Ten Things We Learned In Week 4 (Fantasy Football)

Week 4 has now ended, and this week we had a lot of running backs show up, just not Jonathan Taylor. His struggles continued this week in an odd start to this year for fantasy. We had some solid performances from rookies hyped up during training camp, and many other things to talk about that happened this week. Let’s take a look at the major storylines and what we learned in Week 4 of this NFL Season!

1. Breece Hall Could Be Taking Over As The Jets RB1

In Week 4, Breece Hall seemingly took over RB1 responsibilities for the Jets. Hall had 17 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was at the end of the game, and ended up clinching the win for the Jets. He also caught 2-of-6 targets for 12 yards. Another good sign is that Hall was still receiving six targets in Zach Wilson‘s return to the field since he often slings it down the field. Michael Carter saw only nine carries and rushed for 15 yards. Carter caught 2-of-3 targets for 14 yards. Hall has been more efficient and looked like the better back, and he finally received a heavy workload in Week 4. Per this tweet by Dwain McFarland, the wait for Hall to take over as RB1 for the Jets may finally be over.

Breece Hall's utilization is in RB1 territory, y'all. 😤

Week 4 👀👀👀

66% snaps
65% rush atts
61% route participation
47% 2-min offense
71% long-down distance
100% short yardage
100% inside 5
100% inside 10

Data per PFF 🥇

— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) October 2, 2022

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2. J.K. Dobbins Can Be Trusted In Fantasy Lineups As An RB2

J.K. Dobbins looked good in Week 4 against the Bills and is currently the RB9 on the week. Dobbins rushed 13 times for 41 yards and a touchdown and caught 4-of-4 targets for 22 yards and another touchdown. He seems healthy, so going forward, he should be a solid RB2 option with a top-12 upside every week. Dobbins may not see a ton of volume, and Lamar Jackson will surely take away some of his upside, but with how the Ravens have played, Dobbins can be trusted in fantasy lineups.

3. T.J. Hockenson Thrives Without Amon-Ra St. Brown and D’Andre Swift

The Detroit Lions were in a shootout with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, and T.J. Hockenson had a career day. Hockenson caught 8-of-12 targets for 179 yards and two touchdowns on his way to 35.9 fantasy points. He put on a week-winning performance with Amon-Ra St. Brown sidelined due to an injury. Hockenson has been inconsistent throughout his career, so it’s unlikely he will have these high-scoring weeks frequently, especially when St. Brown returns to the field.

4. Gabriel Davis Is A Risky Start

One of the off-season’s biggest debates was about Gabe Davis and whether or not he could take the next step and become a fantasy star. So far, in 2022, he has been a dud. In Week 4, Davis was only targeted three times and caught one pass for 13 yards. Davis only had an 8.8% target share in Week 4, which was lower than Isaiah McKenzie, who had a 17.6% target share. Davis did miss Week 3 due to an injury, so there may be some limitations there. However, until proven otherwise, McKenzie may be more involved in the offense. Davis’ fantasy success will likely be touchdown and big-play dependent. He may be more of a flex play and a WR3 with upside since he plays in one of the best offenses in the NFL.

5. The Hall Of Fame Game Was Not A Big Deal For Josh Jacobs

The Hall of Fame game tanked Josh Jacobs‘ fantasy outlooks and value for fantasy managers. The fact that he played in such a meaningless game had fantasy managers wanting nothing to do with drafting him. However, this season, Jacobs has again become a value. He has back-to-back top-12 weeks and is seeing a good volume. In Week 4, Jacobs had 28 carries for 144 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 5-of-6 targets for 31 yards. He has back-to-back weeks with five catches for 31 yards, which is promising for his fantasy production. Zamir White only saw two carries in Week 4, so he doesn’t seem like an imminent threat to Jacobs’ workload. Jacobs’ value is rising, and he should be confidently started as an RB2.

6. DK Metcalf Was Worth Drafting

Fantasy managers were scared off drafting DK Metcalf due to Russell Wilson‘s departure to Denver. Geno Smith has been pretty good, and Metcalf is still a beast on the field. He caught 7-of-10 targets for 149 yards and scored 18.4 fantasy points. While his upside may not be the same with Geno as it was with Russ, it’s a relief that he can still perform and perform well. He will have his ups and downs this season, but Metcalf is well worth a start in good matchups.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

7. Dameon Pierce Was Worth The Hype

The Houston Texans‘ rookie running back was a hot topic this off-season, but he seems to be the real deal. In Week 4, Pierce rushed 14 times for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also caught 6-of-6 targets but only had eight receiving yards. The Texans may have found a gem in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and fantasy managers should be thrilled with his performance this season. Pierce has back-to-back games with 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. He is explosive and showed that with a 75-yard touchdown run in Week 4. Those who believed in Pierce are going to be rewarded.

8. Romeo Doubs Is Now A Solid Flex Play

Romeo Doubs was another rookie that received plenty of training camp hype this off-season. He has climbed the depth chart and seems to have earned Aaron Rodger’s trust while becoming a solid part of the offense. Doubs ran the most routes for the Packers in Week 4 and has now become a solid flex play. He caught 5-of-8 targets for 47 yards and a touchdown but was close to having a bigger day but failed to complete a long touchdown reception at the end of the game. Doubs is already commanding targets in this Green Bay offense, and he may get better throughout the season and become one of the best waiver wire acquisitions of the year.

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9. Kenny Pickett Gets His Shot To Take Over In Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers benched Mitchell Trubisky at half-time in their Week 4 matchup against the Jets. Pickett had ups and downs, completing 10-of-13 pass attempts for 120 yards and throwing for three interceptions. Pickett had six rush attempts for 15 yards and two touchdowns. For now, the Steelers’ offense has become a situation to avoid, with most of their players struggling for fantasy purposes. Najee Harris has yet to score 12 fantasy points in half-point PPR scoring. Diontae Johnson has seen plenty of volume for the most part but has yet to score a touchdown. While this offense tries to find an identity with Pickett, things are unlikely to get better for the Steelers’ stars and will be hard to trust in fantasy lineups.

10. London Games May Come With Surprises

Alvin Kamara was a surprise inactive in Week 4, and many fantasy managers didn’t know he was out until it was too late and were stuck with a goose egg in their lineup. Luckily, we only have a couple more London games where we must be wary of these things. The Packers take on the Giants in Week 5, and the Jaguars take on the Broncos in Week 8. It may be worth setting your alarm clock just a bit before game time to ensure you don’t get stuck with a goose egg in your lineup.