In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Paramount+:

After Week 2, Jayden Daniels was coming off a 13.4-fantasy-point outing and Bryce Young had just bottomed out with a 2-point performance.

Things seemed bleak.

Flash forward to Week 4 and the Commanders and Panthers are playing in the two games with the highest totals on the week:

Life comes at ya’ fast.

Daniels was a revelation on Monday Night Football. He set the NFL record for highest completion percentage for a rookie, had more total TDs than incompletions, and joined some elite company in the record books. Neither the Commanders nor Cardinals defenses are inspiring, so this Kliff Kingsbury revenge game could get nutty in a very fantasy-friendly way.

As for the Panthers, Andy Dalton now gets to face the same Bengals secondary that Daniels just lit up (although he will now be without Adam Thielen for a while). I still can’t get over Dalton being the only QB this year to throw for over 300+ yards and 3 TDs. He’s giving me major late-season Joe Flacco vibes from last year.

Daniels is an automatic start (he’s our consensus QB5 on the week right now), while the Red Rifle is an awesome streamer option who I’d have no problem starting in a pinch.

What is in today’s newsletter?

  1. Freedman’s Favorite Plays for Week 4 of Fantasy Football
  2. Watercooler: Going to great lengths in trade talk

Saquon Barkley and Marvin Harrison Jr. Lead Freedman’s Favorites for Week 4

Here are a couple of Matthew Freedman's favorite fantasy plays for Week 4. Check out his full articles and rankings for more.

Saquon Barkley (Eagles) at Buccaneers

  • Eagles: -2
  • O/U: 45
  • TT: 23.5

Barkley is currently the Offensive Player of the Year frontrunner (+400, ESPN Bet), and for good reason: Aside from his (admittedly terrible and game-losing) Week 2 drop, he has been perfect.

Through his first three games with the Eagles, Barkley has 404 scrimmage yards and leads the league with 74 opportunities and five TDs. I wouldn't say that he looks like the 21-year-old 2018 rookie version of himself (2,028 yards, 15 TDs in 16 games), but this is the best he has looked since then: Even at 27 years old, he still has plenty of burst.

It's unfortunate for Barkley that he could be without RT Lane Johnson (concussion) and RG Mekhi Becton (finger) this week, but any OL deficiencies might be more than counterbalanced by the potential absences of WRs A.J. Brown (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (concussion), and Britain Covey (shoulder, IR), without whom Barkley could enjoy even more work as the centerpiece of the Eagles offense.

And the Buccaneers are No. 29 in defensive rush EPA (0.047) and might be without three of their most impactful run defenders in DTs Vita Vea (knee) and Calijah Kancey (calf) and FS Antoine Winfield (foot).

Marvin Harrison (Cardinals) vs. Commanders

  • Cardinals: -3.5
  • O/U: 50.5
  • TT: 27

Last week, the first two WRs I highlighted in my piece were Ja'Marr Chase (who was facing the Commanders) and Harrison (who is going against them now) … so I simply must highlight the rookie again.

Harrison disappointed in his first NFL game with just one four-yard reception on three targets, but in the two games since then he has looked like a bonafide stud with 9-194-3 receiving on 19 targets.

The top overall player in Dwain McFarland's WR Super Model—not just for 2024 but also for all the history of the Super Model—Harrison is living up to the hype and should continue to do so against the Commanders, who have given it up this year to alpha WRs.

  • Mike Evans (Week 1): 5-61-2 receiving | 6 targets
  • Chris Godwin (Week 1): 8-83-1 receiving | 8 targets
  • Malik Nabers (Week 2): 10-127-1 receiving | 18 targets
  • Ja'Marr Chase (Week 3): 6-118-2 receiving | 7 targets

Harrison is already an alpha, and the Commanders are No. 1 in most fantasy points allowed to WRs (44.7) and largest fantasy boost allowed to WRs (+12.8).

More of Freedman’s Favorite WRs for Week 4

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The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:

📈 Waz’s Risers and Fallers after three weeks … Rest-of-season Fantasy Football rankings.

👀 Speaking of rankings … our experts have theirs ready for Week 4.

😬 Is it time to panic on Anthony Richardson? History has our answer …

🤠 Trying to trade with a Pixar-obsessed fantasy manager. Howdy partnah.

🙏 An update on Tua. Still up in the air.

📊 How many players are projected to outscore Malik Nabers this week? Not many …

🎉 Pass rates are finally inching up. FINALLY.

👾 Mascots vs. kids? Mascots vs. kids.

COOTERDOODLE’S FAVE TWEET