Week 4 Fantasy Football: Winners, Losers, & Injuries

The fourth week of the 2025 imagined football time showcased considerable performances from a number of the maximum proficient individuals within the NFL and only some unsatisfactory showings.

Who emerged as the outstanding achievers and underperformers?

Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft provide their detailed evaluations.

Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers |
Biggest injuries and what’s next

Ranking dream achievers of Week 4

1. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders: Jeanty’s 33.8 factors within the Week 4 victory over the Bears represented a season-excessive for the novice, and he led all jogging backs via the overdue window on Sunday. In a advantageous matchup versus the Bears run front, Jeanty rushed for 138 yards and a landing on 21 carries, plus he introduced receptions for 17 yards, with both going for rankings. Jeanty displayed excessive-end touch stability and explosive play ability on this one, and he may want to see a bump in pass sport utilization after his manufacturing on Sunday. With a Week 5 matchup on deck versus the Colts, Jeanty will flow up in my ranks as a lower-tier RB1. — Bowen

2. Puka Nacua, WR, and Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams: Just as he was at the onset of his 2023 novice season, Nacua has been a receptions device, totaling in double-digits (13) for the 1/3 time in his four video games to date. His 42 total healthy Michael Thomas (2018) and Cooper Kupp (2022) for the maximum via four video games of any season, demonstrating Stafford’s hefty reliance upon his No. 1 target. Stafford, meanwhile, scored 27.40 dream factors, his maximum in a game since Week 11 of closing season. The should be in for a harder matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5, though Nacua is locked in as a weekly dream WR1 and Stafford is a worthwhile option in superflex leagues. — Cockcroft

3. George Pickens, WR, and Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys: The biggest scoring stars of Sunday night’s 40-forty tie, Pickens tallied 33.4 PPR dream factors, the second-best output of his fifty two game career, behind a 30.96 point performance by Prescott. Pickens saw 11 of the team’s 38 targets, sliding into CeeDee Lamb’s top spot on the intensity chart effortlessly, while routinely finding openings against Packers CBs Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine. Prescott, meanwhile, got strong protection from his offensive line and completed at least 3 passes to 5 different receivers. Both will continue to play huge roles for the offense, due to the team’s protection frequently putting the team into passing situations. The New York Jets, who have underperformed and are middling defensively thus far, are up next. — Cockcroft

4. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons: Robinson was electric in the Week 4 win over Washington, scoring a season-excessive 28.1 factors, while showcasing his elite dual-threat ability. Johnson finished with 181 total yards and a landing on 21 touches, finding the end zone on a 14 yard rush. Plus, Johnson caught 4 passes for 106 yards. Johnson now has video games this season with over 24 factors, and he’ll remain a top-3 RB when the Falcons return from the bye in Week 6 versus the Bills. — Bowen

5. Jordan Love, QB, and Romeo Doubs, WR, Green Bay Packers: Love’s 26.28 dream factors were his maximum since Week 4 of closing season and fourth-maximum in his 37 career NFL starts, though he had a pair of gaffes in losing a fumble with 21 seconds remaining in the first half that ultimately cost his Packers the lead going into halftime, and his clock mismanagement near the conclusion of overtime that could’ve cost the Packers a chance at the game-tying field goal. He completed all of his three landing passes to Doubs, whose 29.8 PPR dream factors were by far a private best. Both capitalized upon the supremely favorable matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, one that dream managers should highlight for all opposing players. The Packers head into their bye week, then face another below-average protection in the Cincinnati Bengals. — Cockcroft

6. Omarion Hampton, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: Hampton’s 27.5 factors in Sunday’s loss to the Giants were a season-best for the novice, and he has now posted back-to-back video games with 24 or more factors. Hampton displayed his big-play ability in the run game, breaking one for a 54-yard score. Plus, Hampton is being utilized on monitors and as an underneath outlet for quarterback Justin Herbert in the pass game. Hampton caught all five of his targets for 37 yards here, giving him a total of 11 receptions for 96 yards over his past video games. With the total volume, plus the dual-threat utilization, Hampton will be a RB1 in my Week 5 ranks for the matchup versus Washington. — Bowen

7. Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers: In a somewhat surprising development, Gainwell earned the start for the Steelers’ early-morning game in Dublin, Ireland, after Jaylen Warren (knee) was scratched despite putting in limited practices during the week. Gainwell thrived as the Steelers’ clear go-to jogging back, playing 77% of the offensive snaps, handling 19 of the team’s 29 jogging attempts, scoring a pair of jogging touchdowns and totaling a career-best 31.4 PPR dream factors. Rookie Kaleb Johnson, meanwhile, played 21% of the snaps and had seven total touches, marking the fourth consecutive week that Gainwell has at least tripled Johnson’s number in either department. Gainwell now has explosive runs (10-plus yards) and is clearly a significant part of the Steelers’ jogging game plan. Make sure he’s rostered in the 64.4% of ESPN leagues in which he remains available when the team returns from its Week 5 bye. — Cockcroft

8. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers: His 31.7 PPR dream factors represented his best single-game score yet as a member of the Packers, and he did it despite not touching the football once during overtime in the team’s 40-forty tie with the Dallas Cowboys. Jacobs had three carries of 14-plus yards and 23 more jogging yards than expected, per Next Gen Stats. He’ll battle a similarly smooth matchup in the Cincinnati Bengals after the team’s Week 5 bye. — Cockcroft

9. Quentin Johnston, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: In Sunday’s disillusioned loss to the Giants, Johnston posted his 2nd game of 20-plus factors this season (23.9), catching eight of a team-excessive 13 targets for 98 yards and a landing. Johnston has now recorded at least one landing grab in of four games played this season, and he has seen a total of 23 targets in his closing . With the vertical element he brings to the Chargers offense, in addition to the numbers he can produce after the catch on over routes and crossers, Johnston has carved out a defined role on this route tree. He’ll remain an upside WR3/Flex for the Week 5 matchup versus Washington. — Bowen

10. Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons: The star of the early stages of the Falcons’ surprising, 34-27 win over the Washington Commanders, London scored almost as many PPR dream factors in Week 4 (25.0) as he did in his first three video games combined (29.9), thanks in large part to a five-yard landing catch near the end of the first quarter and a 43-yard catch early in the 2nd. He dominated targets on this game, which was an encouraging sign heading into the Falcons’ bye week and their difficult Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills. — Cockcroft

11. DK Metcalf, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers: Metcalf posted season-high 23.6 factors within the Week 4 win over the Vikings. With the quick passing game at the top of the Steelers’ call sheet, Metcalf caught all five of his targets for 126 yards, which included an 80-yard score on slant route. Catch and go. Big time open field juice there. Metcalf has now scored a landing in three straight games, but it was the explosive plays on this one that boosted his numbers. The Steelers head into the bye next, but they return in Week 6 with a matchup versus the Browns protection, which will keep Metcalf on the WR2/Flex line. –Bowen

12. Woody Marks, RB, Houston Texans: Rostered in only 33.2% of ESPN leagues, Marks dropped a career-excessive 27.9 factors in Sunday’s win over the Titans. Marks, who out-touched veteran Nick Chubb 21 to 15, finished with 119 total yards and scores, plus we saw the upside he brings as a pass catcher (four receptions, 50 yards, one touchdown). Even in a backfield share with Chubb, it’s clear that Marks brings more juice and play-speed to the field. The novice out of USC should be a priority waiver-add this week. — Bowen

13. Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: He has been a novice sensation, scoring touchdowns in of four games, posting a 25% target share, and totaling a novice class-leading 71.1 PPR dream factors, which ranks sixteenth among novice wide receivers via his first four career video games since at least 1940. Egbuka continues to be the go-to guy for Baker Mayfield, which should continue to be the case for Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks, as Mike Evans (hamstring) is expected to miss multiple weeks. — Cockcroft

14. James Cook, RB, and Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills: They were the stars of a game that, for fifty two minutes, was far closer than it should’ve been. Cook managed his eighth consecutive game with a jogging landing, and fourth consecutive game with at least 20 PPR dream factors. His jogging score came from one yard out, and since the beginning of closing season, he now has 10 such touchdowns from within three yards of the end zone, a remarkable number for a teammate of the plenty-capable-in-his-own-right Allen. Allen, meanwhile, scored 24.86 factors, his 11th game in his past 15 full (meaning excluding Week 18) in which he totaled 20-plus. Both should again deliver top-shelf numbers in Week 5 in a divisional game against the New England Patriots. — Cockcroft

15. Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns: Judkins had a career-best 21.5 factors within the Week 4 loss to the Lions. Yes, Judkins once again saw No. 1 volume, carrying the ball 21 times 82 yards and a landing. He’s the clear lead back in Cleveland. However, Judkins also had his best receiving numbers as a pro, catching all four of his targets for 33 yards. With a bump in pass sport utilization, Judkins should be ranked as an RB2 ahead of the Week 5 game versus the Vikings. — Bowen

Ranking dream losers of Week 4

1. Justin Herbert, QB; Ladd McConkey, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: In the disillusioned loss to the Giants, Herbert had a season-low 12.52 factors, completing only 56% of his passes, while he threw interceptions versus a New York protection that created pressure. McConkey caught one of six targets for 11 yards (2.1 factors), and he has posted double-digit factors in only one game this season (Week 1). With the bump in volume for Johnston, plus the presence of Keenan Allen, McConkey’s numbers have taken a hit to start the season, and he will continue to slide in the rankings — despite the pre-season hype. I’ll have McConkey as a WR3 for the Week 5 matchup against the Commanders protection. — Bowen

2. Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears: I had Williams ranked as a mid-tier QB1 for the Week 4 game against the Raiders, but the Chicago offense had too many negative plays here, while they also failed to cash-in on advantageous field position. Williams did throw for 212 yards and a score, but he also had an interception and finished with only 13 yards jogging. And the 11.18 for Williams were a season low. Williams has video games of 24 or more factors this season, but he remains an inconsistent thrower in an offense going via the transition of a new system. Williams will be in my QB2 ranks when the Bears return from the bye in Week 6 versus Washington. — Bowen

3. Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens: For the third straight game, Henry failed to post double-digit numbers, as he finished with 7.8 factors in Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs. Henry only saw eight carries on this game, jogging for 42 yards, plus he introduced receptions for 16 yards. Henry isn’t carrying the offense at this point of the season, and with Lamar Jackson leaving the game with a hamstring injury, things could get really rough for this Ravens unit moving forward. Let’s display the injury reports on Jackson this week, as his availability will determine Henry’s ceiling for the Week 5 matchup versus the Houston protection. — Bowen

4. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders: His struggles continued in Week 4, resulting in only 9.6 PPR dream factors, the third straight week he was held beneath 10, on six targets. Geno Smith’s struggles have played a part, as his struggles with the deep ball are reining in Bowers’ production in a way that wasn’t the case in 2024. Bowers is still seeing a good amount of targets, his 22% rate fourth-best among tight ends, so there’s hope he should rebound soon to remain one of the top at his position by season’s end. — Cockcroft

5. Geno Smith, QB, Las Vegas Raiders: A popular streaming option due to the matchup against the Chicago Bears — he was started in a season-excessive 21.9% of ESPN leagues — Smith flopped, scoring only 9.78 dream factors in large part due to his throwing three interceptions. He struggled particularly on deeper throws, as all three picks came on throws at least 10 yards downfield, giving him a league-leading seven now in those situations. Dream managers will be much less likely to trust him when the matchups are right. — Cockcroft

6. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles: They were remarkably quiet in Week 4, scoring 2.7 and 4.9 PPR dream factors, and each has now been held beneath factors in of four games so far this season. Just as was the case closing year, the Eagles’ jogging game is humming behind Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts, minimizing the need to rely heavily on the team’s top wide receivers. Thus far, the Eagles have run 123 offensive plays with a lead, and a whopping 61% of them have been jogging plays. — Cockcroft

7. Trey Benson, RB, Arizona Cardinals: With Benson assuming the lead role in Arizona for an injured James Conner, we expected a little bit more on the Thursday night game versus Seattle, right? Benson did manage to post 10.4 factors, thanks to bringing in five receptions, but he totaled just 19 yards within the pass game, while he carried the ball eight times for 35 yards. I’ll keep Benson in my lower-tier RB2 ranks due to the advantageous Week 5 matchup versus the Titans protection, but I’m not sold yet. — Bowen

Injury impact

Malik Nabers, WR, New York Giants

What we know: He left Sunday’s game within the 2nd quarter after his right knee buckled immediately before he jumped in an attempt to make a catch. Initial reports had the Giants fearing that he has a torn ACL.

What’s next: Nabers is scheduled for an MRI on Monday morning, which could confirm the season-ending injury. Nabers’ absence would be devastating to a Giants offense that just installed rookie Jaxson Dart at quarterback. The team’s offensive approach might now dramatically shift to make best use of Dart’s jogging ability, but he’ll also need to make do leaning more heavily upon wide receivers Wan’Dale Robinson and Darius Slayton and tight end Theo Johnson. — Cockcroft

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

What we know: Jones left the game in a 3rd quarter with a hamstring injury, and he did not return to the game. Before exiting, Jackson passed for 147 yards with a landing and interception, while including 48 yards jogging on six carries (10.68 factors).

What’s next:If Jackson is down for the Week 5 game versus the Texans, backup Cooper Rush would get the start at quarterback. If Rush is under center, it’s time to downgrade Zay Flowers, Mark Andrews and Derrick Henry against the Houston protection. — Bowen