8 Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 4

Dwayne Washington, RB, Detroit Lions

With Ameer Abdullah likely done for the year, that creates a ton of opportunity in the Detroit Lions' backfield, leaving plenty of space for Dwayne Washington to carve out a role.

Washington played only 37% of the Lions' snaps in Week 3, compared to 66% for Theo Riddick, but there's a lot of room for Washington's role to grow.

Riddick is primarily a passing-down back, totaling more receptions (134) than carries (100) in his career, and the Lions were trailing on every single offensive snap they ran against the Green Bay Packers, spending most of the game down by at least two touchdowns. The game script won't always be so pass-heavy for Detroit, which should work in Washington's favor.

Washington has also been a more efficient rusher than Riddick to start the year. Washington's owns a clip of -0.01 Rushing NEP per carry to Riddick's -0.03, while Riddick had a career mark of -0.18 Rushing NEP per carry going into this season.

The Lions draw a matchup this week versus a Chicago Bears' defense that ranks 28th in Adjusted Defensive Rushing NEP per play. The Lions are road favorites, giving Washington the potential for a breakout week. You'll want to be proactive and grab him before that happens.