Fantasy Football Week 4 Studs, Duds, and Sleepers: Terry McLaurin is legit WR1 vs. Cardinals with Jayden Daniels’ ascendance

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Another wild, chaotic week in the NFL defined by underdog superiority, another dollar.

In Week 4’s studs and duds column, I’m fully buying functions of the Washington Commander offense and endorsing easily its greatest asset moving forward. I’m also intrigued by the idea of a certain tight end based in the Midwest getting a soft defensive matchup in the middle of the field. With that said, I don’t love how the Miami Dolphins’ fledgling offense is dragging down all of its talismans, but we can’t ignore reality forever.

Let’s dive in and give you the best possible start and sit advice this week.

Studs

WR Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders (at Arizona Cardinals)

With this growing Commanders’ offense, you must strike while the iron is hot. Arizona has a middling pass defense, which should give Jayden Daniels a ton of time to feed McLaurin against a secondary with no real No. 1 corner. The only genuine threat to preventing McLaurin from blowing the game open is Budda Baker helping over the top, and I’m not too concerned about that.

QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Washington Commanders)

On the flip side of this equation, the Commanders’ defense is hot garbage from top to bottom. It legitimately provides no resistance to any above-average quarterback. If the Cardinals had a better record, a resurgent Murray would be in the way-too-early MVP discussion. You do the math.

TE Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (at Indianapolis Colts)

Justin Fields has been playing mistake-free football, but that’s been at the expense of an explosive Pittsburgh passing attack. Against an atrocious and incompetent Colts defense, look for Fields to lean Freiermuth as his safety valve in the middle of the field. We’re overdue for a 2024 breakout from the veteran.

WR Khalil Shakir, Buffalo Bills (at Baltimore Ravens, Sunday Night Football)

The Bills’ rag-tag group of receivers has no true alpha. This has been to the benefit of a generous Josh Allen, who has been the best player in pro football through three weeks. But when Allen needs a security blanket, the crafty and experienced Shakir feels like his safest option. This duo should hook up aplenty downfield in a big early-season AFC conference game.

Duds

WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (vs. Tennessee Titans, Monday Night Football)

I recognize this might be a mistake because Hill is a player liable to score any time he touches the ball. I just don’t have enough faith in the current Dolphins quarterbacks to be capable of getting the ball in his hands — in scoring position or otherwise. The Titans are a mess (mainly thanks to Will Levis), but even they probably can’t screw up messing with a broken Miami offense.

QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

I already had little faith in Hurts as a passer. Now he has to face down a Todd Bowles on the road without A.J. Brown and, potentially, without DeVonta Smith as both heal from respective injuries. You know, his best pass-catchers. The deck is stacked against the Eagles quarterback this week, and it’s really hard to see overcoming this challenge.

TE Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions (vs. Seattle Seahawks, Monday Night Football)

A year after a rookie debut season with 86 catches on 120 targets, LaPorta is on pace for … 46 receptions on 57 targets. He has not been a focal point of Ben Johnson’s Lions’ offense to this stage, to say the least. Usually, I’d predict a progression to the mean here because the Lions are such a smart offensive team, and getting LaPorta involved is a no-brainer. But Mike Macdonald’s Seahawks have been shutting everyone down, meaning Detroit will have to lean on its bread and butter to win. That means another week with another meager LaPorta performance.

QB Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers (vs. Minnesota Vikings)

Brian Flores’ complex, confusing Minnesota defense has picked off quarterbacks five times and generated 16 sacks en route to the 10th-best third-down unit in the league. Matt LaFleur is a dynamite quarterback whisperer, but even he can only take someone like Willis so far in an evenly-matched battle of wits with Flores.

Sleepers

TE Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears (vs. Los Angeles Rams)

Fortunately, for Caleb Williams’ sake, the Bears rediscovered that Kmet could still control the middle of the field as a pass-catcher last Sunday. I expect these two to continue building their chemistry against a Rams defense that has struggled against bigger weapons all year so far. Anything short of another 10 or so targets for Kmet — who is likely also the Bears’ best option in the red zone — would be surprising. And L.A. linebackers will not hold up in response.

QB Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. Cleveland Browns)

When Antonio Pierce said Raiders’ leadership would respond to failure with its own “business decisions,” he didn’t mean benching Minshew. And why would he? Cleveland looks like a cupcake matchup on paper that should allow the veteran to be viable enough in fantasy. Especially when he’s throwing to Davante Adams and Brock Bowers.

WR Darnell Mooney, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

Until the Falcons realize they have better, more talented options, I’ll continue recommending Mooney, who has Kirk Cousins’ trust and then some. The speedster has seldom let down the Atlanta quarterback, turning himself into a main feature of the Falcons’ offense instead of a sidequest.

TE Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons (vs. New Orleans Saints)

Unlike Mooney, Cousins’ and Pitts’ relationship hasn’t firmly established itself yet. But each week, you see more and more glimpses of this dynamic coming together. What better place to fully unleash Pitts than against the hated Saints in a critical NFC South matchup? Call it a good hunch.