After the first three weeks of the season, enough time has passed for you to get a good idea of what type of production you can expect each week from the majority of your team. There’s also been plenty of time for your opponents to realize that they didn’t have a flawless draft and panic on certain players early in the season.

Here are five players you want to target in week 4:

Josh Jacobs

After an ugly three games to start the season, it may be difficult for many fantasy managers to see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to Josh Jacobs. Scoring no more than 11 PPR (Points Per Reception) fantasy points in any of his first three games, Jacobs looks most likely to be a major bust this year.

However, this is exactly what everyone thought last year before his explosive game in Week 4, which led to a significant increase in production and efficiency throughout the rest of the year.

As far as fantasy football is concerned, a player’s workload on their team is the most important aspect going into their fantasy value. When you look past the final fantasy score each game for Jacobs so far this season, it is obvious that he is the only running back on the team getting any usage, even after missing training camp and getting off to a slow start. In the next few weeks, his schedule gets much easier against the run, and he will still be receiving all of the work out of the backfield.

Due to his rough start, just like last year, Josh Jacobs’ current fantasy value is clouded by doubt and negativity, making him the perfect running back with high future upside to trade for at a discount this week.

Rhamondre Stevenson

Another player who has all the desired usage without the results so far this year is Rhamondre Stevenson.

Ranking 9th in rushing attempts with 13 targets for 10 receptions through the first three games, it is clear that Ezekiel Elliot poses no threat to Stevenson’s overall production. With 18 or more touches in each game so far this season, there is no doubt that the Patriots intend for Stevenson to be their primary running back while occasionally including Elliot in the mix.

The reason Rhamondre Stevenson is currently a great player to target is the fact that he has had a poor start to the season thus far, finishing in Week 3 with just seven PPR fantasy points. However, this has been purely due to his schedule, facing the Eagles, Dolphins, and Jets in his first three games. These defenses are all extremely successful against the run, explaining Stevenson’s poor results so far.

Looking ahead in the Patriot’s schedule, Rhamondre Stevenson’s defensive matchups get much easier, putting him at a great trade price now before he starts to excel in the coming weeks

Austin Ekeler

Chargers running back Austin Ekeler is another player who currently has low fantasy value, but in his case, it has nothing to do with poor performance or results.

Kicking off Week 1 with an electric 26 PPR fantasy point performance, Ekeler wasted no time reminding fantasy managers exactly why he was worth the early-to-mid first-round pick. His day of 16 carries for 117 yards and a rushing touchdown, as well as four receptions for 47 yards, quickly came to a halt, however, after he suffered a high ankle sprain late in the fourth quarter.

Since his injury, Ekeler has missed the last two weeks and is holding on to hopes of making it back in time to play in week 4.

Missing two straight weeks with a good possibility of missing a third has dropped Austin Ekeler’s fantasy value considerably, especially to those fantasy managers who are off to a poor start and desperately need a win.

Although trading for an injured player who has no confirmation as to when he will return is risky, it is likely the lowest value Ekeler will have all season, and risks are necessary in order to win.

While trading for a player of Austin Ekeler’s value can never be considered a “buy low” type of situation, it is definitely worth it for fantasy managers with a comfortable record in their league. Trading for Ekeler should be thought of as an investment, considering what he can do for your fantasy team in future weeks when he is back and healthy.

Calvin Ridley

Prior to the beginning of the 2023 season, everyone was wondering if the Calvin Ridley we remembered from 2020 would truly return or if he had lost his form during his time off from suspension. However, after his thrilling Week 1 performance with eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, which resulted in 24 PPR fantasy points, it was safe to say that he was back.

Following his explosive NFL return, Calvin Ridley, along with the entire Jacksonville offense, has had two substandard games in weeks 2 and 3. The back-to-back poor performances were not because of any one player in particular but rather due to the entire team as a whole.

Assuming the Jaguars start to look like they did in Week 1 once again, Ridley would have incredible potential.

To better understand the type of potential that Ridley could have for the rest of the season, it helps to compare him to other fantasy-relevant players who were in his current position just a week ago.

Ja’Marr Chase and A.J. Brown both started their seasons with discouraging games in weeks 1 and 2. They were each great trade targets in prior weeks because it was obvious that players of their caliber would soon begin to pick up the pace, which they both did in dramatic fashion the following week.

After his performance in Week 1, Ridley should definitely be considered to be in the same conversation as Chase and Brown for fantasy, with similar capability to improve his production, as long as the Jaguars return to form.

With the current look of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Calvin Ridley’s fantasy value has dropped quite a bit from where it previously was after Week 1, but his potential upside as the star receiver for Trevor Lawrence makes him a great target to trade for at a discount this week.

Cooper Kupp:

After suffering a hamstring injury during training camp, Cooper Kupp has been on injured reserve the entirety of the season so far, eyeing a return around Week 5.

Following two jaw-dropping fantasy seasons in the last two years, a player like Kupp has fantasy value that rarely ever drops at all. Even though Kupp was confirmed to miss at least the first four weeks of the season, his draft stock only dropped to early-to-mid round two in the majority of fantasy drafts because even the most novice fantasy football manager knows who he is and what he is capable of.

Despite this, two main aspects make Cooper Kupp a great trade target this week before he comes back.

The first is Puka Nacua. The rookie was drafted in the 5th round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Rams. So far this season, he has proved himself to be one of the biggest steals of the draft, filling in as Los Angeles’ star receiver in the absence of Cooper Kupp. Nacua has had large shoes to fill, and so far, he has not disappointed.

Many fantasy managers who have been patiently waiting with Kupp in the IR slot on their bench are concerned that Nacua is going to impact Kupp’s workload and fantasy value heavily. This should not be much of an issue, however, since Nacua has been playing 70% of his snaps on the outside, while Kupp was used in the slot on almost half of all his snaps last year. Even though this should be nothing to worry about, it will cause others to doubt Kupp’s future workload, making him cheaper to trade for.

The other aspect that could drop Kupp’s fantasy price is dependent on the manager that has him. Since any manager who owns Kupp had to use a high capital pick to draft him, it is extremely likely that they are off to a stutter-step start while waiting for Kupp’s return. If this is the case, they will be desperate to start winning now and will give up Kupp for a reasonable discount.

This makes Week 4 the perfect time to trade for Kupp at a good price, and probably your last chance before he comes off IR and dominates defenses like usual.