This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.
These are my favorite DraftKings plays for Week 4, picking strictly from the 12-game Sunday slate (as of Thursday afternoon). At the end of the page, I'll briefly touch on the Thursday night (Dolphins-Bengals), Sunday morning (Colts-Jaguars) and Monday night (Giants-Vikings) games, which are part of the Thursday-Monday 15-game slate on DK.
Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (vs. KC), $7,100 – While the matchup obviously isn't ideal, Roethlisberger has pretty much everything else working in his favor, most notably a reasonable price tag, homefield advantage and (finally) a full supporting cast. He'll also have much lower ownership than usual, coming off a dud performance and facing a Kansas City defense that will scare most people away. Not to say it's a bad defense, but this unit probably isn't nearly as good as the early results suggest, with the pass rush looking a bit toothless (three sacks) sans Justin Houston (knee). Prior to capitalizing on Ryan Fitzpatrick's meltdown last week, the Chiefs looked rather ordinary against San Diego and Houston.
Trevor Siemian, DEN (at TB), $5,400 – Siemian turned in one of the season's more shocking performances last week, roasting the Bengals for 312 yards and four touchdowns on the road in Cincinnati. While we obviously shouldn't get used to that kind of production in a run-first Denver offense, Sunday's matchup against Tampa Bay could force the Broncos to win through the air again. Despite facing Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Devonta Freeman/Tevin Coleman, the Bucs have allowed only 3.5 yards per carry, compared to a whopping 8.5 yards per pass attempt. Annually soft against the pass, Tampa even allowed the woeful Case Keenum to throw for his first two touchdowns of the year in a surprising Week 3 loss. Further adding to the appeal, Siemian's favorite targets are reasonably priced, with Demaryius Thomas ($6,700) checking in as the 12th-most expensive wideout on the main slate, and Emmanuel Sanders ($6,300) priced at t-15th.
Other options:Cam Newton, CAR (at ATL), $7,800; Matt Stafford, DET (at CHI), $7,300; Philip Rivers, SD (vs. NO), $6,900; Kirk Cousins, WAS (vs. CLE), $6,500; Carson Palmer, ARI (vs. LA), $6,300; Joe Flacco, BAL (vs. OAK), $5,900; Alex Smith, KC (at PIT), $5,600; Brian Hoyer, CHI (vs. DET), $5,000
Running Back
Carlos Hyde, SF (vs. DAL), $4,200 – As the only effective weapon in San Francisco's offense, Hyde has unsurprisingly logged 17-plus touches each week, with the team opting to keep feeding him even when trailing by multiple scores in the second half. To that effect, he scored a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter of Sunday's blowout loss to Seattle, ultimately topping 100 yards on his way to 28.5 DK points. Now facing a much softer defense in a game his team could actually win, Hyde sticks out as one of the most underpriced players of the week. Dallas has somehow surrendered 5.0 yards per carry despite facing the Giants, Redskins and Cowboys -- all teams that have otherwise been unable to run the ball.
Jordan Howard, CHI (vs. DET), $3,700 – An unproven fifth-round rookie on a miserable team, Howard is here on the basis of matchup and expected workload, in addition to the dirt-cheap price. He's the only healthy player remaining from Chicago's Week 1 backfield, currently joined by special teamer Raheem Mostert and mid-week signing Joique Bell, assuming Ka'Deem Carey (hamstring) misses another game. Howard may thus be forced into a three-down role, and while he only had 24 receptions in his three-year college career, he did catch four of six targets for 47 yards last week in Dallas. And even if he doesn't contribute much through the air, he should have some luck on the ground against a Detroit defense that's surrendering 5.1 yards per carry. As a bonus, the Lions may be without DE Ezekiel Ansah (ankle) and LB DeAndre Levy (quad), their two best front-seven players.
Other options:David Johnson, ARI (vs. LA), $7,800; Le'Veon Bell, PIT (vs. KC), $7,500; Matt Forte, NYJ (vs. SEA), $6,600; Melvin Gordon, SD (vs. NO), $6,300; Melvin Ingram, NO (at SD), $5,900; Charles Sims, TB (vs. DEN), $5,600; Dwayne Washington, DET (at CHI), $3,800
Wide Receiver
Antonio Brown, PIT (vs. KC), $9,700 – While sure to be a popular option yet again, Brown still makes for the best play among elite wide receivers, as it's hard to envision him disappointing in this spot. Sure, the Chiefs have allowed the 10th-fewest points to his position, but a closer look reveals the matchup is actually quite friendly, as Kansas City lacks cornerback talent beyond Marcus Peters, who is more of a big-play gambler than a true shutdown force. The Chiefs did just stifle Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but they've otherwise been awful against top wide receivers. Keenan Allen (knee) had six catches on just 27 snaps in Week 1 before he was injured, and DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller both topped 100 yards in Week 2.
Doug Baldwin, SEA (at NYJ), $6,100 – With Russell Wilson (knee) temporarily immobile and the Jets still dominant against the run (3.3 YPC), Seattle will almost certainly need to deviate from its historical preference for a ground-based gameplan. The matchup should lead to a plethora of targets for Baldwin, who has repeatedly proven capable of doing serious damage even with a modest workload. He's been an absolute monster when he's actually gotten No. 1 receiver volume, averaging 7.3 catches for 122.5 yards and 1.7 touchdowns in his last six regular-season games with eight or more targets, stretching back to Week 10 last year. Even if the banged-up Wilson isn't his usual self, Baldwin should get along just fine.
Tyrell Williams, SD (vs. NO), $4,400 – Travis Benjamin ($5,900) was widely expected to replace Keenan Allen (knee) as San Diego's No. 1 wideout, but Williams has actually been getting more snaps and targets than his teammate. While yet to have a huge game like Benjamin did in Week 2, the 6-foot-4 Williams has topped 60 receiving yards each game, suggesting a breakout isn't too far off. Given the obviously superb matchup and still-cheap price tag, this is the perfect time to be on Williams. New Orleans checks all the boxes for matchup -- Poor cornerback play. Lousy numbers against QBs and WRs. An offense that can keep pace so San Diego continues throwing.
Other options:Julio Jones, ATL (vs. CAR), $9,200; Amari Cooper, OAK (at BAL), $7,600; Mike Evans, TB (vs. DEN), $6,500; Emmanuel Sanders, DEN (at TB), $6,300; Steve Smith, BAL (vs. OAK), $4,500; Terrelle Pryor, CLE (vs. WAS), $4,300; Tavon Austin, STL (at ARI), $4,000
Tight End
Zach Miller, CHI (vs. DET), $2,700 – New Orleans' Coby Fleener ($3,200) will likely be the most popular play, coming off a 7-109-1 Week 3 receiving line, with a price that hasn't been adjusted because he played in the MNF game. Not to say Fleener is a bad option, but it might be best to look in another direction, especially if Willie Snead (toe) returns to take back some of those targets. Miller is $500 cheaper and also looking to build on a huge game, after going for 8-78-2 (on nine targets) in Brian Hoyer's first start of the year. While his name may not be as familiar as Fleener's, Miller isn't exactly coming out of nowhere, as he did have three straight games with at least five catches and 57 yards after taking over for Martellus Bennett late last season.
Other options:Jordan Reed, WAS (vs. CLE), $6,300; Greg Olsen, CAR (at ATL), $6,000; Travis Kelce, KC (at PIT), $4,800; Jimmy Graham, SEA (at NYJ), $4,000; Dennis Pitta, BAL (vs. OAK), $3,900; Coby Fleener, NO (at SD), $3,200; Hunter Henry, SD (vs. NO), $2,700
Team D/ST
Baltimore Ravens (vs. OAK), $2,400 – The Raiders offensive line has been as advertised, surrendering two sacks in three games as the team has committed just one turnover. Oakland has thus allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing D/ST units, but given that the team has faced New Orleans, Atlanta and Tennessee, it seems hasty to view this squad as a true offensive juggernaut. Meanwhile, the Baltimore defense has also taken advantage of a favorable early schedule, averaging 10.3 DK points without the help of any touchdowns. I'm not sure which group will get the upper hand in the first real test for both sides, but considering the $2,400 price tag and location of the game, Baltimore's defense makes for a more-than-worthy gamble. The Ravens could even make Derek Carr uncomfortable for the first time this year, as OLB Elvis Dumervil (foot) is expected to make his 2016 debut, joining OLB Terrell Suggs and DL Timmy Jernigan (three sacks apiece) to form a strong pass-rush.
Other options: Arizona Cardinals (vs. LA), $3,900; Washington Redskins (vs. CLE), $3,500; New England Patriots (vs. BUF), $3,300; Houston Texans (vs. TEN), $3,200;
Extended Slate
Miami at Cincinnati – Jarvis Landry ($6,900) is in play against a thus-far disappointing Cincinnati defense, but with Tyler Eifert (ankle) still out and the Bengals comfortably favored, RB Jeremy Hill ($4,100) and WR A.J. Green ($8,500) are the best plays from this game. If the Dolphins do manage to keep it close or even pull off the upset, a Landry-Green combination could be deadly.
Indianapolis at Jacksonville – This game is loaded with fantasy goodness, as Jacksonville has shown minimal ability to run the ball or play defense, which could lead to an air-it-out affair. Andrew Luck ($7,400) and T.Y. Hilton ($7,000) are two of my favorite plays this week, making it rather unfortunate that this game is only included in the extended slate. Allen Hurns ($4,800) and Phillip Dorsett ($4,700) are in nice bounce-back spots, with Julius Thomas ($4,400) also an option, if his elbow injury checks out.
New York Giants at Minnesota – This is a good spot to get Odell Beckham ($8,700) at modest ownership in a matchup that favors Big Blue's passing-game volume, but there's no longer any way to deny that the Minnesota defense is downright nasty. Still, Beckham is definitely worth considering, especially with his price down quite a bit since the beginning of the season. Jerick McKinnon ($3,900) is a decent-but-not-great option in a sneakily difficult matchup, while Kyle Rudolph ($3,400) warrants an unquestioned green light. Finally let loose after all these years, the talented tight end has accounted for a whopping 28.2 percent of his team's targets.
