Sneaky Starts: Week 4

Sep 26, 2014

All but the luckiest fantasy owners at some point need to find the proverbial diamond in the rough -- a waiver wire or bench player who is capable of putting up some points in a pinch. This weekly feature is dedicated to that part of fantasy football. It's not pretty, but it's part of the game.

How did our Sneaky Starts do last week? There are always a few duds, but Kirk Cousins (QB2), Geno Smith (QB16), Knile Davis (RB3), Ahmad Bradshaw (RB12), Lamar Miller (RB13), Pierre Thomas (RB19), Jeremy Hill (RB23), Chris Ivory (RB24), Donald Brown (RB26), Alfred Blue (RB27), Trent Richardson (RB28), Matt Asiata (RB33), Khiry Robinson (RB36), Jeremy Kerley (WR14), Brian Quick (WR16), Steve L Smith (WR26), Malcom Floyd (WR28), Travis Kelce (TE8), Jared Cook (TE13) and Niles Paul (TE15) all posted starter- or flex-type numbers.

Let’s take a look at the Sneaky Starts for Week 4:

Quarterbacks

Alex Smith, Chiefs (vs. NE)
With three touchdowns last week against the Dolphins, Smith is back in the top 15 at his position after finishing #15 in 2013. The Patriots haven’t been a great matchup for passers thus far, but they’ve faced Ryan Tannehill, Matt Cassel and Derek Carr so far, and Smith is probably a step up. If the Patriots jump out to a lead, Smith is capable of racking up fantasy points through the air and with his legs.

Teddy Bridgewater, Vikings (vs. ATL)
Bridgewater takes over for the injured Matt Cassel. The Vikings are shorthanded without Adrian Peterson and Kyle Rudolph, but he’ll have Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson at his disposal, so he should be able to put up some points against the Falcons’ shaky secondary.

Blake Bortles, Jaguars (@ SD)
Bortles looked great in the preseason and posted 253 total yards (30 rushing) and two TDs (along with two picks) in a half of garbage time play against the Colts in Week 3.

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins (vs. OAK in London)
Tannehill has had a strange week thanks to his head coach, but maybe a trip to London and a matchup against the Raiders is just what the doctor ordered.