Calvin Ridley came out of nowhere in week 3.
He tallied three touchdowns and 146 yards receiving. He looks like a completely different player than we saw in week 1, when he was a non-factor against Philadelphia.
Rookies are difficult to trust, and there will be some bumps in the road, but the Atlanta offense is humming. And it won’t stop in the near future. Ridley offers some opportunities and is the most targeted player on the fantasy football waiver wire for a reason.
He’s a WR3 floor, with tremendous upside, even in a matchup against a decent Cincinnati secondary. For the rest of the week 4 fantasy football decisions, here’s the start ’em, sit ’em guide for wide receivers.
Start
Sammy Watkins vs. Denver Broncos
Watkins is getting a solid chunk of Kansas City’s high-flying offense. And I don’t see that stopping.
He was horrendous in the preseason and was absent in week 1. But in the last two weeks, he’s caught 11 of 15 targets, totaling 155 yards and one touchdown. Most importantly, Andy Reid is calling plays that specifically call for Watkins to be involved in the offense.
This isn’t the same Denver defense that has dominated against the pass in recent years. The Broncos are allowing the 15th-most fantasy points to wide receivers and are allowing 7.5 yards per pass attempt, ranking 24th in the NFL.
Watkins will remain involved and is a regular WR2, with WR1 upside.
John Brown vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Don’t be fooled by that first half in week 3 against Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh’s pass defense is in major trouble. Wide receivers are running wide open and the Steelers are having to use clever blitzes to get a pass rush on quarterbacks.
That should leave open Brown, who has been a major piece to Baltimore’s improved passing attack. Brown is generating targets (he has 19 targets in the last two weeks) and he’s not just being a burner anymore.
He’s a reliable receiver, who still has the big-play ability. Joe Flacco doesn’t mind airing it out, and with Pittsburgh’s defense allowing 7.3 yards per pass attempt, this is a matchup you’ll want to exploit.
Nelson Agholor vs. Tennessee Titans
Don’t give up just yet on Agholor.
With Carson Wentz returning from injury in week 3, Agholor saw a dip in targets and production, with just five targets and 24 yards receiving.
Wentz loves to spread around the ball, so that does diminish a bit what Agholor can do. However, I still like his big-play ability, and he’s still the same receiver who generated 22 targets in the first two weeks.
He’s the best receiver on the roster and the Titans, while they offered resistance last week against Blake Bortles, are not generally known as a stingy defense. Tennessee is allowing the 13th-most fantasy points to wide receivers, and they’re giving up 7 yards per pass attempt, ranking 19th in the NFL.
There’s still hope for Agholor, so give him a start in week 4.
Sit
Kenny Stills vs. New England Patriots
I’m selling my Dolphins stock in week 4 against New England.
Ryan Tannehill has traditionally struggled against New England, meaning his favorite wide receiver likely won’t see the same production.
And even as Tannehill’s favorite wide receiver, Stills still isn’t seeing the targets that make for a true No. 1.
He has just 13 targets this season, catching nine of them. He’s been aided by three touchdowns, but those are something you can’t count on a regular basis.
New England will shore up its secondary at home, so I’m expecting less out of Stills than most.
Marvin Jones Jr. vs. Dallas Cowboys
Detroit’s pass-happy offense can support multiple wide receivers on most occasions.
This week, though, I’m not sure it can.
Dallas is actually really good against opposing quarterbacks. The Cowboys are allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers and quarterbacks are generating just a 5.7 yard-per-attempt mark against the Dallas defense.
That will spell trouble for at least one of the wide receivers on Detroit’s roster. I’ll choose Jones as the player with the most to lose, based on his ability to be a big-play threat. Dallas doesn’t allow teams to stretch them out vertically, so I’d avoid Jones in week 4.
DeSean Jackson vs. Chicago Bears
That was a nice little run for Jackson in the first two weeks, when he was going for more than 200 yards and reverting back to the old days.
He came crashing back to reality in week 3, with a a low-target, low-production game. If he’s not catching 60-yard bombs for touchdowns, his value diminishes greatly.
That’s why he’s so tough to trust and why this week doesn’t make sense to start him. The Bears generally are not going to allow big plays (unless your name is Aaron Rodgers).
Chicago will keep Jackson in check, making him a WR4 at best.
