This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 4 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 13 games, while the Broncos and Jets will face off in a battle of winless squads at 8:20 p.m. EDT on Thursday, the Falcons and Packers face off Monday, and the postponed Steelers-Titans game won't count towards the Week 4 slate for DFS purposes. We're starting to get an idea of where teams and individual performers stand with three weeks in the books, and most of the recommended players below are set to benefit from favorable matchups based on early-season trends. Some of the Week 4 options that stand out include an elite quarterback primed to heat up after a slow start, a breakout running back facing a porous run defense and a young tight end who's showing off the skills that made him a top-10 pick in his draft class.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, MIA vs. SEA ($31): Fitzpatrick has scored over 24 fantasy points in each of his past two starts, and the veteran Dolphins quarterback should conjure up more Fitzmagic after having three extra days to prepare for what's projected to be a high-scoring affair (over/under 54.5) against Seattle. The Seahawks are surrendering a league-high 430.7 passing yards per game, which is over 80 yards clear of the 31st-ranked Falcons, and opposing quarterbacks have thrown for six touchdowns and rushed for two more through Seattle's first three games.
RB: Kareem Hunt, CLE at DAL ($16): Hunt comes in $11 cheaper than teammate Nick Chubb, but game script could favor Hunt's superior pass-catching ability for the underdog Browns in Dallas. Hunt has 39 carries and eight catches on 11 targets (compared to Chubb's 51 carries and three targets) through three weeks, and he has found the end zone three times in his last two games. The Cowboys defense is surrendering 32.3 points per game, so the entire Browns offense is primed for a strong week, and Hunt offers the best bang for the buck on this unit.
WR: Tyreek Hill, KC vs. NE ($31): Facing standout cornerback Stephon Gilmore is far from an ideal matchup, but Hill still carries as high a ceiling as anybody at the wide receiver position. The league's premier deep threat has found the end zone in each of Kansas City's first three games, and with Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball in a Chiefs offense with plenty of other threats to worry about, Hill's capable of going to the house on any given play.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Baker Mayfield (CLE, $26), Joe Burrow (CIN, $27), Nick Mullens (SF, $22)
RB: Mike Davis (CAR, $17), David Montgomery (CHI, $14), Jeff Wilson (SF, $14)
WR: Anthony Miller (CHI, $19), Braxton Berrios (NYJ, $13), Gabriel Davis (BUF, $10)
TE: George Kittle (SF, $26), Darren Waller (LV, $23)
DST: New York Jets (vs. DEN, $16), San Francisco 49ers (vs. PHI, $16)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
QUARTERBACK
Deshaun Watson, HOU vs. MIN ($30): Watson hasn't put up his typical gaudy stat lines through three weeks, averaging only 264 passing yards and 16.3 rushing yards per game while posting a 4:3 TD:INT through the air and adding one score on the ground. While it's no surprise that he has taken a step back following the offseason departure of elite wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins via trade, Watson's early-season struggles and Houston's 0-3 start can be blamed in part on a brutal schedule (at KC, vs. BAL, at PIT). This matchup with a 30th-ranked Vikings pass defense that's allowing 292.3 yards per game presents a terrific buy-low opportunity on Watson, who ranked second behind Lamar Jackson in fantasy points per game at the quarterback position last season.
RUNNING BACK
James Robinson, JAX at CIN ($23): Robinson has gotten better with each game, and he's coming off back-to-back games with over 100 scrimmage yards. Jacksonville's feature back also has three touchdowns in the past two contests, and he's primed for another large workload against a Bengals team that's allowing 181.7 yards per game on the ground. Only the Texans are giving up more rushing yards per game, and Robinson should be fresh after playing on Thursday last week.
Alvin Kamara, NO at DET ($36): Kamara has looked like the best player in fantasy through three weeks, rushing 31 times for 153 yards and three touchdowns while catching 27 of 31 targets for 285 yards and three touchdowns. He'll take on a Lions defense that was eviscerated to the tune of 236 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns by the Packers' Aaron Jones in Week 2, and Kamara has the skills to replicate that performance as the focal point of New Orleans' offense, regardless of whether Michael Thomas (ankle) suits up.
WIDE RECEIVER
DeAndre Hopkins, ARI at CAR ($32): Hopkins' price has come down by $3 from last week despite another strong outing, as his 10 catches for 137 yards in Week 3 have Hopkins up to 32 catches for 356 yards and a touchdown through three games. The league leader in receptions and receiving yards should continue to shine against a Panthers defense that just allowed 13 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown to the Chargers' Keenan Allen.
Robert Woods, LAR vs. NYG ($23): The Giants' pass defense looks alright on paper, but there's a good chance this porous unit gets exposed by Woods and the rest of the Rams' passing attack. JuJu Smith-Schuster got free for a pair of touchdowns against New York in Week 1, the since-benched Mitchell Trubisky threw two touchdowns against the Giants in Week 2, and even with San Francisco deploying a primarily ground-based attack in Week 3, backup quarterback Nick Mullens still had time to throw for 343 yards while the 49ers didn't turn it over or punt all afternoon. Woods has quietly gone about his business with 256 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns through three weeks, but Los Angeles' top option on the outside has a tremendous ceiling this week due to matchup in addition to his usual high floor in coach Sean McVay's potent offense.
Greg Ward, PHI at SF ($14): Ward stepped up last week for an injury-riddled Eagles receiving corps that was missing Dallas Goedert (ankle), DeSean Jackson (hamstring), Alshon Jeffery (foot) and Jalen Reagor (thumb) by the end of the game. Jackson and Jeffery both have a shot of suiting up in San Francisco, but as long as at least one of them sits, Ward will be an intriguing low-cost option against the injury-riddled 49ers defense after snagging eight of 11 targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in the tie against Cincinnati.
TIGHT END
T.J. Hockenson, DET vs. NO ($18): Hockenson was selected eighth overall in 2019, and he's starting to live up to his lofty draft billing, as the second-year tight end has at least four catches and 53 yards in each of Detroit's first three games, as well as one touchdown. Meanwhile, the Saints have been more vulnerable to tight ends than any other defense in the league, allowing the most catches (29), yards (290) and touchdowns (four) to the position.
DEFENSE
Los Angeles Rams, LAR vs. NYG ($17): The Giants' offense has been trending in the wrong direction, going from 16 points in Week 1 down to 13 in Week 2 and just nine -- with zero trips into the red zone -- in Week 3. Additionally, quarterback Daniel Jones continues to struggle with turnovers, as he has turned the ball over twice in each of New York's first three games after finishing with 12 interceptions and 11 lost fumbles in 13 games as a rookie. The Rams have racked up seven sacks and forced five turnovers through three games, and a unit that boasts big-name defensive players such as Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey should overwhelm a Giants offense that's without two of its best playmakers in Saquon Barkley (knee) and Sterling Shepard (toe).
Honorable Mentions
QB: Lamar Jackson (BAL, $40), Aaron Rodgers (GB, $34), Russell Wilson (SEA, $42)
RB: Dalvin Cook (MIN, $32), Kenyan Drake (ARI, $28), Darrell Henderson (LAR, $23)
WR: Tyler Lockett (SEA, $25), Odell Beckham (CLE, $25), Brandin Cooks (HOU, $16)
TE: Zach Ertz (PHI, $17), Noah Fant (DEN, $18)
DST: Indianapolis Colts (at CHI, $19), Buffalo Bills (at LV, $12)
