At a quick glance, I saw thirteen quarterbacks that I liked this week. Maybe I was being a little soft, but a good amount of these games have the potential to be high scoring. Thursday night’s matchup of the Redskins and the Giants will likely be a offensive showcase, Big Ben is facing Tampa Bay'(one of the league’s worst defenses), and I don’t think the Saints have what it takes to keep Romo in check.

None of these guys are in my top five, but they’re all viable starting options this week. Once again, the five quarterbacks that I think will have the best games are all players who were likely picked early in your fantasy draft this year.

Fun fact: Without realizing it, every week I’ve picked the quarterback facing the Jaguars. I had no intentions of that being a trend this year in my picks, but I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

The Eagles are 3-0 and Nick Foles has played great so far, but this week they’re traveling across the country to play the 49ers who are hungry for their first win in their new Levi’s Stadium. Basically, I think San Francisco is too good of a team to continue blowing games in the second half, and conversely, the Eagles can’t expect to come from behind every week. Also, suspensions and injuries have decimated Philly’s offensive line — another reason I’m staying away from Foles.

I stayed away from Matthew Stafford this week just to play safe. If he gets time in the pocket, you know he’s going to hit Megatron for a couple big ones. I just know Rex Ryan has a plan — we’re talking about the defensive side of the ball here, the only thing Rex really pays attention to — and his plans have worked pretty well this season. The Jets are quietly one of the better defenses in the league, yet again (look at their yards per rush/pass). Still though, Muhammed Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson help mask a questionable secondary. Dee Milliner is a solid starting cornerback, but when you take into account his “tight” hamstring and the fact that he is going to be matched up with Calvin Johnson if he plays, its tough not to imagine something like this happening again:

All of this being said, I like Stafford this week but these five quarterbacks have the edge on him:

5. Aaron Rodgers – I haven’t given Rodgers much love so far this season, but can you blame me? The three games he has played so far have been against great defenses — the Seahawks, the Jets, and the Lions (no, I had no clue that Detroit’s D would be this good). He’s still arguably the best quarterback in the NFL, but nobody can do it alone. He’s urging Packers fans to “R-E-L-A-X” and I’m trusting him. That GIF right above is also a testament to how nasty Jordy Nelson is. With the season ending injury to Charles Tillman, the Bears are going to choose either Kyle Fuller or Tim Jennings to cover Nelson, and Jennings will more than likely be the nickel back. To me, it seems like Jordy Nelson has a pretty favorable matchup — Fuller did have two interceptions last week, but let’s be real, that was against Geno Smith’s offense.

4. Phillip Rivers – Rivers is the lucky quarterback who gets to pass all over the Jaguars defense this week. After picking my top three, Rivers was the clear cut choice at four, and potentially the safest start of the week. This is a home game for the Chargers, and a cross country flight for Jacksonville. Unless the dumpster fire that is the Jaguars defense miraculously gets it together, Rivers will likely seize this opportunity for a big fantasy week. The injuries to Woodhead and Mathews could change the dynamic of Mike McCoy’s offense a bit, but Donald Brown should do alright.

3. Matt Ryan – the Falcons go on the road this week to face the Vikings, and that means the game is going to be played against a team in flux. This could be a home game away from home at TCF Stadium for Ryan’s high-flying offense if they strike early and take the air out of the building . Devin Hester has emerged as a legitimate threat, and he’s the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart. This game is Teddy Bridgewater’s first career start, and he has Matt Asiata behind him instead of Adrian Peterson. This screams three and out. If this turns ugly, Atlanta could end up running the ball more and controlling the clock, but I don’t expect that to happen. Last Thursday’s 56-14 beating of the Buccaneers really showed how dominant Ryan and Co. can be when running the hurry-up offense. He keeps his MVP-caliber season on track and spoils Bridgewaters debut in Minnesota.

2. Drew Brees – It hasn’t happened yet this season, but you know it’s going to — and probably soon. I’m talking about Brees having one of those games. You know, one of the kind of games where he torches a defense for 300 something yards and three or four touchdowns. Games like the ones he had against Carolina in December last year, or the season finale against the Bucs where he threw for 381 and 4 TDs. Every season he does it, and this one is no different. He’s still the 8th best fantasy quarterback of 2014, and he’s had a relatively tame year so far by his standards. I strongly believe that this week’s matchup against the Cowboy’s defense will provide us with that signature Drew Brees performance we’ve been waiting for. Despite some game-changing turnovers (and game-ending in Morris Claiborne’s case), Dallas failed to put any pressure on Austin Davis, who sat comfortably in the pocket and ripped them for 327 yards and three touchdown. Drew Brees > Austin Davis. Case Closed.

1. Jay Cutler

Yes, I’m this high on Cutler. He’s probably playing the best football of his career, and Monday night’s game at the New York Jets was just business as usual. As opposed to other years, where a pass rush would often lead to a bad decision and an interception, Cutler is keeping plays alive, taking the hits, getting the ball safely to someone on the sidelines, and most importantly: he’s not throwing interceptions like old Jay. Cutler is another guy who has only faced strong defenses thus far: the Bills, and primetime road games against the Jets and the 49ers. He’s done well for himself this year regardless of his matchups, but I have to say that Cutler is playing consistently well in tight games. The Packers are probably the worst defense the Bears have faced this season, and we already know Aaron Rodgers is out to prove something. This could end up being a game where Cutler outplays Rodgers and changes his legacy a bit.

Check out our other positional fantasy previews for week 4:

In the Backfield

Over the Middle

Down the Seam

Rock Solid

Sports-Kings Down & Distance Contributor Jim Bearor