Arizona Cardinals

Fantasy Football: Week 4 Start/Sit QB Edition

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:59 p.m. ET

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Sep 25, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) drops back to pass against the New York Giants during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Can Carson Palmer bounce back this week? Will Philip Rivers throw a touchdown pass this week? What should you do with Eli Manning this week against the Vikings? And is Russell Wilson really going to play this week?

All the questions are answered and more in this week’s start/sit QB edition.

START THESE QBS…

Matthew Stafford, DET (at CHI)

Stafford is having his best start to a season in his entire eight-year career. He’s already scored the third most fantasy points among quarterbacks and is coming off a huge week where he put up 30.5 fantasy points against the Packers in Green Bay and he’s scored at least 26-plus fantasy points in two of his three games so far this season. Stafford should continue to roll this week against the Bears, who have one of the leagues worst defenses and is giving up 27.5 points per game.

Carson Palmer, ARI (vs. LA)

Has there been a more disappointing quarterback to start the season than Palmer? He has been terrible in two of the first three games, and his one good game came against the Buccaneers who can’t stop anyone through the air. But this week against the Rams he should rebound in a big way. has scored 18-plus fantasy points in seven of his last 11 home games, which includes four 20-plus point performances. Los Angeles also allowed over 25 points to Jameis Winston last week.

Philip Rivers, SD (vs. NO)

Rivers was also a sure-fire must-start last week against the Colts and while he did throw for 330 yards, he failed to throw a touchdown pass, which really hurt is fantasy value. That isn’t the case this week against the Saints, who have surrendered an average of more than 18 fantasy points a game to quarterbacks. This could be a shootout, so Rivers should succeed.

Kirk Cousins, WAS (vs. CLE)

Cousins has been tough to predict from a fantasy perspective after three weeks, but he has produced two straight games with 18-plus fantasy points and he really needed a win last week against the Giants to help the team’s confidence in him. This week Cousins’ gets the lowly Cleveland Browns, who have surrendered an average of more than 18 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. That includes seven touchdowns allowed.

Sep 25, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) drops back to pass against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

SIT THESE QBs…

Eli Manning, NYG (@ NYG)

Looks like good ol’Eli is alive and well this year and he is getting harder and harder to trust as an every week starting QB for your fantasy team. His last two matchups were at home against the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins. Two games where he should have a fantasy bonanza and he thoroughly disappointed, scoring under 15 fantasy points in each game. This week Eli and the Giants travel to Minnesota to take on a Vikings team that might field the best defense in the league. Just ask Cam Newton, who was held to 13 points in Week 3.

Matt Ryan, ATL (vs. CAR)

You might be inclined to start Ryan this week since he’s scored the second most fantasy points among quarterbacks this season and is coming off a decent 21.9 fantasy point game against the Saints, which was his lowest point total of the season. This week is a different story as the Falcons welcome the Carolina Panthers to town. The Panthers allowed fewer than 180 passing yards twice this season, and have yet to allow a 250-yard passer and have also allowed an average of fewer than 14 fantasy points a game to quarterbacks, and Ryan has averaged fewer than 13 points in his last three home games against the Panthers.

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Jameis Winston, TB (vs. DEN)

Winston is coming off his second huge fantasy performance in three weeks (405 yards, three touchdowns, one interception vs. the Rams), but we’ve already seen three examples of how no one is matchup proof against the Denver Broncos. Cam Newton threw for 194 yards and a touchdown, while Andrew Luck threw for 197 yards and a score. Andy Dalton barely out-did the others in yards (206) but didn’t find the end zone. Overall, that’s three top-tier fantasy quarterbacks averaging 199 passing yards, 5.7 yards per attempt and 0.67 passing touchdowns against the Broncos elite defense. Winston is super intriguing once he gets past this murderer’s row schedule (at ARI, LAR, DEN, at CAR), but I would pass in Week 4 unless you’re in a two-QB or deep league.

Russell Wilson, SEA (@ NYJ)

He’s not playing well as it is, and now he’s dealing with a possible sprained MCL. Despite the magical healing properties that Pete Carroll believes Russell Wilson has, taking away Wilson’s rushing thus far has done nothing for fantasy owners, and makes his receivers easier to cover. Furthermore, no one wants to see Wilson get flattened by Muhammad Wilkerson then take off a few series. Put Wilson on your bench for this week and let him heal.

Best of luck in your Week 3 Fantasy Football contests!