Devonta Freeman was a stud for the second week in a row

Here’s a look at the studs and duds of the fourth week of the NFL season.

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*Points represent standard scoring

Week 4: Studs

Devonta Freeman – RB – ATL
14 carries, 68 yards, 3 TDs, 5 catches, 81 yards (32 points)

Thought Devonta Freeman‘s performance last week was just a fluke? Think again. Freeman once again was dominant with the help of another great offensive line performance. In these last two weeks, Freeman now has 342 total yards, and 6 TDs, which will be good for the most fantasy points at his position so far this season. He runs with fantastic vision and surprising power to finish his runs, and he has really exploded onto the scene in such a short time. The Falcons offensive line was a real question mark before the season began, but Kyle Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme has been fantastic. Freeman may be small, but he has all of the tools and the mindset to be a very productive back as the year goes on.

Moving forward: Now that we have seen two great performances in a row from the second-year man out of Florida State, we can now begin to trust his production more. Freeman is also very active in the passing game, which adds even more to his value in PPR formats. Rookie RB Tevin Coleman will be returning from his rib injury soon, but with what we’ve seen from Freeman in these last two games, I doubt Coleman will be the designated starter again unless an injury occurs. The Falcons take on a pretty good run defense in the Redskins next week, but don’t let that scare you. Freeman is a high RB2 as this offense continues to fire on all cylinders.

Philip Rivers – QB – SD
23/38, 358 yards, 3 TDs (26 points)

Philip Rivers put together his best performance of the season so far in the Chargers win over the Browns. Rivers has struggled a bit in the touchdown department, but this week was more of the vintage Rivers we are used to. He hooked up with WR Keenan Allen on a beautiful 28-yard fade to the end zone in the first quarter, and was hot from then on. Hopefully he has gotten rid of his offseason rust and is ready to start producing like this more frequently. The Chargers didn’t muster much of a running game, but Rivers was able to carry the offense in a close win.

Moving forward: The Chargers were down a few starting offensive lineman, so this was quite an impressive performance. Rivers looked to be in mid-season form on Sunday, and his down-field accuracy is extremely lethal. Allen is off to one of the best starts at his position around the league, so far showing great chemistry with Rivers. Rivers is a very solid QB1 next week as the Chargers take on a struggling Steelers secondary.

Chris Ivory – RB – NYJ
29 carries, 166 yards, 1 TD (22 points)

Chris Ivory continued his good season on Sunday with a 22-point performance against the Dolphins struggling defense in London. Ivory missed last weeks game with an injury, but really made up for it with this showing. The Jets right side of their offensive line was dominant all game long, and Ivory showed great patience and vision racking up a career high 166 yards on the day. Nobody really expected the Jets offense to play this well, but Ivory has been the biggest beneficiary of their early success.

Moving forward: Ivory has always been a solid back, he just hasn’t been able to combine being healthy with good opportunities in one season. If Ivory can stay healthy, he’s on pace for over 1,250 yards and 12 TDs. The Jets passing game has really helped the team be able to run the ball, not allowing teams to load the box to stop the running game. The Jets have a bye week next week, but that’ll come at a good time for Ivory to rest up and fully get over his groin/quad injury. He will be a solid RB2 in the Jets next game against the Redskins.

Honorable Mentios: 

• Jeremy Hill – RB – CIN
• Tavon Austin – WR –  STL
• Cairo Santos – K – KC

Week 4: Duds

Odell Beckham Jr. – WR- NYG
5 catches, 38 yards (3 points)

It’s been an up and down year so far for Odell Beckham Jr., and this Sunday was another down. He was targeted 12 times on the afternoon, but the Bills took away everything downfield, limiting him to only 38 yards on five catches. This was a tough match-up for Beckham with such a good defense, but at least the Giants tried to get him the ball often. It’s nearly impossible to predict how much press coverage he will see week by week, but it’s clear that teams want to get their hands on him at the line of scrimmage often to get him off of his routes. This is simply just a bump in the road however, so stay patient with the young star receiver.

Moving forward: It’s not the end of the world for owners, especially after having two games in row with scores. You need to remember that even with his skill that he is a second-year receiver who is still learning. The Giants tried to get him the ball often this week, but it just didn’t produce the typical results we are used to seeing. Beckham Jr. is one of the most talented young receivers in the NFL, and his skill will not be held down for much longer. Beckham Jr. is a solid WR1 option next week against the 49ers.

Randall Cobb – WR –  GB
5 catches, 44 yards (4 points)

Randall Cobb was off to a great start this year, but was mostly held in check on Sunday afternoon by the 49ers defense. Like Beckham Jr., Cobb was targeted often during the game, just wasn’t able to produce much. This comes as a surprise considering how much the Packers have relied on him with the injuries they’ve had at the wide receiver position, but the 49ers played great defense all game long, only allowing 17 points to one of the best offenses in the league. Cobb did miss some snaps with what appeared to be a shoulder injury, so that will be something to monitor throughout the week.

Moving forward: Assuming the shoulder won’t bother him too much, Cobb is the best target available for the best quarterback in football, which is extremely valuable. Cobb is such a precise route runner, and is a lot tougher than people realize. The Packers will be matched up with a tough Rams defense next week, including a ferocious pass rush. Expect the Packers to try and attack them with short throws, which is right in the wheelhouse of Cobb. He will be a solid WR1 for this match-up assuming the shoulder injury doesn’t limit him.

Carlos Hyde – RB – SF
8 carries, 20 yards, 1 catch, 2 yards (2 points)

The 49ers were expected to attack the Packers with a heavy dose of Carlos Hyde on Sunday, but that didn’t happen. The 49ers got behind early, but they really abandoned the running game way too soon. The weakness of the Packers defense in years past has been the run defense, so it was surprising to see Hyde only receive eight carries. Teams are realizing just how poorly QB Colin Kaepernick has been playing this season, and are loading the box at will to dare him to throw. Hyde has a lot of talent, but he’s struggling in this tough situation.

Moving forward: We know how talented Hyde is, he’s just simply not getting many opportunities right now. Unfortunately, now that teams have seen success by selling out to stop the run, Hyde will likely be seeing more and more eight-man boxes. The 49ers head to New York to take on the Giants next Sunday night. The Giants have been pretty solid against the run, so unless Kaepernick can start making plays with his arm, expect another tough challenge for Hyde next week. He will be a fair RB2 option in that contest.

“Not So” Honorable mentions

• C.J. Anderson – RB – DEN
• Travis Kelce – TE – KC
• Julio Jones – WR – ATL

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Justin Dade is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Justin, check out his archive and follow him on Twitter @jcdfantasy.