Roundtable Week 4

Photo: Imagn Images

Welcome to Week 4 of the 2020 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid and oddball panel of fantasy pundits discuss and debate September's fantasy leaders and laggers, difficult backfields that no fantasy player wants to deal with but may need to anyway, and which summer predictions are worth doubling down or cutting bait.

• For Real/Fool's Gold: Quarterbacks and Running Backs
• For Real/Fool's Gold: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
• Backfield Roulette
• Severing Ties or Doubling Down?

Let's roll...

For Real/Fool's Gold: Quarterbacks and Running Backs

Matt Waldman: Explain why these players performances in September was a "for real" or "fool's gold" indication of their season-long value AS A FANTASY STARTER IN A 12-TEAM PPR FORMAT WITH 18 ROSTER SPOTS STARTING 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WR, 1 TE, and 1 non-QB Flex.

• QB Joe Burrow
• QB Drew Brees
• QB Jared Goff
• QB Josh Allen
• RB James Robinson
• RB Joe Mixon
• RB Todd Gurley
• RB Kenyan Drake

Sean Settle: It may look like anyone not named Kyler Murray or DeAndre Hopkins in this Arizona offense are being overlooked, but Kenyan Drake is still quietly plugging away with much bigger days ahead. He is still averaging 19 touches per game and had a 2-touchdown performance against the 49ers when that defense was still at full capacity in week 1. Teams are going to scheme to try and take Hopkins away down the field and things are going to open up for Drake underneath. Keep Drake as an RB1 must start going forward as this Arizona offense really starts to get going.

I will admit this is one I missed on coming into the season, but I would have Josh Allen in the same tier as Patrick Mahomes II or Lamar Jackson if we were to redraft right now. The Bills are without any sort of consistent running game and Allen is throwing the ball all over the field. Stefon Diggs has been a huge weapon and Allen is keeping up with Russell Wilson in the MVP debate. If he can clean up a few of the turnover issues when running the ball, then he will finish as a top 5 QB this season..

As much as he is a fun story, James Robinson is a temporary mirage right now. The Jaguars are just not a good football team this year and he is going to be dealing with a negative game script almost every week. He benefitted from D.J. Chark being out last week and Gardner Minshew not pushing the ball down the field resulting in 6 check down receptions. He also sniped goal line touchdowns to have a monster day against Miami. Chris Thompson is the back they like to throw the ball to on 3rd down and in clear passing situations. He is a fun to watch right now.

Dan Hindery: One of the trends I have written about frequently over the last couple years is the increase of athleticism at the quarterback position. The average rushing production at the quarterback position overall has been rising steadily rising for the last five years. The increased athleticism and rushing usage has only accelerated early in the 2020 season. If you look at the current Top 12 fantasy quarterbacks, on average they are on pace for 452 rushing yards and 7.1 rushing touchdowns. If we look back to a few years ago in 2017, there was not a single quarterback in the NFL who rushed for more than six touchdowns and now that is the average pace for the top 12.

I start with that trend because it is a big reason why I think Brees’ relatively slow fantasy start QB19 is real and not a mirage. He is on pace for 4,053 passing yards and 32 touchdowns. Those are very solid passing numbers but in today’s NFL, they are not good enough to be a starting fantasy quarterback. The fantasy bar has been raised at the position and it will take truly elite passing numbers for a quarterback to keep fantasy scoring pace with the numerous dual threat quarterbacks dominating the league right now. Brees has zero rushing yards on the season and it does not seem like the 5,000-yard 40+ touchdown passer is ever coming back, so he is likely to remain a fantasy backup the rest of the way.

Waldman: That's the most sensible take on Drew Brees that's critical of his fantasy value that I've seen thus far. Well done, Dan. Who else is on your list?

Hindery: Joe Burrow is the fantasy QB9 through three weeks and it is not a mirage. He is on pace for 341 rushing yards and 5.3 touchdowns and has even more upside as a runner than he has shown so far.

The Bengals have not been able to get much of a run game going behind a beat up and untalented offensive line and the defense looks like it will again be a bottom five unit. Cincinnati has no alternative other than to be aggressive with Burrow, who is second in the NFL with 141 passing attempts.

In addition to the heavy projected workload for Burrow, he is also proving that the leap to the NFL is not too big for him. He has shown the poise and pocket presence of a veteran. With Tyler Boyd, A.J. Green, and the emerging Tee Higgins, Burrow has the enough receiving talent at his disposal to keep up his current pace.

I think what we have seen is not a mirage but the real post-injury Todd Gurley. He just does not have the same burst or confidence anymore and this Atlanta offense is not all that running back-friendly, either. Gurley is averaging 0.4 yards per target and, after receiving five targets in Week 1, has been an afterthought as a receiver since.

If he doesn’t get into the end zone in a given week, he is going to give you single-digit fantasy production in PPR leagues. Backup Brian Hill has looked better in nearly every aspect of the game than Gurley and is pushing to make this a true RBBC..

Mark Schofield: The Josh Allen we are watching right now is an MVP candidate, and there is reason to believe that this continues. Had Allen been relying simply on 50/50 throws and was putting up these numbers while still showing signs of mental inconsistency and poor reads, I would believe this was all a mirage. But we are seeing true growth from him as a quarterback. He is making anticipation throws to all levels of the field, he is reading defenses much better than he was last year, and perhaps most importantly, he is better in the downfield passing game than he was a year ago. Last season Allen ranked 23rd out of 24 qualified passers (defined as a QB who attempted 50% of his team's throws) in PFF's Adjusted Completion Percentage on throws 20 yards or more downfield.

This year, with Stefon Diggs in the fold? Allen is third in the league, behind Tom Brady and Russell Wilson, and has an Adjusted Completion Percentage of 64.3 on those throws, more than double the 30.9 mark posted in 2019.

I am buying Robinson. Studying him both before the draft and most importantly Thursday night, I see a running back with change-of-direction skills that translate in both the running and the passing game. He is a three-down back who also can handle pass blocking responsibilities, and Jay Gruden's West Coast roots are going to keep Robinson as a viable fantasy option this season. I'm buying.

Sean McVay is back on his pres-nap-motion horse, and the Rams offense seems to be in line with what we saw in 2018. McVay's designs are giving Jared Goff some favorable matchups as well as some easy concepts to execute, and they are putting defenses back on their heels, much like they were at the start of 2018.

At the start.

But I am reminded of how that season ended, with teams like the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and ultimately the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl shutting down that offense. They played more zone coverages, ignored all the motion and the eye candy, and forced Jared Goff to play quarterback and not pop-a-shot like college kids at the arcades along the Jersey Shore boardwalk. In that setting, Goff struggled. It might not happen overnight, but that cycle of defenses figuring out an answer, and Goff struggling, is coming.

Jordan McNamara: Allen is absolutely for real. I was very skeptical of Allen’s profile coming into the NFL but at virtually every point since the 2018 NFL Draft he’s been undervalued. It may not always look pretty, he can make quizzical decisions under pressure for example, but he’s got enormous upside.

I thought in the preseason that 40 combined touchdowns and an MVP was in his range of outcomes and I still think it is. Stefon Diggs is such a good fit with Allen, while John Brown and Cole Beasley round out one of the better and underrated trio of wide receivers in the NFL. Best of all, Brian Daboll is an elite offensive coordinator who consistently has progressive offensive game plans that put Allen in efficient situations. Buffalo has become a model franchise and Allen is reaping every reward.

Joe Mixon is fool’s gold. One of my bigger misses in the offseason was putting Josh Jacobs and Mixon in the same dynasty tier. I had strong conviction in Jacobs and I’ll kick myself going forward that I didn’t trade out of Mixon into Jacobs. The saving grace is the extension creates job security for Mixon. The problem with that security? Mixon has shown no ability to consistently carve out a receiving threat.

Jared Goff is also for real. Sean McVay is an excellent coach and Goff has a history of production. Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee are all locked into contracts which creates stability around Goff and keeps the focus on the season. I thought Goff was due for positive touchdown regression and his touchdown rate of 5.5% is a good rebound number. Goff is going to see more passing game volume and I expect he will rise in the seasonal standings.

Will Grant: I am joining the group of folks on the Josh Allen bandwagon. I honestly thought Stefon Diggs would make a big impact in Buffalo this year, but Allen has really matured and Diggs is just a piece of the puzzle.

Allen's averaging over 9 yards per attempt and has a 10 TD to 1 INT ratio through the first 3 games of the season. His seven-plus rushing attempts per game are also an added bonus from a fantasy perspective.

Last week's game against the Rams was a real test and Allen proved he can hang with the best of them. Buffalo as a whole is a team on the rise and they have a decent shot to win the division this season for the first time in a while. With that much momentum behind Allen, he's going to be a guy people wish they drafted by the time the fantasy playoffs roll around.

Drew Brees owners shouldn't panic, but until Michael Thomas returns to the lineup, expect Brees to be just an 'average' fantasy quarterback. Despite the Saints averaging almost 30 points a game, Brees is 'only' averaging 250 yards per game and 2 touchdown passes.

It's certainly not going to hurt you, but it's not going to win you any games this year either. Most NFL quarterbacks would do much worse without their No.1 wideout.

Thomas is likely to miss this week as well, so expect Brees to put up 'above average' numbers against the Lions but not to light the world on fire. When Thomas comes back, Brees should see a bump but for now, there are better fantasy options for your starting quarterback.

I was never sold on Drake being a fantasy stud in Arizona, no matter what the hype was. He's certainly not a 'bad' option, but he's nothing to get excited about either. Drake defines what you want from a bye week filler. He's good enough to stick in at flex, he'll put up OK fantasy numbers but he's probably the last guy you click the 'starter' checkbox against every week.

Averaging just over 4 yards per touch is fine but with less than 20 touches per game and just 1 trip to the end zone in 3 games, he's not really a guy you can feel confident plugging into your 2nd running back slot. And it's not like he's been playing against top shelf defenses either.

Detroit was torched by Aaron Jones two weeks ago for 168 yards and two scores. Drake had his worst performance of the season with just 79 yards from scrimmage on 19 touches. He has his place on your roster, but he's not a guy you're going to run out and trade for either. .

B.J. VanderWoude: Josh Allen is for real. His fantasy stardom has not exactly come out of nowhere as Allen finished the 2019 season as the 9th overall quarterback. What has come out of nowhere is the passing volume, and even more surprisingly, the efficiency at which Allen is passing the ball.

Allen averaged roughly 17 completions per game last year, this year he is up to 27 completions per game. He's improved his completion percentage from 58.8 percent to 71.1 percent, while increasing his yards per attempt from 6.7 ypa to 9.1 ypa. These are massive gains, so I don't expect them to hold up for 16 games, however with Allen they don't need to.

He's going to add value in the running game, and as long as the passing volume continues to trend toward 25 completions per game, Allen now has the explosive threats to make plays down the field. Allen relied on his ability to make plays with his legs to set his fantasy floor. Now, with the addition of Allen the distributor, his ceiling is that of the #1 overall quarterback. .

The running back position in the current NFL might be the most unique in terms of scouting potential fantasy starters. For one, many rookies come into their first season ready to play, and with the combination of a short career-span and an overflowing talent pool, the easy assumption is that the cream rises to the top prior to the draft.

Robinson is the next running back in a long line of undrafted running backs attempting to debunk that myth. The Jaguars traded away an early first-round pick in Leonard Fournette to promote Robinson, and so far, he has rewarded them with their confidence.

He's averaging 4.9 yards per carry with three rushing touchdowns, and has caught 10 of 11 targets for 129 receiving yards. While the Jaguars would like to get Chris Thompson touches on third downs, Robinson has proven he can play on all three downs and is the preferred option in the red zone.

Those opportunities do not come around all that often. Robinson may find himself in some games with negative scripts, but I also think there is plenty of volume to go around for a team that is capable of moving the ball. Robinson is for real, and has all the makings of a league winner in a mid to late round pick.

Burrow came into his rookie season with the reputation of a matured player capable of leading a team someday. So far, he has lived up to his reputation, and I see that continuing for the duration of this season. The Bengals have plenty of talent at the skill positions, and that plays into Burrow's strength as a distributor.

After a slow start in week one, Burrow bounced back in week's two and three, combining for five touchdown passes , no interceptions on 68 completions, and 628 yards passing. The Bengals seem content on letting Burrow work things out on the fly, so I see no reason why the production won't follow with the volume. Burrow has a great opportunity to finish this season in the same spot he sits in after three weeks, as the #10 overall quarterback.

Andrew Garda: It’s funny Dan went with Brees and his lack of mobility because I have been thinking about that the last few weeks—never have I felt a game has moved by a guy like I have with Brees..

I don’t see him hitting 6k this year, or even close. He looks spent, and he looks off. Not having Michael Thomas is hurting, especially with nobody else stepping up.

But he just looks old and without the yards he normally gets – and with no ability to gain ground yards like many young QBs now, I just don’t see it getting better.

I’ve been wrong before and maybe Allen will fall back into a rut at some point, but he really feels like a guy who is going the right direction. He’s handling the ball better, his accuracy is better and he looks like he is in command in a way he hasn’t always prior.

I think Burrow is a solid quarterback and will be good but right now I feel like he’s beating up some poor defenses. And those 141 passing attempts Dan mentioned? Those are going to wear on his arm as the season progresses.

Maybe he keeps running his tail off and that keeps him somewhat relevant but I think we see him tire and slip as the year goes on and he sees even tougher teams during a schedule longer than he’s had to deal with before.

Waldman: As I stated earlier, Hindery makes the best argument against Brees the fantasy option. Brees the football player? He looks fine to me. A lot of people are talking about his loss of velocity and the constant checking of the ball to his shallow receivers.

I studied Brees' season thus far and if his arm was shot, opposing defenses would be doing the exact opposite of what they're doing, which is dropping the linebackers and secondary 15 yards and deeper. They'd be daring Brees to throw the intermediate and deep routes with man-to-man coverage if they believed Brees couldn't do the job.

Right now, they're daring Brees to check the ball down to Kamara and that's what he's been doing.

Brees the player is just fine, but his receivers haven't been as good.

Brees is the No.15 QB in fantasy leagues since Michael Thomas's absence and he's only three points away from the No.10 passer. Based on the combination of poor defenses and high-scoring offenses that the Saints face this year, I'm not ready to write-off Brees as a low-end fantasy QB1, because the tape dispels some of the narratives about his demise.

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For Real/Fool's Gold: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Waldman: Explain why these players performances in September was a "for real" or "foo's gold" indication of their season-long value AS A FANTASY STARTER IN A 12-TEAM PPR FORMAT WITH 18 ROSTER SPOTS STARTING 1 QB, 2 RBs, 3 WR, 1 TE, and 1 non-QB Flex.

• WR Allen Lazard
• WR Robby Anderson
• WR Keelan Cole
• WR Corey Davis
• WR A.J. Green
• WR Brandin Cooks
• TE Jonnu Smith
• TE Dalton Schultz
• TE Mo Alie-Cox
• TE Jimmy Graham
• TE Rob Gronkowski
• TE Austin Hooper

Hindery: Going back to the well with a Bruce Arians tight end feels like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football again and again while Lucy pulls it away. Even after getting more usage in Week 3, Gronkowski is averaging fewer than four targets per game.

I do not foresee that changing so Gronkowski will continue to struggle to put up big fantasy numbers. We should believe Bruce Arians when he recently said: “We're not throwing the ball 50 times to the tight ends. That's what we have receivers for, that's the way our offense is built. Gronk's playing great run blocking in the fourth quarter, so I'm not concerned with his pass catches or his targets.”

A.J. Green is too talented, motivated, and involved in the Bengals offense to finish as the WR63. Things should turn soon. Green rarely, if ever, speaks out against the Bengals coaching staff or organization publicly. Thus, it was a bit surprising to hear him say during camp that he disagreed with the coaching staff’s decision to hold him out of team scrimmages and full contact drills.

He was honest in his self-assessment saying he needed the reps to get ready for the season. The early results show Green was right. He has not quite clicked with Burrow yet. Green is averaging a healthy 9.3 targets per game and is amongst the league leaders in both air yards and end zone targets.

He has had the opportunity to put up WR1 or WR2 fantasy numbers but it just has not happened. Some of that is bad luck — Burrow missed him running wide open for what should have been a long touchdown and he had a touchdown taken away on a highly questionable offensive pass interference call — and some of it is on Green to play better.

The question is whether Green is washed up at age 32 or if he just needs to knock off some rust after missing a season and a half and all of training camp. I believe he still has gas in the tank and that he will start to heat up and be a fantasy asset the rest of the way. .

What you have seen is what you are going to get from Brandin Cooks. In the game Will Fuller was injured, he put up WR3-type numbers. When Fuller has been in the lineup, Cooks has been a complete non-factor that you cannot count on in your fantasy lineup. Fuller is the clear top option in the Houston pass offense. Cooks is just one of the many secondary options alongside Randall Cobb, Kenny Stills, Jordan Akins, Darren Fells, and the running backs..

Schofield: This summer many - myself included - viewed Austin Hooper as a must in most formats. Kevin Stefanski's offense would be reliant upon Hooper and two-tight end packages. They would use Baker Mayfield on play-action and designed rollouts. Hooper would eat up targets running crossing routes against underneath coverage while Odell occupied safeties downfield.

He has seven catches on the season and has yet to see the end zone.

However, I am not giving up. I think the past two games are positive signs for Hooper in this offense. He has seen four targets in back-to-back games, and in the coming weeks they face Dallas and Indianapolis, two defenses that have given up some points so far this season. In fact, the Cowboys have given up over 13 points per game to tight ends this season. So, the breakout is coming.

I hope...

Aaron Rodgers is back. Sunday night against the Saints we saw vintage Rodgers, making absurd throws from all platforms and challenging New Orleans down the field. The prime beneficiary? Lazard, who put up huge numbers against the Saints and looked every bit the WR1 option.

Now, some might point to the fact that Davante Adams was injured, making Lazard perhaps WR1 by default. But even when Adams comes back, if you are an opposing defensive coordinator, you aren't sliding coverages towards Lazard, you're sliding them towards Adams.

Which will mean more opportunities for Lazard, even when his teammate is healthy.

As a filthy and disgusting Patriots fan, Rob Gronkowski has provided me with many moments of joy. I have to admit this up front.

Waldman: Repent!

Schofield: I am unrepentant...

Waldman: Ok, I tried...

Schofield: But I do think that what we are seeing is a player who is still what we saw at the end of the 2018 regular season. Someone who is more "sixth offensive lineman" than "mismatch tight end weapon" at this point in his career. He lacks the burst to beat coverages up the seam, which is where Brady loves to target him historically.

He lacks the ability to break tackles after the catch, which was part of his game while in New England. Remember that catch-and-run touchdown on a Sunday night game against the Colts, where he first ran over, and then past, their entire defense?

That player is gone, and likely not coming back.

He may catch a few passes here and there, and might even deliver a big moment for the Bucs offense this season, but he is not going to deliver you a win in your leagues.

Settle: Gronkowski was never walking back into a great situation with the Bucs this season. There are just too many offensive weapons around him to see consistent red zone targets. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will command the bulk share of targets in any game. O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate also excel in the red zone. Gronkowski may get a big game somewhere this season, but it is going to be too hard to predict with all of the other weapons on this offense with similar skill sets. He is there to block and be a decoy right now and that does not bring any fantasy value.

Green Bay is going to run through their offense again this season and Allen Lazard is for real at wide receiver. He is running the deep routes and catching the ball underneath. With Davante Adams on the sideline this past week he blew up for over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. They are also giving him the ball on the ground and has chipped in rushing touchdowns. Adams is going to draw the tough coverages every week and Lazard will benefit on the other side. It is time to believe in Lazard and this Green Bay offense.

To this point, Robby Anderson is putting up near WR1 numbers in an offense that is just not very good. He has been soaking up the targets after the Christian McCaffery injury and is making the best of them. He has a tough matchup against the Cardinals this week, but then gets to should feast against the Falcons the following week. Anderson moves from a desperate Flex play to a WR2 based on his situation right now. Teddy Bridgewater is getting him the ball right now and rewarding owners who were willing to roll the dice.

McNamara: Robby Anderson is just another example of players flourishing outside of Adam Gase’s mismanagement. I think D.J. Moore will progress, but Robbie Anderson has a big role without Christian McCaffrey especially considering Ian Thomas and Curtis Samuel have failed to break out.

Corey Davis is an interesting one. I think he’s here to stay, but I’m questioning the upside. He has been targeted 19 times through three weeks, which is on pace for 101 targets. He can have a good year on those targets and finish as a “disappointing” WR3.

I think we are going to look back at the end of the season and realize Rob Gronkowski was for real. I’m not sure it is going to feel like a great ride, but injuries to Dallas Goedert and poor performances from potential breakouts like Dawson Knox and Ian Thomas have made fantasy relevance a very low bar at tight end. With an injury to Chris Godwin, I think Tom Brady will rely on Gronkowski. Even if he’s 75 percent of his former self, I think he can be a top-12 seasonal finisher. .

Waldman: I agree with you, Jordan. I originally drafted Gronkowski in a premium scoring league alongside O.J. Howard and Darren Waller. I dropped Gronkowski last week for Jordan, but added him back earlier this evening from waivers because, I think some of the commentary from Arians could be tongue-in-cheek.

Like Mark, I haven't seen signs of the peak Gronkowski, but Gronkowski looks better than old Antonio Gates, old Tony Gonzalez, and old Jason Witten--all players with top-10 fantasy seasons at the position when they were athletically in decline. They volume of surrounding talent (too many mouths to feed) is a common concern and commonly debunked when the quarterback is good enough to spread the ball around. Brady is still good enough.

Grant: You might be tempted to say that Lazard was a one-week wonder due to Davante Adams being inactive against the Saints, but Lazard was doing pretty well even when Adams was in the lineup. Week 1 he had 4 catches and score and in Week 2 he had 3 receptions on 5 targets.

Aaron Rodgers has the Packers rolling and their passing game has been great through the first three weeks of the season. Adams is still the No.1 option here, but Lazard is going to see plenty of opportunities, especially when defenses focusing on the other side of the field when Adams returns.

In a 12-team league with 3 required starters, Lazard is an easy choice to put into your lineup every week. He will have a couple single digit weeks but he's going to get his looks and a trip to the end zone every week or two will definitely make him worthwhile to have in your lineup..

Dallas is going to struggle this year. I might be a Cowboy fan, but I also know this team could very easily be 0-3. Their defense is banged up and can't stop anyone, and their offense is going to have to score 35 points a week if they hope to win the division.

Dalton Schultz fills in for Blake Jarwin, who I pegged as a fantasy sleeper this year. Schultz's role looks to be the same. With defenses focused on so many other options, he will always be drawing the weaker defenders and can look for the soft spots in the defense.

He might be good enough as a bye-week filler, but his upside will always be limited by guys like Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and CeeDee Lamb. Schultz has fantasy relevance, but be careful what you expect from him each week. .

Six catches for 48 yards would be fine for a fantasy tight end if he could post that every week. But the days of Gronkowski being the No.1 tight end taken in a fantasy draft are gone. He turned in a big fat zippo the week before and had just two catches for 11 yards in Week 1.

Having Gronk and Tom Brady back together is a great story on Narrative Street, but anyone looking for Gronk's return to fantasy glory is going to be sadly disappointed. Even with Chris Godwin out, he's not worthy of having in your starting lineup. No. Just...no.

VanderWoude: Perhaps Lazard's fast start to this season shouldn't be that surprising, however I for one, did not see it coming. Aaron Rodgers has come out firing in a way that he has not done the previous two seasons, and that alone is reason to be excited for the Packers skill position players.

I was skeptical of the target volume that Lazard would see this season, as with Davante Adams and Aaron Jones in the lineup, the rest of the Packers offense would be fighting for scraps. So far that hasn't been far off, as Lazard is averaging a hair under six targets per game.

He has been able to turn that into 13 receptions for 254 yards and two touchdowns though, making him a top 10 receiver through three games. Lazard should continue to be on the WR3 radar for the rest of the season, but expecting this type of production is ambitious at best. I'm buying into him being a fantasy starter, but the inevitable stretch of three reception games is going to come at some point this season. .

I heard several reports of Anderson showing out in training camp, continuously gaining separation and showing agility after the catch. So far that has been spot on, with Anderson having found a niche in the Panthers offense as an intermediate and deep threat.

This compliments DJ Moore very well. The injury to Christian McCaffrey has muddied the waters a bit though, as we only have a one game sample of how much McCaffrey will impact the other receiver's target volume.

Right now, Anderson has the look of pure gold, amassing 20 receptions on 24 targets for 279 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers will be playing from behind often this season, so Anderson will continue to see targets down the field. Anderson has always been a pretty efficient target, turning in production to match his volume. The problem was always the volume with the Jets, but he does not look to have that problem with Teddy Bridgewater as his quarterback.

Through three weeks, Smith stands as the No.2 TE in PPR formats. His production has been aided in part due to AJ Brown's injury struggles, but there is also an argument to be made that Brown's presence will help free Smith up in the middle of the field.

Smith's talent and athleticism has never been in question, but he needed to become a more all-around player in order to see a high snap count in Tennessee. That maturation, along with Ryan Tannehill's continued improvement as a passer, allows for the very real possibility that Smith ends this season as a top-five tight end.

Smith has already become Tannehill's go-to option in the red zone, catching three touchdown passes on 20 targets. With the exception of a healthy George Kittle, no tight end is fool-proof week to week, not even Travis Kelce.

If you concede that there will be weeks where Smith will end up with four catches for 40 yards, then it becomes much easier to play him every week and reward yourself with the multi-touchdown or 100+ yard games. Smith is for real and should be played every week.

Garda:The jets don’t have a vertical threat while Robby Anderson is going HAM on defenses for Carolina, so while I wasn’t going to do an Anderson part I couldn’t because I am salty.

As Sean said, Teddy Bridgewater is getting him the ball and with McCaffrey out, he’s making it count. The Panthers have to throw a bunch (they trail opponents in scoring 68-81) and DJ Moore is doing a nice job of attracting enough attention to where Anderson can keep producing.

I think we all assumed Gronk and tom Brady would hang out like two new transfer kids from the same school on the first day of high school but it hasn’t happened.

He has been targeted enough but I think that will fall off.

Brady is going to be more comfortable on Bruce Arian’s team soon, and OJ Howard is just a better player at this stage in everyone’s career than Gronk. Brady knows this. He sees it. It’s only a matter of time until those targets drop off.

And considering how little Gronkowski has done with the targets he has had, le4ss targets aren’t going to help him.

I don’t much like a dude who is dependent on touchdowns in an offense which is not good, on a team which looks like they will be a mess all year. This is what I think of Keelan Cole and the Jaguars.

Cole will probably surpass his numbers from last year but 361 yards and three touchdowns isn’t much to go on. He’s done alright to start the season because he scored in two out of three games.

That’s not going to sustain itself as this team continues to struggle more and more during the season.

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Backfield Roulette

Waldman: Every year, there are running back depth charts that are problematic for Fantasy GMs. Here are the ones that come to mind as we enter October:

• Rams
• Patriots
• Dolphins
• Lions

1. Which backfield has the most fantasy appeal of the four?
   • Which back from this backfield do you want most?
   • Which player would you most want to avoid from this appealing situation?
2. Which backfield has the least fantasy appeal?
   • If you had to guess, which back would offer the most value from this difficult situation?

Garda: I like Miami the most because I feel like yes, it has some issues, but Myles Gaskin is a guy I can see breaking out. The guy looks good, plays smart and jumped over Jordan Howard.

I think this backfield becomes less of a mess and Gaskin is the reason. Matt Breida can be an issue but I think Gaskin will prove the better start for Miami.

I would avoid Jordan Howard, as both Gaskin and Breida are playing better and, barring an injury or two, Howard is the odd man out.

I hate the New England Patriots for the same reason I hate them every year in fantasy – who knows what they will do week to week. There’s just nothing appealing to me about it.

I think James White will run the best value, in part because he often catches the ball well and gets involved in multiple aspects of the game. I wouldn’t want him, but push comes to shove, I’ll ride with White.

McNamara: This is a great question. Every other backfield is probably more talented with better offensive opportunities than Miami. The problem is there’s nowhere to put a chip down with a confident play in a weekly game.

Maybe Darrell Henderson at present but I think Cam Akers is coming for that job. The only time a running back has played more than half the snaps in New England was Rex Burkhead in week two only to follow that up with a 46 percent snap share in week three Adrian Peterson played 60 percent of snaps in week three, but how confident do you feel that will repeat itself?

That leaves me with the only back I feel confident will get at least 60 percent of snaps on any of these teams: Myles Gaskin. The fact that he’s put Jordan Howard and Matt Breida on the bench is remarkable, but I’m a believer in the volume of the workload assuming health going forward. .