Rams QB Matthew Stafford completed 27 of 40 passes for 319 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT in Week 4’s OT victory vs. the Colts. He’s yet to crack the 20-point mark in 2023, though Stafford has played well enough to continue to be on the 2QB/superflex radar. Next week, he’ll take on a struggling Eagles defense.
Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. only caught 1 pass on 5 targets for 15 yards in Week 4 vs. the Rams. As disappointing of an outcome as that is, only one Indianapolis pass-catcher (TE Drew Ogletree) recorded more than 2 catches in this contest. The Colts were shut out in the first half and had to claw their way back to even force OT. Next week’s game vs. the Titans should produce much better results for Pittman Jr. and company.
Colts RB Zack Moss led the backfield touches by a wide margin with 18 attempts for 70 rushing yards in Week 4 vs. the Rams. Teammate Trey Sermon played some, logging 3 carries for 7 yards, but was otherwise an afterthought. Moss has been a fun story for fantasy, but Week 5 marks the point in time when Jonathan Taylor is eligible to return from IR. There haven’t seemed to be any positive developments regarding Taylor’s request for a long-term deal or any progress on a trade, so it’s safe to assume that he’ll be the lead back next week vs. the Titans. It’ll be worth keeping track of news this week in case anything happens, however.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson completed 11 passes on 25 attempts for 200 yards and 1 TD in Week 4 vs. the Rams. The rookie was again productive as a runner, logging 56 yards and a TD on 10 carries in the contest. He unfortunately fumbles twice, losing one, but was very productive for fantasy managers overall in his first game back from a concussion. He also helped spearhead the effort to force the game into overtime after being down 20-0 at halftime, so kudos to him for that. Richardson will look to replicate his successes again in Week 5 vs. the Titans.
After just 7 total targets and 5 receptions over the previous two games, Commanders WR Curtis Samuel tallied 7 receptions for 51 yards on 8 targets in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Samuel added a 1-yard TD on his only carry of the game. The combo obviously made for a nice fantasy line, but Washington's elevated passing volume and condensed target distribution helped. Sam Howell attempted 41 passes -- despite taking 5 sacks -- and only threw more than 3 targets to Samuel, Jahan Dotson (9), and Terry McLaurin (10). Samuel has now drawn a target on just 14.3% of Howell's attempts for the season. He's not a lineup option for most leagues, despite an upside matchup with Chicago in Week 5.
Steelers RB Najee Harris led the team in rushing yards (71) and receiving yards (32) in Week 4. It was a strong individual effort from Harris, who had to overcome a leaky O-line and a 3rd quarter injury to Kenny Pickett. Harris lost 6 targets to Jaylen Warren but held the carry edge, 14-8. Baltimore arrives in Week 5 to provide a stiffer test.
Bears RB Khalil Herbert had easily his best outing of the season in the Week 4 loss to the Broncos. He led Chicago with 18 carries and 103 yards, a strong 5.7 yards per carry. Herbert also caught four of five targets for 19 yards and a TD. Herbert played well -- and played well ahead of RB Roschon Johnson, who finished with five carries and one target. But this game was more about Denver's pathetic defense than anything in Chicago's offense. Herbert is a potential sell-high this week if you can find a competitor that views him as a top-25 RB. He gets a tougher draw against the Commanders in Week 5, although that's followed by plus matchups vs. the Vikings, Raiders, and Chargers.
Bears QB Justin Fields turned in an elite passing line vs. the Broncos in Week 4: 28-of-35 (80%) for 335 yards (9.6 YPA), four TDs, and one INT. The passing yards and TDs were career bests. Fields ran just four times for 25 yards ... because he didn't need to run. There were Bears pass catchers running wide open all day. Credit to Fields for hitting the open guys. But this game was more about Denver's defense than Fields' performance. We'll see if this outing kick starts his season, but Fields unfortunately won't get to play the Broncos again this year. He gets a middling Commanders defense in Week 5 before three straight plus matchups against the Vikings, Raiders, and Chargers.
Bills RB James Cook scored his first TD of the season in Sunday’s win over Miami. He saw three goal line opportunities and covered one from one yard out. It’s a positive development for Cook, who entered with only three goal line carries on the season. He’ll remain a near must-start for Sunday’s home matchup with Jacksonville.
Bills WR Stefon Diggs tallied 3 TDs in a Week 4 win over Miami. Diggs' highlights included one scramble drill score; another on a downfield ball that turned up some horrible tackle attempts by Miami DBs. The veteran has now hit 6+ catches in four straight. Next up is a home matchup with Jacksonville.
Broncos WR Marvin Mims played 17 of 48 offensive snaps in Sunday's win over the Bears, according to Pro Football Focus. That's 35.4% -- not great, but a new season high for the rookie. Mims' 12 pass routes tied for third among Denver WRs with Brandon Johnson, behind Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy. That's not nearly enough playing time to make Mims a reliable fantasy play, but he's at least trending in the right direction. He remains worth stashing in fantasy leagues of 12+ teams. Mims was efficient again vs. Chicago, catching both of his targets for 47 yards.
Commanders WR Terry McLaurin led the team in targets (10), receptions (8), and receiving yards (86) in Sunday's OT loss at Philadelphia. Those marked season highs in each category. WR Jahan Dotson followed with 9 targets, catching four for just 27 yards. But he nabbed QB Sam Howell's lone TD pass at the end of regulation to push the game to OT. McLaurin remains the only Washington WR in serious lineup consideration and gets an upside matchup with the Bears in Week 5.
Commanders QB Sam Howell threw for 290 yards and a TD -- with 0 INTs -- in Sunday's OT loss at Philadelphia. He found WR Jahan Dotson for the game-tying score at the end of the fourth quarter but watched the team's other two TDs get scored on the ground. Howell added 40 rushing yards on 6 carries. That more than doubled his rushing-yardage total from any of the first three games. It was an encouraging outing for the second-year QB, especially after his brutal 4-INT performance in Week 3. Howell carries some superflex and deep-league appeal into a Week 5 home date with Chicago.
Dolphins RB De'Von Achane scored twice in a Week 4 loss to Buffalo. In fact, Achane scored on his first two carries. He added 5 targets, tied for second-most and a 14.2% team share. On the ground, he led the way with 7 attempts – one more than Raheem Mostert. The takeaway here is that Achane continues to be used creatively, and it’s clear his speed will be a weekly part of the game plan. Fire him up as an RB2 for Sunday’s matchup vs. the Giants.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos with seven carries and 72 rushing yards in Sunday's win over the Bears. RB Javonte Williams was knocked out early in the second quarter with a hip injury. McLaughlin tallied six carries and two targets the rest of the way to RB Samaje Perine’s five carries and two targets. McLaughlin was clearly the more explosive back, ripping off a 31-yard run and an 18-yard TD catch. Don't expect McLaughlin to dominate backfield work if Williams misses time. But based on what we saw today, it looks like he'd be the better fantasy play than Perine.
Commanders RB Brian Robinson Jr. gained just 45 yards on 14 carries (4.2 per rush) in Sunday's OT loss to the Eagles. But he scored one of Washington's two rushing TDs. (WR Curtis Samuel delivered the other from 1 yard out.) Robinson added 2 receptions for 6 yards on 2 targets. Robinson nearly had another TD as well, but he fumbled near the goal line and watched teammate Terry McLaurin recover it for the score. Antonio Gibson remained behind him in both phases, going just 6-19 rushing with one catch for 7 yards. Robinson gets a much more favorable matchup with Chicago in Week 5, then a tougher spot at Atlanta but another upside matchup at the Giants in Week 7.
It took a while for QB Russell Wilson and the Broncos offense to get rolling in Chicago. He hit halftime with just 88 passing yards and one TD. But, down 21 to 7, Denver went pass-heavy in the second half. Wilson delivered another 135 yards and two scores, leading the Broncos to a 31 to 28 comeback win. It hasn't always been pretty, but Wilson has averaged 254 yards and 2.3 TDs per game through the first four weeks. He's playing reasonably well -- and Denver's awful defense is creating shootout environments. Wilson won't be a recommended QB1 vs. the Jets in Week 5. But the next three weeks bring doable matchup vs. the Chiefs, Packers, and Chiefs again.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill managed only 3 grabs for 58 yards in Sunday's loss to Buffalo. Credit a tough Bills defense for dialing up pressure on Tua Tagovailoa, limiting Hill's opportunities. His 5 targets marked his fewest since Week 3 of last season (vs. Buffalo). Look for a rebound next week at home vs. the Giants, who will play on short rest.
Panthers TE Hayden Hurst played a season-low 51.4% of snaps in Sunday's loss to the Vikings. It was his third game of 55% or less through four weeks, marking a downturn vs. his season high 61% in Week 4. Hurst did run a route on 65% of QB Bryce Young's dropbacks, in line with his passing-game involvement the previous three games. But fellow TE Tommy Tremble played a season-high 43.1% of snaps, including a season-high route rate. TE Ian Thomas also set season highs in playing time and pass routes. Hurst remained the lead receiving option among Carolina TEs, but he's not getting used at a high enough level to start in fantasy outside of deep leagues. He's even droppable in many spots.
Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins snagged 4 of 6 targets for 63 yards in Sunday’s win vs. the Bengals. Teammate Nick Westbrook-Ikhine hauled in a TD in the contest to go along with 5 catches and 51 yards of his own. Despite WR Treylon Burks missing Week 4, TE Chigoziem Okonkwo didn’t factor into the passing game very much. He only saw 3 targets turn into 5.9 PPR points. Next up for the Titans is a Week 5 matchup vs. the Colts.
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