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Like NFL teams getting out to early wins, fantasy football owners can get out to major advantages by beginning to prep for a weekend's games days ahead of schedule.
The early bird gets the worm is a cliche for a reason. Said saying applies to fantasy football each week when owners able to multitask the waiver wire and the matchups for the next week often wind up as winners.
Owners able to do so last week were perhaps able to unearth a sleeper in Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who exploited an injured Chicago Bears defense for 22 points. Others might have used Jamison Crowder's expanding role in Washington to get his 13 points against a shaky New York Giants secondary.
For those looking for a head start this week, let's compare matchups at each position before highlighting players to know.
Quarterback
Matchup to Know: Matthew Stafford, DET (at CHI)
Despite losing Calvin Johnson over the offseason, Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford looks like a guy who could lead all scorers at his position by the end of the season.
Stafford already has 25 or more points in two of three outings this year and seven total touchdowns thanks to a spread-it-around attack with targets such as Golden Tate and Marvin Jones.
Believe it or not, Stafford might do more damage than any other week thus far in Week 4 thanks to an encounter with the aforementioned Bears. The injured unit that coughed up those 22 points to the rookie Prescott had given up 18 points apiece in two prior games.
A total of 18 is the absolute floor for Stafford, with the ceiling as the top scorer by a wide margin.
Sleeper to Exploit: Trevor Siemian, DEN (at TB)
Rolling with Denver Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian isn't the most reassuring thing in the world for owners.
Those who did, though, got 28 points last week as he shredded the Cincinnati Bengals, making him the top-scoring quarterback before Monday's game. Cincinnati isn't what it used to be defensively, but it makes for a notable situation.
Now pair this with Siemian's matchup next week. His Broncos visit a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that has already allowed seven touchdown passes, including two last week to Los Angeles quarterback Case Keenum.
Siemian shouldn't have any problems getting the ball to Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders against the porous unit.
Running Back
Matchup to Know: Melvin Gordon, SD (vs. NO)
San Diego Chargers running back Melvin Gordon is a touchdown machine.
Through three games, Gordon already has four scores, going for 17 points twice and last week's 13-point outing. They're not the most ridiculous numbers in the world per se, but it is clear Gordon will erupt in a great matchup.
He has one in Week 4 when the New Orleans Saints pay the Chargers a visit. The miserable unit allowed 43 points to running backs over the first two weeks of the season.
With names such as Danny Woodhead and Keenan Allen lost, Gordon will once again be the focal point of the attack and have a major day.
Sleeper to Exploit: Orleans Darkwa, NYG (at MIN)
It is Orleans Darkwa time for the New York Giants.
And for fantasy owners, too.
The Giants announced Monday that Shane Vereen would miss the remainder of the season with an injury, while hobbled starter Rashad Jennings remains a question mark.
This leaves Darkwa, which isn't such a bad thing—he totaled 11 points against Washington over the weekend while Vereen managed 12. With the latter out of the way, the former figures to see an uptick in production.
A dance with the Minnesota Vikings isn't the best matchup in the world, but even if Jennings returns, Darkwa's dual-threat ways hint at solid production.
Wide Receiver
Matchup to Know: T.Y. Hilton, IND (at JAC)
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton had his breakout game last weekend, blasting the Chargers to the tune of 23 points by way of eight catches for 174 yards and a score.
Considering Hilton had only totaled 11 points over two games prior to the outburst, it is more than understandable if his owners hesitate to pull the trigger.
Keep the hesitation at bay, though, because Hilton next gets to ride the momentum into an encounter with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jacksonville allowed five total touchdowns and 26 and 35 points to opposing wideouts over two games.
ESPN.com's Mike Wells helped document Hilton's new attitude:
Owners shouldn't have any issue trotting out Hilton given the performance and an epic matchup.
Sleeper to Exploit: Terrelle Pryor, CLE (at WAS)
Terrelle Pryor is an odd fantasy workhorse.
Over the weekend, the Cleveland Browns wideout threw for 35 yards, ran for 21 and a score and caught eight passes for 144 yards against the Miami Dolphins, good for 23 points.
Owned in just 27.8 percent of leagues, the former quarterback easily falls into the sleeper category as he heads toward a matchup with the Washington Redskins.
Washington allowed 57 total points to wideouts over the first two games of the season before the top three New York Giants wideouts scored 32 on it last week. The secondary can't handle dynamic athletes, of which Pryor certainly classifies.
With a by-any-means-necessary approach, expect Pryor to have another big day.
Tight End
Matchup to Know: Greg Olsen, CAR (at ATL)
It has been an up-and-down campaign for Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen thus far, an 18-point outing sandwiched between two outings of no more than seven points.
Alas, Olsen shouldn't have any problems getting back to double digits in Week 4 thanks to one of the best overall matchups. He gets to go against a struggling Atlanta Falcons defense that allowed outings of 18 and 13 points to tight ends to start the season, with three total touchdowns allowed in the span.
Olsen has seen plenty of volume this year, having recorded at least five catches in every game. His low point, five, saw him record 122 yards and a score for the 18 points.
In other words, Olsen against defenses weak against the position is sheer money.
Sleeper to Exploit: Zach Miller, CHI (vs. DET)
Chicago Bears tight end Zach Miller got dropped in more than 10 percent of leagues going into Week 3, likely due to an injury to quarterback Jay Cutler and his four total points over two games.
Of course, Miller turned around and led all scorers at the spot going into Monday thanks to 19 points via eight grabs for 78 yards and two touchdowns.
Miller had a strong rapport with backup QB Brian Hoyer, and even if Cutler returns, it has to be clear to the coaching staff he needs to have a much bigger role. Just in time, too, because the Bears get to pick on a Lions team that allowed 42 total points and four scores to tight ends over just two games to start the year.
All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats.
Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.
Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com
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