Fantasy Football Week 4 Lineup Cheat Sheet: Starts, sits and sleepers

Need help selecting a starter? Dave Richard lends his analysis and confidence to help you choose the best Week 4 lineup possible.

Week 4 Rankings: Standard | PPR

The Lineup Cheat Sheet combines Fantasy analysis and game flow predictions with a confidence scale to give you a definitive answer on who to start in your leagues.

The higher the number next to a player's name, the more confident you should be to start him.

If a player isn't listed, don't start him.

Numbers are based on non-PPR scoring but are typically applicable to PPR formats.

To find a specific player, use your search function -- CTRL-F on PCs and Command-F on Macs. If neither of those are options, or if you're on a mobile device, you can search by game.

If you're still unsure, just send a note on Twitter (@daverichard) using #CBSFLCS and I'll give it a look, time permitting.

Colts vs. Jaguars in London

The Colts have won five straight in the series and should make it six given all the woes the Jaguars have on both sides of the ball. Blake Bortles has been stellar in two career home games against Indy, but this matchup is in London. His offensive line? Shaky? His run game? Below average. And Bortles' own play? Downright disappointing. Somehow the Colts held Philip Rivers out of the end zone last week, extending their streak to eight games without a passing touchdown. Bortles might throw one, even two, but his poor form and inaccuracy could make him a liability that costs Jacksonville.

Colts		Jaguars
Andrew Luck	(7.4)	Blake Bortles	(5.0)
Frank Gore	(6.2)	Chris Ivory	(4.5)
T.Y. Hilton	(8.3)	T.J. Yeldon	(4.3)
Phillip Dorsett	(4.9)	Allen Robinson	(8.7)
Jack Doyle	(4.4)	Allen Hurns	(4.4)
Dwayne Allen	(4.35)	Julius Thomas	(6.6)
Colts DST	(6.8)	Jaguars DST	(3.0)

Risky start

It is no surprise that Gore is a touchdown-dependent Fantasy running back. If he doesn't score, you'll thank your lucky stars if he delivers 80 total yards. He got that amount last week (with a touchdown), so maybe that will boost your confidence. But the Jaguars run defense has actually played well, holding running backs to one score on the season ( Melvin Gordon in Week 2). Knowing how rarely Gore scores, and knowing he didn't even muster more than 60 rush in either of his two touchdownless outings against Jacksonville last season, it's tough to trust Gore this week.

Titans at Texans

Houston has won four in a row over Tennessee, scoring at least 30 points in three of the four wins. Last year the Texans averaged 25.0 points per game -- and that was without Lamar Miller, Will Fuller and Brock Osweiler. Everything points to a get-right game for Houston, in part because Mike Mularkey's smashmouth offense has averaged 14.0 points per game over the first three weeks. We're still waiting for the Titans pass defense to get smothered -- this should be the week.

Titans		Texans
Marcus Mariota	(3.7)	Brock Osweiler	(4.2)
DeMarco Murray	(7.4)	Lamar Miller	(8.5)
Derrick Henry	(4.0)	DeAndre Hopkins	(9.4)
Tajae Sharpe	(4.05)	Will Fuller	(7.3)
Delanie Walker	(6.65)	Texans DST	(7.4)
Titans DST	(3.8)

Start him

Both of the touchdowns the Titans have allowed to receivers have come against non-No. 1 options, and overall they're giving up 13.0 yards per reception. The theory I've gone with all along is that Fuller will put up numbers whenever Osweiler is given the chance to drop back and chuck it to him. Through three weeks the Titans have five sacks and the Texans have allowed six. It should set up for Osweiler to play comfortably, making Fuller worth the risk as a No. 2 Fantasy receiver.

Browns at Redskins

You have to give Hue Jackson credit for making use of Terrelle Pryor last week against the Dolphins. Doing it again won't be as easy. Washington will know a lot of what to look for from Pryor and can assign Josh Norman to cover him when lined up wide. Can Pryor make up the difference when he's in the slot or under center? A big key for the Browns will be their run game to loosen up the defense and keep them from focusing on Pryor. Given the injuries the Redskins have already suffered it wouldn't be a surprise for the Browns offense to achieve some success.

Browns		Redskins
Cody Kessler	(1.9)	Kirk Cousins	(6.8)
Isaiah Crowell	(6.9)	Matt Jones	(6.0)
Duke Johnson	(4.6)	Chris Thompson	(4.2)
Terrelle Pryor	(6.7)	DeSean Jackson	(8.2)
Gary Barnidge	(4.8)	Jamison Crowder	(5.3)
Browns DST	(2.8)	Jordan Reed	(9.1)
		Redskins DST	(5.8)

Start him

This is precisely the kind of matchup Kirk Cousins exploited in 2015. A bad defense would come to FedEx Field and he'd pop off for a bunch of touchdowns. Every quarterback to play the Browns this season has posted at least 275 yards, at least two touchdowns and at least 20 Fantasy points. Cousins has been mostly bad and his O-line took a hit this week with the loss of center Kory Lichtensteiger, but he should ruffle up a Browns pass defense playing on the road for the second week in a row.

Seahawks at Jets

How do the Jets rebound from a deflating loss? Probably not by beating up on the Seahawks defense. Ryan Fitzpatrickhas never had a good game against the 'Hawks and the defense has yet to allow a passing touchdown this year. In fact, receivers caught only six touchdowns against Seattle last year with four 100-yard games in the regular season.Brandon Marshall is banged up but should play -- he'll get a ton of targets along with Quincy Enunwa, but it's tough to see them do a lot with them against this Seahawks defense. The only decent matchup for the Jets is for Matt Forte as a receiver since rushers are getting 15.1 yards per grab against Seattle so far.

Seahawks		Jets
Russell Wilson	(5.9)	Ryan Fitzpatrick	(2.9)
Christine Michael	(8.1)	Matt Forte	(6.5)
Doug Baldwin	(7.6)	Bilal Powell	(3.5)
Tyler Lockett	(4.8)	Brandon Marshall	(6.1)
Jimmy Graham	(6.2)	Quincy Enunwa	(5.55)
Seahawks DST	(8.4)	Jets DST	(6.6)

Start him

The Seahawks have a couple of interesting players given the matchup, but the only non-obvious one you'd seriously consider is Graham. On the year the Jets have allowed 11.7 yards per grab to tight ends and last week got jacked by Travis Kelce (6-89-1). Kelce's usage makes for a heck of a blueprint for Graham, who doesn't have the wheels he used to have but is still making plays because of his size. Graham is quickly re-emerging as a necessary part of Seattle's offense. Last week he turned nine targets into 100 yards and a score on six grabs. It would asinine for the Seahawks to not leverage him against the Jets linebackers and safeties. He's absolutely worth a shot if you're streaming tight ends.

Bills at Patriots

It would be just like the Bills to come off of a stunning upset win against the Cardinals and turn in a dud against a their biggest division rival. Rex Ryan lost to Bill Belichick's crew twice last year and the Bills overall are 1-8 in their last nine games. How will the Patriots do it this time? Probably with sound, fundamental defense and a quick-hitting pass attack that negates the upstart pass rush Buffalo unearthed last week. It's a formula that's worked for the Pats all season, one that should produce good numbers for LeGarrette Blount for the fourth week in a row.

Bills		Patriots
Tyrod Taylor	(4.6)	Jacoby Brissett	(3.1)
LeSean McCoy	(7.8)	LeGarrette Blount	(8.0)
Robert Woods	(3.4)	Julian Edelman	(5.2)
Bills DST	(4.2)	Rob Gronkowski	(8.4)
		Martellus Bennett	(4.0)
		Patriots DST	(7.3)

Sit him

Seven, seven and four. Those are the Fantasy point totals for Edelman over the last three weeks. You might be disappointed, but given how little the Patriots have thrown this season (29.3 attempts per game), it's pretty much to be expected. No doubt, the offense should flow a little differently when Tom Brady comes back in Week 5, but for now the only way Edelman will beat expectations is if the Bills keep it close and both teams score plenty of points. Edelman is a No. 3 receiver in PPR formats this week -- and a candidate to begin a statistical rebound next week.

Panthers at Falcons

Carolina has won 4 of the last 6 in the series, much of it because of Cam Newton's rushing prowess. For whatever reason, he's sped for at least 70 yards and/or a touchdown in each of five career games at the Georgia Dome. That's a trend you should expect to continue as the Falcons are not only faulty against the run but they're coming off a Monday night win whereas the Panthers are coming back from a butt whipping. Cam's passing history against the Falcons in Atlanta isn't quite as consistent -- he was shut down there last season but the Falcons pass defense has been a liability all season long. Hopefully he'll be healthy enough to be effective as we expect him to be.

Panthers		Falcons
Cam Newton	(8.9)	Matt Ryan	(7.1)
Cameron Artis-Payne	(5.6)	Devonta Freeman	(7.0)
Fozzy Whittaker	(4.8)	Tevin Coleman	(6.4)
Kelvin Benjamin	(7.9)	Julio Jones	(9.3)
Devin Funchess	(4.3)	Mohamed Sanu	(3.0)
Ted Ginn	(4.2)	Jacob Tamme	(6.4)
Greg Olsen	(8.3)	Falcons DST	(3.2)
Panthers DST	(7.0)

Risky start

There's no arguing with Coleman's workload (at least 13 touches per game), and there's no arguing over his yardage (at least 70 yards per game). But will you have a gripe when he doesn't score touchdowns? It looks like Coleman is the Falcons' guy at the goal line but we've seen Freeman work deep in the red zone too. Maybe the most jarring stat on Coleman is a 3.4 rushing average with no run longer than 13 yards. His 16.7 yards per grab average proves he can make a play in space, but not seeing it on handoffs should be a concern. The Panthers have allowed 3.5 yards per rush and 7.9 yards per catch to running backs this season, holding running backs out of the end zone each of the last two weeks. They also held the Falcons to 3.4 yards per rush and 6.8 yards per catch last season. Even with a better offensive line now, Coleman's a risky start given his timeshare and the opponent.

Raiders at Ravens

This is the second week in a row the Raiders have to take a long flight to play on the road at 1 p.m. ET. That's not so good, even if they played the Ravens in 2015. Last year these teams combined for 70 points and both quarterbacks had over 350 yards in a narrow Raiders win. Based on the data you'd expect Flacco to come through again, particularly since he's at home, but Carr could be in for a tougher ride. The Ravens have allowed two passing touchdowns in each of their last two games to inferior quarterbacks but they've also picked off five passes and held opposing passers to 260 yards or less. You might have no choice but to roll with Carr given the quarterbacks out there, but give some consideration to benching him for Kirk Cousins or Flacco.

Raiders		Ravens
Derek Carr	(6.6)	Joe Flacco	(6.7)
Latavius Murray	(6.35)	Justin Forsett	(4.1)
DeAndre Washington	(4.4)	Mike Wallace	(6.4)
Jalen Richard	(3.4)	Steve Smith	(5.5)
Amari Cooper	(7.1)	Dennis Pitta	(5.4)
Michael Crabtree	(6.6)	Ravens DST	(5.6)
Clive Walford	(4.2)
Raiders DST	(4.4)

Start him

The matchup the Raiders will look for is Ravens cornerback Shareece Wright against either of their receivers, especially in the red zone. Wright has seen three wideouts score on him this season including two last week. If it comes down to the better route-runner, then Crabtree might be the guy who gets the chance against Wright. He lines up to Carr's right more often than not anyway, so he has some appeal if the Raiders are in such a position.

Lions at Bears

Remember when the Bears used to beat up on the Lions? Not so much anymore -- the Lions have won six straight against the Bears. But this feels like a game the Bears can win. Brian Hoyer was decent last week against Detroit and should find the matchups to his liking (especially Kevin White burning past the Lions cornerbacks). The Lions' pass rush wasn't a big factor in Week 3 and could again be without Ziggy Ansah at the Bears. Matthew Stafford and the offense should do its thing, but a lack of a run game could unravel the Lions' chances.

Lions		Bears
Matthew Stafford	(8.0)	Brian Hoyer	(5.8)
Dwayne Washington	(5.9)	Jordan Howard	(7.1)
Theo Riddick	(5.5)	Alshon Jeffery	(8.1)
Marvin Jones	(8.6)	Kevin White	(6.2)
Anquan Boldin	(4.7)	Eddie Royal	(3.5)
Golden Tate	(4.0)	Zach Miller	(6.7)
Eric Ebron	(6.8)	Bears DST	(3.4)
Lions DST	(5.0)

Start him

Fantasy owners will always crave a running back with 20-touch potential, and Howard is in line for exactly that. It's fair to call him a boom-or-bust rusher, but late last week he proved his ability to make plays as a pass catcher. The Lions have held running backs out of the end zone so far this season but they're getting slammed for 5.3 yards per rush and 7.6 yards per reception by them. This is a golden opportunity for Howard.

Broncos at Buccaneers

If you were impressed with how Trevor Siemian threw last week against the Bengals, just you wait until he tosses against the Bucs pass defense. Allowing 272.0 pass yards and at least two touchdowns per game to receivers, the Bucs will have their hands full with Thomas's big size and Sanders' quickness and speed. Better yet, Siemian won't face nearly as daunting a pass rush as he did last week. The Buccaneers are allowing 33.7 points per game -- expect the Broncos to get near that total.

Broncos		Buccaneers
Trevor Siemian	(5.7)	Jameis Winston	(5.1)
C.J. Anderson	(8.3)	Charles Sims	(6.8)
Demaryius Thomas	(9.1)	Mike Evans	(9.2)
Emmanuel Sanders	(7.2)	Adam Humphries	(4.15)
Broncos DST	(8.1)	Cameron Brate	(5.2)
		Buccaneers DST	(4.8)

Sit him

Playing on the road for the second week in a row is tough on anyone. Twice last year the Broncos were in a similar spot and both times they won but didn't quite dominate their opponents in that second road game -- the Browns almost beat them in one of them. But the Broncos pass defense has held up its end of the bargain so far this season, holding each of the three quarterbacks they've seen to under 210 yards passing, one score through the air and 22 Fantasy points or fewer. Maybe Jameis could get to 22 points, but odds are he'll throw at least 40 times, which typically leads to turnovers. He'll get plenty of yardage but you can't count on his touchdown numbers. Mike Evans will get his, but Winston isn't quite on the level of a must-start quarterback yet.

Rams at Cardinals

Arizona's offensive line was a mess last week, forcing Palmer to play tentatively, and the Cardinals receivers missed some plays downfield. Don't think for a second that the Rams didn't notice. Palmer already has a track record of inconsistency against them with only two games out of five with multiple touchdowns. To be fair, he did record at least 350 yards and at least 18 Fantasy points in each game against the Rams last season. And, if the Rams are studying what the Bills did to the Cardinals, then you can be sure the Cardinals are studying what the Bucs did to the Rams through the air in Week 3. The Rams are on the road for the second week in a row, which is typically a recipe to struggle. Palmer should lead a bounce-back win.

Rams		Cardinals
Case Keenum	(2.5)	Carson Palmer	(7.3)
Todd Gurley	(7.3)	David Johnson	(8.9)
Tavon Austin	(4.5)	Larry Fitzgerald	(8.0)
Kenny Britt	(3.1)	John Brown	(5.7)
Rams DST	(6.2)	Michael Floyd	(5.4)
		Cardinals DST	(8.3)

Sneaky sleeper

In three of his last four against the Rams, Brown has come up with at least eight Fantasy points (non-PPR). That's a nice stat but what's really encouraging is Brown's usage last week. It came while the Cardinals played from behind but he still got 11 targets over 47 snaps, catching six passes for 70 yards and getting four deep targets. The matchup with LaMarcus Joyner would be fun to watch if they end up across from each other but if it doesn't then Brown should be able to speed past the rest of the Rams secondary.

Saints at Chargers

This might not look like a tough spot for the Saints, but it is. At 0-3, the last thing they need after playing on Monday night is a long road trip to play outdoors on grass. The Saints were 1-5 on grass last year, averaging 17 points per game and allowing 30.8 points per game! The onus is on the offense to light up the scoreboard, which shouldn't be too hard even if it's their first game on grass this season. The Chargers have allowed 24.3 points and 322.0 passing yards per game. Seems like a matchup that will end up working for the Saints offense ... but more so the Chargers offense considering the Saints defense and quick turn-around.

Saints		Chargers
Drew Brees	(8.7)	Philip Rivers	(7.5)
Mark Ingram	(7.2)	Melvin Gordon	(8.7)
Brandin Cooks	(7.4)	Travis Benjamin	(6.9)
Willie Snead	(7.25)	Tyrell Williams	(6.0)
Michael Thomas	(4.12)	Hunter Henry	(4.6)
Coby Fleener	(6.9)	Chargers DST	(3.6)
Saints DST	(2.6)

Start him

Is one week of good play enough to put Fleener back in the good graces of Fantasy owners? Most probably don't have much of a choice -- it's either Fleener or a guy off of waivers. His Week 3 breakout was great, but it wasn't without a couple of drops. Fleener also didn't seem to have a vast route tree, so defenses should key in on him until he can show more versatility. The Chargers have allowed at least 65 yards or a touchdown to a tight end in every game this season, so there's a safe minimum you should expect from Fleener.

Cowboys at 49ers

The Cowboys went from healthy to hurting real quick -- not only is Dez Bryant expected to be sidelined by a hairline fracture in his knee, but the Dallas offensive line lost guard La'el Collins and could continue to be without left tackle Tyron Smith. For a 49ers defense that plays better at home than on the road, those injuries could put a real wrench in the Cowboys' plans.

Cowboys		49ers
Dak Prescott	(4.0)	Blaine Gabbert	(3.3)
Ezekiel Elliott	(8.2)	Carlos Hyde	(7.6)
Alfred Morris	(3.7)	Torrey Smith	(3.2)
Cole Beasley	(5.0)	Garrett Celek	(3.4)
Brice Butler	(3.95)	49ers DST	(5.4)
Terrance Williams	(3.3)
Jason Witten	(5.8)
Cowboys DST	(4.0)

Sneaky sleeper

In the last two weeks, tight ends have gone for over 100 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers. Granted, we're talking about Greg Olsen and Jimmy Graham here, two guys with some explosiveness in their bodies. Witten isn't anywhere close to as explosive nor has he come close to the targets he had in Week 1, but if Bryant is hobbled or sidelined then that will change. Put Witten toward the top of your Week 4 streaming tight ends list.

Chiefs at Steelers

Injuries cost the Steelers last week and could be reason for pessimism this week. Changes at left guard and slot receiver could impact the offense, but not having Ryan Shazier and two safeties would really put a target down the middle of the Steelers defense. Le'Veon Bell's return will obviously give the Steelers run game some much-needed punch -- maybe offensive coordinator Todd Haley gets creative and uses him and DeAngelo Williams at the same time like he did in the preseason. But if the O-line can't protect Ben Roethlisberger (and the Chiefs will most definitely attack), the Steelers will be in for another long night.

Expectation for Charles: It's okay to start Charles, but have mild expectations. This is his first game action since he got hurt -- he didn't play in the preseason and basically used the first three weeks of this season as an extended training camp. The Chiefs want this guy to last into the playoffs, so they're probably not going to be in a rush to give him a ton of work. With a bye coming in Week 5, assume Ware will get more touches and work the goal line. But if the game is back-and-forth and Charles is playing without hesitation, he could come up with close to 10 carries and four catches.

Chiefs		Steelers
Alex Smith	(4.7)	Ben Roethlisberger	(6.9)
Spencer Ware	(5.8)	Le'Veon Bell	(9.1)
Jamaal Charles	(5.7)	DeAngelo Williams	(3.9)
Jeremy Maclin	(5.1)	Antonio Brown	(9.5)
Travis Kelce	(5.0)	Sammie Coates	(3.9)
Chiefs DST	(6.0)	Jesse James	(3.8)
		Steelers DST	(5.2)

Sit him

We've reached the point with Maclin where if he doesn't score, he's not helpful to your Fantasy team. In the last calendar year he's had over 100 yards twice, over 70 yards two more times and 50 yards or fewer nine times. Gross! The Steelers defense is banged up but their cornerbacks should be able to hang with Maclin. Making matters worse is Maclin's quarterback -- Alex Smith has never posted 20-plus Fantasy points in four career games against the Steelers including twice against this current coaching staff.

Giants at Vikings

The Vikings are 3-0 and have scored 64 points, but the offense has recorded just three touchdowns (none rushing) and the kicking unit has been responsible for the same amount of points (more if you count extra points). It should place an emphasis by the Giants to take care of the football. Easier said than done -- Minnesota has more takeaways (seven) than touchdowns allowed (five) and they've made Aaron Rodgers and Cam Newton look terrible in consecutive weeks.

Giants		Vikings
Eli Manning	(5.65)	Sam Bradford	(4.8)
Orleans Darkwa	(5.0)	Jerick McKinnon	(5.1)
Odell Beckham	(8.8)	Matt Asiata	(3.6)
Sterling Shepard	(7.0)	Stefon Diggs	(7.7)
Victor Cruz	(5.6)	Kyle Rudolph	(8.0)
Giants DST	(6.4)	Vikings DST	(8.0)

Sit him

Take a deep breath before reading this: Manning's track record against Vikings defensive genius Mike Zimmer is not good. In five against him with the Cowboys, one with the Falcons, two with the Bengals and once against Minny, Manning has thrown multiple touchdowns four times, topped 250 yards three times and thrown at least one interception seven times. Worst of all, he's hit 20 or more Fantasy points just twice, and none since 2007. Manning's receiving corps has rarely been as deep as it is now, which provides a challenge for the Vikings, but the way Minnesota's defense has been running it could make for a rough night for Manning.

Dolphins at Bengals

Andy Dalton's track records playing in prime time, playing on Thursday nights and facing the Dolphins are all bad news. It's not enough to spook you from starting A.J. Green but it should refocus the Bengals on attacking Miami on the ground. Problem is, Jeremy Hill's been bad in two career Thursday night matchups. Nonetheless, Hill should find room against a Dolphins defense giving up 4.5 yards per rush on the year.

Dolphins		Bengals
Ryan Tannehill	(5.4)	Andy Dalton	(5.2)
Kenyan Drake	(4.9)	Jeremy Hill	(7.9)
Jay Ajayi	(4.7)	Giovani Bernard	(5.4)
Jarvis Landry	(7.8)	A.J. Green	(9.0)
DeVante Parker	(6.3)	Tyler Boyd	(3.6)
Kenny Stills	(4.1)	Bengals DST	(8.2)
Dion Sims	(3.2)
Dolphins DST	(4.6)

Sneaky sleeper

How about this for a quirky trend: In Adam Gase's two games as a play caller against the Bengals, his No. 2 receiver finished with at least 70 yards and two touchdowns. Crazy, right? No one should pencil in two scores for Parker, but he has come up with at least 10 Fantasy points in non-PPR (14-plus in PPR) over his last two games. If Dre Kirkpatrick is out for the Bengals, the Dolphins will be able to feast on some favorable matchups. Even if it's Adam Jones on DeVante Parker, he should still get some looks from Ryan Tannehill. If Miami is chasing points, Parker should benefit. Load him up as a No. 3 receiver.