The Browns might be the division winners that we thought they could be. They’ve followed their embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Titans with wins against the Jets and Ravens to tie Baltimore for the division lead. Hooray for Cleveland! Maybe this will make up for having been a Factory of Sadness for the past two decades.
What were the headlines this week? Josh Allen got concussed. Mitch Trubisky injured his shoulder. Frank Gore joined an elite group of 15,000-yard rushers, and Leonard Fournette ran for over 200 yards without a touchdown. The Buccaneers upset the Rams, the Panthers toppled the Texans, and the Lions almost knocked off a vulnerable Kansas City. Khalil Mack and Shaquil Barrett look like defensive studs. But what does this mean for your fantasy team? Let’s find out.
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Top 5 Surprises
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers put together 55 points against Sean McVay’s Rams this weekend, and they beat the offensive guru by 15 points. Jameis Winston seems to have overcome his early-season struggles. The quarterback threw for 385 yards, four scores, and just one pick. Wide receiver Chris Godwin was his favorite target, and he caught 12 of his 14 targets for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Evans, who redeemed himself last week after a slow start to 2019, locked up four of his seven targets for 89 yards and one score. Even Ronald Jones impressed, as the back earned 70 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. While O.J. Howard owners won’t be happy with his three reception, 33-yard performance, just about every other starter on the Buccaneers’ offense looks like a valuable fantasy asset.
Wayne Gallman (RB – NYG)
I’m guilty. I didn’t believe the Gallman hype. But after his two-score, 118-yard performance, I’m starting to come around. While not every defense will play as poorly as the Redskins, Gallman should see enough volume to be an RB2 each week. No one can replace Saquon Barkley, and Gallman could have been more efficient as a runner. He turned his 18 rushing attempts into just 63 yards, only 3.5 yards per carry. That said, Gallman produced as a receiver, catching six of his seven targets and turning them into 55 yards. He’ll be up against the Vikings’ defense next week, and while they held all of the Bears’ running backs to under three yards per carry this week, they’ve also surrendered a pair of receiving touchdowns to running backs so far this season.
Leonard Fournette (RB – JAC)
Wow. Fournette rushed for a jaw-dropping 225 yards against the Broncos on 29 attempts, good for 7.8 yards per carry. His impressive stat line included a massive 81-yard rush that he couldn’t take across the goal line. The running back more than doubled his yardage total so far this season, as he entered Week 4 with just 179 total yards. While Gardner Minshew continues to develop, teams will be less able to stack the box against the former first-round pick. Next week, Fournette has a date with the Carolina Panthers who are surrendering an average of 130.8 rushing yards per game.
Nick Chubb (RB – CLE) and Jarvis Landry (WR – CLE)
Chubb and Landry combined for a whopping 350 yards and three scores against the Ravens’ defense. Chubb was the more impressive of the duo, as he earned 165 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. He also added 18 yards on three receptions, but that feels like a footnote next to his rushing stats. Landry earned 167 yards on eight receptions, and while he didn’t score, he got pushed out of bounds at the two-yard line to set up a Chubb touchdown. Baker Mayfield has been inconsistent this season, but the Browns’ offense proved that it could walk into enemy territory and put up points. The Browns have something to prove this year, and Landry and Chubb will be critical pieces moving forward.
Frank Gore (RB – BUF)
Frank the Tank is still kicking at 36 years old. The bruiser became just the fourth player to earn 15,000 rushing yards, and he now stands alongside Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Barry Sanders. Although rookie Devin Singletary may return soon, the Bills have a proven back in Gore. The veteran only totaled 109 yards on 17 carries, but he belongs on this list because of how little the Patriots’ defense had surrendered on the ground before Week 4. New England is allowing just 61.2 rushing yards per game even with the Bills game factored in. While you can chalk some of that up to game script, Gore helped to keep the Bills in this game. His 15,000th rushing yard came on a 41-yard dash that moved the Bills into field goal range.
Top 5 Disappointments
Keenan Allen (WR – LAC)
FantasyPros’ expert consensus rankings projected Allen as the WR1 this week, but the Charger only put up five receptions and 48 yards on six targets. Without Mike Williams or Travis Benjamin, fans expected Allen to go off. Unfortunately, Xavien Howard proved that the Dolphins were right to give him a $75.25 million contract before this season. The Chargers still beat the Dolphins by 20 points, but they leaned on Austin Ekeler and Dontrelle Inman to do so. Allen will look to get back on track against a surprisingly bad Broncos defense led by Vic Fangio next week.
Deshaun Watson (QB – HOU) and DeAndre Hopkins (WR – HOU)
The Carolina Panthers’ defense came to play, but I’m not sure if the Texans’ offense did the same. Watson threw the ball 33 times for just 21 completions and 160 yards, and while Hopkins led the team with five receptions, he could only turn them into 41 yards. He also threw an interception on a botched trick play. While he certainly looked better than Kenny Stills, Will Fuller, and Keke Coutee, Hopkins has not produced first-round numbers since Week 1. Hopkins has been quarterback proof in the past, but Watson now has two games with fewer than 200 passing yards and no touchdowns this season, and both of those games were at home. That said, Watson still comes with value as a runner. He has earned a rushing score in all but one game this year. I wouldn’t panic yet, and the Texans’ upcoming matchups against the Falcons and Chiefs should allow them to reassert themselves.
The Patriots’ Passing Game
The Patriots looked like the best passing offense in the league after Week 2. But now without Antonio Brown, Demaryius Thomas, and Braxton Berrios, Tom Brady’s receiving corps looks rather pedestrian. While the Bills have a good secondary that includes players like Micah Hyde and Tre’Davious White, you’d expect more than 150 passing yards from Brady and company. Julian Edelman managed just four receptions for 30 yards on seven receptions, and Josh Gordon caught three balls on seven targets for 46 yards. Phillip Dorsett only caught two of his impressive nine targets, and he turned them into just 10 yards. That said, I’m most optimistic about a rebound from Dorsett given his target share. Let’s see how the Patriots respond to a bad week on offense.
The Ravens D/ST
Do you remember when the Ravens D/ST put together decent numbers every week? Do you remember when the Browns’ offense was one to stream D/STs against? Those days, unfortunately, might be over. The Ravens lost C.J. Mosley, Eric Weddle, Za’Darius Smith, and Terrell Suggs in the offseason, and they lost nickel cornerback Tavon Young to an injury. While they kept things together in Weeks 1 and 2, the Chiefs torched them for 500+ yards last week, as did Baker Mayfield’s Browns this week. The Ravens have struggled with defensive communications, and their decision to give the microphone to safety Tony Jefferson instead of linebacker Patrick Onwuasor this week didn’t make much of a difference. Sure, the Ravens will get run-stuffer Brandon Williams back next week, but the team has failed to live up to its defensive standards of late.
Dak Prescott (QB – DAL) and Amari Cooper (WR – DAL)
The Cowboys’ offense disappointed on Sunday Night Football. Dallas scored a measly 10 points against the Saints, and neither Prescott nor Cooper crossed the goal line once. Ezekiel Elliott saved his game with a touchdown, but he earned only 35 yards on 18 carries. His 30 receiving yards and six receptions boosted his performance in PPR leagues, but it was still an ugly game for the star rusher. Prescott only put together 223 yards and an interception on 33 attempts, and Cooper had only five receptions for 48 yards. The Cowboys also struggled against the Dolphins last week, but Miami’s second-half impotence bailed them out. Elliott should rebound against the Packers’ abysmal rushing defense next week, but Jaire Alexander and Green Bay’s secondary could cause problems for Prescott and Cooper.
Key Stats
The Panthers keep giving Christian McCaffrey (RB – CAR) more touches, and he got 37 this week.
When will the wheels fall off? The Panthers talked about limiting McCaffrey’s usage during the offseason, but they’ve continued to give him more and more work through four weeks. Sure, some of it’s probably due to Cam Newton’s injury and Kyle Allen’s growing pains, but who knows how long McCaffrey can take the heat. He has 111 touches through 4 games, so we’ll have to see if he can maintain that pace.
Without penalties, Ronald Jones (RB – TB) would have had 21 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Jones looked like the better Buc running back this week. Peyton Barber earned just 19 yards on his nine attempts, and while he still managed to score, Jones’ production dwarfs that stat line. Barber’s nine carries this week are down from his 23 in Week 2, and Tampa Bay has been using Jones more and more often since then. The sophomore has just one game with fewer than 70 yards rushing this season, and time will tell if Bruce Arians intends to continue shifting the workload in his direction.
Jordan Howard (RB – PHI) logged 33 snaps to Miles Sanders’ (RB – PHI) 22 snaps.
Howard exploded for three touchdowns on Thursday Night Football. Two of these scores came on the ground, and the Eagles have frequently used him in the red zone. Howards’ usage has increased every week this season, but those touches have come at Darren Sproles’ expense. Sure, Sanders has gotten at least ten carries every game this year, and he’s averaging just over 4 yards per carry. But he hasn’t seen the end zone once, and Howard’s three rushing touchdowns and 4.65 yards per carry could earn him a more significant role in Doug Pederson’s offense.
Chris Godwin (WR – TB) is 26-386-4 on 33 targets, and Mike Evans (WR – TB) is 18-368-4 on 35.
Both Godwin and Evans have produced WR1 numbers. That said, Godwin plays with far more consistency than Evans. While both receivers have similar yardage and touchdown numbers, Godwin catches passes at a higher rate than Evans. Through four weeks, Godwin looks like the better fantasy option. While you shouldn’t have sold low on Evans after Week 2, Godwin’s emergence could cause Evans to be a bit of a fantasy headache.
Top Takeaways
Cooper Kupp (WR – LAR) is probably the Rams wide receiver to own in PPR.
Kupp has earned 11.5 targets per game through Week 4. In contrast, Robert Woods is averaging 9.5, and Brandin Cooks is averaging 7.75. Although Cooks has a higher yards per catch rate than the other two wideouts, Kupp’s massive target share has helped him earn three scores in the last two weeks. Meanwhile, neither Woods nor Cook have caught a touchdown pass since Week 2. Kupp has also put together three games with 100+ yards receiving, but Woods and Cook have only accomplished this feat once each.
The Case Keenum (QB – WAS) Era could be over.
After just four games, Jay Gruden decided to bench Keenum in favor of rookie Dwayne Haskins. Keenum threw for only 37 yards and a pick on 11 asses before getting benched, but Haskins didn’t fare much better. The Ohio State product completed nine of his 17 passing attempts, good for 107 yards, but Haskins also threw three interceptions. We’ll see who the Redskins opt to go with next week. That said, you shouldn’t consider starting either quarterback next week for fantasy purposes — the only fantasy-relevant Redskin is Terry McLaurin.
The Bears proved that Dalvin Cook (RB – MIN) could be beaten, but he still put up fantasy points.
Cook put together an acceptable fantasy performance this week. He earned 70 all-purpose yards on 14 carries and six receptions, adding a rushing score to his total. But these numbers are a far cry from his three-consecutive 100+ yard performances on the ground. Through the first three weeks, Cook had averaged 6.5 yards per carry. After this game, that rate is down to 5.7. We still haven’t seen Cook and the Vikings play from far behind, but this week proved that the Vikings will find ways to keep Cook involved when they’re playing catch-up.
The Bucs (except O.J. Howard) are going to produce some very big fantasy numbers.
You’re not hallucinating. Andrew Seifter made this same observation in this column last week, but it bears repeating. Bruce Arians’ squad just scored 55 points to topple Sean McVay, and they did so with multiple offensive playmakers. That said, Howard’s struggles through four weeks should concern his fantasy owners. Cameron Brate caught the same amount of passes as Howard did this week, but Brate notched a score while Howard did not. It might be time to panic, Howard owners.
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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.
