Fantasy Football Week 4 Stock Watch Fallers: Time to Panic on D'Andre Swift, Courtland Sutton & David Montgomery?
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Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Week 4 Fallers
While breakout performances create immediate excitement on the waiver wire, disappointing performances and concerning trend lines can quietly sabotage your fantasy season. Knowing when to hold strong and when to cut your losses (or at least banish a player to your bench) is the key to the fantasy championship we're all working toward.
After taking a look at Week 4 Risers, let's take a look at five key players whose stock tumbled after Sunday’s Week 4 action, along with our verdict on how fantasy managers should handle them moving forward.
RB D'Andre Swift, Chicago Bears
In a bit of a change from the first three weeks, Swift was completely outshone by Kyle Monangai during Chicago’s 23-12 victory over the Jets. After Swift put the ball on the turf for a third-quarter fumble, Monangai took total control of the backfield, logging 30 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns while Swift sat.
Ben Johnson on if D’Andre Swift was Benched due to Injury:
— Bears on Real (@BearsOnReal) October 4, 2026
“No, nothing like that.”
Fumble was costly. pic.twitter.com/0VpD94cnxa
Did Swift just lose his starting job? It’s unclear. Bears head coach Ben Johnson noted after the game that Swift was not technically benched for the fumble, but rather dealt with a minor knee issue during the second half. Still, Monangai’s dominant 31-to-17 touch share in a run-heavy scheme is impossible to ignore. Until we see how the touches shake out next week, starting Swift carries massive risk.
Panic Level: Medium (Bench for now and hope this is a one-week thing)
RB David Montgomery, Houston Texans
Montgomery turned in another clunker performance in Houston’s 34-30 loss to Dallas, managing just 24 rushing yards on 10 carries without securing a target. Meanwhile, second-year back Woody Marks took advantage of his opportunities, flashing explosiveness on the ground and continuing to carve out a growing presence in the backfield.
This is now a pattern rather than an anomaly. Behind a struggling Houston offensive line, Montgomery lacks the initial quickness to generate yards before contact, and Marks’ efficiency is making it increasingly difficult for the coaching staff to justify giving Montgomery clear volume priority. While you shouldn't outright drop him in standard formats, Montgomery can no longer be trusted in your starting lineup until Houston's run game finds structure.
Panic Level: Medium trending to High (Hold, but bench for now)
WR Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos
Sutton’s nightmarish start to the season reached a new low in Denver’s 24-14 loss to San Francisco. Targeted six times, he managed just one reception for 4 yards as the Broncos' passing game sputtered across all four quarters.
Through four weeks, Sutton has totaled just nine catches as Denver's offense remains stuck in the mud. The target depth is inconsistent, the separation metrics are concerning, and the overall passing volume simply isn't there to sustain him. If an offense can't produce fantasy relevance for its nominal top perimeter threat, holding onto him becomes a drain on bench spots. Sutton is borderline droppable in standard leagues and completely fine to cut in 12-team or shallow-bench formats.
Panic Level: High (Safe to drop in shallow leagues)
WR Parker Washington, Jacksonville Jaguars
Fresh off a consensus ranking as a top 10-15 wide receiver entering the week, Washington cratered with just 1 catch for 7 yards on 3 targets (adding 3 rushing yards) in Jacksonville’s win over Cincinnati. Washington benefited from early-season hyper-efficiency and game script, inflating his weekly rankings into high-end WR1 territory this past week.
When Trevor Lawrence spreads the ball around or leans heavily on his tight ends (as Brenton Strange dominated target share on Sunday) Washington's target floor evaporates. He isn't the top-15 fixture he was ranked as this week, but rather a solid WR20-30 option best viewed as a Flex play in good matchups.
Panic Level: None (But lower expectations to WR2 range)
TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills
Kincaid posted a muted stat line in Buffalo's 29-26 loss to New England, catching just 2 passes for 9 yards on two targets. But don't overreact to a single quiet box score. New England's defensive game plan explicitly centered around neutralizing Buffalo's over-the-middle intermediate passing game and forcing Josh Allen to throw outside the numbers.
Mike Vrabel says taking Dalton Kincaid out of the game "was one of the keys" for the Patriots today
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) October 4, 2026
Kincaid finished the game with 2 targets, 1 catch, 7 yards
Tight end remains an extremely thin position across the fantasy landscape, and Kincaid’s overall route participation and goal-line involvement keep his season-long ceiling intact. Chalk this up to a tough divisional matchup.
Panic Level: None (He's a set-and-forget TE1)
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Once a top-ranked fantasy gamer on ESPN, Nick Raducanu has been playing fantasy sports for over 25 years. His written fantasy coverage includes stops at Rotoworld, Rotowire, and The New York Times.