We had a lot of drama and excitement across the NFL in Week 3. There were close games all over the place, some great fantasy football performances, and some not-so-great fantasy football performances.
Yes, what else is new, and the hope is that you were on the right side of those good performances while your opponents were on the wrong side. So, let’s dig into some fantasy football studs and duds for Week 4.
MORE: 3 NFL teams that should be worried after Week 3
Studs
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
After Aaron Rodgers lit up the Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 3, what do we think Lawrence will do against them this week? After Week 2 against the Patriots, Rodgers simply looked done. He threw for just 187 yards and no touchdowns while also getting picked off. The Bengals then served to get Rodgers right as he threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns.
When Lawrence faced the Patriots last week, he completed 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. The only reason we didn’t get more production out of him is that the Jaguars won 35-6.
Now, Lawrence gets to face the Bengals in what should be a shootout. This could be the first week this season Lawrence breaks the 300-yard mark while he adds to his seven touchdown passes.
Aaron Jones, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Jones received some buzz after Week 1 as Jordan Mason, his competition for touches, was placed on the Injured List. Since then, Jones has 40 carries for 163 yards. He hasn’t rushed for a touchdown this season, but in facing the Miami Dolphins in Week 4, he gets the perfect opponent.
After not allowing a rushing touchdown in Week 1, Ashton Jeanty had a receiving touchdown; the Dolphins allowed three and then one rushing touchdown in the next two weeks. Taking it a step further, Miami is currently allowing the most points to fantasy running backs this season.
That lines up perfectly for Jones, who also added five catches for 34 yards in Week 3. I’m expecting Jones to finish with 100 combined yards and a touchdown.
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
On the surface, this season has been a disappointment for Pickens. Yes, that also means it’s been a disappointment for his fantasy managers, as fantasy football is a results business. What we see is that through three weeks, Pickens has 16 catches for 150 yards and no touchdowns.
After two weeks, Pickens had just nine catches for 68 yards on 14 targets. Last week, he was targeted 11 times and caught seven passes for 82 yards. It was his best game of the season, but still left something to be desired.
The good news is that the Dallas passing offense seems to be in a groove. There are no questions about Dak Prescott overall or his chemistry with Pickens. Facing a Houston Texans team in the bottom five of fantasy points allowed to wide receivers this week should allow Pickens to get back on track.
Duds
Kirk Cousins, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Everything has gone great for Cousins and the Raiders. Who expected that they would be 3-0? Did we even think Cousins would still be starting at this point in the season?
Instead, Cousins has thrown three touchdown passes in each game this season. From a yardage perspective, Cousins is very touchdown-dependent as he’s averaging just 220 passing yards per week.
In Week 4, Cousins faces a Chiefs team that has allowed just two touchdowns in total over the first three games of 2026. To take things a step further, the Chiefs are allowing the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.
Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
Who had the Chargers at 0-3 entering Week 4? At times, make that a lot of times, the Chargers offense has looked lost and without much direction. That has trickled down to Hampton, who, to this point, has failed to distinguish himself.
Hampton isn’t featured in the passing game: two catches for 21 yards on three targets, and that removes a reliable floor. On the ground, Hampton has 50 carries for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Yes, he’s the main option for the Chargers out of the backfield, but finding room to run hasn’t been easy.
In Week 4, things aren’t going to get any easier as he faces a tough Seattle Seahawks defense. Playing in Seattle is never easy, and for a scuffling offense, it’s even more difficult. The fact that the Seahawks are in the top five of defenses against opposing running backs makes it even more difficult for Hampton.
Rashee Rice, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
Did anyone expect the Chiefs matchup in Week 4 against the Las Vegas Raiders to feature two unbeaten teams? Kansas City, yes, but the Raiders too? A lot of good things have happened for the Raiders, and one of them is the fact that they are in the top five of defenses against opposing wide receivers from a fantasy perspective.
Despite the Chiefs’ success, it hasn’t been a great year for Rice. After knee surgery, Patrick Mahomes has looked fine, so we can’t blame it on the quarterback. The main issue, and we know it’s cyclical sometimes for receivers, is that Rice hasn’t caught a touchdown pass since Week 1. That was his worst game of the season with two catches for 19 yards. Since then, he has 11 receptions on 15 targets for 171 yards.
Compared to what receivers are doing, we don’t want to criticize Rice too much. But given the Raiders’ success against wide receivers and Kansas City’s other weapons, I don’t feel great about Rice this week.
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