We’re about to complete a full month of NFL Football. My, how time flies.
Week 4 of the 2024 season rapidly approaches, and the hope is that you’ve made it out of September with nothing but wins with your fantasy rosters. We’ve seen injuries, bad football, tough breaks, and waiver wire no-ones take over the scene in these first three weeks, while several players we held high hopes for have let us down worse than we could possibly imagine. If you’re struggling, fear not – there’s still time to turn it all around.
The season is still young, after all.
With that, here are my Week 4 picks for Booms and Busts.
Booms: Week 4
Saquon Barkley, RB – Philadelphia Eagles
Week 4 Matchup: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. RB – 29th)
Last Week: at New Orleans Saints (vs. RB – 10th):
17 Carries, 147 Yards (8.6 Average), 2 TDs | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 9 Yards
Barkley has been on an absolute tear to start the 2o24 campaign.
A week removed from a dropped catch that let Atlanta steal an improbable win, the former NY Giant powered the Eagles offense with their only two TDs in the game against a Saints squad that had been steamrolling opponents to start the year off. Given how shorthanded Philly entered the game (and how much worse it left off), the fact that it was Barkley that they turned to will them to win says a lot about how they value their free-agent addition. It’s that thinking that makes me believe he will continue his streak of solid output against the 29th-ranked run defense of Tampa Bay.
Like I said, the Eagles are shorthanded and missing some key pieces. A.J. Brown is questionable with a hamstring injury. DeVonta Smith is in concussion protocol. There are a handful of injuries across the Eagles offensive line. It’s beginning to look like a struggle for Philly this week, but one that they’re not completely empty-handed for.
Tampa Bay is coming off of a tough near-shutdown loss to the Denver Broncos of all teams at home. Their run defense has been leaky to kick off the season, but Baker Mayfield and his plethora of options through the air can still rack up points on the quick. That’s a rip situation for Barkley, who has the potential to gash the Buccaneers over the ground but also be the focal point for the passing game if the Eagles happen to fall behind.
The Eagles have a talented team and will be looking to continue to feature their available weapons against the NFC opponent that knocked them out of the playoffs last year. What better way to do so than with your $37 million dollar man?
De’Von Achane, RB – Miami Dolphins
Week 4 Matchup: vs Tennessee Titans (MNF) (vs. RB – 22nd)
Last Week: at Seattle Seahawks (vs. RB – 9th):
11 Carries, 30 Yards (2.7 Average) | 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 28 Yards
The Dolphins’ situation is drearily dire of late.
With Skylar Thompson manning the helm in place of Tua Tagovailoa, the offense could go nowhere on Sunday against Seattle. The team managed a total of three points through four quarters in the Pacific Northwest, and no matter what the try was, the Miami offense just could not get it going. It’s clear that changes are going to be made this week against Tennessee, and I expect the speedy weapons the Dolphins have to offer to be the tip of the spear.
Obviously, that means De’Von Achane.
Through the first two weeks of the year, Mike McDaniel has used the former Texas A&M Aggie in numerous ways, and with Raheem Mostert missing time himself with a chest injury and his Week 4 status up in the air, it would behoove the Dolphins to ride out the running game through Achane against a bottom half run defense like the Titans.
The main concern is who will be at QB this week. Early beat reports have said that even if Thompson is healthy this week (he was knocked out of Week 3 in the 3rd quarter), the team may turn to another option to help spark some production early. Whatever the plan may be, the setting is ripe for Achane to run rampant this week.
Kyler Murray, QB – Arizona Cardinals
Week 4 Matchup: vs. Washington Commanders (vs. QB – 32nd)
Last Week: vs. Detroit Lions (vs. QB – 18th):
21/34, 207 Yards (6.1 Average), 1 TD, 1 INT | 5 Carries, 45 Yards
Kyler Murray came back to Earth a bit in a close matchup at home with a contending Detroit Lions squad.
It wasn’t the worst outing, but it certainly wasn’t the explosion of points we saw in Week 2, where rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. burst forth. I suspect Week 4 will be as close of a repeat as we can hope.
The Dan Quinn-led Commanders have struggled the last three weeks against opposing QBs and WRs. They made NY Giants QB Daniel Jones look halfway decent against them, and that’s certainly saying something. Murray is on a different level entirely, and his run game & escapability, coupled with his newfound deep ball threat in Harrison, could spell trouble for the Washington secondary. Trey McBride may be out for the game, but I still expect Arizona to run the score up, especially if they have to contend with Jayden Daniels running the opposing offense.
Fire up Murray this weekend and watch the fireworks fly.
Busts: Week 4
Derrick Henry, RB – Baltimore Ravens
Week 4 Matchup: vs. Buffalo Bills (vs. RB – 26th)
Last Week: at Dallas Cowboys (vs. RB – 32nd):
25 Carries, 151 Yards (6.0 Average), 2 TDs | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 23 Yards
The “King” was exceptionally kingly this past weekend in Big D.
It took a few weeks, but boy, did Derrick Henry break out against the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon. It was brutal what he did to the Cowboys’ front seven, and Baltimore just kept feeding him the ball. When you’re performing the way he did, why would you call anything else?
It’s this thought process (albeit probably with a tinfoil hat and some wishful thinking) that makes me believe he will hit a wall against Buffalo for Week 4.
Hear me out – Baltimore has struggled to kick 2024 off and finally got into a groove against a bad Cowboys defense. The Bills have fared only slightly better against opposing RBs, and if it worked once, would you change the method? The thing is, Buffalo knows this; they know Lamar Jackson (and now Henry) wills this offense through the running game, and if you can clamp down on that aspect of the Ravens, you force them to be one-dimensional with a struggling set of pass catchers of late. It’s a tough ask, but Buffalo looked dominant on Monday night and should be up for the challenge.
I’m not as confident of the result here – I’m just saying there’s a chance.
Justin Jefferson, WR – Minnesota Vikings
Week 4 Matchup: at Green Bay Packers (vs. WR – 17th)
Last Week: vs. Houston Texans (vs. WR – 20th):
8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 81 Yards ( 13.5 Average), 1 TD
The Week 4 matchup against Jaire Alexander looms large for Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota has been outstanding of late, with Sam Darnold (of all QBs) leading the charge. Their beatdown of a then-undefeated Houston Texans team was as thorough as it gets, and Jefferson kicked it off strong with his receiving TD to start the scoring early on. As new as their connection has been, Darnold to JJ has been as solid as it gets – but historically, Green Bay has been an issue for the young, elite receiver.
When Alexander draws JJ, it has been a physical affair that the All-Pro CB has won more often than not. Green Bay hasn’t exactly been lights-out to opposing receivers, but they’re also not pushovers. On the road in a hostile Lambeau Field, I’m a little hesitant about Jefferson’s ability to post his usual big numbers.
J.K. Dobbins, RB – Los Angeles Chargers
Week 4 Matchup: vs. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. RB – 3rd)
Last Week: at Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. RB – 2nd):
15 Carries, 44 Yards (2.9 Average) | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 10 Yards
Dobbins seems to be low-hanging fruit for my weekly column, but I’m going to keep the streak alive and include him yet again.
After a flat performance against a top-ranked Steelers defense (as predicted, might I add), Dobbins and company will look to take on Kansas City at home for Week 4, and it doesn’t look any easier. This is a team that has stifled the likes of Bijan Robinson and Derrick Henry to start the year off and will now get a hobbled Chargers team that may lack a passing game to take the heat off the run if Justin Herbert isn’t good to go.
The Chiefs bring an undefeated streak to LA and look to keep it, and while Dobbins has been an unexpected gem early this year, it’ll be tough sledding against Chris Jones and company on Sunday afternoon, to say the least.
Photos courtesy of Icon Sportswire
Adapted by Kurt Wasemiller (@kurtwasemiller on Twitter / @kurt_player02 on Instagram)