Fantasy Points Allowed Week 4 2017

By Jen Ryan
Jen Ryan Fantasy Points Allowed: Week 4 The data is continuing to pile up and each week we get a better sense of what defenses to avoid and what defenses to pick on. Playing the match ups is key in every format and by using our fantasy points allowed tool you can see how each defense ranks overall, as well as how they rank by position. The number I like to focus on his how many fantasy points defenses allow. The past two weeks we looked at points per game. This week, we will take a look at total points allowed to each position thus far.

You can find our Fantasy Points Allowed tool here: https://www.footballdiehards.com/fantasy-points-allowed-by-defense.cfm

Running Backs




• My concern with Jay Ajayi increases with each passing day. The New Orleans Saints are a cake match up for running backs. If it doesn’t look like he will go, both Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake are in play. I am avoiding in redraft, but will have exposure to both in daily if Ajayi is out.

• After Christian McCaffrey’s huge game last week he figures to be the back to own and will certainly garner higher ownership in daily fantasy. I still like Jonathan Stewart here and he could easily fall into the end zone for a score.

• This is the last week Ezekiel Elliott is guaranteed to be on the field. He should resume bell cow carries and hit the century mark against the league-worst ranked Los Angeles Rams’ rush defense.

• Committees are a nightmare, especially committees in a good match up. Terrance West is the goal line back for the Ravens which presents value, but Javorius Allen is a focal point of the passing game and should be heavily involved in this epic rivalry game.

LeSean McCoy feels like a lock to finish as a top five running back this week. If Mike Tolbert steals a touchdown that changes my top five outlook. Even if he does, he doesn’t warrant consideration as a play in any format this week.

Wide Receiver




• Xavier Rhodes is one of the best corner backs in football. His teammate Trae Waynes is one of the worst. The way Golden Tate moves around bodes well for the type of numbers he can put up this week. Whenever Tate draws Rhodes, Marvin Jones figures to see his share of targets. Kenny Golladay is exciting, but more so as a touchdown-dependent GPP play.

Keenan Allen is a no-brainer, must-start every single week and requires no analysis here. The Philadelphia Eagles secondary give both Tyrell Williams and Travis Benjamin bumps this week.

• DeAndrew Hopkins is the only skill player outside of Jason Witten who has been on the field for 100% of his teams’ snaps this season. The opportunity and volume show no signs of slowing down and he is in position to keep that rolling this week. The rest of this receiving corps are simply spot plays.

• Patrick Peterson will be all over Pierre Garcon this week. He sees too much volume to completely fade in redraft. Marquise Goodwin is in a nice spot to see an increase in targets and Aldrick Robinson is a threat to score here.

• There isn’t a corner on the Dallas Cowboys that can match up with Sammy Watkins. Robert Woods had a break out game last week, but with Cooper Kupp’s usage I won’t be chasing last week’s points there.

Kelvin Benjamin is on track to play this weekend, but knees can be tricky. With him being dinged up and Greg Olsen (sadly) on IR, Devin Funchess will have the opportunity to put up a big game.

Tight End




• I mentioned Greg Olsen (sadly) being on IR because the New England Patriots have allowed 58.4 fantasy points to tight ends through three games. Ed Dickson is a streaming consideration, but after Cam Newton’s abysmal start to the season I wouldn’t put too many eggs in Dickson’s basket.

• The New York Giants seem content to allow you to beat them in the middle of the field. The Cameron Brate-or-O.J. Howard decision is frustrating, but I am leaning Brate here for his red zone upside.

Jesse James or Vance McDonald will score this week, it is a matter of which one. Despite the favorable match up, I am fading both tight ends on the road in Baltimore this week.

• We know that Tyler Eifert will (again) miss a few weeks with an injury. Neither Tyler Kroft or C.J. Uzomah have seized the opportunity with Eifert out in the past. I am waiting a week on both to see if one steps up.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins is my sleeper tight end of the week. We saw Josh McCown “ease” him into action last week with six targets, five of which he secured. This is the week McCown makes a Gary Barnidge out of him against the Jacksonville Jaguars, whose only real defensive weakness is the tight end position.


Here’s something I never thought I would say: pick on those New England Patriots this week. Through three weeks, they have been very generous to the key skill positions in fantasy football. Good luck!