Well, there was plenty of quarterback news both in and following Week 3 in the NFL. A couple of rookie quarterbacks replaced ineffective veterans during Week 3 and have since been named their team’s starters going forward. Baker Mayfield and Josh Rosen are now front and center, but only one makes my list of Week 4 quarterback sleepers.
The news was not all good for the game’s crop of talented young quarterbacks. Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL and will be lost for the season. Garoppolo was a popular draft pick as a back-end QB1 and his owners will have to look elsewhere. Luckily, there are plenty of quarterbacks who can produce on a weekly basis under the right circumstances. Many are still available on waivers and make for solid streaming options.
All our Week 4 Sleepers: Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Wide Receivers | Tight Ends
Week 4 Quarterback Sleepers
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Flacco is not considered an elite quarterback by most, both in real life and fantasy. But last week marked the first time in Flacco’s last eight games in which he failed to finish as a top-13 fantasy quarterback. He was still solid in a 277-yard, two touchdown performance in Baltimore’s victory against the Denver Broncos. Flacco enters Week 4 as the overall QB13 on the young season and gets a great chance to improve upon that in a fantastic matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
I have continued to bang the drum early on in 2018 that Pittsburgh’s defense is no longer one to fear.
Pittsburgh has allowed 737 passing yards and nine touchdown throws in the last two weeks alone, and all three opposing quarterbacks to face the Steelers this season have finished in the top eight in fantasy points. That ceiling is certainly in play when these AFC North rivals do battle on Sunday night. If you lost Garoppolo, have Cam Newton on a bye, or are streaming quarterbacks each week, Joe Flacco is an ideal fit this week. He tops my list of Week 4 quarterback sleepers.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals at Atlanta Falcons
Andy Dalton has gotten off to a nice start in 2018. The Red Rifle has thrown for 860 yards, and his eight touchdown passes are tied for third-best in the NFL. Dalton is in a prime spot for another big game in Week 4 when the Bengals head down to Atlanta. The Falcons have given up at least 300 passing yards and three touchdowns in back-to-back games and will be hard pressed to prevent Dalton from reaching those thresholds this Sunday. Atlanta has been decimated by injuries on defense. They are without middle linebacker Deion Jones as well as starting safeties, Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen. Dalton should be able to exploit the Falcons in the fantasy-friendly confines of Atlanta’s dome stadium.
The only fly in the ointment could be the status of Dalton’s favorite target A.J. Green. The wideout suffered a groin injury in Week 3 and is questionable for this game. The Bengals are already without starting running back Joe Mixon, so having Green in the fold would go a long way towards securing Dalton’s status as a top-10 fantasy quarterback this week. Still, I think Dalton will put forth a solid effort regardless of Green’s involvement.
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders
Baker Mayfield surprised many when he stepped in for an injured and ineffective Tyrod Taylor and led Cleveland to their first victory since 2016. He did not surprise all of us, but I digress.
Mayfield threw for 201 yards in just over a half of football in last week’s come-from-behind victory. He looked poised and flashed his trademark pinpoint accuracy. The rookie looks to lead Cleveland to its first winning streak in nearly four years when he takes the field in Oakland to face the 0-3 Raiders.
The Raiders have yet to allow a 300-yard passer, which is certainly impressive in this day and age. But they did cede last week’s top-five fantasy performance to Ryan Tannehill. Oakland has forced just one turnover and recorded a league-low three sacks on the year. (If only they had a pass rusher…) Mayfield should have plenty of time in the pocket to go through his reads and make plays down the field. It is usually an unwise strategy to start a rookie in his first career road start, but Mayfield has the moxie and the matchup to defy the odds and give owners reason for optimism both this week and going forward.
Case Keenum, Denver Broncos v. Kansas City Chiefs
Case Keenum may not be for the faint of heart based on recent performance. Keenum has not thrown a touchdown pass since Week 1 and has averaged just 207 passing yards over his last two games. Those numbers simply will not fly in an era when nearly half of the league’s starting quarterbacks are on pace for 4,500 yards. But Keenum’s Week 4 matchup is too good to ignore against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas City has allowed a league-high 1,127 passing yards and a crisp 8.0 yards per attempt this season. Kansas City’s offense is so prolific that opponents are being forced to throw the ball in order to try to keep up. I would warn that I do not think Keenum’s floor is not as safe as the other quarterbacks on this list. In light of his recent struggles, I suspect Denver will take a slightly more cautious approach, opting to utilize their ground game to keep Patrick Mahomes and company on the sideline. But if Kansas City can score early, Denver will be forced to throw the football, which could mean plenty of fantasy points for the former Minnesota Viking. Keenum has top-12 upside in this week’s potential shootout.
Mick Ciallela has been writing for FantraxHQ since July 2017. He has also written for Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong sports fan and has been an avid fantasy sports player for many years. Mick was the Overall Champion of both the 2016 Football Challenge – Roto and 2017 Play 3 Football contests hosted by CDM Sports. MIck was born and raised in Mount Vernon, New York and currently resides in New London, Connecticut.
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