This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 4 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 13 games, while the Bengals and Jaguars are set to kick off the week Thursday at 8:20 p.m., and the scheduled action concludes with prime-time Buccaneers-Patriots (Sunday night) and Raiders-Chargers (Monday night) matchups. With three weeks in the books, the vulnerable defenses to pick on and top-flight offenses to target have started to establish themselves, though some high-profile injuries have opened up opportunities for a number of less established players to step up this week. Among the Week 4 options to target are a pair of backup running backs who could be filling in for stars, an elite quarterback facing an overmatched defense and a couple of affordable pass-catchers poised to capitalize on favorable matchups.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Taylor Heinicke, WAS at ATL ($26): Heinicke has topped 21 fantasy points in each of his two starts since taking over for the injured Ryan Fitzpatrick. He threw for over 300 yards to go with two touchdowns in Week 2 against the Giants, then showed off his underrated wheels by adding a rushing touchdown to his two passing scores in Week 3 against the Bills. Washington's affordable quarterback should continue to deliver excellent bang for the buck against a Falcons defense that's allowing 31.3 points per game — third most in the league.
RB: Alexander Mattison, MIN vs. CLE ($19): Mattison excelled while filling in for Dalvin Cook last week, rushing 26 times for 112 yards while adding six catches for 59 yards on eight targets. The Vikings are comfortable handing Mattison a workhorse role whenever Cook sits, and volume alone would make Mattison a strong play if Cook's absence due to an ankle injury stretches into Week 4, even against the stout Cleveland front seven. Cook's status in practice throughout the week should help paint a clearer picture of his health, and the early start will allow you to line up a contingency plan for Mattison, though you could always opt to go all the way against the grain and play Mattison even if Cook's active.
WR: Corey Davis, NYJ vs. TEN ($18): The Jets' offense has looked dreadful as a whole, but this will be the unit's first favorable matchup after facing the Panthers, Patriots and Broncos (two 3-0 teams and a Bill Belichick-led defense that's 21-6 against rookie quarterbacks during his tenure). Despite the daunting early schedule, Davis has a pair of five-catch performances under his belt and found the end zone twice against the Panthers. Tennessee has struggled defending wide receivers, having allowed the third-most yards (680) and third-most touchdowns (six) to the position, so this home matchup offers a nice opportunity for the Jets' passing game to take off, with the team's No. 1 receiver leading the way.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Aaron Rodgers (GB, $32), Sam Darnold (CAR, $25), Tom Brady (TB, $35)
RB: Jonathan Taylor (IND, $28), Ezekiel Elliott (DAL, $22), Ty'Son Williams (BAL, $14)
WR: Tyreek Hill (KC, $30), Allen Robinson (CHI, $17), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (TEN, $13)
TE: Dawson Knox (BUF, $18), Tyler Higbee (LAR, $14)
DST: Detroit Lions (at CHI, $10), Baltimore Ravens (at DEN, $12)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
QUARTERBACK
Josh Allen, BUF vs. HOU ($34): Billed among the leading MVP candidates heading into the season, Allen finally looked like one in last week's win over Washington, throwing for 358 yards and four touchdowns to go with a rushing score. Despite Allen's dominant dual-threat performance, there are still eight other quarterbacks that cost at least $34 on this week's slate. Allen's proficiency as a passer should be on full display given his multitude of receiving weapons against the underwhelming Houston secondary, but his status as Buffalo's best goal-line runner pushes the 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback's ceiling even higher. Houston's three rushing touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks are the most in the league, while Allen's 26 rushing touchdowns since he was drafted in 2018 comfortably lead all quarterbacks in that time frame — Lamar Jackson (21) is the only other one over 20.
RUNNING BACK
Derrick Henry, TEN at NYJ ($41): Henry carries a hefty price tag as this slate's most expensive player, but those who balk at his valuation run the risk of missing out on a lineup-defining performance similar to his 44.7 fantasy-point output in Week 2. The Titans should lean on their running game extensively, since they'll probably be playing with a lead against the offensively inept Jets, leaving Henry poised to carve up a New York defense that has allowed the sixth-most scrimmage yards (474) and second-most rushing touchdowns (four) to running backs through three games. Tennessee's expected to dominate time of possession considering the Jets have scored just six points over the last two games combined, and Henry's ability to trample all over tired defenses is unrivaled around the league. With the team's top two wide receivers A.J. Brown and Julio Jones beat up, the Titans could have little choice but to ride Henry.
Chuba Hubbard, CAR at DAL ($17): Hubbard's expected to handle the majority of touches in Carolina's backfield in Christian McCaffrey's absence, just as he did after the Panthers' three-down workhorse went down in last Thursday's win over Houston. The rookie fourth-round pick turned 11 carries and five targets into 79 scrimmage yards in that one, and Hubbard should see all the touches he can handle in a Carolina offense built around handing the ball off and checking it down to running backs. Royce Freeman — who had six touches after McCaffrey went down — shouldn't siphon off much work against a Cowboys defense that's allowing 5.0 yards per carry to running backs and has allowed the third-most catches to the position (26) through three weeks.
WIDE RECEIVER
Deebo Samuel, SF vs. SEA ($22): Samuel has seen his production decline each week after opening the season with 189 yards and a touchdown, but San Francisco's top receiver should reverse that trend at home against a Seahawks defense that's allowing a league-high 440.3 scrimmage yards per game. Through three games, Samuel has hauled in 20 of 30 targets for 334 yards and a touchdown while adding eight yards on four rushing attempts. Deebo's among the hardest players in the league to bring down in the open field and also has the physicality to outmuscle defenders for contested catches, so he'll continue to see a steady diet of touches in this key clash between NFC West rivals.
Olamide Zaccheaus, ATL vs. WAS ($12): Washington has allowed the most catches (62) and yards (741) to wide receivers through two weeks, but the defense has actually done a decent job against No. 1 wide receivers. It's the No. 2 guys that have done the majority of the damage, and that's the spot Zaccheaus will occupy in Atlanta's offense behind Calvin Ridley, assuming Russell Gage isn't cleared to return from an ankle injury. Mike Williams (eight catches for 82 yards and a touchdown), Sterling Shepard (nine catches for 94 yards) and Emmanuel Sanders (five catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns) all thrived in such roles against Washington's secondary, and Zaccheaus is primed to follow in their footsteps after finding the end zone in last week's win over the Giants.
Jakobi Meyers, NE vs. TB ($17): Meyers leads the Patriots in targets (29), catches (19) and receiving yards (176) through three weeks and it's not particularly close, as no teammate has been thrown to more than 18 times or caught more than 12 passes. If you're filling out a lineup for a contest that includes Sunday Night Football, the third-year wideout's a bargain given his extensive involvement heading into a Week 3 visit from a Buccaneers secondary that's been the most generous in the league to wide receivers. Tampa Bay's tied with Washington for the most catches allowed to the position (62), has given up the second-most yards to wide receivers (723 — 18 behind Washington), and is tied with the Colts for the most touchdowns allowed to the position (seven).
TIGHT END
Maxx Williams, ARI at LAR ($10): In order to lock in pricey stars such as Henry, you'll need to find bargains elsewhere, and Williams is one such bargain. Kyler Murray has shown that he's willing to check it down to the tight end when that's what the defense gives him, as evidenced by Williams' seven-catch, 94-yard effort in Week 2 against Minnesota. Another busy week should be ahead for Williams against a Rams defense that's stacked in the secondary but has had trouble defending tight ends — Los Angeles has allowed the second-most targets (32), second-most catches (21) and fourth-most yards (236) to the position through three games. Given that context and this game's slate-high over under of 55.0 points, Williams is a steal at the minimum valuation.
DEFENSE
New Orleans Saints, NO vs. NYG ($19): Only the Bears have fewer yards of offense than the Saints' 702, yet New Orleans has a pair of comfortable victories under its belt thanks to a playmaking defense that has limited the opposition while setting up the Saints' offense with plenty of short fields. The unit's seven takeaways are tied with Arizona for second most in the league, trailing only Dallas' eight. With the roaring Superdome crowd making life difficult for the 0-3 Giants, plenty of mistakes could be coming from turnover-prone quarterback Daniel Jones, who chucked 22 interceptions through his first 30 NFL games while putting the ball on the ground a whopping 33 times, losing 18 of those fumbles.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Patrick Mahomes (KC, $39), Russell Wilson (SEA, $34), Jalen Hurts (PHI, $32)
RB: Alvin Kamara (NO, $33), Antonio Gibson (WAS, $23), Miles Sanders (PHI, $21)
WR: Cooper Kupp (LAR, $36), DJ Moore (CAR, $20), Jaylen Waddle (MIA, $18)
TE: Travis Kelce (KC, $31), Mark Andrews (BAL, $18)
DST: Buffalo Bills (vs. HOU, $20), Tennessee Titans (at NYJ, $13)
