Top daily fantasy football quarterback plays for Week 4

Welcome to Week 4 of the Daily Fantasy season. Pricing has stabilized as trends have emerged but there are still bargains to be found and even some higher-priced options that will go under-owned and can make a difference in your lineups. This article looks at some of the projected lesser-owned plays at quarterback who could provide huge boosts to your tournament lineups, as well as some trap plays to avoid.

Cam Newton $9,300 (Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons)

We usually don’t recommend the highest-priced player at his position as a “value play,” but Newton offers an interesting option this week in terms of ownership. With Drew Brees and Philip Rivers sitting $700-800 below Newton on FanDuel, and with a shootout expected at Qualcomm Stadium, not many players are going to spend up to get Newton. That is going to be a mistake. For one, the assumed shootout might not materialize -– see Saints-Giants in Week 2. As noted below, Brees isn’t nearly as prolific on the road, which could sap the game of its high-scoring potential. Newton and the Panthers, on the other hand, will be looking to make a statement against a susceptible Falcons defense. Grab Newton’s big number at low ownership and play contrarian with one of the top QBs in the game.

Kirk Cousins $7,600 (Washington vs. Cleveland Browns)

The Browns are a mess, but not enough of a mess to not be competitive. They should have won last week in Miami and probably should have beaten the Ravens the week before. Cousins has turned in two pretty decent outings in a row against defenses much better than Cleveland’s. If the Browns can find a way to keep this one competitive yet again, Cousins is going to be throwing more than handing off — and like Newton, he does not project to be highly owned, despite his depressed price.

Carson Palmer $8,000 (Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams)

What is going on with the Cardinals? Their season has gotten off to a rocky start, including a bludgeoning at the hands of the reeling Bills last weekend. Recency bias is going to drive people off Palmer in droves, but these are the Rams we’re talking about. They just got torched by Jameis Winston last week. This feels like the ultimate get-well week for the Cardinals, and no one should benefit more than Palmer.

Joe Flacco $7,700 (Baltimore Ravens vs. Oakland Raiders)

He is not flashy. He does not have an All-Pro stable of receiving options. His team is probably best known for its defense. But, man, Joe Flacco is a tremendous option this week. The Raiders own arguably the weakest pass rush in the league, totaling exactly three sacks through three games. The Ravens throw the ball more than any team and they keep Flacco upright as well as any team. Flacco might throw 40 times against the Raiders and his receivers have solid matchups against a lackluster secondary. His price is reasonable and his ownership should be low. But he is among the safest plays this weekend, with 300-yard, 3-TD upside.

Trevor Siemian $7,400 (Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

The Bucs are great at stopping the run. But they’re not so great against the pass. Siemian is growing into the role of quarterback before our eyes and looked quite impressive last week against a much better defense in Cincinnati. Assuming the run game fails them this week, expect the Broncos to put this game in Siemian’s hands, and expect the rookie to rise to the occasion.

Drew Brees $8,600 (New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers)

I won’t be the first to make this analogy, but Drew Brees is the Coors Field of NFL quarterbacks. Inside the friendly confines of the Superdome, Brees is Superman. On the road, he is Clark Kent. Last season, for example, his TD-interception ratio was almost 5-1 (23-5) in home games and his passer rating was 112.5. On the road, his rating was under 90 and his TD-INT ratio was 3-2 (9-6).

Brees is on the road this week. In his one other road game, he threw for 263 yards and one touchdown. In his two home games, he averaged 400 yards and 3 TDs. Like two weeks ago in New York, he is billed as being half of a shootout. His ownership will be way up. Stay away.

Derek Carr $8,000 (Raiders at Ravens)

The Raiders are a West Coast team playing on the East Coast at 1 p.m. ET. It’s as brutal a scenario as a team can face, and the results bear that out. At 8K, and facing a defense that’s been pretty solid vs. the pass this season, this is a good week to look elsewhere.