4 NFL FanDuel Studs to Target in Week 4

Spending your available salary in any DFS lineup on a stud can make or break your lineup. These high-salaried players will take up the majority of your budget, so it’s critical to carefully consider which ones you’ll want for each slate. Whether it’s trying to capture a safe floor in a cash game or chasing a huge game to help you win a tournament, nailing the expensive players is one of the keys to making winning NFL lineups on FanDuel.

It's already Week 4 in the NFL, and this slate definitely has some good stars that we can get excited about playing.

Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

FanDuel Salary: $8,600
Projected Points: 24.0

There have been many doubters of Jalen Hurts since he entered the NFL. Even after last season, when he led the Eagles to the playoffs, people still had questions over whether or not he could get the job done with his arm. Now, it doesn't seem to be in question anymore.

Hurts has been fantastic in both fantasy and as a real-life quarterback. Our Passing Net Expected Points (NEP) per drop back metric ranks him third among all signal-callers. He has three legitimate weapons to throw to, with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert all capable of having big games in this offense.

We know that Hurts brings a dual threat, as he has been producing with his legs since he became the starting quarterback. He has three touchdowns and 167 yards rushing this season. This production through the air and on the ground has him as the QB3 so far.

Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars this week. The Jags' defense has been impressive so far this season, but in the last two games, they have taken advantage of two offenses that have had lots of injuries. Now they'll have to go up against an Eagles offense that is really clicking and also has an elite offensive line.

Philly is a 6.5-point favorite in this game and has an implied team total of 27.0 points. Hurts and his rushing ability provide a safe floor, but he also possess the upside to be the top quarterback on any slate. He is projected for 24.0 points, the second-most of any player on this slate.

Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel Salary: $8,700
Projected Points: 19.8

Season-long fantasy managers who used a high first-round pick on Jonathan Taylor may be disappointed by his output early in the season. He is just the RB10 by half-PPR scoring and really has had only one game that would satisfy expectations. There are reasons for optimism, though, and they could start to become clear this week.

We all remember Taylor exploding down the stretch last season and putting in some fantastic performances. What some might not remember is that he averaged just 9.4 half-PPR points in the first three weeks of the 2021 season. This had him behind the likes of Chris Carson, Ty'Son Williams and Zack Moss. Taylor obviously turned things around last year and should do the same this season.

The Indianapolis Colts will play at home a divisional matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. The Titans have not been good against the run this season, ranking 30th in efficiency against running-back carries. They are also 29th in adjusted fantasy points per carry allowed to backs.

Indianapolis has a pass-to-run ratio of 1.65 to this point in the season. Last season, that number was 1.11. They'll likely want to get back closer to the number they had last year if they want to have more offensive success than they've had in the first three games. This obviously would mean a lot more work for Taylor.

Coming off two straight weeks with his production being down, Taylor might not be as popular as he should be given this matchup. His projection is tied for the highest at running back this week, and his ceiling is as high as anyone's at the position.

Stefon Diggs, WR, Buffalo Bills

FanDuel Salary: $8,700
Projected Points: 16.6

It's hard to be the top player at your position through three weeks if you have one down game, but Stefon Diggs has managed to do that. That's because his first two games were so good that he could afford the dip in scoring in Week 3. We should see him continue his early-season form this week.

Diggs was electric in the opening two games of the season, hauling in 20 balls for 270 yards and four touchdowns. Last week, he still saw 11 targets but didn't get in the end zone. The matchup this week is perfect for Diggs to continue to see a lot of target volume.

The Buffalo Bills are playing against the Baltimore Ravens in what could be a back-and-forth game. Buffalo has the highest pass rate over expectation (PROE) in the NFL, and Baltimore is sixth in PROE allowed on defense. The Ravens have also allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers this year.

Diggs has seen a 26.8% target share this season, slightly higher than his clip from last season. You'll want a piece of this high-powered Buffalo offense in most weeks, and this week is no different. The Bills have the highest implied total (27.25) on the main slate, and those points could come via Diggs touchdowns. Diggs is our highest projected wide receiver, and he is worth rostering in all formats.

Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens

FanDuel Salary: $8,400
Projected Points: 13.3

Many thought it would be tough for Mark Andrews to replicate his 2021 season. Rightfully so, as he was the top overall tight end last campaign. Well, he's averaging more fantasy points per game this season, and his underlying numbers are even better, as well.

Andrews is coming off a two-touchdown performance after having one score in Week 2. He saw more than 40% of the team's targets in back-to-back weeks, and his overall target share is up from 26% last year to 36.5% in 2022. Combine that with an average depth of target that has gone up from 10.1 to 12.1, and you have a recipe for fantasy success.

Baltimore will likely need to throw to keep up with the Bills in this game. That's something they have been comfortable doing this year, with a 7.2% PROE. Buffalo's defense has been good but is now suffering from injuries. Safety Micah Hyde is on injured reserve, while the team's other safety, Jordan Poyer, also missed last week's game and was limited in practice on Wednesday. The team also has injuries at cornerback and on the defensive line, but the safety injuries are perhaps the most impactful for Andrews.

Andrews' salary is a bit high for a tight end in cash games, but he makes for a great tournament play. You can play Diggs and Andrews with one of the quarterbacks from either team to make a game stack that has lots of upside. Tight end is a position where people tend to want to save salary, so going all the way up to Andrews is a good way to uniquely construct your lineups this week.

Nicholas Vazquez is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Nicholas Vazquez also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username hbyanksman. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.