Cedrick Wilson breakout game coming. Oh well. Still, I’m sticking with the talented rookie when he and the Cowboys host the Browns at the Jerry Dome. Their defense has been bad against slot receivers this season, allowing an average of 201 yards and the second-most fantasy points (23.9 PPG) to the position. Lamb, who runs an average of 31 routes out of the slot per game, should benefit in the stat sheets.

Hunter Renfrow vs. Bills

Renfrow was a star last week, playing 39 snaps while leading the Raiders with nine targets, six catches, 84 yards and one touchdown. Las Vegas will be without Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards this week, so Renfrow should see plenty of targets. The Bills have allowed 7.3 catches per game and the third-most fantasy points to slot receivers, which is where Renfrow runs 67 percent of his routes. DK Sportsbook has the over/under in this game at 52.5, so it should be a high scorer.

More Starts

• Will Fuller vs. Vikings
• Marquise Brown at Football Team
• Tyler Boyd vs. Jaguars

DFS Bargains

• Odell Beckham Jr. at Cowboys (DraftKings: $5,800)
• Andy Isabella at Panthers (DraftKings: $4,500)
• Zach Pascal at Bears (DraftKings: $4,400)

This is proving to be a wild fantasy season and it's no time to panic. Michael Fabiano and our team of high-stakes winners are here to help answer your waiver, trade and starting lineup questions in our Premium Football Chat. It's time to join the club! Become a member of SI Fantasy+ for as low as 34 cents a day!

Week 4 Sit 'Em: Wide Receivers

Sit of the Week

Julian Edelman at Chiefs

Edelman is coming off a stinker in last week’s win over the Raiders, and an upcoming matchup in Kansas City is anything but favorable. While it is a short sample size, no defense in the league has allowed fewer receptions (9), yards (104), or fantasy points (6.5 PPG) to opposing slot receivers. Even dating back to last season, the Chiefs have surrendered an average of just 4.7 catches and 48.6 yards to the position. So while it's hard to sit Edelman, he's not in a great spot to score points.

Sit ‘Em

A.J. Green vs. Jaguars

This looks like a get-right game for the struggling Green, at least on the surface. However, the numbers might suggest a different outcome. The Jaguars have allowed an average of just 71 yards per game and one touchdown to receivers lined out wide, and the position has produced a modest 16.7 fantasy points a game. What’s more, Green basically played the same number of snaps as Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins last week and was outscored by both! Green is a risk-reward No. 3.

Darius Slayton at Rams

Slayton has cooled off since his hot start in the opener, as he’s put up a combined 12.6 points in his last two games. On the bright side, he does lead all Giants wideouts in routes run and snaps played, and Sterling Shepard is hurt. The bad news is that he’s likely to draw Rams top cover CB Jalen Ramsey for most of the afternoon. When you also factor in that the G-Men are 30th in time of possession, 31st in both points scored and total net yards, and Slayton becomes a big gamble.

Robby Anderson vs. Cardinals

Anderson ranks an impressive eighth in fantasy points among wideouts this season, posting 20 catches and 278 yards through three games. As a result, he’s certainly in the mix as a starter in most leagues. However, a matchup against the Cardinals does make him less attractive. After three weeks, Arizona has allowed just 76 yards, and the third-fewest fantasy points a game to receivers who line out wide. That’s where Anderson has run an average of 25.3 routes per game in 2020.

Justin Jefferson at Texans

Jefferson went wild last week, posting 175 yards, one touchdown, and more than 30 fantasy points in a loss to the Titans. However, I wouldn't chase the points this week as a tougher matchup against the Texans looms. Their defense has been tough on receivers lined out wide, allowing an average of 66.3 yards and the seventh-fewest points to the position. The Vikings offense is also dead last in time of possession and offensive plays per game, which won't help Jefferson's case.

More Sits

• Keelan Cole at Bengals
• Emmanuel Sanders at Lions
• Brandon Aiyuk vs. Eagles

DFS Fades

• Allen Robinson vs. Colts (DraftKings: $6,700)
• Terry McLaurin vs. Ravens (DraftKings: $5,800)
• Julian Edelman at Chiefs (DraftKings: $5,700)

BETTOR'S DREAM: Up to $1,000 Sign Up Bonus at DraftKings Sportsbook

Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the latest news and analysis!

Join our all-new SI Fantasy+ Member Club!

Subscribe to SI Fantasy+ and you'll have our check-cashing, high-stakes experts on standby ready to answer all your questions! Head over to our Members-Only Football chat anytime, especially on Sunday morning, to submit those last-minute "who do I start" questions! Learn more about the SI Fantasy+ advantage.