NFL Week 4 fantasy sleepers: 3 favorable matchups in Packers-Cowboys; 3 RBs with upside

Love is a prime example of a player performing well but not in terms of fantasy. The Packers have made the playoffs in both of Love’s seasons as the starter. He’s done a good job of leading the offense and making plays when his team needs him. The problem? That doesn’t translate to fantasy points often enough. It’s why fantasy managers are reluctant to roster Love and even more hesitant to start him. 

But sometimes, a matchup so tantalizing comes along that it’s impossible to ignore. The vibes in Dallas were already bad after Russell Wilson put 450 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Cowboys in Week 2. They’re even worse after Caleb Williams went for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns last weel. Because of how the Packers’ offense operates, Love’s ceiling isn’t quite as high. But he’s still in a good enough spot to be a QB1 in Week 4. 

In his fifth NFL season, we’re still not sure if Fields is a good real-life quarterback. However, there’s little doubt he’s a good fantasy one. The reason can be summed up in two words: rushing upside. We saw it on display in Week 1 against the Steelers. We saw it again in Week 2 versus Buffalo before a concussion prematurely ended his day.  

After sitting out the Week 3 loss to Tampa Bay, the Jets hope their QB1 returns for Monday night's contest at Miami. The Dolphins haven’t offered much resistance to opposing offenses -- especially on the ground. If Fields can clear concussion protocol, his ability to run should also open up the pass. Whether by ground or by air, Fields should be productive against the Fins this week. 

The hyperbole of fantasy analysts is most notable when we’re hyping a particular player or team. Frequently, we must walk it back after a couple of weeks. Conversely, there are times when we’re too pessimistic about a team and must upgrade our expectations. We may have reached that point with the Saints. Granted, it was a low bar, but they haven’t been the worst. So … progress! 

Nonetheless, I’m not hopeful overall for New Orleans’ chances to get a win in Buffalo. But I am encouraged by Kamara’s chances for garbage time points. He’s still the undisputed RB1 with 80 percent of the snaps and has been rather efficient as a runner. His 50 carries have netted 186 yards and a score. That’s good news against a leaky Bills run defense. While Kamara’s target share is well below his career averages, he should see a few pass-catching opportunities with the Saints likely in catch-up mode. For fantasy managers uninspired by their Kamara draft choice, Week 4 could be a time to rejoice. 

The Henderson breakout has been on hold through the first three weeks. Some people (looking at my pal Michael F. Florio) hoped that it might have happened last week against the Steelers and their unexpectedly porous run defense. It didn’t. But Week 3 may have planted the seeds for the Henderson fantasy tree to bear fruit in Week 4. The rookie was again stuck behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson in New England’s offense. But the two veterans caught a sudden case of fumble-itis last week, leading to Henderson getting a lot of work late in the game. 

Let’s hope that it carries over with the Pats heading south to visit the Panthers. Carolina’s run defense has been poor through the first three weeks. Even in a 30-0 blowout win over Atlanta, Carolina was out-rushed 131-110. New England has been pass-heavy early in the season, but that seems more out of necessity than desire. With increased opportunity in a balanced offense, we could see the version of Henderson we’ve been waiting for.  

Fantasy managers had high hopes for the Jaguars offense in 2025. Liam Coen took over as the head coach after running a high-powered unit in Tampa Bay. They drafted Travis Hunter to pair with Brian Thomas Jr. fresh off a productive rookie campaign. If we had any questions, they were about what was happening with the Jacksonville backfield. Welp. Through three weeks, the Jags’ running game has been more beneficial to fantasy managers than anything through the air. 

Enter Bhayshul Tuten. Jacksonville felt good enough about the rookie to trade Tank Bigsby to Philadelphia. Tuten’s chances have been limited, but he’s made the most of them. Over his past two games, he’s rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries (4.5 yards per attempt). He also has Jacksonville’s only goal-line carry. So, there’s that. Either way, Tuten could be a good flex option in deeper leagues versus a Niners defense that has given up plays in the run game.  

There’s a good chance I regret this on Sunday, but I’m currently riding the high that comes from taking a calculated risk. Like testing that week-old pizza in the fridge. Maybe it gives you a case of bubbleguts. Or maybe it’s way better than you could imagine. 

With that, I give you Doubs. Using stats to project Packers receivers is like trying to hold sand on a windy day. But I can tell you that Doubs leads the team in routes run and air yards per target. That makes him as close to a WR1 as this offense can boast. It also makes Doubs a prime candidate to post a big number against the woeful Dallas secondary. And if it turns out that Matthew Golden, Dontayvion Wicks or even Malik Heath has the big day against the Cowboys, pretend I wrote this about one of them. 

Ferguson was going to make an appearance on this list even before we learned that CeeDee Lamb was going to miss multiple games with a sprained ankle. Through the first two weeks of the season, Ferguson had a 22 percent target share. That number jumped to 25 percent after earning 14 targets in Week 3. With all the hoopla surrounding George Pickens' addition to the roster, it's easy to forget Ferguson was second to Lamb last year in targets and receptions. Simply put, Dak Prescott is very comfortable getting his tight end involved. 

Expect that to be a focal point this week against the Packers. Once again, Green Bay couldn’t clamp down on opposing tight ends last week. Cleveland's David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. combined for eight catches and 65 yards on 11 targets. Through three weeks, the Pack is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Ferguson has a shot to be the overall TE1 in most formats this week. 

Once upon a time, Kyle Pitts discussions elicited acrimony among fans and analysts alike. Nowadays, the Falcons tight end is mostly met with apathy. Many have clearly stated on which side of the argument they lie. Minds aren’t going to change. After three weeks, Pitts has been ... fine. Not great. Not terrible. Just ... fine. His usage numbers are encouraging -- he’s second on the team in targets and receptions. He’s also second to Drake London in routes run. The bigger problem is Michael Penix Jr. and his 58.6 percent completion percentage. Only Trevor Lawrence and Cam Ward are worse. 

The reason for optimism this week comes in the form of a Washington defense that ranks in the bottom third of the NFL against the pass. Similarly, the Commanders are in the bottom third of the league when it comes to slowing down fantasy tight ends. In Week 2, Tucker Kraft was the overall TE1 after facing the Commanders. Last week, a hobbled Brock Bowers finished just outside the top 12. Pitts has top-10 upside this week. 

For the first two weeks of the season, targeting the Panthers with your DST was good business. The Jaguars cashed in with a sack and three takeaways in Week 1. The Cardinals followed up with three sacks, two turnovers and a touchdown. The Falcons? Well ... that didn’t pan out.  

Nonetheless, I’ll need to see the Panthers offense do it in consecutive weeks before I believe they’re not DST streaming fodder. I’m willing to target a Carolina unit averaging 4.3 yards per play -- third-worst in the NFL. New England’s stout run defense combined with a respectable pass rush makes it a quality Week 4 option. 

Forget the talk about the Texans (lack of) offense. Let’s talk about Houston’s defense. Unsurprisingly, DeMeco Ryans has created a stop unit in his image: intense, physical and stingy. Despite a 0-3 record, the Texans are tied for the fifth-fewest points allowed. That includes holding the Rams to 14 points in the season-opener. It’s fortuitous for fantasy managers who stream defenses that they host the Titans this week. 

It's a defense that doesn’t give up points, especially when facing an offense that struggles to score them. The Titans' 51 points through three games ranks 28th. Sure, it’s four spots above the Texans’ last-ranked scoring offense. But we’re not talking about that right now. After a few mediocre performances, the Texans could find themselves as a top-12 defense in Week 4.