NFL

7 Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 4

Chargers running back Justin Jackson looks like an ideal sleeper candidate against the pitiful Dolphins defense. Which other low-owned players are worth playing this week?

As we enter Week 4 in the NFL, filling out our fantasy football lineups gets a little more difficult. Not only are injuries starting to take their toll, but the bye weeks kick off, starting with the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. As a result, you may need to dig a little deeper into the waiver wire to find some sleepers to plug into your lineup.

For the purposes of this list, we'll limit sleeper selections to any player with less than 60 percent ownership on Yahoo's fantasy football platform. Additionally, I'll select one super-sleeper, with under 10 percent ownership, to help out those of you who may be playing in deeper leagues. All references to betting totals and spreads are from the NCAAF odds.

Matthew Stafford, QB, Detroit Lions

Yahoo Ownership: 53 percent

Head coach Matt Patricia and his run-heavy scheme has sucked most of the fantasy value from Matthew Stafford, but he's still worth consideration in certain matchups. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Lions will likely be forced to throw to keep pace, which should boost Stafford's value this week. Through three games -- despite playing Lamar Jackson, Gardner Minshew, Nick Foles and Derek Carr -- the Chiefs are allowing 18.5 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.

This game has the highest total of the weekend at 53.5 points, giving Stafford an elevated ceiling. And he's already proven he can step up when called upon, having produced 27.2 fantasy points in a Week 1 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals' porous defense.

Justin Jackson, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

Yahoo Ownership: 31 percent

It's tough to find great value at running back this week, so you'll have to take some risks if you're looking for a sleeper at this position. The backup running back with the highest ceiling this week is probably Justin Jackson, who benefits from the Los Angeles Chargers' matchup with the struggling Miami Dolphins.

In two of the Dolphins' three games this season, multiple running backs have scored double-digit fantasy points in PPR formats (Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard of the Cowboys, and James White and Sony Michel of the Patriots). If this game follows the same script, Los Angeles will have a big second half lead and Jackson will see plenty of touches late in the game.

Jamaal Williams, RB, Green Bay Packers

Yahoo Ownership: 15 percent

Prior to the Green Bay Packers' Week 3 game against the Denver Broncos, head coach Matt LaFleur stated a desire to create a more balanced workload between Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones. Through the first two weeks, Jones had out-touched Williams 41 to 19. Against the Broncos, LaFleur immediately followed through, as Williams out-touched Jones 14 to 11.

The Packers take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night in Week 4. With it being a short week, it would make sense for LaFleur to keep a near 50/50 split in the backfield, as both players are likely less fresh than usual. Obviously a shared workload isn't ideal for either player, but if you're digging deep on the waiver wire for options, Williams is one of the few running backs who appears to have a guaranteed role.

Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos

Yahoo Ownership: 51 percent

Courtland Sutton has been a bit of a disappointment due to the fact he hasn't reached the end zone, but the opportunities have been there. Sutton has reached seven targets in every game this season, and he's been the Broncos' most explosive receiver, hauling in eight receptions of at least 15 yards. In fact, 34.8 percent of Sutton's targets have resulted in at least 15 yards, the second highest rate in the league.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars likely to be without Jalen Ramsey on Sunday, this matchup looks like an opportunity for Sutton to break out with a strong performance. Even with Ramsey on the field, Jacksonville has already allowed 19 receptions of at least 15 yards, an average of 6.3 per game. In 2018, the Jaguars allowed just 3.8 pass plays of 15 or more yards per game. So with or without Ramsey, this does not appear to be the same stifling Jaguars pass defense as in recent years.

Kenny Stills, WR, Houston Texans

Yahoo Ownership: 18 percent

Prior to the season, Keke Coutee was expected to be the Houston Texans slot receiver, but a late offseason addition of Kenny Stills threw a wrench into those plans. Entering Week 4, Stills has twice as many targets in the slot as Coutee (eight to four), according to Sports Info Solutions. Stills' role in the offense also appears to be growing, as he played a season-high 53 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 3 and set season highs in targets, receptions and yards.

Stills is clearly behind DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller in the pecking order at receiver, but his increased role in the offense is encouraging, and he could continue to see more targets now that he's been with the team for almost a full month.

Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Yahoo Ownership: 52 percent

Despite a limited role in the offense, Jason Witten appears to be the tight end version of a touchdown vulture, as he leads the Cowboys with five red zone targets this season, two of which have resulted in scores. If this red zone role continues, he'll be a viable tight end streamer almost every week.

It's also possible Witten will see an increased role in the passing game outside the red zone in this matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Dallas has won all three games this season by double digits, limiting their need to throw the ball -- as a team, the Cowboys rank 24th with just 94 pass attempts. They're only favored by 2.5 points against the Saints, however, which could necessitate higher overall passing volume and more targets for Witten.

Super-Sleeper: Trey Quinn, WR, Washington Redskins

Yahoo Ownership: 1 percent

If you're looking for a wide receiver sleeper, the New York Giants' opponent should be your first stop every week. More specifically, target that team's slot receiver. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging 11.9 yards per attempt when throwing to the slot against the Giants defense, the second highest rate in the league, according to Sports Info Solutions.

The Washington Redskins' passing game clearly runs through Terry McLaurin, but Trey Quinn leads the team with an average of six targets in the slot per game (18 on the season). In this favorable matchup, he should far exceed expectations for a player with such low ownership.