Week 4 Fantasy Picks: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em for Chargers vs Texans

Two teams looking to bounce back from tough losses meet head-to-head in Week 4 as the Houston Texans host the Los Angeles Chargers. FanDuel Sportsbook's NFL odds list the Chargers as 5.5-point road favorites in a game that could get out of hand after halftime.

If you need some help with your fantasy lineups, here's our start 'em, sit 'em advice for this Week 4 AFC showdown.

Austin Ekeler Fantasy

Start Austin Ekeler, RB, Los Angeles Chargers: It's been a weird start to the season for running back Austin Ekeler. He has only rushed for 80 yards on 32 carries (2.5-yard average) across three games, but still ranks as the No. 13 RB in PPR-scoring fantasy football leagues. That is because he has hauled in 21 of his 22 targets in the passing attack for 139 yards. Ekeler has a shot to take over the game on the ground Sunday as the Texans have allowed the most rushing yards in the NFL (607). That is 136 yards more than any other team in the league. LA is in desperate need of a win here, so look for Ekeler to get the ball early and often to control the clock.

Dameon Pierce Fantasy

Start Dameon Pierce, RB, Houston Texans: It only took three weeks for running back Dameon Pierce to have the kind of outing fantasy managers were expecting him to have coming into the year. The rookie out of Florida rushed for 80 yards and 1 touchdown on 20 carries against the Chicago Bears. He also added 21 yards on 2 receptions and now draws an advantageous matchup in Week 4. The Chargers are giving up the seventh-most PPR fantasy points and allowing 5.3 yards per carry to opposing RBs. If Houston can keep this game close early on, Pierce will surely see double-digit touches for the fourth straight game to start his career.

Joshua Palmer Fantasy

Sit Joshua Palmar, WR, Los Angeles Chargers: The absence of veteran Keenan Allen has allowed Joshua Palmer to step in as a viable fantasy option over the last two weeks. He scored a touchdown in Week 2 and logged 99 yards on 6 receptions in Week 3. Allen is reportedly progressing toward a return on Sunday, though, which would leave Palmer as quarterback Justin Herbert's third or fourth option in the passing attack. Keep in mind he Texans' have been sneakily good in pass defense, too. Houston is allowing the 10th-fewest PPR fantasy points to opposing WRs. Keep Palmer stashed on your bench for now.

Brandin Cooks Fantasy

Sit Brandin Cooks, WR, Houston Texans: Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was featured as a start recommendation almost every week last year. That was because of the volume of targets he saw in an otherwise underwhelming Texans offense. That same target share has returned in 2022, but Cooks' efficiency has not. The 29-year-old has only hauled in 13 of his 29 targets, which lines up as a career-low 44.8% catch percentage. As quarterback Davis Mills works to improve on his accuracy, expect Cooks to continue his subpar fantasy production. He is a risky FLEX play at best this week and someone worth considering benching for a streaming option with higher upside.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.