Fantasy Football Week 4: Top 5 quarterbacks to start

NFC South quarterbacks led the charge in fantasy football during Week 3. Here’s the Week 4 edition of top 5 quarterbacks to start in fantasy football.

Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, and Cam Newton were the top three signal callers in Week 3. Brees went for 40.5 points, Ryan had 40.2 and Newton finished behind those two with 29.6 points in ESPN PPR Standard scoring leagues.

Only one of those players mentioned above landed on last week’s edition of top QBs to start; Newton. What was I thinking leaving players like Ryan and Brees off the list? Who knows.

However, three of the five players listed in last week’s edition did end up to be top 10 scorers. Patrick Mahomes finished seventh as he scored 25.3, and Ryan Fitzpatrick came in one spot behind Mahomes with his 25.1 points.

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers were the other two gunslingers from last week’s list. Rodgers had a decent day with 19.9 points, as he continues to fend off a lingering injury. Brady on the other hand only came away with 7.5 points.

5. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals

Not often do you see a quarterback who just threw four interceptions in a single game land on a must-start list, right? Well, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton finds himself in a rare occasion heading into Week 4.

Dalton had a miserable day during Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. While he did throw for over 350 yards and two touchdowns, he turned the ball over frequently and only came away with 14.1 fantasy points.

Also, fantasy football owners may see that the Bengals are playing the New Orleans Saints this week and be wary of another down Dalton day. But, I’ll tell you why you shouldn’t worry.

The Saints have surrendered the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks so far this season. The Bengals defense may be suspect, but Dalton and the team’s offense will gladly get into a shootout.

Next: 4. Deshaun Watson

4. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans

Houston Texans’ signal caller Deshaun Watson is still getting his feet under him following a season-ending injury last year. However, he may have finally turned the corner.

Yes, the Texans are 0-3 following a loss to the New York Giants in Week 3. But, Watson and the team’s offense seemed to click in the second half after an abysmal first two quarters on Sunday.

Watson accumulated 25 fantasy points with his 385 passing yards and two touchdown tosses. He also ran for 36 yards. The only red flag here is that the Texans played behind for the majority of the game, therefore Watson dropped back far more then he will in a closer contest.

While the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans Week 4 opponent, have done well against quarterbacks, Watson is a different beast. So far they have faced the likes of Dalton, Alex Smith and a recently-medically reinstated Carson Wentz.

Next: 3. Matt Ryan

3. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons

Breaking news; the Atlanta Falcons finally found the end zone folks. Of course, some of those scores were the result of big plays. But, this is still a huge reason to finally feel confident enough to start Matt Ryan on your fantasy team.

As noted in the opening, Ryan finished as the second-highest scoring QB in Week 3. He benefited from a lackluster Saints secondary and what would appear to be the emergence of yet another wide receiver threat with Calvin Ridley.

Ridley now joins fellow Alabama Crimson Tide wideout Julio Jones as a prolific scoring option for Matty Ice. Why is this big? Because the Falcons’ offense was beginning to look very one-dimensional with Jones as the only legit target for Ryan.

The Falcons also get ready to play Dalton and his Bengals in Week 4. The Bengals have been one of the worst defenses as far as holding opposing signal callers in check, meaning, look for Ryan to exploit the Bengals defense.

Next: 2. Drew Brees

2. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints

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When you look at Drew Brees’ stat line from Sunday’s overtime win, you may wonder how he piled up 40.5 fantasy points. He threw for 396 passing yards and three scores. But, you will have to dive into the rushing category to see where the rest of his fantasy production came from.

Brees ran for two touchdowns, including the game-winning score. Yes, I wouldn’t expect him to do that again. But, he still has a favorable matchup this week against the Giants.

You may see the head-to-head with the Giants and second guess starting Brees due to the Giants early season success against signal callers. Before you let that fog your thought process, let me throw this at you.

Here are the QBs the Giants have played so far: Blake Bortles, Dak Prescott and Watson. Why does that matter? Because Bortles and Prescott beat the G-Men, and Watson torched them for 25 fantasy points. Brees is obviously the most exceptional signal caller that the Giants will have faced in the early stages of the season.

Next: 1. Patrick Mahomes

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Yes, how lame to have the same player listed at number one in back-to-back weeks, right? Well, Patrick Mahomes leaves me no choice to slot him in the number one spot.

Mahomes just continues to take the NFL by storm, and he didn’t slow down during the Kansas City Chiefs win over the San Francisco 49ers. He threw for over 300 yards and three scores. But, the fact he is yet to throw a pick is perhaps the most astonishing part.

Week 4 may be Mahomes toughest test yet as he faces a more than capable Denver Broncos defense. Regardless, he is a must start and the number one QB this week.

Mahomes is no fluke, and he has one of the best arms we have seen in years. His ability to make plays from nothing is another huge reason to slot him in as your signal caller this week.