Week 4 in the Fantasy season is here, and it is where the rubber meets the road, and managers are beginning to see how their teams stack up among the other teams in their leagues. Whether their teams are thriving or maybe just barely surviving, Week 4 provides another challenge to overcome. After three weeks, many managers can start to develop a clearer picture of how a player has been used so far, and how they think that role may remain or change for the rest of the season. Week 4 is the time to put draft position aside and start the players who are performing on a consistent basis, no matter how hard it may be.
This week brings a couple of tough decisions on some names that have fantasy relevance, but matchups and workloads may cause some to ride the fantasy bench in Week 4. Identifying these players that could be potential landmines is the secret sauce to all that is fantasy success. Week 4 may not be the end-all, be-all, but it is another pivotal step in the race to eight wins, to secure your team’s spot in the playoff dance.
Drake Maye @ Buffalo Bills
Drake Maye’s regression in the 2026 season is something that deserves professional study. Drake finished second in MVP votes last year, then threw nearly 6 interceptions in just 70 pass attempts to start the 2026 season. Compare this to his 8 total interceptions in all of the 2025 regular season, and there is a clear and crippling regression, not to mention he has only thrown 1 TD pass so far in 2026. Things do not get much better when we take a look at QB rating after the first 3 weeks; he has a balmy 58.6 compared to 113.5 in 2025.
As far as fantasy points, all three of Maye’s outings have not been anything spectacular, and each time he takes the field, his point total goes down, going from 13.8 points in Week 1 down to 5.8 in Week 3. While the team as a whole has only scored 39 points throughout the first 3 weeks. Maye has also greatly struggled against pressure this year, and if the Bills decide to bring pressure, Drake may be in for a long game in Buffalo. Draft position and last year’s production don’t score fantasy points in 2026, and through three weeks, Maye’s current production is giving managers plenty of reasons to leave him on the bench and search for an alternative.
David Montgomery Vs Dallas Cowboys
After an extremely strong Week 1, Montgomery has had a hard time being productive on the ground. So far, he has averaged less than 3 yards per rush on 37 carries throughout the first 3 games, all while never eclipsing 65 yards in any game this season. His workload has also fallen since the first week of the season down to nearly half of what he had in week 1, along with Nico Collins coming back from a hamstring injury, which could imply a heavier passing game in Week 4. Throughout the first 3 games, Montgomery has only had 5 rushing first downs and has not had a rushing play longer than 18 yards.
If you are starting Montgomery, then you are relying heavily on touchdown production, and while he is only averaging around 34 yards per game, it leaves his fantasy floor in the figurative basement. Stats point to avoiding this landmine on your fantasy team in Week 4 and pivoting to someone else to fill your RB2 or FLEX spot.
Ladd McConkey @ Seattle Seahawks
During a productive Week 1, Ladd ended up with 82 receiving yards on 7 targets and a rib injury. So far, the injury has had the most impact on the 2026 season, as well as the woes the Chargers offense is facing with a new OC. Ladd’s targets have decreased since Week 1, with 5 or fewer targets in the last two games while playing through the rib injury. The average of just 5 targets per game means he is very reliant on big plays and TDs, which have not happened in 2026. Within these three games, Ladd has only reached pay dirt one time, making his fantasy floor razor thin with not too much hope for the offense as a whole.
In Week 4, he sees a tough Seattle defense that is known for a very capable pass defense. Pair this with the aforementioned offensive struggles, and he is projected for 5 catches as a WR1/2 on most teams, which could leave you playing with fire in Week 4 if you put too much trust in McConkey.
Mark Andrews Vs Tennessee Titans
Mark Andrews has been a staple for the Ravens for years, but his usage this year has not been that of a franchise superstar, he has 13 Catches on 18 targets and 0 touchdowns in the three games so far this year. He also has not eclipsed 50 yards receiving in any game this year, showing that even with Zay Flowers sidelined, Andrews showed he is not a huge part of the offense even when there are weapons missing. The big play is nonexistent for Mark as well, as his depth of target average is around 6 yards, and he has yet to have a deep target in 2026.
On top of these deficiencies, the matchup is not favorable for Andrews. The Titans have allowed .7 passing TDs per game and rank 7th in the NFL in defensive passing yards allowed per game. After a bad showing against a notably bad defense last week against Dallas, it would be a massive risk to trust Andrews again this week.
As Week 4 comes to a close, the fantasy football season is starting to take shape, and managers are getting a better idea of what their teams can be. With each week becoming more important, the margin for error continues to shrink, and those tough lineup decisions can make all the difference. The fantasy season is a marathon, not a sprint, but the foundation for a playoff run is being built right now. Whether you are sitting comfortably at the top of the standings or fighting to keep your season alive, there is still plenty of football left to be played. The playoff dance is still a ways away, but Week 4 is another step toward getting there.
