The Fantasy Fallout Going Into Week 4 of the NFL Season

 

We’re 3 games through the season, and things are as nebulous as ever with a litany of injuries piling up. Let us help you make sense of the chaos in this week’s fallout…

 

Panthers – 24 @ Texans – 9 

 

• RB Christian McCaffrey went down with a pretty routine hamstring injury Thursday night and is likely to miss at least a couple games. Chuba Hubbard and Royce Freeman filled in for CMC, with Hubbard getting the bulk of the work. Hubbard will be one of the hottest pickups in fantasy this week as the Panthers face the Cowboys. Freeman can be added in deeper formats as well. 

 

• QB Sam Darnold has looked solid for fantasy over his first 3 games, winning them all. That said, his competition has been the likes of the Jets, Saints and Texans so we have to take this all with a grain of salt. He’ll have to keep up with the Cowboys this week, so he could be in for another big day, but he could be in for a lot of errors too. 

 

• WR Robby Anderson just isn’t seeing enough targets to start in fantasy(3, 6, and 2 targets over the first 3 weeks). Darnold is doing fine working almost exclusively with CMC and DJ Moore. Perhaps Anderson will get more looks with CMC out a few games, but he’s looking more bust than boom with Darnold under center. Terrace Marshall is getting ok looks, but he’s still just someone to have on your radar for now. 

 

• QB Davis Mills could barely move the Texans offense against the Panthers, and things probably won’t get much better against the Bills this week. Brandin Cooks is the only Texans skill player I would bother with this week. I thought HOU might lean more on the run game with QB Tyrod Taylor out, but there were only 15 carries in total on Thursday. No Texans RB is a safe play right now. 

 

Bengals – 24 @ Steelers – 10

 

• With Tee Higgins out with a shoulder injury, it was all Joe Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd against the Steelers. Higgins should return this week, so it should be business as usual for CIN. 

 

• WR Diontae Johnson‘s absence left targets on the table in Week 3, and they all seemingly went to RB Najee Harris, who had 14 looks on the day. WR James Washington only had 5 targets, so any real thought of him seeing enough action to have some relevance was dashed on the rocks, though he did tie for 3rd most looks with TE Pat Freiermuth who scored. The Steelers offense just didn’t look good.  

 

• JuJu Smith-Schuster is day-to-day with bruised ribs, and seems unlikely to play this week. If he can’t go, Freiermuth makes for a solid streamer, as he should get some more targets underneath.

 

Bears – 6 @ Browns – 26

 

• The Bears offense was anemic on Sunday, netting only 47 yards of total offense with rookie QB Justin Fields making his first start. A lot of people are putting the blame on HC Matt Nagy, who seemingly left his young QB out to dry by not changing the game plan from what it would have been if Andy Dalton under center in order to prove a point. Some are even calling for Nagy to be fired. In any case, the Bears offense is a mess, though a soft matchup with the Lions this week could heal some wounds. Fields should be on rosters, but you can’t play him yet. 

 

• WR Odell Beckham led the Browns in targets(9) and yards(77) on Sunday with Jarvis Landry sidelined, playing 52 of 81 snaps on the day. He’s more than safe to start this week against the Vikings as an upside play. 

 

• TE Austin Hooper found the end-zone on Sunday, but it was 1 of only 2 catches on a 3 target day. He’s not getting enough looks to be a real streaming consideration right now. 

 

Falcons – 17 @ Giants – 14

 

• WR/RB Cordarrelle Patterson led the Falcons in touches(13) and yards (102) in their first win of the season. His role is real, and he needs to be owned in more than 66% of leagues. 

 

• WR Olamide Zaccheaus‘ snaps and targets have increased in every game this season, with him getting 6 targets, 32 yards and a TD on Sunday. He’ll continue to see a decent target share as long as Russell Gage is sidelined.

 

• TE Lee Smith caught a TD on Sunday, in addition to 3 of his 3 targets. With the Falcons offense floundering, any TE targets not going to Kyle Pitts are problematic for his fantasy chances. 

 

• WRs Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton left the game early with injuries, but it wasn’t Kenny Golladay who picked up the slack so much as it was 2nd year pro Collin Johnson(7 tgt, 5 rec, 51 yards), who was cut by the Jaguars earlier this year. If neither Shepard nor Slayton can go this week, Johnson makes for an interesting play against a Saints team that has been uneven this season. 

 

• TE Evan Engram returned to action with a whimper Sunday(2 rec, 21 yards). The good news is that he garnered 6 targets, for 2nd most on the team, and he seems healthy. His role should continue to grow moving forward. 

 

Ravens – 17 @ Lions – 14

 

• The Ravens backfield was a full blown RBBC on Sunday, with no RB logging more than 7 touches with none of them scoring. Ty’Son Williams looks like the 3rd down back, for PPR consideration, but Latavius Murray does look like the goal line back so he maintains a bit more value right now. I’m avoiding them both this week against the Broncos. 

 

• TE Mark Andrews finally got fed this week, but WR Sammy Watkins maintained fantasy relevance, catching 4 of his 7 targets for 68 yards. He posted a better line than Marquise Brown, but Brown left 3 potential TDs on the table Sunday and is still the no.1 in Baltimore. 

 

• The Lions offense was pitiful outside of the running game and WR Khalif Raymond, who was targeted 10 times on Sunday for 6 catches and 68 yards. Maybe Jared Goff saw something he liked in the coverage. In any case, Only the RBs and TJ Hockenson are startable on a weekly basis right now for the Lions. 

 

Washington – 21 @ Bills – 43

 

• The WFT has looked anything but exciting with Taylor Heinicke under center, but Heinicke has managed to score 24 fantasy points in back to back games. He makes for a decent streamer against the Falcons this week. 

 

• RB Zack Moss got more carries(13) and receptions(3) than Devin Singletary(11 car, 1 rec) and out-gained him 91 yards to 26 yards against Washington. Buffalo ran away with the game after the half, so I’m sure that played into the game script, but what’s for sure is that Moss is at worst the 1B in this offense and needs to be owned in all formats. 

 

• WR Emmanuel Sanders had his best game of the season so far on Sunday, catching 5 balls for 94 yards and 2 TDs. It came on a day when Cole Beasley led the team with 13 targets and 11 catches for 98 yards. Both Sanders and Beasley will have their days, but Diggs is still top dog in Buffalo. Sanders does need to be owned in more than 26% of leagues though. He could go off this week against the Texans. 

 

• TE Dawson Knox scored in his 2nd straight game on Sunday, catching 5 balls for 49 yards in the process. He’s worth streaming this week against Houston in a lackluster TE market. 

 

Cardinals – 31 @ Jacksonville – 19

 

• With so many capable pass-catchers in the WR corps and a goal line back in RB James Conner, RB Chase Edmonds‘ ceiling is pretty low in Arizona. Both players remain flex plays, but a breakout season for Edmonds seems unlikely with Conner in the picture. 

 

• WR DeAndre Hopkins was playing through a rib injury Sunday and it showed. He didn’t seem to suffer any setbacks though, so he should be good to go against the Rams this week. 

 

• Both AJ Green and Christian Kirk have either scored or gone over 100 yards in 2 of 3 games this season. Kirk needs to be owned in more than half of leagues, and as much as I’ve wanted to write him off, Green needs to be owned in more than the 15% of leagues he’s owned in. Kyler Murray is putting up enough yards to support both of them in fantasy. 

 

• WR Laviska Shenault was 5th on the team in targets(4) on Sunday, and he’s disappointed on the whole so far this season. I just don’t think Trevor Lawrence can support a “utility” player like Shenault right now. It’s abhorrent, but Shenault is expendable outside of dynasty formats and deep PPR leagues.

 

Saints – 28 @ Patriots – 13

 

• The Saints leaned heavily on Alvin Kamara in this one, giving him the ball 27 times for 18 yards and a TD. WR Marquez Callaway did have his best game of the season yet, catching 4 balls for 41 yards and a score. He makes for a low floor, high upside flex against the Giants this week. 

 

• RB James White went out with a hip subluxation Sunday, leaving more targets for not another RB but for WR Kendrick Bourne, who caught 6 of 8 targets for 96 yards and a TD. Bourne could cure what ails in the short passing game for the Pats this week against the Buccaneers. 

 

• Both TE Hunter Henry and TE Jonnu Smith had 6 targets on Sunday, but Henry caught 4 more balls and had 32 more yards. Henry ran 39 pass routes to just 15 for Smith on Sunday, and Henry looks like more of the go-to in negative game scripts, which the Pats are likely to have many times this season by the look of things. 

 

Jets – 0 @ Broncos – 26

 

• The Jets could get little going against a stifling Broncos defense, but RB Michael Carter did lead the Jets backfield with 11 touches for 29 yards. Carter is the only Jets RB worth flexing, but even he’s not a decent play right now with the offense floundering like it has been. 

 

• WR Elijah Moore suffered a concussion on Sunday, knocking him out of the game. He stands a good chance of returning before this week’s matchup with the Titans, but I’m avoiding most Jets players until I see them put together a decent game.

 

• WR Tim Patrick led all Broncos players in yards(5) and receptions(98) on Sunday, in a game where KJ Hamler was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Patrick already needed to be on rosters, but he’s a must own player at this point as far as I’m concerned. 

 

Chargers – 30 @ Chiefs – 24

 

• The Chargers offense is running through Austin Ekeler, Keenan Allen and Mike Williams almost exclusively. They’re the only Chargers, along with Justin Herbert, you can bother with currently. 

 

• WR Byron Pringle had 6 targets on Sunday, behind only Travis Kelce(11) and Tyreek Hill(7). He didn’t do much with them(12 yards), but he’s getting looks after his 63 yard, 1 TD Week 2. Mecole Hardman scored on Sunday, but he’s not getting enough action to consider him as anything more than a low floor flex play. As in years past, it’s Hill, Kelce and a RB that you can depend on for fantasy in KC. 

 

Indianapolis – 16 @ Titans – 25

 

• Ty Hilton is still a ways off, so it will continue to be the Michael Pittman, Zach Pascal and Nyheim Hines show behind Jonathan Taylor. Pascal’s targets have increased every game, and though his celing isn’t high, he makes for a decent PPR flex. 

 

• AJ Brown is out with a hamstring injury, making Julio Jones the top WR in the meantime. Chester Rogers should get a long look as well, especially against the Jets this week. 

 

• WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine actually led the Titans receiving corps on Sunday, catching all 4 of his targets for 53 yards and a TD. He’s worth an add in deeper formats while we wait and see what’s up with AJ. 

 

Dolphins – 28 @ Raiders – 31

 

• RB Malcolm Brown carried the ball 7 times and scored on Sunday, but Myles Gaskin still out-touched him by 9 touches. Brown is a stash only. 

 

• WR Will Fuller led his team in air yards, despite only gaining 20 on the day. This passing offense is useless outside of PPR formats with Jacoby Brissett under center though. Jaylen Waddle got 13 targets on the day, and seems to be a favorite of Brissett. He’s a strong PPR flex this week. 

 

• TE Mike Gesicki was targeted 12 times for 86 yards on Sunday, in his best game of the season. We’ve been waiting for it, but it came while he was probably on your bench. Congratulations. 

 

• RB Peyton Barber looked like a real NFL RB on Sunday, running circles around Kenyan Drake for 142 yards and a TD. It’s unknown whether Josh Jacobs will miss this week, but Barber needs to be added in all formats just in case. 

 

• WR Henry Ruggs put his 2nd strong showing in a row together on Sunday, racking up 78 yards on 7 targets, but then so did Hunter Renfrow(77 yards, 1 TD) and Bryan Edwards(89 yards). Ruggs carries the most upside, and so he’s the only one I’m comfortable with in a matchup with the Charger’s formidable secondary this week. 

 

Buccaneers – 24 @ Rams – 34

 

• RB Gio Bernard came out of nowhere to lead the Bucs in receptions(9) for 51 yards and a TD in a come from behind effort. Unfortunately for him, the Bucs don’t project to be behind that often. He can be added but not started anywhere yet. 

 

• WR Tyler Johnson caught 3 balls for 63 yards on Sunday with Antonio Brown out with Covid. Brown should be back shortly, so I wouldn’t chase Johnson’s numbers. 

 

• RB Sony Michel touched the ball 23 times for 79 yards on Sunday in Darrell Henderson‘s stead. Henderson was a gametime decision, so I wouldn’t bank on Michel getting that kind of action against Arizona just yet. 

 

• All hands were on deck versus the Bucs for the Rams, and DeSean Jackson delivered for 120 yards and a score. The Rams have underutilized Jackson thus far, but maybe this performance will get him some looks. He is a low floor, sky-high upside play against Arizona this week. 

 

Seahawks – 17 @ Vikings – 30

 

• TE Gerald Everett saw a season high 5 targets for 5 catches and 54 yards in a loss. He’s still not a streamer yet. Not enough looks. 

 

• RB Alexander Mattison put together a 171 yard monster in Dalvin Cook‘s stead, but Mattison is owned in more leagues than some starters. That said, he’s still available in 30% of leagues. Get him if he’s out there, even if Cook returns. 

 

• Kirk Cousins favored TE Tyler Conklin over WR KJ Osborn in this one, targeting Conklin 8 times for 70 yards and a TD. Osborn should be owned in many leagues, but he’s a risky flex based on his up and down usage. 

 

Packers – 30 @ 49ers – 28

 

• WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling had 59 yards and a TD against the 49ers on Sunday night. He only had 4 targets on the night, but he’s second on the team overall(16 targets). He’s worth a look in plus matchups. 

 

• RB Trey Sermon led the rushing attack for SF, but only touched the ball 12 times for 34 yards and a TD. Kyle Juszczyk actually out-gained Sermon on the night with 51 yards and a TD, most of it coming through the air. If Mitchell doesn’t return this week, Juszczyk makes for an intriguing flex play against Seattle.