Sneaky Starts: Week 4

Sep 28, 2012
Sneaky Starts: Week 4

As injuries pile up, all but the luckiest fantasy owners will at some point need to find the proverbial diamond in the rough: a waiver wire or bench player who is capable of putting up some points in a pinch. This weekly feature is dedicated to that part of fantasy football. It's not pretty, but it's part of the game.

Week 3's Sneaky Starts included Andre Brown, Mikel Leshoure, Ramses Barden, Lance Moore, Andrew Hawkins, Damaris Johnson, Martellus Bennett and Dennis Pitta.
Now that we have three weeks of data, we're able to use Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed (aFPA) by position. For more detail, click here.
Note: these recommendations do not trump our weekly rankings, which are updated throughout the week and weekend.
Vikings QB Christian Ponder (@ DET)
Ponder fared very well in a tough matchup against the 49ers, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another TD. The Lions are 27th in the league in aFPA allowed to QBs, so this could be a shootout. Plus, Ponder gets Jerome Simpson back from suspension, which should provide a boost to the passing game.
Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb (vs. MIA)
Kolb is playing pretty well (362 yards, three TDs, zero INTs in the last two weeks) and the Dolphins are looser against the pass than they are against the run.
Titans QB Jake Locker (@ HOU)
Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns in a crazy game against the Lions on Sunday. His matchup this week isn't great, but the Texans shutdown corner Johnathan Joseph is questionable with a groin injury and the Titans will have to throw when they inevitably fall behind in the game.
Cardinals RB Ryan Williams (vs. MIA)
Williams becomes the clear workhorse back in Arizona with Beanie Wells hitting IR for the next six weeks. The Dolphins have a pretty good rush defense, but they are middle of the pack in RB aFPA this year.
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