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Through three weeks it seemed like defenses had the advantage in the NFL. However, Week 4 gave fantasy managers hope that the explosive offenses we saw for much of 2020 could get back on track again. 13 teams scored at least 27 points in Week 4 and 11 games went over a 40 point total. Thankfully for this article, quarterbacks were instrumental in the offensive explosion.
Week 4 treated us to a 400-yard passing game from an unlikely source (Daniel Jones), four 300-yard passing games thanks to Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Sam Darnold. Jared Goff (299 yards), Ryan Tannehill (298 yards), Zach Wilson (297 yards), and Taylor Heinicke (290 yards) just missed the mark. Patrick Mahomes paced QB’s with five passing touchdowns, but 17 quarterbacks threw at least two touchdown passes. We also got another extended look at a rookie quarterback, Trey Lance, thanks to a Jimmy Garoppolo calf injury. In all, it was a big day for the signal-callers.
In this article, I will be focusing on players who are under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 20% rostered).
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Matt Ryan (QB, ATL)
Yahoo: 53% rostered ESPN: 29.6% rostered
After beginning 2021 with two rough performances, Matt Ryan has found his level in the passing game. In his last two games, Ryan has completed 52 of 78 passes for 526 yards and six touchdowns with zero interceptions. Atlanta still features a bad defense, forcing Ryan to air the ball out early and often to Calvin Ridley, Kyle Pitts, and a resurgent Cordarrelle Patterson. Ryan has thrown the ball at least 35 times in every game this season.
Ryan has a nice little stretch of defenses (with a Week 6 bye in between) coming up. Next week he gets a matchup against an undermanned Jets defense before coming out of the bye week against an underwhelming Dolphins’ defense and a Carolina secondary ravaged by injuries. Ryan doesn’t have the rushing upside we love at the quarterback position, but he is throwing to some talented weapons to give him weekly QB2 upside thanks to pure passing volume.
Trevor Lawrence (QB, JAX)
Yahoo: 53% rostered ESPN: 46.9% rostered
It had been tough sledding for Trevor Lawrence in his rookie year, but he seemingly turned the corner against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. Lawrence had struggled out of the gate for Jacksonville, completing just 54% of his passes for 669 yards and five touchdowns with seven interceptions. Against the Bengals, Lawrence was able to complete 70% of his attempts for a modest 204 yards with zero touchdowns, and more importantly, zero interceptions. Lawrence did salvage his fantasy performance with eight carries for 36 yards and a touchdown. It was a positive step for the rookie in his first game with a short week of preparation.
Lawrence and the Jaguars did lose D.J. Chark to a season-ending ankle injury, but Lawrence still has plenty of weapons in Laviska Shenault, Marvin Jones Jr., James Robinson, and newly acquired tight end Dan Arnold. Lawrence has a nice two-game stretch against the Titans and Dolphins before his bye week and a matchup against Seattle. Tennessee has allowed 1,123 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns with just two interceptions through their first four games.
Sam Darnold (QB, CAR)
Yahoo: 37% rostered ESPN: 18% rostered
A four-game sample size is enough to make the call that Sam Darnold is a fantasy asset at quarterback this season. Darnold has at least 34 passes in each game this season. He has three straight games of 300 passing yards and has five passing touchdowns to three interceptions. Most importantly, Darnold is showing an impressive rushing upside in the red zone, tallying five rushing touchdowns through his first four games. The former Jets quarterback has at least 18.9 fantasy points in all four of Carolina’s games this season, almost two of which came without Christian McCaffrey.
Darnold has a nice four-game stretch coming up against the Eagles, Vikings, Giants, and Falcons. Given his efficiency and nose for the end zone when running the ball, Darnold has to be rostered in every league. He’s got solid QB1 upside and a slew of pass-game weapons, specifically the hyper-efficient D.J. Moore.
2QB Options and Stashes
Trey Lance (QB, SF)
Yahoo: 30% rostered ESPN: 19% rostered
A calf injury knocked Jimmy Garoppolo out midway through the 49ers matchup against the Seahawks, bringing the rookie quarterback into the fold. Lance had plenty of ups and downs in his first consistent game action, completing just 50% of his passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yarder to Deebo Samuel. Lance also showed the explosive rushing ability that made him a top-5 pick in the 2021 NFL draft, adding seven carries for 41 yards. Calf injuries are notoriously fickle, so it's very likely that Garoppolo misses a few weeks and gives Lance a chance to show what he’s got in a few starts.
Lance is far from a polished passer, but he’s a must-add as a starting quarterback with an array of receivers that can get big yards after the catch. His rushing upside should provide a solid floor regardless of his ability to distribute the ball to his pass game weapons. Lance will be in a potential shootout next week against the Arizona Cardinals before a Week 6 bye. If he shows enough potential, Jimmy G may not see the field again for a while.
Zach Wilson (QB, NYJ)
Yahoo: 9% rostered ESPN: 7.1% rostered
Through three weeks, Zach Wilson led quarterbacks in sacks taken and interceptions thrown and routinely looked over his head in his first NFL action. In his defense, he had to face the murderer’s row of defenses in the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, and Denver Broncos. Wilson finally got a matchup against a bad defense and showed flashes of the potential that made him the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Wilson completed 21 of 34 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns with just one interception.
Wilson will have another chance to put together a big game against Atlanta’s secondary in Week 5. Through four weeks, Atlanta has allowed 1,096 passing yards and 11 touchdowns without generating an interception. The Jets and Falcons have sneaky shootout upside, making Wilson a high-end QB2 heading into his fifth career game.
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