Who should you start or sit in IDP fantasy football in Week 4? Is there an unheralded star in the making with a great matchup? Is there a big-name player you should fade?
Last week we recommended sitting T.J. Watt and Devon Witherspoon, and both failed to live up to their projections.
This week we have two more All-Pros you should consider sitting.
We have accumulated three weeks of data that will help us make better lineup decisions.
By digging deep into the numbers and looking at team trends and player grades, we can maximize our chances to score the most points week in and week out in IDP.
More Fantasy Football Fun!: | Sneaky Starts | Fantasy Football Waiver Wire | Weekly Sleepers & Streamers | Starts & Sits | Skrip’s Week Winners | Players You Can Drop | NFL DFS | NFL Player Props | IDP Analysis | Bold Predictions | Re-Draft Trade Targets | Survivor Picks | NFL Injury Report | Dynasty Trade Targets | Dynasty Risers and Fallers | Weekly Rankings | Game Previews
Players to Start in Week 4 IDP Fantasy Football
Dallas Turner, Vikings DL
The former first-round pick has 3.5 sacks already this season, which puts him in a tie for fourth league-wide. Plus, he has a favorable matchup in Week 4. Turner and the 3-0 Minnesota Vikings host the 0-3 Miami Dolphins on Sunday. This is not the unstoppable force against the immovable object. The Vikings sit atop the league with fourteen sacks through three games, and the Dolphins are tied for fourth in sacks allowed. Turner should feast against the Dolphins’ right tackle, Austin Jackson, who currently ranks 65th among 66 qualified tackles this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Dallas Turner is a Week 4 IDP start.
Drue Tranquill, Chiefs LB
The safest bet in IDP is tackles. And that’s what Drue Tranquill does. He makes tackles. Last season he made more than 100 of them. Tranquill should have ample opportunities to take down ball carriers this week against the Raiders. Through three weeks, the Raiders are fourth in the league in rushing attempts (31 per game). Not only that, but Las Vegas is committed to the run, despite subpar results. The Raiders are 31st in yards per attempt (3.2).
Expect Tranquill and the 10th-best defense against the run to stifle the Raiders in the run game on Sunday. He is a good streamer to start if you have an injury or need a spot start upgrade.
Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts, Falcons DBs
Fantasy football is a numbers game. You want to score more than your opponent. To do that, you want to give yourself the best chance to score as many points as possible. It sounds simple, and it is, but few people look beyond the projection.
Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts have a big opportunity to score a lot of points this week. That’s because the New Orleans Saints throw the ball a ton. In fact, Tyler Shough leads the league in both completions and attempts.
Those pass attempts create chances for passes defended, interceptions, and tackles if they are completed.
Bates and Watts are no slouches, either. They are first and second on the Falcons in tackles so far this season, and both finished top 15 among defensive backs in tackles last season. Plus, Watts tied for second in the league in interceptions with five.
ESPN does not list either Falcons safety in its top 40 DBs for Week 4, but I like both as upside starts in IDP.
Players to Sit in IDP in Week 4 Fantasy Football
Zach Allen, Broncos DL
Zach Allen is a tremendous football player. He’s like a long-lost Watt brother. He wears No. 99 just like J.J. did and has the arm brace to boot. Allen was named a first-team All-Pro last season and made the second team in 2024. So far this season, he’s tied for eighth in the league in sacks with three through three games.
Normally, he’s a safe bet to make an impact defensively, but I don’t like his chances in Week 4. Allen and the Broncos will be going up against the San Francisco 49ers, the only team in the league that has not given up a sack this season.
That is surely some combination of San Francisco’s offensive line, Brock Purdy’s quick processing and release and the design of the Kyle Shanahan offense, but either way, it doesn’t bode well for Allen.
That said, the 49ers’ stout left tackle, Trent Williams, left Week 3’s game against the Cardinals with a stinger and may not be ready to face the Broncos.
Allen is a star, but I would sit him in IDP leagues in Week 4 if I had another worthwhile option.
Alex Anzalone, Bucs LB
The veteran linebacker is second on the Bucs in tackles this season, but he’s an IDP sit for me in Week 4. The winless Bucs play host to the 1-2 Packers on Sunday in a game that looked a lot better on paper in the preseason.
The reason I would bench Anzalone is simple. Green Bay is dead last in the NFL in rush attempts with just 48 on the season. The next fewest is the Titans with 64. Anzalone just won’t have enough chances to make tackles. That being said, the Packers offensive line has allowed eight sacks this season (tied for the eighth most in the league), so he has a chance to salvage his stat line as a pass rusher, but that’s much harder to count on.
Sit Anzalone in Week 4 and fade rookie sensation Josiah Trotter (25 tackles in two games) for the same reasons.
Trent McDuffie, Rams DB
McDuffie is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. That does not make him one of the best DBs in IDP. McDuffie doesn’t provide much as a tackler (3.6 per game), so he’ll have to rack up stats with the ball in the air, and he won’t have many opportunities to do so. The Rams are strong against the pass (allowing the fifth-fewest passing yards per game), and the Eagles are just middle of the pack in terms of pass attempts.
It’s not like McDuffie is some ball hawk, either. In four-plus seasons in the NFL, he only has four career interceptions.
He’s a name brand you can leave on the bench in Week 4.
Make sure to check out all of our Week 4 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!
Fantrax is one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites in the fantasy sports industry, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. We are the most customizable, easy-to-use, and feature-rich platform in the industry, offering the greatest fantasy experience for your dynasty, keeper, redraft, and best ball leagues. Fantasy sports doesn’t sleep, and neither does Fantrax, with seasons running 365 days a year. Take your fantasy leagues to the next level now at Fantrax.com!
