The Monday NFL Roundup: Week 5

Life is about the little moments—little moments like Dare Ogunbowale catching a game-winning touchdown against his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars. Ogunbowale is a fountain for the little moments. In 2023, he became the first positional player to make a field goal in a game since Wes Welker in 2004. 

That field goal was crucial for a Texans team that made the playoffs in the last game of the regular season. This touchdown may have been the nail in the coffin for the 0-4 Jaguars. 

The Buffalo Bills had a little moment. Fresh off dismantling those same Jaguars on Monday night, the Bills traveled to Baltimore for a game that could have playoff-seeding ramifications. The Ravens hit them in the mouth from the start. Derrick Henry's 87-yard rushing touchdown one play after the Bills decided to punt on 4th and two from midfield put the Bills in a hole they would never escape. 

But with Henry still in the game up four scores and looking for history, the Bills bowed and stopped him short of breaking the NFL record for 200-yard rushing games. 

Little moments. 

Moments like Zach Wilson watching from the sideline as the quarterback he backs up now upset the quarterback the Jets traded for to end his run as the face of the franchise. 

Moments like the Raiders recovering from "Business Decisions" to beat a Cleveland team that made the worst Business Decision in the NFL's history. Trading for Deshaun Watson. 

Moments like Kliff Kingsbury's return to Arizona to face a Cardinals team that fired him 21 months ago. Jayden Daniels proved over the last week that he lives for moments, and Washington has hope. 

Moments like Aaron Jones returning to Lambeau Field and helping the Vikings continue one of the year's best stories. 

Moments like Kareem Hunt returning to the Chiefs after a moment he surely regrets derailed his career. The moment Rashee Rice's season-ending knee injury adds to the list of injury issues facing the Chiefs as they attempt to make NFL history and win a third straight title overshadowed Hunt's return.  

Moments like Andy Dalton facing a Bengals franchise for the fourth time who desperately needed a win to avoid a disastrous 0-4 start. Dalton's moment did not shine. 

Not all moments shine. 

Thank you for the moments.

As always, thank you, Nathan Jahnke. 

And now, The Roundup.

Blind Resume

Explosives! Every team is hunting them. Players capable of creating them is a good place to find future opportunities. Multiple players are emerging from off the radar to show themselves as playmakers. Can you name them?

Deep League Waiver Watch List

Identifying players rostered in less than 50% of Sleeper Dynasty leagues (give or take).

• RB Ronnie Rivers, LA Rams (14% Sleeper rostered) - Blake Corum's rostership is 96% in deep leagues. Rivers' is 14%. Corum has now gone three of four games without playing an offensive snap. You should not drop Corum and pick up Rivers. But Rivers should be rostered in many more leagues. The Rams like him and believe he has a three-down skillset. 
• WR Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay (83% Sleeper rostered) - Wide netting as Wicks is not available in deep leagues, and he will not be available in any league now. Christian Watson is going to miss some time. Wicks is a must-start. The Packers always felt like one too many mouths. The receivers are hungry and will eat now. 
• TE Tucker Kraft, Green Bay (71% Sleeper rostered) - Just like that, Kraft is a TE1. With Love at quarterback, Kraft is on pace for a 68 reception, 765-yard, 8.5 touchdown campaign. That is game-breaking in the current desert of tight-end production.  
• RB Trey Sermon, Indianapolis (45% Sleeper rostered)—Jonathan Taylor was bit by the dreaded mid-ankle sprain. Sermon took nearly every remaining snap, with Tyler Goodson just one. Sermon was ineffective against a good defense teeing off to stop the run as the Colts worked the clock. But the rebirth of Zack Moss in 2023 showed the value of running backs for Shane Steichen. Sermon is a leading waiver target where available. 
• QB Joe Flacco, Indianapolis (27% Sleeper rostered)—Anthony Richardson potentially missing time is the polar opposite of the Green Bay situation. Richardson has been diagnosed with a hip pointer, and there is initial optimism that he avoided serious injury. Flacco gives the Colts receiving options life. Both Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs were able to post massive games. The talent is there in those two, but their values could not differ more depending on which quarterback. 
• RB Aaron Shampklin, Pittsburgh (0% Sleeper rostered) - Pick up every active back in deep leagues. Jaylen Warren was already out, and Cordarrelle Patterson picked up an ankle injury and missed the second half. Jonathan Ward is the only other back on the practice squad. Carlos Washington Jr.. from the Falcons practice squad could be a name to watch if Patterson and Warren are both expected to miss meaningful time. 
• TE Cade Otton, Tampa Bay (75% Sleeper rostered) - Otton is on most deep league rosters but deserves recognition. He has been TE8 over the last two games without the benefit of a touchdown, pacing to a 110 catch, and has had an 847-yard season over those games while playing almost every snap. At 25 years old, he represents the chance to solve some tight end woes for cheap, especially in Dynasty formats. His slow start may have soured managers and kept him under the radar for season-long total points. Jalen McMillan was out in this game, and his absence, combined with the blowout, led to an assortment of other receivers.
• TE Erick All Jr.., Cincinnati (60% Sleeper rostered) - All is another tight end rostered in many deep leagues. Are you sensing a theme? All has out-snapped Mike Gesicki in two of the last three games and has four catches in three straight. Besides All, Drew Sample is playing, as the Bengals heavily feature two tight end sets. With Tee Higgins returning and Andrei Iosivas's break out, it is fair to wonder how long until we see the team transition back to their more familiar three wide receiver personnel. All has the best chance of emerging as an every-down tight end. It may take an injury (Gesicki is already nursing a situation), but All could rarely leave the field if the flip comes. It's a better Dynasty-type move, but it needs to be on radars. 
• WR Xavier Legette, Carolina (96% Sleeper rostered) - Using the widest net to highlight Legette as a "buy low." He posted a 6-66-1 line and looked good doing so. Legette is a Catch-22 player in Dynasty. He was a polarizing prospect, so the person who believes in him the most in your league already rosters him. But after a slower start to his career and minimal camp buzz, he has weekly WR2 upside in the Andy Dalton offense. 
• RB Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville (86% Sleeper rostered) - Another player rostered in most leagues who should likely be in all. Urban Meyer drafted Travis Etienne Jr. specifically to play the NFL version of the Percy Harvin role. Doug Pederson drafted Bigsby. The Jaguars have exercised his fifth-year option, signing him through 2025. But a contract negotiation is looming. An 0-4 team does not need a former first-round running back who has been productive enough to warrant a significant contract conversation.  Trade rumors have started and will intensify. Bigsby falls into the overused "League Winner" category with the lead role. 
• RB Jeremy McNichols, Washington (3% Sleeper rostered) - McNichols as consensus RB66 was a massive whiff. Chris Rodriguez Jr. was RB78. He did not play a snap. McNichols is RB8 on the week. And they say edges are dead. Austin Ekeler picking up a concussion late on Monday night may have diminished McNichols in the waiver cycle. He is not anymore. McNichols is as Fantasy Zombie as they come; a fifth-round pick of San Francisco's in 2017, he had not logged a rush since 2021.  The Commanders like him, and he has a passing-down skillset that compliments Brian Robinson Jr. Ekeler should hopefully be back in Week 5. Still, somewhere, someone played McNichols out of pure desperation. We call that a W. 
• RB Isaac Guerendo, San Francisco (71% Sleeper rostered) - The 49ers are hopeful to have Christian McCaffrey in November. Jordan Mason looks excellent. But November is a long way off. If Mason missed time, Guerendo would be in one of the best positions in fantasy football. His roster number should be higher.
• WR Tre Tucker, Las Vegas (67% Sleeper rostered) - Tucker's rostership spike dramatically coming off a big Week 3 game. With Davante Adams out, the Raiders narrowed the wide receiver usage to almost exclusively Jakobi Meyers and Tucker (D.J. Turner played 42% of the snaps and saw one target). The Raiders' offense looks different every week. Not in the good way that Tom Brady's offense looked different every week. Questions surround Adams's future; the team will need Tucker if that future is elsewhere. Tucker is talented enough to deliver, posting a 5-41 line and adding a rushing touchdown on a day the Raiders played more ball control. 
• RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City (77% Sleeper rostered) - Hunt carries enough name value he was added two weeks ago in most leagues. But his 77% should be 100%. The Chiefs looked comfortable featuring him in both the run and pass game. Samaje Perine vulturing a goal-line touchdown was the only thing preventing a monster game. It will be worth monitoring if that was just circumstance or if Perine is the goal line back, but Hunt is the back you want until Isiah Pacheco returns. 
• TE Noah Gray, Kansas City (35% Sleeper rostered) - With Rashee Rice's season-ending, the production in the Kansas City passing game likely shifts heavily to Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy. At the moment, Justin Watson and Mecole Hardman played more in Rice's absence. The Chiefs had to get through this game, and the Chargers made it a survival exercise. It will be interesting to see if two tight end personnel is the answer, as Gray's four targets matched Worthy's for second behind Kelce's nine. Injuries have been a dominant early-season storyline, and the Chief's fantasy prospects are hit as hard as anyone.

Stats Of The Week

• 199 rushing yards, one touchdown, ten receiving yards, one touchdown - RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore - Henry fell just one yard short from breaking a three-way tie with O.J. Simpson and Adrian Peterson for the most 200-yard rushing games in NFL history, with six. The Ravens tried getting him over the mark, but the Bills bowed and held him short. 
• 35 receptions, 386 yards, three touchdowns - WR Malik Nabers, NY Giants - The complete list of players with this stat line or better over their first four career games: Malik Nabers. Puka Nacua topped his reception and yardage totals with 39 - 501 through four games in 2023. But Nacua only had one touchdown. Seven players have hit the yardage total, with Anquan Bolden and Stefon Diggs the most notable names. 
• 93 rushing yards, one touchdown, seven receptions, 72 receiving yards - RB D'Andre Swift, Chicago - Swift became the fourth Bears running back to post 90+ rush yards, seven receptions, and 70+ receiving yards. The others are a "who's who" of Bears backs: Walter Payton, Matt Forte, and Thomas Jones. Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall are the only players to hit those marks since the 2019 season. 
• Seven receptions, 139 yards, one touchdown - WR Jayden Reed, Green Bay - Reed has played two games with Jordan Love. Over those two games, he is on pace for a 93.5 reception, 2,354 receiving yards, 17 touchdowns, 297.5 rushing yards, and 8.5 rushing touchdown season. 2,354 receiving yards would be a record. 
• 312 passing yards, one passing touchdown, 55 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns - QB Justin Fields, Pittsburgh - Fields delivered the fantasy performance all his believers were waiting to see. He became the ninth different quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300+ yards while rushing for 50+ with two touchdowns. Jalen Hurts and Steve Young are the leaders, with two games each. 
• 60 receiving yards, 60 passing yards - WR Courtland Sutton / QB Bo Nix, Denver - Some stat sources have Nix with 57 passing yards, making this stat even more fun. Well, fun is an aggressive word choice in this Denver game. One of the best lessons to learn in fantasy football is the answer can be "none," i.e., "What Denver Broncos do I want in my fantasy lineup?"
• 435 rushing yards - RB Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia - The Stathead tool is fantastic, but the game spans are a bit wonky. Barkley's 435 rushing yards are the 19th most in a four-game span for an Eagle, though great stretches from LeSean McCoy in 2013 and Wilbert Montgomery in 1979 account for about half of those 19 samples. McCoy holds the franchise single-season record with 1,607 rushing yards. Barkley is on pace for 1,849. 
• 489 receiving yards - WR Nico Collins, Houston - Collins has 103 more yards than second-place Nabers. He is on pace for 2,078—A Record. Collins's 489 yards are the 22nd most through the first four games of a season. Justin Jefferson (543) and Puka Nacua (501) were ahead of his pace in 2023. Both fell short of the mythical 2,000-yard line. Collins is our current best bet for 2024. He might be the fantasy WR1 overall.  

Backfield Hierarchy

Splitting backfields into key categories based upon snaps and opportunities (rushes plus targets). While carries may be similar, backfields that fall into a Committee with a Lead over a straight Committee saw wide disparities in snap counts.

Bellcows

• I remain steadfast in my belief that the Cardinals will play a normal game at some point and that James Conner will get Bellcow's usage. The last three games have seen them build a huge lead that let the backups play and two other big holes that affected running back usage. Conner is RB14, and you are happy to have him.
• The Bills fell behind and abandoned their best pass-catching running back and feature back to give Ty Johnson a carry at the goal line. I don't know either.
• Hubbard has closed even more on a feature-back role. Jonathon Brooks is a conversation. Hubbard has back-to-back 100-yard games. I do not see how he gets benched or loses the top-side role of a committee when Brooks returns unless Brooks is just THAT good. The most likely outcome is that Hubbard continues to build the trust of the new coaching staff while Brooks gets eased back in for a team with minimal hopes of a playoff berth. Of course, injuries or performance can always change outlooks. But in redraft formats, you are better served to sell Brooks to a manager who sees "league-winning upside" and sell them that you've bit the bullet on the four-game PUP eligibility. 
• On one hand, Foreman took 22.73% of the backfield work. On the other, it was five touches. Ford has been north of 75% snap share for three of four games. The only game he was not was 44%, the only game the Browns won.  Kevin Stefanski seems motivated to either make Deshaun Watson work out or make it painfully obvious it will not, often in the same game. 
• If both Taylor and Richardson are out of the lineup, asking Sermon to handle the complete running back role without a rushing option at quarterback is unrealistic. Tyler Goodson will see some work. The concern would be a situational split, with Sermon holding early down work and Goodson getting the pass work. Hopefully, any absence from Taylor and Richardson will be short. 
• We got so close to 20 Zamir White touches! The Raiders got their second win. White posted 5.0 full PPR points on 18 touches. He has 54 touches on the season and 17.8 full PPR points. He is RB52. I will need our stats and info department to check, but we have never been this close to flipping the ratio of touches to player scoring ranking. Antonio Pierce is so happy.
• Williams has scored a rushing touchdown in seven straight games, three away from Greg Bell's team record of ten. Blake Corum could leap Rivers if Williams missed time, but nothing in the team's usage through four weeks says he definitely would. 
• And so ends the legend of Carson Steele. Steele channels flashbacks of Jonah Gray. A week after missing his sister's wedding and being a primary storyline on Sunday night football, he played 11 snaps, and Kareem Hunt took Bellcow status.
• This game was a difficult matchup for the Chargers and a speed bump on the way to Dobbins's comeback tour. The team gets a badly needed bye in Week 5 as injuries are mounting, especially Justin Herbert. Ignore when I also said last week was a difficult matchup for Dobbins. We should be concerned that this is just the Chargers, who want to play with ball control, and Dobbins is more likely a low-end RB3 with some spike potential than the fringe RB1 we hoped through two weeks. 
• Was Jones a Bellcow simply because the Vikings were playing the Packers and knew the game meant more? Or has he officially earned the status formerly held by Dalvin Cook? Chandler ran well against San Francisco in Week 2. He has 35 yards on 18 attempts for the rest of the season. Jones is better to the point the team may have seen enough with the work split. 
• The Saints may have been downgraded if Taysom Hill stayed healthy. Hill saw heavy carries early before an injury knocked him out. Kamara's ADP was repressed for no real reason. He has been one of the best early-season values. 
• Singletary is teetering on losing Bellcow status. Tracy's snap share has not changed dramatically, but his receiver background has allowed the Giants to utilize him as a downfield threat. His line would look better with an excellent reception canceled by a holding penalty. However, other than the flashes of playmaking, there is no underlying usage to suggest Tracy has meaningfully split the workshare. The game script and run game performance required the Giants to abandon rush attempts. 
• Harris is this week's crown holder for "Dud in a spot everyone expected him to go off." Why can't we have nice things? Harris dominated snaps, with Patterson picking up an ankle injury and missing the second half. In the first half, this looked like an even workshare split. It's hard to see Shampklin getting meaningful work as a complement to Harris; it would almost surely switch to a Bellcow role. 
• Barkley was still Barkley. He did not score on his 59-yard run, and the Eagles have a rule that running backs are not allowed to score from inside the 10, so Hurts got the rushing touchdown. If we consider a 116-yard scrimmage day where he finished RB17 with 13.6 points a disappointment, everyone is winning with Barkley this year. 
• Mason is saving your season, especially if he was a handcuff to McCaffrey. As these performances stack, his long-term viability in Dynasty format grows dramatically. 

Committee With A Lead

• Robinson popped up midweek with a shoulder injury. We all collectively left him as a Top-3 running back—bad idea. The Falcons love Allgeier. Robinson had dominated work the first three weeks, though Allgeier's eight rushes were right on his averages from Weeks 2 and 3. The Falcons dropped to a committee with a lead, but the workshare split likely had to do more with the shoulder than a diluted backfield long-term. Allgeier showed the potential for a "hot-hand" switch.
• I am curious how often Justice Hill will be playable in fantasy weekly to weekly. He is RB7 on the week and full PPR RB30 on the season. Derrick Henry was RB1 during the week and full PPR RB3. Henry has caught five passes for 45 yards. Running backs who catch one pass a week for 10 yards are not supposed to be the PPR RB3. 
• The Bears said Johnson would see much more work in Week 4. Many assumed that was a shot at Swift. Instead, Swift turned in one of the best games of his career, while Khalil Herbert did not see the field. Herbert was the subject of offseason trade rumors. He may quickly become the subject of in-season trade rumors if he does not play. 
• Week 4 and previous trends upgrade Dowdle to Lead status. Elliott has been marginalized the last two weeks, losing snaps to Luepke. In three-receiver sets and passing downs, the flip is apparent. That switch has allowed Dowdle to handle about 55% of the opportunities over Weeks 3 and 4. Elliott has been under 20% of the snaps over that span after playing 51% in Week 1. Luepke jumped to 52% snap share in Week 4 and led the backfield in targets with two. 
• In Week 2, the Packers looked willing to run Josh Jacobs into the ground. Since then, it has looked like a True Committee. Gamescript moved away from the run game here, and Jordan Love looked good in his return once he knocked the rust off. This run offense will have better days. 
• Akers is patient zero for "people should probably stop being excited when the good players are hurt because they have the backup." He saved his Week 3 with a touchdown catch. He did not catch any passes or get any targets in Week 4, so he did not save his week. There is an alternate world where he had 20+ rushes and five targets. It's Joe Mixon's world, not Cam Akers'. 
• There is also a world where Stevenson and Gibson are usable in fantasy lineups. But it does not have Jacoby Brissett as the quarterback or involves Hasty stealing some touches. We will grant Hasty the Revenge Game cameo appearance. Please?
• Do not worry, Jets fans. I will not say Breece Hall and Braelon Allen are in a split backfield.
• Even before the concussion that cost him Week 4, Austin Ekeler was ceding main work to Robinson Jr. He is tenth with 307 rushing yards and the fantasy RB10. As defenses attempt to adjust to Jayden Daniels's athleticism, Robinson Jr. should see plenty of open run lanes. 

True Committee

• Brown speaks to the benefit of patience. Moss played nearly 75% of the snaps through the first two games, with Brown at 25%. It may have been a short week or game control, but it was a 60%—40% split, with an even closer workload. Brown showed little reason not to make that even split more permanent, as his explosion relative to Moss is clear.
• Badie went down with a scary injury situation, being immobilized and stretchered off the field. That shifted the backfield back to a two-person operation. This game was a mess. Denver used Williams to grind out a win as Bo Nix and a strong Jets pass defense was a fearfully ineffective combination. Watch to see if Blake Watson is active in Week 5. Williams can at least be a lineup consideration if he only shares with McLaughlin, though it's tough to see the ceiling here. 
• The Jaguars are 0-4, and this loss was a heartbreaker. They held the lead until 22 seconds left. 0-4 leaves teams looking for answers. The Jaguars seem to believe Bigsby is one. Bigsby looked explosive, including a 58-yard run where he just failed to tiptoe the sideline to score.  
• White and Irving both gave RB2 weeks, so that is something. Their rushing output was identical at ten carries and 49 yards, though Irving did grab his first touchdown. We will unlikely get one of these players pulling far ahead of the other if both are in the lineup. That likely leaves mid-RB2 production as the ceiling. You are happy if you drafted Irving and sad if you drafted White.  

The Target Report

• The Giants' passing game is hyper-distilled. Nabers and Robinson have combined for 90 out of 136 targets. Given that Daniel Jones is unlikely to emerge as a threat to exceed 300 yards regularly, this is the best-case scenario. Robinson has seen at least eight targets in three of four games, with six or more receptions in each. Robinson is a PPR gem, ranking inside the top 24 receivers at 13.2 full points per game. Meanwhile, he's outside the top 40 in standard scoring formats at 6.7 points. Twelve receivers in NFL history have Robinson's 26 receptions or more while posting an average yards per reception of 7.5 or less. 
• Ferguson missed Week 2. In the weeks he has been active, the Cowboys' target breakdown is CeeDee Lamb 25, Ferguson 23, Brandin Cooks 17, and Jalen Tolbert 10. Over these three games, the Cowboys have targeted running backs at 19.8%, up from 16.5% in 2023, and the tight end target rate of 23.6% is up from 20.8%. Dak Prescott looked headed for a massive game following a 55-yard touchdown to Lamb with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. A combination of the Giants working the clock and the Cowboys' game control leaves fantasy managers feeling like there is meat left on the bone.  
• London is seeing an alpha target share, pulling 31% over the last three weeks. He's posted almost identical lines, catching six passes weekly and between 54 and 67 yards. So why is London leaving many in fantasy feeling flat? The problem is Yards After Catch (YAC). London is averaging 2.8 yards per catch. In 2023, he was at 2.7, placing 125th. High-end fantasy receivers like Ja'Marr Chase, Lamb, and Tyreek Hill are all above five, with scheme-heavier players like Deebo Samuel Sr. and Rashee Rice above eight. London's lack of YAC is leaving about 225 yards off his total weekly, not to mention lost potential touchdowns. It's roughly 1.5 points per game at his volume and the difference between finishing as a Top ~8 WR and landing outside of WR1 status. 
• Kyle Pitts is not on the report. He did get three targets. 
• Klint Kubiak is officially running a Clean passing game. Olave, Shaheed, and Kamara have pulled 70.4% of the Saints' targets on the season and 83% in this game. This usage is terrible news for anyone hoping for a Juwan Johnson or Mason Tipton breakout. It is excellent news for Olave and Shaheed. Shaheed was blanked in Week 3, but he bounced back strong. Use the Week 3 disappointment and try to buy him; the breakout is real. 
• Hopefully, we will not need to worry about what the Rams attack looks like without Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua for too long, but we now have an idea. Atwell has emerged as a downfield threat, and Whittington led the team in shorter targets. Many were on Demarcus Robinson coming into the season. Atwell's play has merited attention. The two serve a similar role with Kupp and Nacua in the lineup. 
• The actual Packers offense may be the latest reveal in the league, given the ambiguous situation and Jordan Love's injury. Christian Watson expects to miss some time with a leg injury. That should knock everything into place in the short term. Reed and Wicks are the targets you want. Both can win against man and zone coverages and create after the catch. Kraft is the top tight end. Malik Willis leading the offense covered up the fact he was probably one of the best-buy lows of September. The cat will surely be out of the bag now. Romeo Doubs has his role, but his impact does not change much, even when he comes from behind and with Watson out. He is the Packers' equivalent of Gabe Davis. The counting stats might end up in the right spot in Week 18, but Reed, Wicks, and Kraft are the priority targets here. Luke Musgrave and Bo Melton are situational depth, but it's more likely the team has found their base personnel. 
• Justin Jefferson remains good at football. 
• Good on you if you sold Jalen Nailor in the past couple of weeks. Addison was back, and there is no ambiguity in Minnesota. He scored twice and is an elite-level playmaker capable of maintaining fantasy relevance even if he will never get the high target shares we hope next to Jefferson. 
• I am not ready to say the Colts' offense is better with Joe Flacco at quarterback. But with Taylor out of the lineup, Pittman and Downs are WAY better for fantasy with Flacco at quarterback. This is a tricky situation. Their performances likely eliminate any buy-low opportunity, though season-long pessimism in Richardson leading the passing offense could still make that an option. Both are must-plays with Flacco starting. 
• It was a very encouraging fantasy day for every Steeler except the one who was supposed to go off, Najee Harris. Pickens and Fields have a meaningful connection and can deliver high optimism from the offseason. Pickens has yet to score a touchdown; in his one quiet game against Denver, he had a touchdown wiped off the board. But he has seen at least seven targets, catching at least five, and topping 57 yards in his other three games.  Removing that Denver game puts Pickens on pace for 102 receptions, 1,445 yards, and 0 touchdown season. 
• This week's excuse for why Garrett Wilson is not the Garrett Wilson we thought we drafted is Patrick Surtain II + rain. Check again next week to see why Wilson is not the Wilson we thought we drafted. Early money is on a bad burrito. 
• Goedert only had 36% of the yards he had from Week 3. He did not score. He is still TE6 on the week. The Eagles responded to the disappointing news that A.J. Brown would be inactive by taking the week off. 
• A vintage Evans performance. Fourteen targets were his most since Week 7 of 2022. After a disappointing Week 3, his 94 yards get him closer to a 1,000-yard pace (on pace for 909), but we know Evans will get there by the end. A 6-69 game from Godwin feeling pedestrian speaks to his start. He went seven weeks in the middle of 2023 without hitting those numbers. 
• Otton is trending up. He was an afterthought the first two weeks, totaling one catch for five yards. He has topped eight targets, six receptions, and 47 yards in the last two. His season-long pace over those two would be 110 receptions and 841 yards. He is an every-down player in this offense but has yet to find the end zone. 
• Tee Higgins did Tee Higgins things. He was at six catches and 60 yards at halftime, making my fade of him with Dave Kluge on This Week's Friday Show look foolish. He then finished the game with six catches and 60 yards, making my rank of him as a mid-WR3 correct. 
• As a believer in "draft the big, strong, fast guy who went in Round 1 when you can at a discount", the last two months in the Land of Legette have been trying. Positive camp reports from Jonathan Mingo tempered any optimism for rookie production. Bryce Young's performance in the first two weeks eliminated it. With Adam Thielen on IR, hope springs anew.  Legette and Johnson looked like Dave Canales's answer to DK Metcalf / Tyler Lockett or Mike Evans / Chris Godwin. 
• Diontae Johnson is a fantasy WR1 with Andy Dalton at quarterback. Get used to it. Celebrate any acquisition discount. 
• The Jaguars have WR9 and WR13 on the week. They threw for 169 yards—the power of a Clean Offense. Thomas Jr. and Kirk accounted for 87% of the receiving yardage. Gabe Davis was given a lot of money to be Gabe Davis. The team still seems pessimistic about Evan Engram's return. Thomas Jr. managers should feel fantastic, and Kirk managers should get their first sigh of relief in 2024. 
• The Commanders are running so hot that they are again using wide receivers. McLaurin's ten targets are a season-high, and he scored in the second straight week—a dramatic improvement over 39 yards through the first two weeks. 
• Higgins did not happen, and I am sorry about that. The snaps and routes run were there, but nothing else was for the Cardinals in a matchup all of fantasy targeted.
• Jennings had a great Super Bowl. The 49ers responded by drafting Ricky Pearsall in the first round and extending Brandon Aiyuk. Jennings' play over the last two weeks raises questions about whether either move was necessary. Jennings is still the WR3 by snaps, but he looks like the best player by performance. 
• The Patriots' passing game looks like it accepted the challenge of having a different leading receiver every week. So far, Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry, Demario Douglas, and Gibson have had a turn. Whoever gets their turn that week has some value. No one else does—the opportunity to predict whose turn is such a fun game. 
• Jeudy's game log looks like an ACT question. His yardage totals: 25, 73, 27, 72. Complete the sequence. 
• Antonio Pierce is thrilled the Raiders could win without using Brock Bowers or Davante Adams. Meyers has 19 targets over the last two games. 
• Week 4 was a brutal win for the Chiefs as Rashee Rice suffered a season-ending knee injury. The circumstances pushed Travis Kelce back to a centerpiece. Kelce's performance indicates his slow start to the season had more to do with Rice's breakout and the team's plans to save him for the playoffs. Down Rice, Marquise Brown, and Pacheco, plans of saving players for the playoffs are over, even at 4-0. Rice is a devastating loss that shifts the entire offense. The team now needs Worthy to step up. Two tight ends could become base personnel, with Gray sitting on the fringe of roster consideration. 
• The Buffalo Bills participated in a football game on the night of September 29th against the Baltimore Ravens. The ball went to the receivers it was supposed to go to. It was a challenging game. Even if he had a tough game, Josh Allen remains good at football. You still want players who play football with him, even if they have a challenging game. 
• The Baltimore Ravens blew out the number 1 team in DVOA. Justice Hill accumulated 50% of their receiving yardage. Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews combined for one catch for ten yards. Everything about those facts should scare the heck out of the rest of the NFL. 

The Landmine Lineup

We often focus on "Spike Weeks" in fantasy football. Explosive 30+ point per game performances that win weeks almost single-handedly. Dud lineups that ruin your week are the opposite end of that spectrum. Every week, I will highlight the hypothetical Landmine Lineup. If you have started this lineup, message me, and I will feature your misfortune, and we will find a way to brighten your week!

• QB: Josh Allen - 7.3 points
• RB: Breece Hall - 3.8 points
• RB:  Zamir White - 3 points
• WR: Garrett Wilson - 7.1 points
• WR: Rome Odunze - 2 points
• WR: Zay Flowers - 2 points
• Flex: Kyle Pitts - 0 points
• TE:  Mark Andrews  - 0 points

Imagine buzzing with excitement just one month ago as you stacked the Jets' top two options with the top quarterback in fantasy (Week 17 correlation!). You took some chances on younger receivers, but the bully tight end build can help differentiate against your league. 

You just got nuked. 

This lineup, which features two consensus Top 10 fantasy picks, the number one quarterback, and two high-end tight end selections, totaled 25.2 full PPR points. I have Allen, Hall, Wilson, Pitts, and Andrews in my home dynasty league lineup. I just lost my first game of the year. Well, two games, there is no way that lineup beats the median score. 

Better. Days. Ahead.

Players who beat it: Nico Collins, Jayden Reed, Derrick Henry, D'Andre Swift, Justin Fields, Jordan Love, and Baker Mayfield.

If you started this lineup, send me a message at Bell@Footballguys.com!

Revenge! (Not sponsored by Immaculate Grid, but it could be!)

Week 4

• RB Aaron Jones, Minnesota vs. Green Bay - Won 31-29, 93 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 46 receiving yards
• WR Amari Cooper, Cleveland vs. Las Vegas - Lost 20-16, four receptions, 35 receiving yards
• QB Andy Dalton, Carolina vs. Cincinnati - Lost 34-24, 220 passing yards, two touchdowns, one interception, nine rushing yards
• TE Jonnu Smith, Miami vs. Tennessee - Monday Night
• TE Zach Ertz, Washington vs. Arizona - Won 42-14, three receptions, 22 yards
• RB Dare Ogunbowale, Houston vs. Jacksonville - Won 24-20, seven rushing yards, four receptions, 47 receiving yards, 1 game-winning touchdown
• WR Kendrick Bourne, New England vs. San Francisco - Lost 30-13 - Inactive / Injury
• TE Gerald Everett, Chicago vs. LA Rams - Won 24-18, no targets
• QB Zach Wilson, Denver vs. NY Jets - Won 10-9, DNP
• RB JaMycal Hasty, New England vs. San Francisco - Lost 30-13 - 15 rushing yards

Week 5

• WR Stefon Diggs, Houston vs. Buffalo
• WR DJ Moore, Chicago vs. Carolina
• QB Sam Darnold, Minnesota vs. NY Jets
• QB Geno Smith, Seattle vs. NY Giants
• QB Jacoby Brissett, New England vs. Miami
• TE Tyler Conklin, NY Jets vs. Minnesota
• TE Jonnu Smith, Miami vs. New England
• QB Andy Dalton, Carolina vs. Chicago
• QB Jarrett Stidham, Denver vs. Las Vegas
• WR Robert Woods, Houston vs. Buffalo
• QB Case Keenum, Houston vs. Buffalo

Prospects Of The Week

• RB Kalel Mullings, Michigan - 77 carries, 540 yards, six touchdowns
• RB Donovan Edwards, Michigan - 59 carries, 258 yards, two touchdowns
• TE Colston Loveland, Michigan - 23 receptions, 228 yards, one touchdown

#12 Michigan vs. Washington, 7:30, NBC

The calendar flips to October, and the week's marquee matchup is #11 Missouri against #24 Texas A&M. So much for Super Conferences. 

The B1G is selling a rematch of the 2023 National Championship game. Anyone following the NFL knows J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, Michael Penix Jr., Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja'Lynn Polk are gone, along with many linemen and defensive players. Not to mention, both Jim Harbaugh and Kalen DeBoer have moved on. Washington is coming off a loss to Rutgers. Times have changed.

Michigan still has talent, and it should have as a reigning national champion (for now). Loveland's 228 receiving yards is the only Wolverine over 70 yards. He is on pace as one of the top tight ends in the 2025 class. 

Mullings is interesting. Listed at 6-2 and 233 lbs, Mullings shifted from linebacker to running back in the middle of 2022. He has seized the lead role from Edwards, who many projected as a top draft prospect. We'll work on getting Mullings on Jagger May's Big Board. 

Blind Resume Answer

Bigsby held the highest ADP of the group, at 195 overall. All four players have begun to show that their production is not just a small sample of one game. Starting any in fantasy lineups is risky, but there is potential.

Footballguys' Content Spotlight

I do seven shows weekly. It is a grind. Thank you to my co-hosts, who made it all possible. Jagger May is responsible for taking the lead on The Dynasty Show. Matt Waldman is someone I admire, and I am getting to do The Audible Live, which is surreal weekly. It nods to those who worked hard to give Footballguys a great name. Devin Knotts and Phil Alexander on the DFS Show have taken a newb and accepted him with open arms. Joey Wright and Jagger are so fun on Sunday Mornings that it quiets a stressful day. Dave Kluge has been a close friend since my early time in the industry and the person most responsible for where I am. And Alfredo Brown is leading a team that pulls it all together behind the scenes. This is all pretty neat.

Deep Players To Watch On Monday Night Football

QB Tyler Snoop Huntley, Miami

How often can a team bring a former Pro Bowler in when their franchise quarterback is out?

Week 3 was a disaster for Skyler Thompson. He was removed from the 24-3 with a rib injury. It might have been mercy. His 33 pass attempts are the 35th most, but he was 19th in both sacks and quarterback hits, at six each, and his 35% pressure rate was the third highest. 

Huntley's Pro Bowl status is tongue-in-cheek. He made the event. He played passable football in spurts between 2021 and 2022, posting a 65.7% completion percentage and a 564 rushing-yard pace. The Ravens never asked him to do much, but he has held a soft spot in fantasy football's hearts since a 35.9-point performance in Week 15 in 2021. That game was the 9th highest quarterback score of that season, with 215 pass yards, two touchdowns, and 73 rushing yards, two rushing touchdown stat line that tilted some playoff outcomes. 

That is the intrigue. 

Miami is deep on playmakers who just need the ball with a chance to create. Huntley is athletic enough to take advantage of defenses in the rush game. Miami is without Tua Tagovailoa for at least three more games and has an early bye in Week 6. Their next three games, Tennessee, New England, and Indianapolis, have a combined 2-7 record. They must figure out a way to win at least two, if not all three, to keep their playoff dreams alive. 

Tennessee represents an opportunity for a narrative turnaround for the franchise. The Dolphins had the AFC East all but clinched heading into a Monday night game against the Titans in Week 14 last season, holding a three-game advantage on the Bills with five to play. The Dolphins would finish the season 2-5, losing the division to the Bills in Week 18, losing to embarrassing fashion in the playoffs against the Chiefs, and now sit 3-6 over their last nine games. Another Monday night loss to Tennessee, and 2024 may be over before it even started.