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You have lineup questions, we have lineup answers — at least we hope so. Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em is here to help fantasy managers make difficult roster decisions. And you know what is a good move? Starting Justin Jefferson. But that’s too obvious, so you won’t see such simple analysis here. Instead, we’re exploring more debatable situations. And if you can’t find a player you are looking for, please check out the latest NFL Fantasy lineup rankings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats come from NFL Pro, Next Gen Stats or NFL Research.
Start ‘Em
Thank god for Andy Dalton! With the Red Rifle at quarterback, Johnson has become a must-start fantasy option. In the past two games, Johnson has racked up 27 targets, 313 air yards and seven end-zone targets — that is elite volume. Oh, and he has 205 yards and two touchdowns in that span, topping 21 fantasy points and ranking as a top-10 WR each week, as well. Dalton has targeted him on over a third of his routes, and he has been the first read 43% of the time. The Bears are a tough matchup, but I do not care. There is no way you can get away from Johnson right now. He remains a must-start option this week.
Week 4 was disappointing for Cooper, but having an 82-yard touchdown negated by a penalty will lead to those sorts of weeks. Drops and unreliable QB play continue to be an issue, but the volume Cooper sees is too good to get away from. He is currently fourth in the NFL in air yards (450) and sixth in targets (37). We know he is boom-or-bust — but this week, he has a great chance to go boom. The Commanders have allowed the sixth-most yards to opposing receivers and the most touchdowns. There is simply too much upside not to get Cooper into your lineup.
If Jordan Love is at full power, Reed is a must-start option. In each of his two games with Love this season, Reed has gone for over 130 yards and a touchdown, averaging 30.1 fantasy PPG. But he is not the only Packers receiver to get excited about. Wicks’ numbers in Week 4 were exceptional (78 yards and two touchdowns), and his volume was elite: 13 targets, 210 air yards and four end-zone targets. Both players have a great chance to stay hot against the Rams, who have been cooked by opposing WRs, except for when they played the Bears last week. Even taking that game into account, the Rams are in the top 10 in TDs and fantasy PPG allowed to receivers. Romeo Doubs, who was targeted eight times against the Vikings, is also in play in this one as a sleeper.
It’s funny how good McLaurin can be when he has a good QB to work with. In Weeks 3 and 4, Scary Terry caught a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2020, topping 18 fantasy points in each contest. Jayden Daniels has just put up the highest completion percentage (82.1) in a four-game stretch by any NFL player since 1950. Cleveland’s defense should be tough, but NFL Pro’s game preview gives the Commanders an advantage in most passing categories. McLaurin is a little boom-or-bust this week, but given how well he and Daniels have played, I would stick with him.
Shakir led the Bills in targets in Weeks 2 and 3 — and even though that streak came to an end in Week 4, he finished first in receiving yards. He is the clear top passing option for Josh Allen through the first month of the season, scoring double-digit fantasy points in every game, so he has a very safe floor. And this could be an upside week for him. The Texans have allowed a passer rating of 112 and four touchdowns on throws targeting opposing slot receivers. In what could be a high-scoring game, Shakir is a must-start option.
Sit ‘Em
After missing the first two weeks, Higgins has returned with a couple of floor-caliber games, and I would not anticipate his first big effort of the season coming against the Ravens. Baltimore ranks in the middle of the pack against wide receivers on the outside, and Higgins has been up and down against them in his career. Even so, the Ravens have a knack for mucking games up, as illustrated by their ability to make life very difficult on the Bills last week. This could become a tough, ugly kind of divisional battle. If you have another option, I would try to get away.
Allen returned to action last week after missing time with a heel injury but did not see much volume, recording just three targets and 7 air yards and being held to less than five fantasy points. The Bears have a lot of mouths to feed, and the offense just has not had much success passing the ball so far. This could be a game where they get the run game going and rely on that more than usual. If you are trusting a secondary option in this passing attack, I would go with the big-play threat (Rome Odunze) over the volume-dependent one (Allen). Plus, a heel injury seems like the kind of issue that could linger, which, to me, adds a bit of risk.
The going has been rough for Miami without Tua Tagovailoa. In two games without the QB, Waddle has been held to under 40 yards per game and averaged just 7.1 fantasy points. It is not just him; Tyreek Hill and De’Von Achane have averaged under eight fantasy PPG in those two contests, as well. None of those three have reached double digits in fantasy points in Tagovailoa’s absence yet, but at least with Hill and Achane, you can bank on a breakout run or something. The floor is low, and you cannot just assume things will get better for Waddle with Tagovailoa sidelined.
Addison returned from injury in triumphant fashion last week, scoring two touchdowns and finishing as a top-10 receiver in fantasy points. I do not expect similar results in London. The Jets have allowed the third-fewest yards to receivers this season and just two touchdowns. Plus, Addison plays the large majority of his snaps out wide. He alternates between the left and right, but that just means he will alternate between Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. You never sit Justin Jefferson, even in a matchup like this. But as for the Vikings’ secondary pass-catching options? Play it safe and get away from them this week.
The Broncos had negative passing yards in the first half in Week 4. Sutton was the lone positive for the passing attack, but he still finished as the WR29 in fantasy points on the week. So far, he has shown that he has a low floor and low ceiling. It is not his fault, but this is what the Broncos offense is at the moment. Plus, the Raiders have been tough on receivers lined up out wide; they have not allowed a touchdown against them, while holding opposing QBs to a 61.1 passer rating and a completion rate of just 58% on throws out wide. Sutton has run 81.6% of his routes from out wide so far. I would go in another direction this week.
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