Week 4 of the 2024 fantasy football season featured big surprises. Who were the big winners and losers? Which players received A and F grades?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis, and Seth Walder provides his grades. We also asked NFL Nation reporters to answer questions about what happened in the Thursday, Saturday and Sunday games.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Who got an A | Who got an F
Biggest injuries and what's next
Top questions from Week 4
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 4
1. Justin Fields, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
One of my top Week 4 streaming targets, Fields' 31.8 points against the Colts led all QBs in the early window. Fields completed 22 of 34 passes for a season-high 312 yards and a touchdown. Plus, Fields used his running ability again, posting 55 yards on 10 carries with two red zone rushing scores. Fields, who has now rushed for a touchdown in back-to-back games, is rostered in just 33.9% of ESPN leagues. With the expectation that Fields remains the starter in Pittsburgh, he'll be in my Week 5 ranks as a QB1 for the matchup versus the Cowboys. -- Bowen
2. D'Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears
After failing to score more than 10 points in any of his first three games, Swift dropped 29.5 points on the Rams in Week 4, leading all running backs in the early window. Swift found the necessary daylight as a runner in this one, posting 93 yards on 16 carries, highlighted by his 36-yard touchdown run. And he saw a major boost in the pass game, logging a season-high seven receptions for 72 yards. If Swift can continue to be utilized as a dual-threat back in this Bears offense, he has the ability to post numbers in the RB2 range. Up next for Swift is a Week 5 matchup versus the Panthers. -- Bowen
3. Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans
The top-scoring player from the 1 p.m. ET games (33.1 PPR fantasy points), Collins dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars a week after C.J. Stroud's nightmarish game led to a quieter day for the wide receiver (12.6). Collins saw 15 targets, caught 12 of them and tallied 64 of his 151 yards receiving after the catch. Even with all the depth in the Texans' receiver room, Collins is their WR1, and the volume is good to see ahead of what'll be a more challenging Week 5 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. -- Cockcroft
4. Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mayfield played like a point guard in the Week 4 win over the Eagles, distributing the ball to eight different targets, as he finished with 28.88 points. Mayfield was dialed in during the first half, throwing two touchdowns and running for a score. Mayfield has now posted at least 18 points in three of four games this season, while rushing for a touchdown in two of the past three. With a Week 5 game at Atlanta, Mayfield should be viewed as a fantasy starter. -- Bowen
5. Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants
One of the most anticipated rookie arrivals of 2024 -- he was the No. 2 rookie selected on average in the preseason (and 41st among all players), behind only Marvin Harrison Jr. (20th) -- Nabers has been at least as good as advertised. He almost single-handedly kept the Giants in it during their 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on "Thursday Night Football," turning 15 targets into 23.1 PPR fantasy points, his third straight game with 20-plus. Through four career NFL games, he has three games of 12-plus targets, making him the first wide receiver to do that since targets were first tracked in 1992. He also has the second-highest point total (91.6) through four career games (behind only Puka Nacua with 95.5). That said, Nabers did take some tough hits during the contest, exiting with a concussion in the fourth quarter on a play in which he was going all-out to keep his team in the game. The Giants do get 10 days of rest before their next game, giving the rookie a fighting chance to clear the league's concussion protocol, but keep an eye on his progress throughout the practice week. -- Cockcroft
6. Sam Darnold, QB, Minnesota Vikings
The Darnold magic continued on Sunday, as the 2018 No. 1 draft pick who entered 2024 with a ghastly 78.3 career passer rating dropped 20.70 fantasy points on the hot-starting Green Bay Packers defense (albeit without cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was out with quadriceps and groin injuries). Darnold is now the No. 2-scoring fantasy quarterback for the season (78.28) -- though a handful of other quarterbacks playing later on Sunday can pass him -- and we've seen enough evidence to say he's a universal add with weekly superflex/QB2 appeal and matchups capability in standard leagues. -- Cockcroft
7. Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders
For the third time in his first four NFL games, Daniels scored at least 24 fantasy points, leading his Commanders to a, well, commanding victory over the Cardinals. He didn't need to do quite so much via the air, yet remained as efficient as he was the past three weeks, leading to a record-setting 82.1% completion rate; that's the highest completion rate over ANY four-game stretch in NFL history, and it happens to be the first four games of his career. Daniels' mobility makes him as productive in that regard as any quarterback in the game, and he's rapidly developing as a passer, too. There's a top-five positional case to be made here, and one way he can stamp such status would be to step forward with similarly big scores in tougher matchups the next two weeks against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. -- Cockcroft
8. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Indianapolis Colts
Anthony Richardson's injury, which we'll dive deeper into later, represented a setback for the Colts, but the fact that they held on to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers provided a silver lining. So, too, did Pittman's reemergence, turning nine targets into 17.3 PPR fantasy points. Yes, 60 of his 113 receiving yards came on throws from Richardson, but Joe Flacco's more accurate game benefited Pittman on the whole, and is more likely to restore his consistent, target-happy form from seasons past (assuming Flacco is needed to further fill in). -- Cockcroft
9. Diontae Johnson, WR, Carolina Panthers
For the second consecutive week, coinciding with Andy Dalton's installation as the team's quarterback, Johnson scored 20-plus PPR points, finishing with 21.3 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Johnson has a combined 27 targets in his past two games, including seven end zone targets, as Dalton's more accurate, experienced arm has greatly enhanced the receiver's fantasy potential. -- Cockcroft
10. Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had Sunday's victory in hand for most of the day, positively influencing the team's rushing output, but take note of what Brown specifically did in this game. He played 42% of the team's offensive snaps (Zack Moss played 58%), tied for the team lead with 15 rushing attempts, had the team's two fastest-clocked runs, had a pair of double-digit gains and finished with 23.2 PPR fantasy points (Moss had 17.8). What's more, Brown had two of the team's goal-to-go carries (Moss had one). The gap between the two might well have narrowed, meaning Brown needs to be added in the nearly 50% of leagues in which he remains available. -- Cockcroft
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 4
1. Breece Hall, RB, New York Jets
Expected to be the centerpiece of the Jets' offense, Hall instead had 10 rushing attempts and didn't exceed three yards on any of them. For the day, he had 12 total touches and 15 opportunities (carries plus targets) and amassed 3.8 PPR fantasy points, the fourth-worst performance of his entire career. Here's hoping this isn't foreshadowing inconsistent Jets offensive play over the long haul in 2024, but Hall had been pretty productive until today. That said, he has a pair of tough matchups upcoming against the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills. -- Cockcroft
2. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Some concern on Robinson after he scored just 11.4 points in the Week 4 win over the Saints? Maybe. Robinson rushed for just 28 yards on seven carries, and it was actually Tyler Allgeier who paced the Falcons' backfield with 60 yards rushing on a team-high eight carries. Yes, Robinson caught all four of his targets for 46 yards, but we are still waiting for that breakout game. Robinson has yet to post a week with 20 or more points, and it seems that the Falcons are willing to ride the hot hand. Let's see whether Robinson is the featured runner next week versus the Bucs. -- Bowen
3. Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Things are rough with the Jacksonville offense right now, and we are seeing the impact on Etienne, who scored only 7.0 points in the Week 4 loss to Houston. While he did lead the club with 11 carries, Etienne managed just 50 yards rushing. And it was second-year pro Tank Bigsy who rushed for a team-high 90 yards (on seven carries), highlighted by a 58-yard run. Plus, without the receiving numbers (one reception for 10 yards), Etienne's ceiling takes a hit. With the poor level of play from quarterback Trevor Lawrence, this offense is really lacking efficiency, and that will keep Etienne down in the RB2 range for the Jags' Week 5 game versus the Colts. -- Bowen
4. Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts was shut out in the Falcons' win over the Saints. Three targets. Zero receptions. And Pitts has yet to record more than three receptions in a game this season. For all the talk on the upgraded Falcons offense this summer, Pitts has failed to deliver fantasy numbers. Rough start here for the tight end, with the Tampa Bay defense up next in Week 5. -- Bowen
5. Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints
So much for that hot, almost historic two-week start. In fairness, Carr wasn't the centerpiece of the Saints' two season-opening victories, attempting just 23 and 16 passes in them, but he scored 21.30 and 21.82 fantasy points to begin what initially looked like a bounce-back year for the veteran signal-caller. In two weeks since, he has attempted a combined 61 passes, and scored 7.98 and 8.06 fantasy points. It's representative of what he is for our purposes: a matchups play. -- Cockcroft
6. Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
We expected more from Murray here in a positive matchup versus the Commanders defense, right? I know I did. But after throwing a first-quarter touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr., this Cardinals offense really didn't do much. Murray finished with 142 yards passing with one completion of 20 or more yards. That's it. And what happened to Murray's rushing numbers? After posting at least 45 yards rushing in each of his first three games, Murray logged three yards rushing -- on just one carry. Hard to explain that one on a day where Murray scored 9.89 points. He'll look to rebound in a much tougher matchup in Week 5 on the road versus the 49ers defense. -- Bowen
Injury impact
Anthony Richardson, QB, Indianapolis Colts
What we know: After taking a hit on a rushing attempt in the first quarter, Richardson left the game. He returned to the field on the same drive, only to exit again after sliding awkwardly on a carry in the low red zone. Richardson, who was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game with a hip injury, was replaced by veteran Joe Flacco.
What's next: If Richardson is out for the Week 5 game at Jacksonville, Flacco would take the keys to the Colts' offense. In relief of Richardson on Sunday, Flacco completed 16 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two scores in the win over the Steelers. -- Bowen
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers
What we know: Watson left the game in the first quarter and was eventually carted to the locker room. Watson, who was ruled out, saw just one target before suffering the injury,
What's next: If Watson is out for an extended period of time, both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks would move up the depth chart. Wicks, who saw a team-high 13 targets on Sunday, scored 24.1 points and is available in more than 90% of ESPN league. -- Bowen
Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints
What we know: He left Sunday's game late in the second quarter, thankfully (for fantasy managers) after he had scored a pair of rushing touchdowns, and was quickly ruled out for the game because of an abdominal injury.
What's next: Should Hill be sidelined next week, it'd take an element out of the Saints' goal-line package that might thrust more of those duties upon Alvin Kamara. In terms of tight end snaps, Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau would pick up the slack. -- Cockcroft
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
What we know: He sustained an injured knee on a Patrick Mahomes interception in the first quarter of Sunday's game, suffered when he collided with Mahomes on the play. Rice was carted to the locker room and quickly ruled out for the rest of the game.
What's next: Though his prognosis is unclear, Rice will almost assuredly miss some time as a result of the injury. Travis Kelce quickly reemerged as Mahomes' top target following Rice's departure, though any further missed time would probably push Xavier Worthy into a more prominent role. -- Cockcroft
Who earned an A this weekend?
Dayo Odeyingbo, DL, Indianapolis Colts
Odeyingbo had a big game as part of a Colts defensive effort that led to a win over the Steelers. Odeyingbo got the best of Steelers tackle Broderick Jones and disrupted Justin Fields with 1.5 sacks and a 39% pass rush win rate.
Younghoe Koo, K, Atlanta Falcons
Let's give some love to a kicker who had a big day: Koo connected on all four of his field goals (and both his PATs), including a 58-yard game winner in the final seconds along with a 53-yard field goal earlier in the day. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Koo's expected field goal percentage on the day, given the kicks attempted, was 66%. The Falcons needed every one of those kicks.
Who earned an F this weekend?
New York Jets' offensive line
A lot has to go wrong on offense for a team like the Jets to lose at home to the Broncos, especially knowing Bo Nix managed just 60 passing yards. The Jets' offensive line recorded just a 36% pass block win rate -- well below the league average of 58% this year -- and Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times.
Ronald Darby, CB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Darby drew a tough assignment against Texans star wideout Nico Collins, and he allowed 10 receptions for 123 yards. Not all of it was from Collins, and while not all of it was entirely Darby's fault, it's still a lot of offensive production surrendered in a tough loss to Houston.
Lingering questions from Week 4's games
Sunday marked the second straight big game by Chuba Hubbard. What has changed most for Hubbard since the switch to Andy Dalton at QB, and what can fantasy owners expect from Hubbard going forward, particularly once Jonathon Brooks enters the rotation?
What has changed is Carolina hasn't been playing from way behind as it was in the first two weeks, allowing coach Dave Canales to commit to the run. And even when behind Sunday, there was a confidence that Dalton could rally the team. Dalton has reinserted the deep pass into the offense, which has opened up run lanes. Look for Hubbard to continue being the focus for at least the next month. Second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (ACL) may be in his final phase of returning to practice, but he's still two to four weeks at best from being ready for all-out live contact. -- David Newton