Fantasy football Week 4: Dave Richard advises starters, sits and flex picks
Analyst Dave Richard outlines his Week 4 fantasy football recommendations, highlighting players to start, sit and use as flex based on match-up analysis.
Dave Richard said fantasy lineups should be driven by weekly match-ups rather than draft order, using health, defensive schemes and recent performance to guide decisions. He identified several players as clear starters, including Jaylen Warren, the Steelers and Browns defenses, and a flex slot for DK Metcalf, who benefits from single-high safety coverage against the Browns. Richard recommended starting Jonathan Taylor, Terry McLaurin, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren against Washington’s blitz-heavy but porous secondary, while sitting quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers.
He advised a cautious approach to running backs such as Tony Pollard, noting his limited target volume, and suggested Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers as must-starts for the Ravens, with the Ravens defense also in the starting mix. For the Bills, Richard highlighted Josh Allen, James Cook, Dalton Kincaid and D.J. Moore as top picks, and recommended sitting several receivers and the Patriots defense.
In the Bears matchup, he pointed to Garrett Wilson, D'Andre Swift and Luther Burden III as starters, with Kalif Raymond as a flex option, while recommending benching several quarterbacks and the Bears defense. He also listed must-starts for other games, such as Ja’Marr Chase, Chase Brown, Tee Higgins and Parker Washington for the Bengals, and Patrick Mahomes, Kenneth Walker III and Brock Bowers for the Chiefs. Throughout, Richard emphasized the importance of targeting players who match up well against opponent defensive tendencies and warned against relying on underperforming or low-volume options.