Week 4’s FLEX board is built around a simple idea: if you’re going cheap, you’re hunting for volume, opportunity, and just enough matchup help to make the gamble worthwhile. That’s the lane here, and a few familiar names pop right off the page.
Alvin Kamara is the clearest running back play in the group at $5,000. Travis Etienne’s hamstring injury has opened the door to what looks like a Kamara/Kendre Miller split, with trace amounts of CJ Donaldson mixed in.
That’s a strange sentence to write for a matchup against a Falcons team that started Cooper Rush as recently as Week 2, but the game total has already moved from 45.5 to 48.5. That kind of environment fits Kamara better than Miller, and he lands as a low-end RB2 here.
Kyle Monangai comes next at $4,900, and the case starts with the Jets’ run defense. Through three weeks, they’ve allowed a minus-2.8 percent rushing DVOA, which is 25th-best in the league, though that may still undersell how good they’ve looked against the Titans and a Packers offensive line that has been absolutely ghastly. The Bears would probably rather lean on the ground game with a backup quarterback under center, and Monangai has posted at least 10 touches in every game this season despite a rough Week 3.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt checks in at $4,800 and gets a boost from a few things lining up at once. Rachaad White is banged up, Croskey-Merritt handled huge volume last week with 20 total touches, and the Colts have offered zero resistance to any non-Nick Caley coached offense over the first three weeks. The larger trend hasn’t been great, but this week looks like a smash spot.
Kaleb Johnson is the cheapest of the backfield options at $4,600, and the appeal is pretty straightforward: the Buccaneers are starting a rookie UDFA quarterback, and Johnson’s snap count has climbed from 0 to 16 to 24 over the first three weeks as MarShawn Lloyd has failed to get much going. The Buccaneers may be strong enough against the run that it doesn’t matter, but the rising usage and a likely Green Bay-heavy script make him interesting.
At receiver, Keenan Allen is the name that jumps out first at $4,500. He drew nine targets against the Texans last week, found the end zone, and now sits in a Shane Steichen offense against a defense that nearly let Sam Darnold throw for 400 yards last week. This isn’t a love letter to older receivers; it’s just a price that looks too good to ignore.
Mack Hollins is back in the mix at $4,000, which is not where anyone expected this to go after the Patriots added Romeo Doubs and A.J. Brown this offseason.
But here we are. The Bills have looked vulnerable on the back end, Doubs has only managed 11 targets in three weeks while building chemistry with Drake Maye, and Hollins had nine targets last week.
He’s also hit the FLEX Finder 50-yard benchmark in both of New England’s two games where they actually had to throw. With Josh Allen on the other side, points should be available.
Chris Bell comes in at $3,700 after nearly making the cut for Week 3’s Stock Up, Stock Down. He impressed against the Chiefs, and with Caleb Douglas not close to returning last week and De’Von Achane hurt, there’s a chance the offense leans more toward the pass.
The Vikings are a tough draw as 11.5-point home favorites in a game with a sub-40 total, and the last time Bobby Slowik coordinated against Minnesota, it was the start of the end of C.J. Stroud’s media-granted franchise quarterback card.
If Bell is still playable in this setup, that says either a lot about his talent or a lot about the person making the recommendation.
Kalif Raymond is one of the strangest values on the slate at $3,600. The Bears keep leaving room for the wrong names to matter, and Raymond has become a steady presence with 21 targets in three games.
He’s yet to post a bad fantasy line, and after going 6/90/1 last week, the price still feels off. There’s always bust risk - maybe Tyson Bagent starts and doesn’t favor the throws Raymond can work with - but the cost is hard to justify.
Pat Bryant rounds out the receiver group at $4,200. The appeal is talent plus role.
His snap count has risen over the last two weeks even with uneven results, and the matchup against the 49ers secondary looks playable in a game carrying a 47.5 total. It’s only three weeks, but San Francisco has allowed just 28.3 yards per game to WR1s and 59.7 to WR2s, per FTN.
At tight end, Kenyon Sadiq is the $4,000 option to watch. After seeing AD Mitchell’s hand in a near-cast at practice on Friday and him missing Wednesday, the lean is that he won’t play. The Jets also just showed enough in Week 3 to make it hard to argue for a big role change, and while there’s a mind-blowing Lions stat waiting in the background, the larger point is simple enough: the Bears defense doesn’t look all that scary.
Darren Waller is cheaper at $3,200 and may be the tight end to trust most if Carolina’s passing game remains messy. The Browns held the Panthers’ wideouts in check after Jalen Coker left with an injury, and Carolina had three different tight ends finish among its top four receivers, along with Brycen Tramane.
Coker’s status remains up in the air, and the Lions just let Sadiq explode on them in Week 3 while allowing an average of 117 yards per game to tight ends through three weeks. The split is unclear, but Waller looks like the tight end most likely to find the paint.
In Other News...
Aaron Donald Issue Has Rams Facing Early Eagles Pressure
Aaron Donalds return to the Rams has already been one of the bigger subplots of the season, but his latest injury update adds another layer before a matchup with the Eagles. The veteran defensive tackle has missed multiple practices because of a back injury, and his availability for the upcoming game is still unclear as Los Angeles continues to manage his workload after bringing him out of retirement this year.
McVay is expected to give a better sense of where Donald stands before kickoff, and that matters because the Rams have been easing him back in with limited snaps. For a defense that leans heavily on Donalds presence, even an early-season question about his status can shape how the Rams approach a physical Eagles opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Dean Connors Could Create A Real Rams Backfield Dilemma
Dean Connors is the latest undrafted rookie to get a real look from the Rams, and his arrival comes with an opportunity created by Ronnie Rivers landing on injured reserve with a calf injury. To make room, safety Tanner Ingle was waived, though there is still a chance he finds his way back to the practice squad if he clears waivers. For now, the roster move gives Los Angeles another young back to work with at a time when depth in the backfield matters.
Connors is expected to spend most of his time on special teams, with only a limited offensive role while Rivers is sidelined. Even so, these are the kinds of roster openings that can change a running back's trajectory quickly, especially for a player trying to carve out a place on a team that is always weighing immediate needs against longer-term depth. The Rams do not need him to be a featured piece right away, but they may end up learning more about what he can handle sooner than planned. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Rookie Max Klare Suddenly Sits At The Center Of A Big Decision
Max Klare has spent most of his rookie season doing the unglamorous work, contributing mainly on special teams while sitting fifth on the Rams tight end depth chart. The preseason hinted at some promise, but once the games started, his role stayed limited as Los Angeles continued its familiar approach of easing young skill players into the mix.
Injuries elsewhere at tight end could change that equation in a hurry, putting Klare in position to see a real bump in opportunities. The Rams have long preferred patience with rookies, especially at positions that require a steep learning curve, so the question now is how quickly they are willing to trust a first-year player who has shown flashes without yet making much of a regular-season impact. [Read more 🡒]