We are coming off a fantastic Week 3 where our start/sit calls hit the nail right on the head! We told you to start Brock Purdy, and he delivered a masterclass with three touchdown passes and top-tier fantasy output. On the flip side, we warned you to sit Matthew Stafford, who got completely stifled by a relentless pass rush and ended up outside the top 20 fantasy quarterbacks. Looking ahead to Week 4, identifying both the best fantasy football matchups and the worst fantasy football matchups is the key to unlocking another victory. Whether you need to exploit porous pass defenses or bench talented players in nightmare setups, analyzing the fantasy football matchups for Week 4 with us will give you the competitive edge needed to win your league.

Best Fantasy Football Matchups for Week 4

Daniel Jones, QB Indianapolis Colts

Jones has revitalized his fantasy outlook in 2026, finding a great rhythm in the Colts' system. In Week 4, he faces a secondary that ranks near the bottom of the league in fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, giving up over 260 passing yards per game and multiple passing touchdowns in consecutive weeks. Opposing quarterbacks have posted a fierce 124.4 passer rating against them. With his rushing floor, clean pocket protection, and reliable pass-catchers like Josh Downs and Tyler Warren, Jones projects as a top-10 option among the rest of the fantasy football matchups for Week 4.

Bucky Irving, RB Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The immediate thought should be how the Bucs are likely to lean on the run with Jalon Daniels under center. Your second thought should then turn to how Irving is also heavily used in the passing game. Kenneth Gainwell is barely an afterthought. From there, you can turn to how Irving has firmly taken control of the Buccaneers' backfield as the clear-cut RB1 and gets one of the best fantasy football matchups on the slate this week against a soft Packers front seven that is allowing 4.8 yards per carry to opposing running backs and struggles in line-of-scrimmage tackling. Expect heavy volume on the ground and in the short passing game, giving Irving high-end RB1 potential for Week 4.

Darren Waller, TE Carolina Panthers

Waller remains a focal point of the Panthers' intermediate passing attack, and Week 4 presents an ideal spot for him against a defense that bleeds production to seam routes and TE targets. In fact, without their top two safeties, the Lions are allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to the position through three weeks. If you need an elite tight end option with some strong touchdown upside, Waller's target share makes him one of the premier start candidates among the fantasy football matchups in Week 4.

Worst Fantasy Football Matchups for Week 4

Kirk Cousins, QB Las Vegas Raiders

While Cousins has put up respectable baseline passing numbers for the Raiders, his Week 4 ceiling is severely capped against the Kansas City Chiefs. He runs directly into a ferocious pass rush that ranks top-three in pressure rate without even needing to blitz. Combined with a secondary that has allowed just two passing touchdowns all season, Cousins lands among the worst fantasy football matchups on the board. Sit him for higher-upside streaming options.

Omarion Hampton, RB Los Angeles Chargers

This one, obviously, crushes my soul, but Hampton faces his toughest test yet in Week 4. He encounters a brick-wall defensive front in the Seahawks that gives up fewer than 90 rushing yards per game and has yet to allow a rushing touchdown to a running back this season. Given the Chargers' sudden offensive line struggles (among other nightmarish issues with this team), Hampton will struggle to find open lanes, landing him squarely on the list of worst fantasy football matchups for Week 4.

DeVonta Smith, WR Philadelphia Eagles

This one hurts me too, as I have plenty of Smith on my own fantasy rosters. Smith has been pretty effective this far, but Week 4 brings a grueling shadow-coverage matchup against an elite cornerback in Trent McDuffie, a corner who has neutralized opposing WR1s and WR2s all year. With low projected target volume in a game script likely dominated by the ground attack, Smith is a risky starting play in all standard leagues.

 

 

 

Fantasy Football Matchups to Target

Jameis Winston, QB New York Giants

Let’s have some fun this week, shall we? When Jameis Winston gets a clean matchup, fantasy points follow. In Week 4, he goes against a Cardinals secondary that ranks 31st in DVOA against the pass and plays high rates of single-high coverage, which tends to yield explosive downfield plays. With Malik Nabers on the roster, Winston is a prime target for all leagues (mostly superflex) and DFS tournaments among the fantasy football matchups for Week 4.

Stefon Diggs, WR Washington Commanders

Diggs continues to command a massive target share in Washington. This week, he matches up against a slot-and-wide cornerback group that ranks 28th in coverage grade according to PFF and dead last in DVOA against the WR2. Diggs should easily clear double-digit targets and has a massive ceiling in one of the best fantasy football matchups for wideouts.

Fantasy Football Matchups to Avoid

Ollie Gordon, RB Miami Dolphins

Allow me to preface this with how this relates to ALL Dolphins players. Yes, all of them. If you want to be successful, not just in Week 4 but beyond, you need to stop thinking you can win with Miami players. Gordon should be the primary back, but he also has Jaylen Wrist mixing in and faces a stiff Week 4 road test against a Minnesota defensive unit that swallows up inside-zone runs. Without guaranteed goal-line work or pass-catching volume, Gordon is a matchup to avoid in your starting lineups. The premier definition of a fantasy turd.

Jameson Williams, WR Detroit Lions

I’ve always loved the player, but am not a fan of the situation this week. Williams' big-play profile is always tempting, but Week 4 features a matchup against Carolina’s two high-safety looks designed specifically to eliminate deep passes. Facing a Panthers secondary that ranks top-five in preventing completions of 20-plus yards, Williams carries an uncomfortably low floor and should be left on your bench when breaking down fantasy football matchups for Week 4.