After entering Week 3 with a largely clean bill of health, with Jonathan Greenard finally returning from injury and Zach Ertz elevated from the practice squad to replace Dallas Goedert in the short term, the Philadelphia Eagles are banged up as they prepare to welcome the Los Angeles Rams to town.
DeVonta Smith? Out with a hamstring injury. Zack Baun? Hollywood Brown? Marcus Epps? Fred Johnson? All are ruled out as well, joining Goedert on the bench for the 1 PM EST kickoff.
Now, understandably, this particular collection of players will be tough to replace, as three of them are key starters with extensive experience. Smith is the Eagles' WR1, who has shown he can take over for AJ Brown with ease at all three levels, and both Baun and Epps are starters for Fangio's defense. Fortunately, the Eagles aren't the only team dealing with injuries, and as a result, they have a chance to attack the Los Angeles Rams' weak spots across the board.
With Aaron Donald headlining an injury report that also features tight end Terrance Ferguson and cornerback Jaylen Watson, the Rams' defensive line will be without two All-Pro defensive linemen in Week 4, and as a result, the Eagles will need to pound the ground relentlessly, which should produce quality fantasy production for three players in particular.
Saquon Barkley is a must-start in Week 4
When Saquon Barkley has more than four carries in a game in 2026, he's been a very effective player. Sure, his overall stats look a little underwhelming after an early exit against the Tennessee Titans dropped his per-game averages, but against the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears, Barkley recorded 15 carries each and averaged 82.5 yards per game, 83 in the season opener and 82 on Monday Night Football.
Fielding one of the better defenses in the NFL, allowing the third-fewest overall yards, the fourth-fewest passing yards, and the 11th-fewest rushing yards, Chris Shula's unit is surprisingly good in 2026 after being more middle-of-the-road in 2025, which isn't great news for a Sean Mannion unit that hasn't put together a full game of quality play just yet. But with Donald and Myles Garrett both out, the Rams' defensive line will feature more reserve play than in weeks prior, which should open things up for Barkley to shine if the right plays get called.
Over his career in Midnight Green, Barkley has averaged 168.7 yards on 23.3 carries and 1.3 touchdowns per game against the Rams, according to Statmuse. While Barkley has yet to record 20 carries in a game so far this season, Week 4 presents a golden opportunity for LA's boogeyman to provide another nightmarish effort on the ground, setting his team and fantasy managers up for a big afternoon.
Dontayvion Wicks is the Eagles' only proven Week 4 pass catcher
Through Week 2, one could argue Dontayvion Wicks was the Eagles' most consistent receiver. Catching seven of the 10 balls thrown his way for 147 yards and a touchdown, Wicks provided the 50-50 ball ability the Eagles lost by trading Brown and looked downright happy to be receiving so many targets after being part of a deep platoon in Green Bay.
Article Continues BelowIn Week 3, Wicks wasn't quite as effective, catching two of the balls thrown his way for 32 yards, but the Eagles didn't exactly have much of anything go their way in Week 3, so that's not too concerning.
But with Smith and Goedert out, who are the Eagles going to throw the ball to if it isn't Wicks? Makai Lemon, who Emmanuel Acho noted doesn't seem to have the trust of Jalen Hurts just yet? Darius Cooper? His Week 2 touchdown certainly generated feel-good headlines, but he only has three targets on the season and none outside of Nashville. Zach Ertz is back and caught one of the two balls thrown his way in Week 3, but is he really going to turn in a vintage No. 86 performance the likes of which fans haven't seen in South Philly in half a decade?
For better or worse, Wicks is going to be the top target Hurts looks for in Week 4, even if the Rams will almost certainly expect that and plan accordingly with extra eyes on his side of the field. Will the Eagles be able to ride his strong play to a Week 4 win? Or will the Rams instead take him away, forcing Lemon, Cooper, and Ertz to beat them instead? If the Eagles' run game gets going, there will be deep shots for Wicks to capitalize on down the field, which could make him a sleeping flex option on a deep team, or a WR2 on a more pass-game-challenged squad.
Jalen Hurts could run wild against the Rams
Down his two favorite targets against a very good passing defense, Hurts might not be the first quarterback fantasy managers think about starting in Week 4, but if the options are light, he could still be an effective play, as his legs have the potential to produce results regardless of the defense Shula calls.
In 2026, the Rams really haven't faced off against a quality running quarterback, with Brock Purdy largely doing his damage from the pocket, Jaxson Dart being knocked out of action early on Monday Night Football, and Bo Nix opting to only run the ball four times in Week 3.
Over his four starts against the Rams, Hurts has averaged 44.2 rushing yards per game, including two contests where he went for over 70 on the ground. While Hurts has yet to run for more than 47 yards in a game so far this year, and has just 41 yards over the last two games, Week 1 proved that when defenses give him room to operate, he can still make plays with his legs at key moments of the game.
If the Rams leave the middle of the field open like, well, most teams do against the Eagles, Hurts will have a chance to make them pay with his legs, especially if his offensive line can keep him clean as he goes through his progressions. That run game upside, when paired with the potential to pick up 220 or so yards through the air, could result in another quality fantasy start for Hurts.