Fantasy Football Week 4 Who Should I Start? Joe Burrow, Tyler Shough, Matthew Stafford, and Kyler Murray

Joe Burrow was drafted as a weekly fantasy starter in most leagues, but his performance so far hasn't been up to that standard. While it has only been three weeks, Burrow hasn't finished higher than QB10 in any week and was only in the top 12 once.

With so many quarterbacks who can score fantasy points on any given week, that brings real questions as to whether owners should consider sitting their top quarterback for a player with a positive outlook. As a result, Burrow is showing up often on our FantasySP start/sit tool.

Let's look at Burrow and three quarterbacks who he has been compared to often on the start/sit tool. Most stats are from NFL.com, and fantasy points and rankings are from FantasyPros.

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Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Burrow has been fine, averaging just under 250 passing yards and two touchdowns per game with one total interception. His fantasy value takes a hit compared to a lot of other guys because he doesn't run the ball much (32 total yards on the ground), so he needs to excel through the air to rank among the top fantasy players.

Jacksonville has allowed the fourth-most yards per pass attempt but the third-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks. Disparities like that usually come from a lack of volume, and sure enough, the Jags are tied for the fourth-fewest pass attempts against heading into Sunday. They have also kept teams out of the end zone in the passing game, allowing just two touchdowns through the air (tied for the fewest in the league).

The Jaguars have been vulnerable on a per-pass basis but haven't let teams into the end zone when throwing. That could easily change this week with guys like Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins running routes, but there is at least some reason to consider putting other guys in your lineup rather than Burrow.

Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins

Murray was hurt early in Week 1 and missed Week 2, so we really only have one game to go off in his Minnesota career. Last week wasn't great, as Murray threw for 168 yards on just 5.8 per attempt with one touchdown, one interception, and 17 rushing yards. The Vikings are 3-0 because they have a good team (and have had some good luck), but Murray's short time hasn't made him look like a high-level fantasy player (including the short time in Week 1).

Miami has given up the second-most yards per pass attempt and the eighth-most fantasy points per game to QBs. It's not a surprise to see the Dolphins at 0-3 given their preseason expectations, and that has included struggling against the pass, with seven passing touchdowns and one quarterback rush TD allowed in three games. This team is vulnerable.

Verdict: Start Joe Burrow over Kyler Murray. I like Murray's matchup, but he didn't show us much in his first game-plus, and this could be a game in which the Vikings control things and spend more time running. Burrow's ceiling gives him the edge here.

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons

Shough had intrigue coming into the season because he finished last year strong, and he has continued that success, ranking as QB3 through three weeks. His efficiency has just been OK, but Shough has been throwing a ton (44 attempts per game), helping him rack up 917 passing yards. Shough also does good work with his legs, adding 67 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

This is his toughest matchup of the season, though, as the Falcons have given up the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt. They are just a little worse than average with fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks, but Atlanta has faced the second-most pass attempts of any team, letting volume add up. I'm skeptical of testing the Falcons, though they're not quite on the must-avoid list.

Verdict: Start Joe Burrow over Tyler Shough. There's an argument to be made for Shough, as the Saints have let him air it out all over the field, and he has responded by putting up numbers (plus he will run), but the matchup here isn't great, and his average efficiency might limit his upside if he doesn't throw as much.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles

Stafford and Burrow are very similar fantasy players in that they aren't going to add much with their legs but can rack up passing yards with two very talented receivers. After and MVP performance in 2025, Stafford has again put up some big numbers, struggling in Week 1 but combining for 717 yards and six touchdowns (and three interceptions) over the past two games. Puka Nacua was out for both games, but he is back this week, keeping the ceiling high.

The Eagles have given up the 11th-fewest yards per pass attempt but the seventh-most fantasy points per week to QBs, not always looking like the top-line defense that they have had in recent seasons. A big part of the reason for that fantasy ranking is that quarterbacks have scored three rushing touchdowns, including Cam Ward twice in Week 2. That is as much about luck and randomness as anything else, as QBs only have 44 total rushing yards against Philadelphia, so I wouldn't expect that to continue.

Verdict: Start Joe Burrow over Matthew Stafford. This one is very close; like I said, these two are close to the same fantasy player as far as how they rack up fantasy points. I'm going with the better matchup, as the Eagles have been a better defense than the Jaguars aside from the QB rushing touchdowns, which are more random.