MIAMI, Sept. 25 (UPI) — Khalil Shakir and Jayden Reed are among my five must-start wide receivers for Week 4 of the fantasy football campaign.
CeeDee Lamb leads my weekly Top 50 rankings, which are listed below. Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf also land inside the Top 5 of my rankings.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, Davante Adams, Nico Collins and Rashee Rice join those pass catchers in my Top 10. Metcalf, Chris Godwin and Jakobi Meyers join Shakir and Reed as my five must-start plays.
Those who roster Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and other players dealing with injuries should monitor their status before plugging them into starting lineups.
All positional rankings will be updated throughout the week. Players also will be removed from or adjusted within the rankings based on injuries. My top free agent targets for Week 4 are available here.
D.K. Metcalf
Metcalf is my No. 5 wide receiver for Week 4. The Seattle Seahawks playmaker is a Top-5 fantasy football producer so far this season. He eclipsed 100 receiving yards and scored in each of his last two games.
This week, the Seahawks will face a Detroit Lions defense that allowed the most catches and receiving yards and third-most fantasy points to wide receivers through three weeks. They allowed a touchdown to the position in each of those games. They also just surrendered 64 yards apiece to Arizona Cardinals wide receivers Michael Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. in Week 3.
I expect Metcalf to find the end zone once again. He also should eclipse 100 receiving yards for the third-consecutive week. Metcalf should never leave starting lineups in redraft leagues with at least 10 teams, but could be a primary reason for your success this week, and is a stellar option in daily formats.
Chris Godwin
Godwin is another WR1 play for Week 4. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pass catcher, who sits at No. 11 in my rankings, found the end zone in each of his three appearances this season. He also logged at least eight targets and six catches in each of those games.
Godwin’s 25 targets lead the Buccaneers and are 10 more than teammate Mike Evans. Look for that trend to continue when the Buccaneers host the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in Tampa, Fla.
The Eagles tied for allowing the third-most touchdown catches and surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to wide receivers through three weeks. They also gave up more than 85 yards and a score to at least one wide receiver in each of those appearances, including scores from four wide receivers through their first two games.
Godwin and Evans should find the end zone in what will likely be a high-scoring matchup, but I expect the former to provide better fantasy football production.
Khalil Shakir
Like Godwin, Shakir is off to a hot start, with scores in two of his first three games. Shakir also secured each of his first 14 targets. The Buffalo Bills playmaker — my No. 12 option for the week — totaled a season-high six catches for 72 yards and a score in Week 3.
This week, Shakir will face a Baltimore Ravens defense that allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to wide receivers through three weeks. That stretch included allowing scores in Week 3 to Dallas Cowboys wide receivers Jalen Tolbert and KaVontae Turpin.
The Ravens also allowed 100-yard performances from Rashee Rice and Davante Adams in their first two games. Look for Shakir, the Bills’ most-targeted player, to see a ton of looks in what should be another high-scoring matchup.
He can be plugged in as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2.
Jayden Reed
Reed is the No. 20 player in my Week 4 wide receiver rankings. The Green Bay Packers weapon led all wide receivers in fantasy points in Week 1, when he caught four passes for 138 yards and a score and found the end zone on a 33-yard run. He didn’t find the end zone over his last two appearances, but continues to get opportunities as a pass catcher and ball carrier.
Reed, who logged 69 yards from scrimmage on six touches in Week 3, should find more room to operate in Week 4 against a Minnesota Vikings defense that allowed the second-most receiving yards — 196.7 per game — to wide receivers through three weeks.
The Vikings have yet to allow a touchdown to the position, but this is as good of a week as any for that to change. Reed can be plugged in as a WR2 in most leagues.
Jakobi Meyers
Starting Meyers is a bit of a risk, but I would throw him in your lineup if you are desperate and in a league with at least 12 teams. The Las Vegas Raiders veteran registered season-highs in targets (nine), catches (seven) and receiving yards (62), while finding the end zone for his first score in Week 3.
Meyers, who drew 14 targets over the last two weeks, should continue to see looks as teams focus most of their attention on fellow Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams.
This week, the Raiders also will face a Cleveland Browns defense that just allowed eight catches for 78 yards and two scores from Malik Nabers and seven catches for 61 yards from Wan’Dale Robinson in Week 3.
Look for Meyers to catch at least five passes for 60 yards. He could find himself in high-end WR2 territory if he reaches the end zone for the second-consecutive week. He is my No. 24 option.
Week 4 wide receiver rankings
1. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys at NYG
2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals at CAR
3. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings at GB
4. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles at TB
5. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks at DET
6. Marvin Harrison Jr., Arizona Cardinals vs. WAS
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. SEA
8. Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders vs. CLE
9. Nico Collins, Houston Texans vs. JAX
10. Rashee Rice, Kansas City Chiefs at LAC
11. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. PHI
12. Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills at BAL
13. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals at CAR
14. Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco 49ers vs. NE
15. Malik Nabers, New York Giants vs. DAL
16. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons vs. NO
17. Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens vs. BUF
18. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins vs. TEN
19. D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears vs. LAR
20. Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers vs. MIN
21. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets vs. DEN
22. George Pickens, Pittsburgh Steelers at IND
23. Stefon Diggs, Houston Texans vs. JAX
24. Jakobi Meyers, Las Vegas Raiders vs. CLE
25. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. PHI
26. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns at LV
27. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles at TB
28. Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints at ATL
29. Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions vs. SEA
30. Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts vs. PIT
31. Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders at ARI
32. DeAndre Hopkins, Tennessee Titans at MIA
33. Tank Dell, Houston Texans vs. JAX
34. Diontae Johnson, Carolina Panthers vs. CIN
35. Wan’Dale Robinson, New York Giants vs. DAL
36. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars at HOU
37. Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints at ATL
38. Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings at GB
39. Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars at HOU
40. Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans at MIA
41. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins vs. TEN
42. Jerry Jeudy, Cleveland Browns at LV
43. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks at DET
44. Xavier Worthy, Kansas City Chiefs at LAC
45. Xavier Legette, Carolina Panthers vs. CIN
46. Jauan Jennings, San Francisco 49ers vs. NE
47. Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers vs. KC
48. Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears vs. LAR
49. Demarcus Robinson, Los Angeles Rams at CHI
50. Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati Bengals at CAR
