Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 4: Smart Sleepers to Exploit and Lineup Advice

Like NFL teams getting out to early wins, fantasy football owners can get out to major advantages by beginning to prep for a weekend’s games days ahead of schedule.

The early bird gets the worm is a cliche for a reason. Said saying applies to fantasy football each week when owners able to multitask the waiver wire and the matchups for the next week often wind up as winners.

Owners able to do so last week were perhaps able to unearth a sleeper in Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who exploited an injured Chicago Bears defense for 22 points. Others might have used Jamison Crowder’s expanding role in Washington to get his 13 points against a shaky New York Giants secondary.

For those looking for a head start this week, let’s compare matchups at each position before highlighting players to know.

     

Quarterback

Matchup to Know: Matthew Stafford, DET (at CHI)

Despite losing Calvin Johnson over the offseason, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford looks like a guy who could lead all scorers at his position by the end of the season.

Stafford already has 25 or more points in two of three outings this year and seven total touchdowns thanks to a spread-it-around attack with targets such as Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.

Believe it or not, Stafford might do more damage than any other week thus far in Week 4 thanks to an encounter with the aforementioned Bears. The injured unit that coughed up those 22 points to the rookie Prescott had given up 18 points apiece in two prior games.

A total of 18 is the absolute floor for Stafford, with the ceiling as the top scorer by a wide margin.

       

Sleeper to Exploit: Trevor Siemian, DEN (at TB)

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Rolling with Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian isn’t the most reassuring thing in the world for owners.

Those who did, though, got 28 points last week as he shredded the Cincinnati Bengals, making him the top-scoring quarterback before Monday’s game. Cincinnati isn’t what it used to be defensively, but it makes for a notable situation.

Now pair this with Siemian’s matchup next week. His Broncos visit a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has already allowed seven touchdown passes, including two last week to Los Angeles quarterback Case Keenum.

Siemian shouldn’t have any problems getting the ball to Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders against the porous unit.

          

Running Back

Matchup to Know: Melvin Gordon, SD (vs. NO)

San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is a touchdown machine.

Through …

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