The 2024 NFL Season is here, and with it comes some lineup questions. Which moves should you make to maximize your points? Let this weekly post be your guide as I offer one start and one sit suggestion at QB, RB, WR, and TE. These suggestions are based on my rankings against consensus each week. Because we want to measure our success, we check back each week for a recap of how we did.
For this project, a start is a player I think will finish Top 12 at QB or TE and Top 24 at RB or WR. A sit is a player I think will finish outside those metrics. Before we dive into this week’s suggestions, let’s review how we did last week. All scoring is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
Starts Week 4
QB: Jayden Daniels, QB4 Hit. Daniels remains hot
RB: Aaron Jones, RB13 Hit. No TD, but Jones had a good day.
WR: Chris Godwin, WR29 Miss. Godwin didn’t get quite enough volume
TE: Dallas Goedert, TE6 Hit. Goedert continues to be reliable.
Start Record: 3-1
Sits Week 4
QB: Trevor Lawrence, QB14 Hit. It was a better day for Lawrence, but he’s still not Top 12.
RB: D’Andre Swift, RB2 Miss. Swift had himself a day.
WR: Michael Pittman, Jr., WR19 Miss. Joe Flacco helped Pittman.
TE: Mark Andrews, 0 points Hit. Andrews had another goose egg.
Sit Record: 2-2
On to this week’s picks.
Quarterbacks
Start: Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings
About: Darnold has started the season hot, leading the Vikings to a 4-0 record. They are at “home” in London this week against the Jets. The matchup and the journey might put some people off, but not me. Darnold is currently QB4, and I’m betting on him continuing his hot streak as the Vikings move to 5-0.
Sit: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints
About: Carr and the Saints started hot. He was QB2 after two weeks, with the Saints scoring more than 40 points each game. They’ve since come back down to earth. The Saints are still a good team, and Carr is still a solid Superflex option, but I don’t see him getting to the Top 12 on Monday night in Kansas City.
Running Backs
Start: Brian Robinson, Jr., Washington Commanders
About: The Commanders have been one of the year’s surprise teams so far. The squad sits at 3-1, and much has been made of Jayden Daniels. He’s been good, but he hasn’t done it alone. Robinson has been great in the backfield, sitting at RB14 on the season with at least ten points in every game. The Commanders have a great shot of moving to 4-1 this week, and I’m riding Robinson.
Sit: Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
About: I hoped Arthur Smith would be a boon to the Steelers’ running game. But we haven’t seen it make a big impact on Harris. He’s RB30 on the season, managing just ten points in Week 4 with Jaylen Warren out. Warren should be back this week, which means even more competition for touches. Harris is a flex play, but he’s not a Top 24 RB.
Wide Receivers
Start: Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans
About: I’m going with Diggs for two reasons. First, he’s been a big part of the Texans’ offense, getting involved in the offense in many ways. He’s WR9 on the season and has averaged 17 points per game. I’m also high on him this week because the Texans host the Bills, Diggs’ former team. I suspect there will be an attempt to get him the ball early as he makes a showing against his former teammates.
Sit: Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers
About: A couple of times this year, I’ve recommended setting a good receiver off to a cold start, and it’s woken them up. So, if Aiyuk finally goes off, you’re welcome. But to this point, Aiyuk has been a flex option, at best. He’s sitting as WR59. He hasn’t cracked ten points or gotten a touchdown this season, even when Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle were out in Week 3. Kittle and Deebo are playing in Week 5, and I suspect we’ll see another middling game from Aiyuk.
Tight Ends
Start: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
About: I get it; Kelce hasn’t been great this season. But his usage went way up when Rashee Rice was lost last week. He finished with a season-high 15.9 points, now sitting as TE12 on the season. Rice is gone, and the Chiefs are home against a good Saints team. I expect to see Kelce used heavily again, so I’m firing him up.
Sit: Isaiah Likely, Baltimore Ravens
About: Likely was a hero of Week 1, scoring 26.1 points. On the strength of that performance, he’s TE6 on the season. In the three games since, he hasn’t even gotten five points. He’s always a potential touchdown threat, but the volume isn’t there. He’s a TE2 for me.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
