Daily Fantasy Football Week 4: Lineup Picks for Sunday Baller contest
The Week 4 fantasy football main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 12 games. Byes aren't a factor yet, but there's a Sunday morning London game between the Vikings and Saints taking two more teams out of the equation in addition to the usual Thursday Night Football (Dolphins-Bengals), Sunday Night Football (Kansas City-Buccaneers) and Monday Night Football (Rams-49ers) matchups excluded from this contest.
Yahoo will be running plenty of NFL DFS contests for Week 3, but the biggest is the Sunday Baller, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $300,000 to the top 4,722 finishers, including $50,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 150 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 23,540 entries. It will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
[Play in Yahoo’s Week 4 $300K Sunday Baller DFS contest]
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass catchers. Your NFL $300k Sunday Baller lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit.
Suggested plays for Week 4 include a star quarterback with enough skill to overcome a daunting matchup, a pair of familiar faces seeing heavy volume in new places and two of the early scoring leaders at running back and wide receiver.
QUARTERBACK
Lamar Jackson, BAL at BUF ($39): Deploying Jackson against a Bills defense that's been the stingiest in the league against quarterbacks isn't for the faint of heart, but between Buffalo's beat-up secondary and Jackson's scintillating start, those who roll the dice on the dual-threat quarterback could be handsomely rewarded. Over the past two weeks, Jackson became the first quarterback in league history to throw three touchdowns while rushing for 100 yards in consecutive games, and he also got into the end zone on the ground in both games to top 40 fantasy points in each.
Even against a Buffalo defense that's held opposing quarterbacks to a 2:5 TD:INT through three games, Jackson has an unparalleled ceiling due to his big-play ability as both a passer and a rusher.
Honorable Mentions:
Josh Allen, BUF at BAL ($40); Russell Wilson, DEN at LV ($30), Marcus Mariota, ATL vs. CLE ($26)
Against the Grainers:
Jalen Hurts, PHI vs. JAX ($37); Justin Herbert, LAC at HOU ($32), Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. NE ($26)
RUNNING BACK
Jamaal Williams, DET vs. SEA ($23): Detroit boasts one of the league's most fantasy-friendly offenses in the early going, averaging 31.7 points per game. Williams has been a key part of that success, averaging 15.7 touches per game while posting a pair of two-touchdown performances through three games. That workload's likely to go up here with the Lions favored at home and coach Dan Campbell hinting that fellow running back D'Andre Swift could be held out through the team's Week 6 bye. Even if Swift toughs it out, Williams should get most of the rushing attempts against lowly Seattle, including the all-important goal-line carries.
Saquon Barkley, NYG vs. CHI ($29): Three weeks into the season, it's safe to say Barkley has regained his elite pre-injury form, as only Nick Chubb has averaged more fantasy points among the running backs on Sunday's slate. The focal point of the Giants' offense is capable of breaking a big play on any handoff or dump-off, and touches shouldn't be hard to come by against the visiting Bears. In addition to being tied with the aforementioned Seahawks for the second-most rushing yards allowed per game (157.0), Chicago averages a league-low 265.0 scrimmage yards on offense, so the Giants are likely to get stops on defense and keep feeding Barkley on offense.
Honorable Mentions:
Christian McCaffrey, CAR vs. ARI ($38); Nick Chubb, CLE at ATL ($30); Austin Ekeler, LAC vs. HOU ($23)
Against the Grainers:
James Conner, ARI at CAR ($26); Rashaad Penny, SEA at DET ($22); Khalil Herbert, CHI at NYG ($19)
WIDE RECEIVER
Stefon Diggs, BUF at BAL ($34): Diggs should be worth paying up for here. He's the highest-scoring wide receiver available in this contest and will be facing the defense that's allowed the most production in the league to receivers. Star quarterback Josh Allen's top target has caught 27 of 35 targets for 344 yards and four touchdowns through three games. Meanwhile, the Ravens have been burned for a league-high 842 yards by wide receivers. Baltimore's also tied for the most catches allowed to the position (56) and has allowed five touchdowns to wide receivers — one shy of the league lead.
Amari Cooper, CLE at ATL ($23): After an underwhelming Browns debut, Cooper has bounced back with consecutive gems, notching exactly 101 yards and a touchdown in each of the past two games while catching 16 of 21 targets over that span. He has always been productive in the red zone, and Cooper's well on his way to an eighth consecutive season with at least five touchdowns. Cleveland's top receiver should keep rolling against a Falcons team that's tied for the most touchdowns allowed to wide receivers (six) in addition to allowing the third-most catches (51) and fifth-most yards (585) to the position.
Marquise Brown, ARI at CAR ($19): Brown has gotten more involved with each passing game, as his chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray is growing before our eyes. The speedster caught 14 of 17 targets for 140 yards last week, leading all Week 3 players in targets and catches while climbing to within one target of the league lead this season. With the banged-up James Conner struggling to get going on the ground, Arizona's likely to go pass-heavy again while facing a Panthers defense that allowed both Chris Olave and Tre'Quan Smith to top 100 receiving yards last week. Brown excels at the same downfield chunk plays that helped those Saints receivers find success.
Honorable Mentions:
Michael Pittman, IND vs. TEN ($27); CeeDee Lamb, DAL vs. WAS ($21); Diontae Johnson, PIT vs. NYJ ($20)
Against the Grainers:
Davante Adams, LV vs. DEN ($26); Christian Kirk, JAX at PHI ($22); Jerry Jeudy, DEN at LV ($17)
TIGHT END
Tyler Conklin, NYJ at PIT ($14): To lock in some or all of the pricey stars above, such as Jackson or Diggs, you will need to cut costs elsewhere. Locking in Conklin can help you do just that without sacrificing production for those savings. He ranks second among tight ends in receptions (18) and third in targets (24), as the Jets' injuries along the offensive line have forced the team to frequently check down to its offseason addition. The expected switch from Joe Flacco to Zach Wilson under center is unlikely to affect that game plan much, so Conklin should once again be featured heavily against a Steelers defense that allowed nine catches for 89 yards and a touchdown to Browns tight end David Njoku last week.
Honorable Mentions:
Pat Freiermuth, PIT vs. NYJ ($16); Zach Ertz, ARI at CAR ($16); David Njoku, CLE at ATL ($14)
Against the Grainers:
Mark Andrews, BAL vs. BUF ($28); Dallas Goedert, PHI vs. JAX ($20); Kyle Pitts, ATL vs. CLE ($16)
DEFENSE
Dallas Cowboys, DAL vs. WAS ($14): Dallas' defense has carried the team while Dak Prescott recovers from his thumb injury. Micah Parsons has four sacks through three games, but he hasn't been the only one getting to the quarterback, as Dallas has piled up 13 sacks through three games. 2021 interception leader Travon Diggs already has one this year as well, and those two star defenders will lead the way for this surprisingly affordable unit against a Commanders offense that's seen quarterback Carson Wentz get sacked 14 times in the last two games. Dallas also has substantial upside on special teams thanks to the return prowess of KaVontae Turpin.
Honorable Mentions:
Pittsburgh Steelers, PIT vs. NYJ ($19); Green Bay Packers, GB vs. NE ($17); Los Angeles Chargers, LAC at HOU ($15)
Against the Grainers:
Philadelphia Eagles, PHI vs. JAX ($14); New York Giants, NYG vs. CHI ($13); Arizona Cardinals, ARI at CAR ($11)