Week 4 of Preseason is finally here which means two things: The NFL season is only a week away and you are not likely to see many of your fantasy picks playing in these final games.

These matchups are going to be filled with players fighting to earn the last few spots before the teams make their final cuts to a 53-man roster. With that said, there are still potential nuggets to take away from the games and a couple intriguing battles ensuing.

Let’s take a quick look at four of the notable matchups this Thursday night.

Detroit (2-1) vs. Buffalo (2-1)

Who will be starting for the Bills week one, EJ Manual or Jeff Tuel?  Possibly newly acquired Matt Leinart? That seems to be up in the air, but one thing is certain we will likely see a bit of Tuel and Leinart this tonight, as they take on the Lions.

I would not put any weight into drafting either of the potential week 1 starters for the Bills if Manual cannot go. However, it is certainly a great underdog story if Tuel can mount any type of successful campaign as an undrafted rookie quarterback. 

Detroit will be looking for some extra spark on the offensive side of the ball. If Ryan Broyles can provide that explosiveness as the slot receiver in this high power offense, then the Lions could be a real contender. Look for Broyles to have a strong night Thursday.

I like the Bills in this matchup and predict they win by a final score of 27-20.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3) vs. Atlanta Falcons (0-3)

It is not really a surprise that one of these teams is having a winless preseason, but the other is in unfamiliar grounds. Can you guess which one? Coming into 2013 the Atlanta Falcons were poised to be Super Bowl contenders with the acquisition of running back, Steven Jackson.  They will look to turn their momentum around as they head into the start of the season.

Jacksonville, although without a win, have actually looked better than they did most of the 2012 campaign. Coming out throwing, Blaine Gabbert has looked confident and Maurice Jones-Drew appears to have gotten his step back. Look for Cecil Shorts to see some extended playing time Thursday and hopefully clear off any remaining dust.

I predict the Falcons will get their first win in an uneventful game 17-13.

Arizona Cardinals (2-1) vs. Denver Broncos (2-1)

This should prove to be one of the best matchups of the evening. Arizona rookie safety Tyrann Mathieu has looked to be one of the steals in this year’s draft.  Although not on the roster bubble, he is looking to become a starter and will be one player to keep an eye on Thursday night.

It will also be interesting to see whom Denver plays at running back. There is a big debate in fantasy circles as to whether Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball, or possibly Knowshon Moreno will be the highest scoring back in Denver this year. With all the issues up to this point in the preseason it would be no surprise to see any three of these backs used sufficiently Thursday night. Pay attention to who plays early and who plays often. I predict Ball will be used initially and ultimately earn the starting job while Hillman/Moreno handle the bulk of work as they battle for third-down duties.

Denver should win handedly 30- 17.

Oakland Raiders (1-2) vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-0)

The last game of the night also provides an intriguing look at some potential breakout players in 2013. The Raiders are arguably the worst team in the league and present little fantasy value across the board. Outside of Darren McFadden and Denarius Moore there has been no action in fantasy drafts for Oakland.

Now enters Terrelle Pryor. After another horrendous outing by Matt Flynn in the last preseason game against Chicago, it looks like there is suddenly a quarterback competition for the Raiders. Pryor will get the start Thursday and if he can mount a strong game against a stingy Seahawks secondary he may become a tasty late round flyer especially in duel quarterback leagues.

The Seahawks are likely to lead the league in rushes in 2013 and have one of the top fantasy running backs in Marshawn Lynch. What if the unspeakable were to happen to Lynch though?

Standing behind Lynch is either second-year pro Robert Turbin and rookie Christine Michael, who have both looked outstanding in the preseason. Look for both of these backups to see their fair share of runs and don’t be surprised if the explosive Michael overtakes Turbin on the depth chart after Thursday’s game.

This should be a surprisingly entertaining game and I actually predict the Raiders to win 24-21.