Fantasy Football: Week 4 2021 NFL Rankings Risers and Fallers

Rookie wide receivers could rise? Ravens wide receiver could fall? Check out all the players that could see their ranking move.

Author:
Mike Wallace
Publish date:
Oct 2, 2021 9:57 AM EDT

The 2021 season is already flying by. Here are some players who could potentially see their stock in dynasty leagues rise or fall over the next few weeks.

Could Rise: Derek Carr, Quarterback Las Vegas Raiders

2021 is off to a great start for Carr after being mostly an afterthought when discussing quarterbacks in dynasty leagues. The volume has been there, and things are working for the Raiders so far. Through three games, Carr has not passed for less than 382 yards yet. This includes playing against respectable defenses. In a short period, Carr has established himself as a viable fantasy option, especially for superflex leagues. Carr lacks the upside to add significant value as a runner will, which will cap his ceiling, but if he keeps this up, his value will rise, and people will remember early in his career when his name was in the conversation for league MVP.

Could Fall: Jonathan Taylor, Running Back Indianapolis Colts

Season to date, Taylor’s fantasy value is being to look touchdown-dependent, and he has yet to find the endzone in 2021. That will change, but the volume, inefficiency, and lack of big plays are concerning. Week 1 Taylor was involved in the passing game, and if that kept up, he would have kept a much higher floor. Taylor is highly by most dynasty players, but if this continues and other players continue to produce, Taylor could find himself dropping slightly. His talent will still keep him a valuable asset, but some of the shine might fade.

Could Rise: Jaylen Waddle, Wide Receiver Miami Dolphins

The numbers overall have not been huge, but Waddle leads the team in targets, receptions, yards and has the only receiving touchdown to date. Waddle has been on the field for 77.25% of offensive snaps. A young player that is heavily involved in the offense is a good indicator for fantasy value moving forward. The Dolphins’ offense has not been exciting to watch, but they will not keep such a low passing touchdown rate the whole season. Will Fuller will be worked more into this offense, but Waddle is the young player they will focus on in the passing game as they build this attack.

Could Fall: Marquise Brown, Wide Receiver Baltimore Ravens

Brown started the season on some positive notes, but Week 3 was marred by a few bad drops. That is not the reason to worry about his value, but Brown will get more competition for targets in what is already a lower volume passing offense. Rookie 1st round NFL Draft pick Rashod Bateman and Miles Boykin will be returning from the IR. Boykin has not shown to be fantasy relevant thus far in his career, but if he siphons even a few targets his way, it makes things even tighter in this passing game. Bateman is the bigger factor, though, once he is on the field, he could have a bigger impact on the rest of the players’ fantasy value. Brown could also be hurt by Mark Andrews getting more involved as a focal point of the offense coming off his best game in Week 3.

Could Rise: Terrace Marshall, Wide Receive Carolin Panthers

Marshall looks to have a chance to establish himself as the number 2 wide receiver in Carolina ahead of Robby Anderson. DJ Moore is the clear-cut top wide receiver, but Marshall has seen more targets in the passing game than Anderson, and in Week 3, their snap counts were close, with Anderson at 64.4% and Marshall at 61.6%. What could help Marshall cement his role is the injury to McCaffery, the Panthers will still throw to their running backs, but they are not going to demand the same target volume of McCaffery. Marshall’s yards per reception are lower than Anderson’s. He will play closer to the line of scrimmage, which will benefit as the Panthers look to replace these shorter passes in their offense.

Could Fall: George Kittle, Tight End San Francisco

Kittle is another very talented player, and this is not to say he has been bad even, but there are other players at the position emerging. In dynasty, Kittle is always mentioned as the player to challenge Kelce as the number one overall player at his position. With the season underway, the possibility of him passing by players like Waller and Hockenson in the dynasty rankings is a real possibility.