Injury Roundup
QB Daniel Jones - New York Giants
Ankle injury: Considered day-to-day
QB Brian Hoyer - New England Patriots
Head injury: Traveled home with team, not expected to miss time
QB Tua Tagovailoa - Miami Dolphins
Concussion: Ruled out for Week 5. Length of absence unknown.
RB Jonathon Taylor - Indianapolis Colts
Ankle Injury: No indication of severity, could miss TNF with a short week
RB Javonte Williams - Denver Broncos
ACL tear: Out for the season
WR Treylon Burks - Tennessee Titans
Turf Toe: Expected to miss multiple weeks, HC Mike Vrabel did not give a timetable
WR Jahan Dotson - Washington Commanders
Hamstring: Severity unknown, reports say he could ‘miss a week or two’
RB Cordarrelle Patterson - Atlanta Falcons
Knee Surgery: Placed on IR. Will miss at least 4 weeks.
WR Rashod Bateman - Baltimore Ravens
Foot Injury: Missed 4th quarter. Not expected to be a serious injury.
Game Recaps
Vikings @ Saints
It’s the Justin Jefferson Show
Sporting News
Justin Jefferson returned to form in London totaling 10 receptions for 147 receiving yards and a rushing TD. Meanwhile, WR K.J. Osborn and TE Irv Smith Jr., two popular late round targets in fantasy football with the idea that the Minnesota Vikings were shaping up to be a pass-heavy offense that ran 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) often under new HC Kevin O’Connell, continue to disappoint. Adam Thielen is a WR3 in PPR, while Osborn ranks just inside the top-60. Smith Jr. is a TE2, averaging as many PPR points as Kyle Pitts. None of the receivers on this offense are worth starting outside of Jefferson and Thielen.
Seahawks @ Lions
Fantasy Feast
These are the matchups we dream of. Two terrible defenses and two offenses with average QBs and great receivers. Even with Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift out for Detroit, the team force-fed TE T.J. Hockenson for a career day. RB Jamaal Williams also benefited from being the main back. For Seattle, Rashaad Penny finally took advantage of a good matchup and exploded while Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf carved the Lions through the air. Continue to fire up your studs against either of these opposing defenses.
Jets @ Steelers
Jets Offense Still Fantasy Relevant
Zach Wilson returned this week and the Jets offense continued to support multiple fantasy relevant players. After Joe Flacco threw 59, 44, and 52 times in his three starts, Wilson threw only 38 times. Corey Davis was a WR1 while fellow WRs Elijah Moore and Garrett Wilson finished top-42. Breece Hall was a high-end RB2 and Tyler Conklin was nearly a TE1. Flacco’s volume was absurd and we knew the Jets overall pass attempts would go down eventually. Breece Hall and Tyler Conklin have safe, consistent roles in this offense. The talented WR room will continue to command targets but the big games may be hard to predict.
Kenny Pickett Provides a Spark
Mitch Trubisky was never the long-term answer for this Steelers team. Following another paltry performance, Trubisky was replaced at halftime for 1st round pick, Kenny Pickett. Immediately, the team appeared much more explosive and fearless. While the rookie did throw 3 interceptions, he was not to blame for all of them. One came on a bobbled target to Chase Claypool and another was on a hail mary attempt at the end of the game. Outside of the interceptions, Pickett completed every pass attempt. OC Matt Canada is still a detriment to the team with his lack of creativity and documented unwillingness to allow the starting QB to change plays very often. Until Canada is gone or changes completely, the offense will still be bottom-10 but the Steelers should continue to roll with Pickett.
The Dawg in Pickens
George Pickens is the embodiment of AFC North football. Pickens is a rookie who is willing to do anything to win. He’ll push, shove, and put his whole body into every route and catch. The Steelers are catching on to how talented and feisty he is, as his 8 targets led the WRs this week. He’s going to be the WR2 over Chase Claypool and will outscore Diontae Johnson again in the future.
Bears @ Giants
Justin Fields Finally Throwing
174. That is how many yards Justin Fields threw for in the loss to the Giants on Sunday. That is also more than he totaled the first two weeks of the season combined. The Bears ran the ball 32 times and the only beneficiary of Fields’ slightly increased passing volume was Darnell Mooney. Mooney caught 4 of his 5 targets for 94 yards against a terrible Giants pass defense. If this is what the best case scenario looks like, Mooney is starting to become droppable in 12-team leagues. Justin Fields should not be on teams.
Which Giants Receivers to Roster?
Daniel Jones did his best Justin Fields impression, only throwing 13 times the entire game. The Giants didn’t need to do much passing, though, as Saquon Barkley took advantage of a juicy matchup and ran for 146 yards. With so few targets to go around, it’s difficult to pinpoint the best Giants players to roster following Sterling Shepard's ACL injury. To make things even more complicated, Kadarius Toney and Wan’Dale Robinson missed this game. Wait this out until at least next week. You won’t be missing out on much but rookie TE Daniel Bellinger is emerging as a decent floor option in deeper leagues. He caught all 3 of his targets for 23 yards for an 18.75% target share and 28% yardage share.
Titans @ Colts
The Return of the King
Derrick Henry may not be the favorite to lead the league in rushing yards this year but he is heating up. King Henry ran 22 times for 114 yards and a TD against a Colts defense that was 3rd in EPA against the run heading into Sunday’s game. He’s currently 11th in the league in rushing yards and will continue to climb the ladder when healthy. Few RBs are in a situation where they get as much volume as Henry.
Commanders @ Cowboys
CeeDee Lamb Proves the Doubters Wrong
Lamb was a polarizing player in fantasy football circles this off-season. The departure of WR Amari Cooper meant Lamb would be the true WR1 and the focal point of this passing offense. A 2 catch 29 yard Week 1 performance called his ability to operate as a main option into questions, but his 11 targets in that game did keep some optimism on the table. He continued to see double-digit targets until the next several weeks and while he did not reach that threshold in Week 4, he did catch 6 of his 8 targets for 97 yards and a TD. Lamb is the PPR WR5 over the past three weeks, pending MNF. Continue to fire him up as an elite option, especially with Dak Prescott set to return soon.
Bills @ Ravens
A Healthy J.K. Dobbins
Don’t worry Ravens fans, I won’t mention the massive lead your team just blew. There is actually reason for hope because this offense is getting even better. J.K. Dobbins missed the 2021 season with a torn ACL and finally returned to the field in Week 3. It seems he shook off any rust he had in that game because he started to look like a true RB1 that this offense desperately needed this week against Buffalo. Back in 2019, when the Ravens broke team rushing records with seemingly little effort, part of their success came from having multiple viable RBs along with Lamar’s rushing abilities. 13 rushes for 41 yards and a TD may not seem like much for Dobbins when the Ravens finished with 162 rushing yards on the day, but he looked better and contributed 2 TDs. Dobbins will not have a massive workload every week but he contributes to the team effort and adds value through the air. Lamar Jackson’s MVP campaign is alive and well and Dobbins is going to be a key part of it.
Cardinals @ Panthers
McCaffrey and Moore Deserve Better
Baker Mayfield gets handed games on a silver platter and then immediately throws them away like some twisted game of hot potato. Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, the Panthers defense and the entire state of North Carolina all deserve better. McCaffrey only received 17 touches but salvaged his day saved thanks to a late TD, while D.J. Moore only managed 50 yards on 6 receptions. The Cardinals were 31st in EPA against the pass heading into this game but Mayfield could still not find any room to operate. This offense is sad to watch. Sam Darnold can be activated off of the IR this week and he should be given a chance to start when he’s fully healthy.
Broncos @ Raiders
Melvin Gordon or Mike Boone?
Javonte Williams will miss the rest of the 2022 season with an ACL tear, opening the door for another RB to take over this backfield. Melvin Gordon III is the obvious choice but Mike Boone got the majority of snaps once Williams got hurt on Sunday. Granted, Gordon did lose a fumble prior to losing snaps to Boone, but he has fumbled 5 times this year already and has lost 3 of them. Gordon is still the starter but his upside is capped for as long as this case of butter fingers remains. Both backs should be added this week but neither will be particularly consistent.
Patriots @ Packers
Rhamondre StevenSZN
The Green Bay Packers were the biggest betting favorites in the NFL this week. They did not come close to covering their 9.5 point spread and were even close to losing to the Patriots before winning on an OT field goal. Brian Hoyer, who took over for an injured Mac Jones, got hurt himself and was replaced by 4th round rookie Bailey Zappe early in the game. Zappe played very safe but he was not the reason the Patriots were able to keep up offensively. Sophomore RB Rhamondre Stevenson split carries with Damien Harris and gathered 66 yards on 14 carries, while adding another 23 through the air. Damien Harris led the team in carries and rushing yards but Rhamondre is a youngster who has continued to impress. Even with New England’s uninspiring passing attack, these RBs are worth starting in your leagues and should continue to pester opponents.
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By Themi Michalakis
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.