Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 4: Advice for Unfavorable Fantasy Football Matchups

When evaluating your fantasy football lineup options for Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season, a number of factors should go into your decision-making process.

The quality of opponent is absolutely one of them—but it isn't the only one. Think of tough matchups as more of a proceed-with-caution sign than one simply saying stop.

As we run through start and sit recommendations at each of the three marquee positions, we'll discuss who's likely to overcome a tricky matchup and who should be outright avoided in a tough spot.

While Lawrence has hardly hinted at making the leap so many fantasy managers wanted to see, he narrowly missed touchdown throws the past two weeks that could've really boosted his output. Had he converted those chances, his stat line would look a lot differently right now.

He isn't far away from putting together a huge performance, and this could be the week when everything clicks. The Falcons don't appear like a great matchup—12th-fewest fantasy points allowed to the position, per Yahoo—but Jordan Love (three touchdown passes) and Jared Goff (a touchdown pass and a rushing score) both had success against them.

If you drafted Watson, you've been waiting for a game like the one he played in Week 3 (289 passing yards, two touchdowns and no picks). So, you might be hesitant to sit him here.

You shouldn't be. The Ravens are a tougher matchup than the Tennessee Titans, so the difficulty level is up. Plus, Watson has had a lot more duds than decent-or-better showings over this season and last, so the odds of him stringing together consecutive fantasy-relevant outings aren't great.

Moss missed the first week and is still a top-10 back by carries (48, tied for seventh) and rushing yards (210, 10th). His workload is simply too great (30 carries and three targets in Week 3) to do anything other than lock him into your weekly lineup.

The Rams have been moderately effective against running backs (14th-fewest fantasy points), but the Ravens have been nearly as stingy (16h-fewest), and Moss still gashed Baltimore for 145 scrimmage yards and a score.

Robinson was solid in Week 1 (66 scrimmage yards and a score) and spectacular in Week 2 (129 scrimmage yards and two scores). But he was awfully quiet in Week 3, handling just 10 carries and failing to record a target or a touchdown for the first time this season.

What changed? Well, Washington faced a much trickier matchup and not surprisingly struggled to flash any of the form they had in the first two weeks. Robinson's first two games were against the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos, both of whom have allowed at least the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs. His Week 3 opponent, the Buffalo Bills, has allowed the ninth-fewest.

Now, he'll lock horns with a Philly defense allowing the fewest points to the position. The Eagles have also given up the fewest rushing yards per game (48.3) and are one of only five defenses that haven't allowed a rushing score.

With the Colts handing over the offensive keys to rookie Anthony Richardson, there were reasons to wonder how effective Pittman would be. Turns out, he's still a high-end option, at least in PPR leagues. He has totaled 34 targets already, turning them into 25 receptions for 230 yards and a score.

He'll have bigger yardage efforts in the future (and hopefully more scores), and there's a non-zero chance one comes this week. The Rams aren't a great matchup for the position—15th-fewest points allowed—but they aren't one you need to hide from, either.

It speaks to Wilson's talent level that he's managed to corral a pair of touchdown catches to salvage an otherwise miserable start. Set aside the scores, and you're talking about someone with 12 catches for 165 yards in three games. Those are near-disastrous numbers—or completely disastrous ones considering his draft cost—and it's hard to imagine them turning around as long as the Jets have Zach Wilson under center.

Maybe things get better for Wilson down the line, but don't expect any improvement this week. The Chiefs have given up the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position.