It seems like the current injury avalanche in the NFL is creating an onslaught of fantasy football adversity. We are here to help you march on successfully. Smart lineup streaming might be a key to winning a fantasy matchup.
Not all the fantasy news has been negative, though. We check in on the unreal start of Jaxon Smith-Njigba in 2026 and tell you why Sam Darnold is a quality fantasy option this week. Seahawks Fantasy Insider also takes a longer look at the team's running back situation over the longer term.
As always, we include some of our favorite players to start from all NFL teams when faced with challenging lineup decisions. The analysis leans to Point-Per-Reception (PP) formats and players are listed in order of preferred lineup usage.
NFL Week 4: Running Backs To Start
START Braelon Allen, NYJ: Breece Hall is out vs. Chicago this week with a quad injury, and Allen, who has occasionally stirred some excitement among the Jets faithful, will now be worthy of a fantasy RB2 lineup spot. Allen has only started two games in his NFL career, but he has displayed a very physical style with a flair for being a short-yardage threat.
Allen was considered one of the more promising No. 2 RBs in the league coming into the 2026 season. Chicago ranks 22nd in rushing yards allowed heading into NFL Week 4. Isaiah Davis should also figure into the RB mix for the Jets this week, and he can be considered in deeper leagues.
START Aaron Jones Sr., MIN: Now in his 10th NFL season, Jones is still capable of providing a decent statistical floor, and he draws a matchup against the winless Miami Dolphins this week. Jones rushed for 105 yards in Week 2 and totaled 92 yards from scrimmage with five receptions in Week 3 while playing through a knee issue.
Miami allowed the most Fantasy Points Per Game to RBs over the first three weeks of the season. Start Jones as a respectable RB2 option or at a flex spot.
START David Montgomery, HOU: The Dallas Cowboys continue to be a team that fantasy players will target to potentially maximize statistical production from their players. Dallas has allowed the second-most rushing yards per game in the NFL (179.7) and ranks 30th in total defense.
Montgomery looks like a touchdown-dependent fantasy play so far this season, but he did rush for three TDs in the season opener and could get in the end zone more than once this week. Nico Collins may return from a hamstring injury this week, boosting the Texans' offense while making Montgomery a viable streamer.
START Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WAS: The Commanders are dealing with some key injuries on offense that could push Croskey-Merritt into a larger role on Sunday against the Colts. Injuries are widespread to the point where Washington's lead ball carrier will fit the fantasy bill for adequate stats. The Colts rank 28th in rushing yards per game allowed (141.3).
More Fantasy Football RBs to Start: Ahead of the above players – Chuba Hubbard (CAR vs. DET), Cam Skattebo (NYG vs. ARI). Behind the above players – Kyle Monangai (CHI vs. NYJ), Jaylen Wright (MIA vs. MIN, if you must use a Dolphins RB. Deeper plug-in options include Isaiah Davis (NYJ vs. CHI), RJ Harvey (DEN vs. SF) and Kendre Miller (NO vs. ATL).
Seahawks Fantasy Focus on RBs: With Jadarian Price out with a chest injury, now is a good time to trade for the rookie back, as patience with him as a fantasy manager can pay off later in the season. It is very early in Price's career, and his talents should eventually lead to his emergence as a quality fantasy option with some upside.
Zach Charbonnet has been designated to return to practice, which means he should be stashed on your bench as he continues to near a return to action. Charbonnet can certainly be a good source of TDs as a drive finisher for a Seahawks offense that ranks 10th in the NFL right now.
The Seahawks take on the Chargers this week, and Los Angeles ranks 20th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game. Emanuel Wilson can be considered for flex usage with Price out, and George Holani is a deeper league fill-in candidate.
NFL Week 4: Wide Receivers To Start
START Jordan Addison, MIN: Justin Jefferson will miss this week's game against Miami with an ankle injury. In Week 3, Addison stepped forward when Jefferson went down and immediately displayed a strong on-field rapport with Kyler Murray. He caught five of nine targets for 90 yards and a TD.
Miami's defense may spend a lot of time on the field against the Vikings this week, and Addison figures to be Murray's top playmaker. The Dolphins rank last in the AFC in passing defense. Addison can be started as a fantasy WR2.
START Malik Nabers, NYG: The Giants' No. 1 WR has been easing back into his better form, and he gets a good matchup to deliver his best game so far this season. Arizona allows the second-most FFPG to WRs, and this may also be a week where we see the authentic gunslinging version of Jamies Winston. Nabers will be his prime target.
START Tetairoa McMillan, CAR: The Panthers' WR has not caught a TD pass yet this season, but no team allows more points per game than the Detroit Lions (31.7). Some fantasy players may be slightly concerned about McMillan's fantasy output after he caught two passes for 17 yards last week. But in the first two games of the season, he was targeted 18 times and logged outings of 75 and 101 yards.
START Michael Wilson, ARI: We might see a high-scoring game between the Cardinals and Giants this week. Wilson totaled 17 targets last week, the highest amount for any player so far this season. He caught 11 passes for 89 yards and a TD.
The Seahawks held Wilson to two receptions for 18 yards in Week 2, but he rebounded in impressive fashion and reminded everyone that he is the clear No. 1 WR for Arizona. The Giants rank 20th in FFPG allowed to WRs.
More Fantasy Football WRs to Start: All ranked behind the above players – Josh Downs (IND vs. WAS), Stefon Diggs (WAS vs, IND), Kalif Raymond (CHI vs. NYJ), Jakobi Meyers (JAC vs. CIN). Deeper plays include Makai Lemon (PHI vs. LAR), Mack Hollins (NE vs. BUF) and Antonio Williams (WAS vs. IND).
Seahawks Fantasy Focus on WRs: We must check in again on the amazing fantasy start to the season for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who seems to be on a tier of his own after three weeks. How far he is ahead of the rest of the fantasy WR pack is astounding.
In fact, heading into NFL Week 4, JSN is the top-scoring fantasy football player at any position. His 104.1 PPR points are nearly 30 ahead of any other WR. He also leads all players with 34.7 Fantasy Points Per Game, which is nine points per game ahead of any other WR.
Trading JSN right now would appear to be a move that could significantly impact your fantasy outlook in a negative way. Never mess with such a stratospheric run of success, and mark Smith-Njigba as untouchable.
NFL Week 4: Tight Ends To Start
Isaiah Likely, NYG: The former Raven is essentially the second-best fantasy pass-catcher in the Giants' offense. If Winston opens up the offense as hoped, Likely could be one of the most productive fantasy TEs of Week 4. Arizona allows the fifth-most FFPG to opposing TEs.
Darren Waller, CAR: The veteran TE remains a frequent target for TDs no matter where he plays. He caught two TD passes in NFL Week 2. Waller was targeted eight times last week and the rising Carolina offense is averaging 29.7 points per game heading into a projected shootout with the Lions.
NFL Week 4: Quarterbacks To Start
START Tyler Shough, NO: The Saints passer is the No. 2 scoring fantasy QB and the No. 5 overall fantasy scorer so far this season. Only Josh Allen has outpointed Shough at QB, so it's certainly no surprise to see him as a recommended starter this week.
But the reason we feature Shough here is that he is my fourth-ranked QB of the week. The only QBs I have ranked ahead of him are Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
Some fantasy players might not feel fully comfortable with starting Shough over more proven top passers, but he is set for another big fantasy week. Atlanta ranks 29th in passing defense.
START Sam Darnold, SEA: If you need a streaming option this week, Darnold can be considered a high-end fantasy QB2. Last week against Washington, Darnold finished as the No. 2 QB in fantasy football scoring with 29.7 points. He passed for a career-best 379 passing yards with four TDs, one short of a career high.
The Chargers rank 20th in passing yards allowed, so Darnold may have a high statistical ceiling again this week.
Week 4 Fantasy Football Defenses to Stream: Green Bay (vs. TB) Chicago (vs. NYJ), Buffalo (vs. NE), New Orleans (vs. ATL).
Kicker Check-In: Always stay on top of what kickers are actually scoring the most cumulative and consistent points. Very often, fantasy players will just stick a name they are familiar with into their lineups while other options on free agency could be more productive.
Some kickers to consider adding and starting this week if available include Ryan Fitzgerald (CAR vs. DET), Drew Stevens (WAS vs. IND), Trey Smack (vs. TB) and Chad Ryland (ARI vs. NYG). Smack finished as a top 6 fantasy football kicker in the season opener and can rebound to that range this week.
Scott Engel's *Week 4 Fantasy Football rankings are available at RotoBaller.com.* Scott is a member of the inaugural class of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's (FSWA) Hall of Fame. He has been the official Fantasy Football writer for *Seahawks.com*since 2012 and has contributed to game coverages and special projects such as the *Top 50 Seahawks of All Time*. Scott is a Senior Writer at *RotoBaller.com* and a host on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio. His work has regularly appeared at *CBSSports.com*, *ESPN.com* and The Athletic.
Check out photos of the Seahawks 53-man roster for the 2026 season.
This is a 2026 photo of DeMarcus Lawrence of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence (0)
This is a 2026 photo of Julian Neal of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Julian Neal (1)
This is a 2026 photo of Drew Lock of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock (2)
This is a 2026 photo of Nick Emmanwori of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3)
This is a 2026 photo of Michael Dickson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4)
This is a 2026 photo of Jason Myers of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5)
This is a 2026 photo of Jalen Milroe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6)
This is a 2025 photo of Uchenna Nwosu of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seattle Seahawks active roster as of June 9, 2025 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (7)
This is a 2026 photo of Jadarian Price of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Jadarian Price (8)
This is a 2026 photo of Cooper Kupp of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10)
This is a 2026 photo of Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11)
This is a 2026 photo of Ernest Jones IV of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13)
This is a 2026 photo of Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14)
This is a 2026 photo of Tory Horton of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15)
This is a 2026 photo of Elijah Arroyo of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Elijah Arroyo (18)
This is a 2026 photo of Julian Love of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Julian Love (20)
This is a 2026 photo of Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21)
This is a 2026 photo of Rashid Shaheed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (22)
This is a 2026 photo of Emanuel Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson (23)
This is a 2026 photo of Rodney Thomas II of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Rodney Thomas II (24)
Seahawks cornerback Avery Smith (27).
Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Avery Smith (36) runs during an NFL preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
This is a 2026 photo of Nehemiah Pritchett of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28)
This is a 2026 photo of Josh Jobe of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe (29)
This is a 2026 photo of AJ Finley of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety AJ Finley (30)
This is a 2026 photo of Drake Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (32)
This is a 2026 photo of George Holani of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks running back George Holani (36)
This is a 2026 photo of Brady Russell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks fullback Brady Russell (38)
This is a 2026 photo of Ty Okada of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks safety Ty Okada (39)
This is a 2026 photo of Chris Stoll of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks long snapper Chris Stoll (41)
This is a 2026 photo of Chazz Surratt of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Chazz Surratt (44)
This is a 2026 photo of Tyrice Knight of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48)
This is a 2026 photo of Patrick OíConnell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Patrick O'Connell (52)
This is a 2026 photo of Olu Oluwatimi of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Olu Oluwatimi (55)
This is a 2026 photo of Dante Fowler of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56)
This is a 2026 photo of Connor OíToole of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Connor O'Toole (57)
This is a 2026 photo of Derick Hall of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall (58)
This is a 2026 photo of Jalen Sundell of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks center Jalen Sundell (61)
This is a 2026 photo of Christian Haynes of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Christian Haynes (64)
This is a 2026 photo of Charles Cross of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67)
This is a 2026 photo of Beau Stephens of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Beau Stephens (70)
This is a 2026 photo of Abraham Lucas of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Abraham Lucas (72)
This is a 2026 photo of Josh Jones of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tackle Josh Jones (74)
This is a 2026 photo of Grey Zabel of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks guard Grey Zabel (76)
This is a 2026 photo of Eric Saubert of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Eric Saubert (81)
This is a 2026 photo of Montorie Foster of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. (87)
This is a 2026 photo of A.J. Barner of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88)
This is a 2026 photo of Nick Kallerup of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks tight end Nick Kallerup (89)
This is a 2024 photo of Jarran Reed of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90)
This is a 2026 photo of Byron Murphy II of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91)
This is a 2026 photo of Mike Morris of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Mike Morris (94)
This is a 2026 photo of Brandon Pili of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks nose tackle Brandon Pili (95)
This is a 2026 photo of Rylie Mills of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the roster as of June 8, 2026. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive tackle Rylie Mills (98)
This is a 2024 photo of Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team. This image reflects the Seahawks active roster as of June 10, 2024 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99)
