Week 4 Fantasy Football Recap: Top 10 Takeaways

Four weeks into the NFL season is the time when current scoring numbers become more predictive of rest-of-season production than preseason rankings. Of course, context and pre-draft opinions are still relevant. But it’s time to start taking this season’s results, good and bad, very seriously. With that in mind, let’s get into the top takeaways from Week 4.

Top 10 Fantasy Football Takeaways Week 4

Xavier Worthy is Back

When Xavier Worthy dislocated his shoulder on the Chiefs’ very first offensive drive of the season, it didn’t look good. Even when it was announced that he wouldn’t have surgery, the expectation was that he was likely destined for a non-trivial IR stint. Instead, Worthy returned just three weeks later, taking the field against the Ravens.

And he didn’t just take the field. Worthy was the engine of a suddenly exciting Kansas City offense. He led the team with eight targets (22% share), catching five for 83 yards. Thanks to a very healthy 16.4-yard ADOT, he also posted a massive 60% air yards share. He even added two carries for 38 yards for good measure. His 63% route participation rate wasn’t ideal, but I would expect that number to trend up going forward.

Now, I should admit here that I was hugely bullish on Worthy coming into the season, so my opinion here should be taken with at least one grain of salt. But the combination of their struggles while he was sidelined and his immediate elite usage upon his return suggests that the Chiefs planned (and still plan) to heavily feature the fastest man in NFL history. He is already in the WR2 conversation, with upside to move even higher as his role continues to expand. 

Chris Godwin is Back … Kind Of

Worthy wasn’t the only receiver to return surprisingly early from an injury this week. Chris Godwin returned earlier than expected from the ankle injury that ended his 2024 season. Just like Worthy, he jumped right back into a full-time role: a 23% target share and a 40% air yards share on an 86% route participation rate.

However, unlike Worthy, Godwin wasn’t hugely efficient in his 2025 debut. He only caught three of his nine targets for 26 scoreless yards. They don’t mean much in small samples, but his 53.0 PFF Receiving Grade is the fifth-worst among  97 qualified receivers so far this season. Last season, he ranked 10th in the NFL in that metric.

Going forward, the question is whether Godwin was simply rusty or has truly lost a step. Luckily, the Buccaneers clearly plan to give him a shot to work his way back into shape, especially while Mike Evans is sidelined. If he can regain even some of his old efficiency, Godwin could easily be a weekly starter at receiver sooner rather than later. 

Big Changes in the Big Apple

Jaxson Dart made his first start for the Giants on Sunday. He led the team to an upset win and racked up nearly 20 fantasy points in the process. He only completed 13 passes for 111 yards, but he made up for it by flashing elite rushing upside: 54 yards and a TD on 10 attempts, a combination of designed runs, RPOs, and scrambles. Any QB running that much is worth at least considering in fantasy leagues. 

Meanwhile, fellow rookie Cam Skattebo dominated the Giants’ backfield with Tyrone Tracy Jr. sidelined. He racked up 25 carries and two targets on a 75% snap share. He wasn’t particularly efficient, but still finished with a respectable 12.0-point day. He is looking like an RB2 going forward.

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the Giants. Second-year WR Malik Nabers tore his ACL, effectively ending his season. The absence of Nabers hurts Dart’s value, and it puts the whole offense at risk of a complete collapse. If the team can stay afloat, Wan’Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton, and Theo Johnson should see higher target shares going forward. They are all worth adding, depending on your league format. 

Woody Marks Completes His Climb

I wrote in this article last week that Woody Marks was a running back reaper, steadily marching his way up the Texans’ depth chart. While he didn’t truly continue the trend by relegating Nick Chubb to zero offensive snaps (as he did to both Dameon Pierce and Dare Ogunbowale), the fourth-round rookie did cement himself as the team’s RB1 on Sunday. Not bad for a guy who played two snaps as the team’s RB4 just three weeks ago.

On the usage side, Marks played 59% of the Texans’ offensive snaps (Chubb played 40%, and Ogunbowale got one). He handled 17 carries to Chubb’s 13, and even saw five targets (18% target share) on a 44% route participation rate. And, thanks in part to the hapless Titans, he turned that usage into production: 119 combined yards, two TDs, 25.9 half-PPR points. 

Obviously, Marks is a must-add wherever he is available, which is somehow still over 50% of leagues. His upside might be capped by the Texans’ overall offensive ineptitude (and O-line issues in particular), but that’s a bridge to cross when we get there. Right now, we have a rookie with pass-catching ability who has overtaken the dusty vet in front of him and is scoring touchdowns. Get him on your roster if you can. 

Joe Flacco is Old

When Joe Flacco was announced as the Browns’ starting QB to begin the season, fantasy players rejoiced. Many (myself included) thought back to his torrid late-season stretch to finish 2023, in which he and Kevin Stefanski combined to create a truly excellent fantasy environment. Not only did Flacco himself average shockingly good fantasy numbers, but he supported multiple fantasy-relevant weapons, thanks in no small part to elite volume numbers.

Unfortunately, things have clearly changed over the last two years. Stefanski is still letting Flacco loose — he ranks second in the league with exactly 40 attempts per game — but the efficiency and fantasy goodness are long gone. Flacco ranks either worst or second-worst (shout out Cam Ward) in each of the following stats: EPA per play, yards per attempt, adjusted yards per attempt, TD Rate, success rate … honestly, the list probably goes on, but I can’t be bothered to keep looking.

What does this mean for fantasy? Obviously, Flaco himself is not playable, except in a pinch in 2-QB formats. But Cleveland’s receiving weapons are also far less appealing. Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are both outside the top 45 WRs in half-PPR scoring. Harold Fannin Jr.’s role hasn’t grown enough for him to be viable, but he’s involved enough to also kill David Njoku’s value. 

We might see Dillon Gabriel sooner rather than later, but Cleveland’s offense with him under center is likely to be lower volume, with no guarantee of increased efficiency. At this point, Quinshon Judkins is the only Brown who should be started in most leagues.

Some Rookie RBs Fail To Capitalize…

With a theoretically historic draft class and relatively open backfields across the league, 2025 was touted as the year of the rookie RB. So far, that prediction is coming true, at least in the sense that nobody (myself included) can stop talking about this year’s new class of rushers. A few of those players had opportunities to take a step forward in Week 4, but they didn’t quite meet the call.

In Pittsburgh Dublin, Kaleb Johnson could have had a breakout game with Jaylen Warren sidelined. Instead, he settled for six carries on a 21% snap share and watched as Kenneth Gainwell had a massive game instead. The Steelers have their bye in Week 4, and Warren will hopefully be back in Week 5. Patience is the key with these rookies, but Johnson is genuinely droppable at this point.

TreVeyon Henderson isn’t droppable (yet), but he also had a disappointing Week 4. Despite buzz around the fantasy industry that the second-rounder would get his first start after both Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson lost fumbles in Week 3, he remained the second head in a three-headed monster on Sunday. Henderson recorded seven attempts (32% RB rush share) and two targets (11% target share) on just a 29% snap share and a 22% route rate. Rhamondre was the clear RB1, and Gibson was still involved. To live up to his draft costs, Henderson will have to pass Stevenson. To have any value at all, he has to at least ice Gibson. If this week is anything to go by, neither is on the horizon.

Finally, Jacory Croskey-Merritt is stuck in his own three-headed committee, even with Austin Ekeler done for the season. “Bill” recorded just seven carries (the same number as Chris Rodriguez Jr.) and two targets (the same number as Jeremy McNichols) on Sunday. He didn’t lead the backfield in either snaps (Rodriguez) or routes (McNichols). However, I actually have the most hope for JCM of this trio. He has looked excellent this season, including leading the league by a wide margin in PFF Rushing Grade. As a seventh-rounder, it makes sense that he might not be trusted with a full workload right away, but I imagine he will get there eventually.

…Others Don’t

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for rookie RBs on Sunday. Of course, the aforementioned Marks and Skattebo are now their teams’ clear RB1s. Meanwhile, with Najee Harris done for the season, Omarion Hampton absolutely dominated the Chargers’ backfield. He racked up 25 half-PPR points on 12 carries (100% RB rush share), five targets, and an 88% snap share. He is a locked-in RB2, at least, going forward.

In another AFC West backfield, Ashton Jeanty showed the talent that made him the sixth-overall pick. He exploded for 32.5 points, easily more than he had in the first three weeks combined. Some of this was because he had more room to run against the Bears’ miserable defense, but not all. He also set a new career high in route participation (57%) and jumped up to an 85% snap share after being below 61% in both of the previous two weeks. He might still have some bad weeks behind Vegas’ struggling O-line, but his elite talent and ceiling are clearly there.

In yet another AFC West backfield, RJ Harvey had the best game of his young career with 17.8 fantasy points. He was still the RB2 behind J.K. Dobbins, but only played two fewer snaps (41%) and saw two fewer carries (14) than the veteran. He also saw five targets on a 25% route participation rate. Dobbins has played well and won’t go gentle into that good night, but Harvey is already a playable fantasy back even as the RB1B in Denver. 

Are Aging RBs Finally Breaking Down?

While young RBs are breaking out (or not breaking out) across the league, some superstar older backs may finally be breaking down. Even if “breaking” is harsh, it’s hard to deny that these elder statesmen are losing efficiency.

Most obviously, Saquon Barkley is averaging just 3.1 yards per carry this season. His fantasy numbers are fine, but he has yet to break one of the huge runs that allowed him to dominate the 2024 season. His longest rush of the season is 16 yards. Obviously, he’s still a must-start every week … but I might quietly put some feelers out to see if you can still trade him for RB1 overall value. 

The other running back who is unfortunately trending toward “outlier until he isn’t” territory is Derick Henry. Even ignoring his much-publicized fumble issues, King Henry has not been his royal self so far this year. His 5.8 yards per carry mark is still elite, but he ranks 53rd out of 55 qualified backs in PFF Rush Grade. He’s also averaging just 12.3 attempts per game, a far cry from the 19.1 he saw in 2024. For a back who is hardly involved in the passing game, volume is everything. Especially with Lamar Jackson looking set to miss time, Henry may be more of a TD-dependent RB2 than a true RB1 going forward. 

Stefon Diggs Isn’t Dead Yet 

Prior to Week 4, I was ready to give up on Stefon Diggs as a fantasy football option in 2025. Not only was he averaging an uninspiring 5.9 points per game, but his usage was also terrible. He had just a 14% target share and a brutal 56% route participation rate in New England’s offense. With that usage, there was no real hope that he would emerge as a weekly starter.

However, Diggs had a big game in Week 4, catching six of seven targets for 101 yards. More importantly, his usage changed, too. His route participation rate shot up to a respcetable 77%, and he saw a massive 39% target share (not to mention an absurd 64% air yards share). Perhaps the Patriots were just easing the veteran in coming off a season-ending ACL tear in 2024, and this is the new normal. If that is the case, Diggs goes straight from unusable to firmly back on the radar as a weekly WR3.

Puka Nacua is the WR1, We Shouldn’t Be Surprised

Obviously, Puka Nacua is the fantasy WR1 in all formats. It doesn’t hurt that much of his top competition is dealing with either injuries or terrible QB play, but the third-year WR was going to claim this crown regardless. He is currently averaging 22.1 points per game, with no games below 17 points … and he only scored his first touchdown of the season on Sunday.

Nacua is the obvious WR1 on the advanced stats front, too: yards per route run, targets per route run, target share, PFF Grade, you name it. And this is where things get frustrating … because it was the exact same thing last year. 

In the 11 games he played in 2024, Puka led all WRs in PFF Grade, yards per route run, and targets per route run, the latter two by massive margins. Those are two of the most predictive WR stats we have, plus a decent approximator of the “eye test.” Oh yeah, and, once you remove his injury-shortened outings, he ranked second to only Ja’Marr Chase’s historic season in fantasy points per game, again by a solid gap above No. 3. 

Chase’s 2024 was genuinely historic, so he maybe deserved his WR1 overall spot. But, and I really don’t think this is just hindsight talking, Nacua should have been the consensus WR2. With Chase out of the way thanks to Joe Burrow’s injury, he’s the WR1 by a mile. Congratulations to anyone who was able to draft him at his WR7 ADP.