Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 29th, 2024, 1:00 ET
Location: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
Network: FOX
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: Start, QB1
Joe Burrow had a predictably strong showing against the Commanders in Week 3, even if it didn’t quite translate to a win for the Bengals. Burrow was able to throw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns, finding Ja’MarrJa’Marr Chase for two and Andrei Iosivas for the third. In Week 4, he gets to face a Panthers team that has been in the bottom five in the league against opposing quarterbacks. Once again, he is a strong QB1 option, as are his pass catchers.
Running Back
Zack Moss: FLEX Option
Chase Brown: Sit
Zack Moss was efficient in this one, turning 18 touches into 90+ yards and a touchdown. Moss dominated snap share(76% vs. 24%), but Chase Brown was not to be ignored. Brown posted 69 yards on just 10 touches. Partially a product of their opponent, both RBs found their way to fantasy utility in Week 3. In Week 4, they should both have similar upsides, but I would hesitate to put Brown in lineups. Remember, we chase usage, not points, in fantasy football.
Wide Receiver
Ja’Marr Chase: Start, WR1
Tee Higgins: Start, WR2
Andrei Iosivas: Sit
The Ja’Marr Chase tour has arrived. After scoring two touchdowns in Week 3, he has another great matchup in Week 4. He may lose some work to a fully integrated Tee Higgins this week, but you should not shy away from expecting big things from Chase, who currently comes in as my WR5 on the week. Tee Higgins returned last week and was very close to having a banner day but just missed a few catches that would have been big-time production. I expect Higgins to be even more involved in Week 4 as far as target share goes. He already was on the field for over 90% of the snaps in his first week back, which bodes well for his rest of season usage and production.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki: Sit
It’s best not to play the Mike Gesicki game in fantasy football. The only caveat would be if you lost a player like Evan Engram or David Njoku and you need a short-term fill-in. There are certainly worse streaming options out there than the owner of the World’s Worst Griddy. Note for dynasty leagues: Erick All should be 100% rostered. He is slowly pushing for time on the field and could be an impact player next season.
Carolina Panthers
Quarterback
Andy Dalton: Sit
Andy Dalton looked incredible in his first action as a Carolina Panther—so good, in fact, that the Panthers have already named him their starter for the rest of the season. Dalton is a great story and a viable NFL option, but unless you are in 2QB leagues, he is not playing for you this season.
Running Back
Chuba Hubbard: FLEX Option
Miles Sanders: Sit
Chuba Hubbard has emerged as the Panthers’ go-to option on the ground. In a Bryce Young-led offense that was insignificant, but with Andy Dalton at the helm, Hubbard was able to find space. The usage was phenomenal for Hubbard, who played 60% of the snaps and touched the ball 26 times in Week 3. He is a low-end RB2 option as long as Jonathon Brooks is on the shelf. Miles Sanders is a low-ceiling handcuff for now, but he is best left on waivers in all formats.
Wide Receiver
Diontae Johnson: Start, WR2
Xavier Legette: Sit
Diontae Johnson should be the only fantasy option among wide receivers for the Panthers in Week 4. Johnson absolutely feasted with the change at Quarterback and will continue to be the top option in the passing game. While I don’t expect 14 targets and a touchdown every week, he should flirt with 8-12 targets per game, and in beatable matchups, as he has in Week 4, that means he should be in your lineups! Xavier Legette is a wait-and-see for now. He is still too raw for me to like in redraft leagues, but he could have some momentum in the late season.
Tight End
Sit All
The Panthers don’t have many viable options in terms of pass-catchers for fantasy managers to get excited about, and tight end is way off the radar in Carolina.
i feel like only the thursday game should be posted on thursday and the rest of the games on friday.. after this is posted there is so much more player news with practice sits etc that a lot of what youre writing is no longer valid and the opinion is void.
for example: damien pierce was limited just today. so akers should be a viable start if he doesnt play.
Hey, thanks for reading and commenting! We try to get all of our recommendations out on Thursday so that you have all that information in case you’re on the fence between a guy that plays on Thursday vs. Sunday. We don’t always have all of the information because of the timing with practice reports, but we try to update things as we get more info. As for the Texans backfield, I’m still a bit hesitant to recommend Akers, but he could have an easier time this week against the Jags than he did last week against the Vikings.
This list used to be a lot more nuanced in the past. Talking about #3 / #4 players and ranking them as such. Now it seems like every player if they’re not a #1 or #2 at their position they are simply a sit. I don’t need to know to start my top players it’s the flex ones in the middle I need a write up on. Wish this list was as thorough as years past.
Thanks for this feedback! We try and do our best to cover as many fantasy-relevant players as possible, and you can check out our list of weekly rankings to see how everyone stacks up. Is there a player or two I can help provide a more detailed breakdown of for you?
Having Anthony Richardson as a Start and Sam Darnold as a Sit is fantasy malpractice.
Hey, thanks for reading. I personally think Richardson has the higher ceiling this week with his rushing upside and Darnold has a hostile environment this week heading into Green Bay. If you personally want to see more out of Richardson before giving him the start again, I completely understand!