Fantasy Football Takeaways from Week 4 Games So Far: Rookie Running Backs Deliver, George Pickens and More

Week 4 of the NFL regular season has delivered some surprising game results, and there's been some standout fantasy performances too.

Let's break down what we've seen so far before we get into the final two games of the week.

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Jeanty Gets Rolling

It's been an underwhelming start to the season for Las Vegas rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. After being taken early in the 2025 NFL Draft, most fantasy owners were expecting him to be a star right away.

In the first three weeks, Jeanty combined for just 144 yards and a score on 47 attempts. He had just three receiving yards on five catches and six targets in that span as well.

He finally broke through on Sunday, rushing for 138 yards and a score on 21 attempts in the team's loss to the Bears. Jeanty had two catches for 17 yards across his two targets, but both grabs resulted in scores as well.

It all added up to one of the top fantasy scores of the week (so far). Sure, it was against a Bears' defense that has been not so great to start the season, but any good performance was needed for Jeanty's fantasy value to not drop off more than it already had. 

If you were looking to part ways with Jeanty, now is a time to possibly sell high. He's very unlikely to have fantasy outings this good going forward.

This showing also gave fantasy owners a glimpse of what he's capable of. He could be a league-winning fantasy asset, and maybe this was the game that gets him rolling. For those who want to keep rostering him moving forward, don't be expecting these types of performances every week, but you shouldn't have any problems starting him in all matchups and every week the rest of the season.

Pickens Stellar in Lamb's Absence

The Packers, Cowboys game on Sunday night ended in a 40-40 tie, so there were plenty of fantasy stars to go around (more on that later). The player I want to highlight from the game is George Pickens.

With CeeDee Lamb missing the game, it was Pickens that starred for Dallas. He led the Cowboys with 11 targets - he made a team-high eight grabs for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

It wasn't a surprise to see Pickens step up with Lamb out, but in a tougher matchup, and with how tight end Jake Ferguson has been playing of late, it was a bit surprising to see Pickens deliver in this fashion.

Pickens has the chance to keep this type of play up until Lamb is back on the field. He was started in about 85% of leagues this week, and that should rise to nearly 100% if Lamb misses the team's next game.

If you have Pickens, you can go one of two ways. First, you could look to sell him high. Or, you could enjoy his success over the next couple weeks, especially if you are lacking at wide receiver.

Picken's fantasy value is going to drop whenever Lamb is back on the field. He still will be a weekly flex option, but these big-time performances will occur less often, and his consistency overall will be spotty.

For those of you lacking at wide receiver in the early going, Pickens is one to take advantage of in this fantastic situation. Don't expect these types of performances every week with Lamb out, but he's for sure a starting option in all league types, and is someone who could help you out for the time being.

Gainwell Shines with Warren Out

Jaylen Warren was a surprise inactive for the Steelers, so Kenneth Gainwell stepped into the lead back role for the team's win over the Vikings.

Gainwell rushed for 99 yards and two scores on 19 attempts. He added 35 receiving yards on six catches and targets.

It was a stellar performance for those of you up early enough to grab Gainwell after Warren was ruled out. Unfortunately, Gainwell is likely headed back to a secondary role when Warren is back, but he'll be a good streaming option if the lead back were to miss any more games.

The bigger fantasy takeaway from Gainwell's performance is that Kaleb Johnson is nowhere near fantasy relevance in redraft formats. Even functioning as the No. 2 back on Sunday, Johnson had just 22 rushing yards on six carries, and failed to bring in his lone target.

Johnson should definitely be dropped in all standard redraft formats. I'd also drop him in most deeper redraft leagues too. He's still worth stashing in really, really deep redraft leagues, just in case his role expands, or injuries plague the backfield, later in the season.

Johnson is still a good dynasty/keeper asset, but his value is dropping a bit every week. Don't bail on him yet, but if you were expecting him to contribute this season, now is probably the time to look for additional help.

More Packers, Cowboys Standouts

There were standout fantasy performances all over the Dallas, Green Bay high-scoring affair.

Jordan Love threw for 337 yards, three touchdowns and no picks on 31-of-43 passing. He added 28 rushing yards on three carries, but also lost a fumble. The Dallas defense continues to be one to stream/start fantasy quarterbacks against, and Love continues to look like a solid/good weekly starting option (when he's not facing really tough defenses).

Dak Prescott was 31-of-40 passing for 319 yards, three scores and no picks. He also rushed for a two-yard touchdown on his lone attempt. It was an eye-popping fantasy showing against what's been a stellar Packers' defense to this point. Green Bay's defense took a massive hit in the fantasy world after this showing, and Prescott got a big boost up moving forward.

Packers' running back Josh Jacobs rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns on 22 attempts, while adding 71 receiving yards on four catches and targets. It's been a struggle on the ground for Jacobs in the first month, and even though he didn't really shine on the ground on Sunday, he was able to build a little momentum. If you bought him low in the early going, you should be thrilled about Jacobs moving forward.

Dallas back Javonte Williams had 100 total yards on 23 touches. He rushed for 85 yards and a score on 20 carries and added 15 receiving yards on three catches and targets. Williams continued to be a strong fantasy back in the early going, and delivered this time against a good defense. His fantasy value rose some more after this showing, and he's looking like a quality weekly starting option moving forward.

Packers' wideout Romeo Doubs finished with just 58 yards and six catches and eight targets, but scored three times to deliver a monster fantasy score. He's up to four touchdowns, but just 179 receiving yards on 13 catches and 19 targets through four games. Doubs looks like the Packers' best fantasy wideout option until the returns of Jayden Reed and Christian Watson.

More Rookie Backs Shine

Woody Marks, Omarion Hampton and Quinshon Judkins all scored over 20 PPR fantasy points in week 4.

Marks led the Texans on the ground, rushing for 69 yards and a score on 17 carries. He caught four of his five targets for an additional 50 yards and a score.

Houston rolled to a lopsided win over Tennessee, and Marks may have established himself as the team's lead back in the process. He played 56% of the team's snaps, while Nick Chubb was at just 42%.

Marks' usage has increased with each passing week, and his own and start percentages will now rise going into the team's next game. Some are going to want to see another good showing before being all-in with the rookie, but Marks is definitely a name to keep tabs on moving forward.

The Chargers suffered a surprising loss to the Giants in week 4, but Hampton turned in a nice fantasy outing.

A late 54-yard rushing score helped him finish with 128 yards on 12 total carries. He added 37 receiving yards on five catches and targets.

With his success on the ground, even before the big run, I'm surprised the Chargers threw it 41 times overall. The week after Najee Harris was lost for the season, Hampton was the only one to get carries. 

The backfield belongs to Hampton, who played 89% of the offensive snaps. Lock him into your starting lineup every week, and expect average-or-better fantasy results every time out.

Judkins has a firm grasp on the lead role in Cleveland. He rushed for 82 yards and a score on 21 carries, while adding 33 receiving yards on four catches and targets.

He played 58% of the offensive snaps, but only lost two carries and three touches overall to other backs. Judkins is the clear leader in the Cleveland backfield, and despite the team's offensive shortcomings, he'll still be a good weekly fantasy starting option.