This article is part of our Draftster NFL series.
After a week that saw six teams on byes, the NFL gets back to near full strength this week. A lot of players on Draftster also see a price decrease and a lot more balance in mid-ranged prices.
*Please note the following rankings do not include Thursday's matchup between Green Bay and Minnesota.
Quarterback
1. Drew Brees (NO) vs. TB - $9,000
2. Andrew Luck (IND) vs. BAL - $7,500
3. Peyton Manning (DEN) vs. ARI - $9,000
4. Matt Ryan (ATL) at NYG - $8,600
5. Philip Rivers (SD) vs. NYJ - $7,500
6. Tony Romo (DAL) vs. HOU - $5,200
7. Matthew Stafford (DET) vs. BUF - $7,100
8. Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) at JAX - $7,000
9. Nick Foles (PHI) vs. STL - $6,600
10. Russell Wilson (SEA) at WAS - $6,700
11. Jay Cutler (CHI) at CAR - $6,300
12. Colin Kaepernick (SF) vs. KC - $7,200
13. Cam Newton (CAR) vs. CHI - $6,100
14. Joe Flacco (BAL) at IND - $6,200
Andrew Luck (IND) vs. BAL - $7,500
The Brilliance of Luck continued after another astounding game last Sunday. Luck connected with nine different receivers, including touchdowns to four different players. He ended Week 4 with 393 yards and four touchdowns and now leads the league with 1,305 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. Given his price remains low, he is still worth playing even with a slightly tougher matchup against Baltimore.
Tony Romo (DAL) vs. HOU - $5,200
After three straight weeks of sub 20-point performances, Romo finally broke out of his shell to the tune of three touchdowns and 262 yards. The Cowboys have been able to lean on DeMarco Murray more this season, as he has a league-leading 99 carries through four games. As the season progresses and Romo puts his back injury further behind him, the Cowboys will shift their focus back equally to their air-attack. A team with a weapon like Dez Bryant can never be ignored.
Cam Newton (CAR) vs. CHI - $6,100
With three straight disappointing fantasy weeks, Newton owners are starting to feel a little unsettled. But a juicy matchup against the Bears is just what this quarterback needs to breakout and regain his confidence. The Panthers are dismantled at running back, with undrafted rookie Darrin Reaves likely getting the starting nod this weekend. The Bears are giving up an average of 250 yards per game through the air and 372 yards total, which means Newton should be able to move the ball with his arm and his legs.
Running Back
1. DeMarco Murray (DAL) vs. HOU - $9,000
2. Le'Veon Bell (PIT) at JAX - $8,800
3. Jamaal Charles (KC) at SF - $6,400
4. Matt Forte (CHI) at CAR - $6,600
5. Giovani Bernard (CIN) at NE - $6,500
6. Marshawn Lynch (SEA) at WAS - $6,500
7. Rashad Jennings (NYG) vs. ATL - $6,900
8. Zac Stacy (STL) at PHI -$3,900
9. LeSean McCoy (PHI) vs. STL - $8,000
10. Frank Gore (SF) at KC - $3,600
11. Alfred Morris (WAS) vs. SEA - $5,300
12. Arian Foster (HOU) at DAL - $5,300
13. Chris Ivory (NYJ) at SD - $4,500
14. Doug Martin (TB) at NO - $5,200
Notable Byes: Lamar Miller
Jamaal Charles (KC) at SF - $6,400
Despite sitting out Week 3, Charles looked to be back to his self on Monday night, scoring three total touchdowns and gaining 108 all-purpose yards. Charles will come into this week as the ninth priced running back on Draftster. Though he will face a tough San Francisco rush defense, Charles' pass-catching ability makes him well worth his price.
Giovani Bernard (CIN) at NE - $6,500
After being a workhorse through the first three weeks of the season, Bernard got a nice early-season bye last week to regain his legs. Bernard is averaging 22 touches per game and will face a Patriots team that just got torched by the Kansas City rushing attack.
Zac Stacy (STL) at PHI -$3,900
Like the Bengals, the Rams are also coming off an early-season bye week. In Week 3, Stacy faced the Cowboys and accumulated 121 all-purpose yards, and he was a key focus in the St. Louis offense being led by Austin Davis. Stacy will face a Philadelphia defense that is giving up an average of 133 yards per game on the ground. At $3,900, Stacy may be the perfect player to build a very strong team around.
Wide Receivers
1. Antonio Brown (PIT) at JAX - $8,100
2. Julio Jones (ATL) at NYG - $9,000
3. Dez Bryant (DAL) vs. HOU- $7,000
4. Calvin Johnson (DET) vs. BUF - $8,000
5. A.J. Green (CIN) at NE - $6,900
6. Jeremy Maclin (PHI) vs. STL - $5,900
7. Demaryius Thomas (DEN) vs. ARI - $8,200
8. Alshon Jeffery (CHI) at CAR- $4,900
9. Percy Harvin (SEA) at WAS - $5,800
10. Keenan Allen (SD) vs. NYJ - $6,700
11. Steve Smith Sr. (BAL) at IND - $6,400
12. Kelvin Benjamin (CAR) vs. CHI - $6,000
13. Victor Cruz (NYG) vs. ATL - $5,900
14. Emmanuel Sanders (DEN) vs. ARI - $7,300
Notable Byes: Mike Wallace
Antonio Brown (PIT) at JAX - $8,100
Currently third in receiving yards and first in touchdowns, Brown has been on fire to start the season. Brown's price has yet to catch up to his production, so play him before his price tag increases. He faces the league's worst defense in the Jaguars on Sunday.
Percy Harvin (SEA) at WAS - $5,800
The Seahawks were off in Week 4, but back in Week 3, Harvin hauled in seven of the nine passes thrown his way for 42 yards. Though the yardage numbers weren't high, the seven receptions and nine targets are a promising stat. With Harvin's big-play ability, any touch could find the end zone.
Kelvin Benjamin (CAR) vs. CHI - $6,000
After a nine-target game last week, Benjamin now has 36 targets on the season and has clearly established himself as the top target in Carolina. Another impressive stat is that all of Benjamin's touchdowns have come from beyond 25 yards. With a matchup against the 20th ranked Bears defense on the horizon, Benjamin remains a top option for his price.
Tight End
1. Jimmy Graham (NO) vs. TB - $7,500
2. Julius Thomas (DEN) vs. ARI - $5,900
3. Martellus Bennett (CHI) at CAR - $5,700
4. Greg Olsen (CAR) vs. CHI - $4,400
5. Rob Gronkowski (NE) vs. CIN - $5,100
6. Larry Donnell (NYG) vs. ATL - $5,300
7. Antonio Gates (SD) vs. NYJ - $4,800
8. Delaine Walker (TEN) vs. CLE - $5,900
9. Heath Miller (PIT) at JAX - $5,400
10. Travis Kelce (KC) at SF - $4,800
Julius Thomas (DEN) vs. ARI - $5,900
Last season, the Cardinals defense against tight ends was ranked dead last and was a great weekly steaming option. The Cardinals defense has been slightly stronger against tight ends through three games this season, though they still rank in the bottom third of the league. Thomas has scored a touchdown in every game so far this season for a total of five scores overall. The return of Wes Welker has hurt Thomas in the yards department, but he remains a top-three option.
Larry Donnell (NYG) vs. ATL - $5,300
A relative unknown coming into the year, Donnell now has 25 catches for 236 yards and four touchdowns on the season. The Giants have started splitting him out as a wideout in passing situations and often look his way in the red zone. The amount of usage Donnell is seeing in the offense is too much to not recommend him as a weekly option.
Travis Kelce (KC) at SF - $4,800
Coming in at 6-5, 260, the monster tight end for the Chiefs finally saw his breakout game last week on Monday Night Football, as he hauled in 8-of-9 targets for 93 yards and a touchdown. The Chiefs don't have many talented options in the passing game, so a player like Kelce could continue to see an increased workload going forward. Though I am not a huge fan of his matchup this week against the Niners, the hype machine is definitely fired up.
Kicker
1. Dan Bailey (DAL) vs. HOU - $3,000
2. Phil Dawson (SF) vs. KC - $3,000
3. Matt Bryant (ATL) at NYG - $3,000
4. Cody Parkey (PHI) vs. STL - $3,100
The Kicker selection will change week-to-week based on highest over/under of their specific game. In most cases, you will want to select the lowest-priced kicker with the highest over/under. This week doesn't feature a standout over/under that I am comfortable playing, so the honor goes to Bailey, who is one of the most consistent kickers in the league.
Defense
1. San Diego (vs. NYJ) - $3,200
2. Detroit (vs. BUF) - $3,400
3. Seattle (at WAS) - $4,100
4. Denver (vs. ARI) - $4,000
On the opposite spectrum of kickers, defenses are selected based on the lowest over/under totals in a given week. The San Diego/New York Jets game comes in at the lowest of the week with a total of 43.5. The Chargers defense is also the fourth cheapest defense offered by Draftster this week.
Last week's lineup:
QB: Tony Romo (24.48)
RB: Le'Veon Bell (16.90)
RB: Jamaal Charles (31.80)
WR: Kelvin Benjamin (18.60)
WR: DeAndre Hopkins (17.40)
TE: Jimmy Graham (21.60)
FLEX: Donald Brown (9.40)
K: Blair Walsh (18.00)
D: Steelers (3.00)
TOTAL: 161.18
After a 106-point performance in Week 3, I was looking to right my ship quickly and get back to my winning ways. I did that this week thanks to Charles and his $3,600 price tag. Most players on Draftster will fall to near minimum price if injured. Though I do not believe this is the best idea for daily fantasy, I will always take full advantage of it. Romo also had a price tag that was too hard to ignore. I envisioned the Sunday night game to be more of a shootout, though it ended up a bit lopsided it still benefited my team. Bell disappointed a bit by not being able to find the end zone, but he finished with a very respectful 16 points. I went with some young guys at receiver last week and they each found the end zone. For the third straight week, Graham filled my tight end spot and ended up being my third highest scorer. I admittedly paid a little bit more than I would have liked for Donald Brown and he disappointed fantasy owners across the nation. All in all, it was a good bounce-back week and a confidence booster going forward.
