Week 4 Fantasy Football Studs
It’s officially pumpkin spice season! Whether you participate in the cultural tradition of flavoring everything like your favorite gourd or not, hopefully your fantasy lineup was spiced up with a few of the studs from Week 4. The games themselves led to some unexpected results. Let’s take a look and see if the studs were the usual suspects or if we have any surprises there.
Make sure you listen to today’s podcast where Andy, Mike, and Jason discuss Week 4’s studs and read up on the Week 4 Duds.
Quarterbacks
Deshaun Watson vs TEN
283 passing yards, 4 TDs, INT, 24 rushing yards, TD
A fistful of TDs is enough to make any owner who was desperate enough to start the rookie signal caller happy. This is the recipe for a successful rookie season; mobile QB, trusted target in the passing game, tough defense. The Texans have it set up perfectly.
Cam Newton @ NE
316 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT, 44 rushing yards, TD
In fantasy football, we love our rules. Rule 86, start defenses against Blake Bortles, avoid Thursday Night games if possible and now we can add ‘start everyone against the Patriots defense’ to the list.
Andy Dalton @ CLE
286 passing yards, 4 TDs, 29 rushing yards, fumble
It’s hard to tell if the Bengals are on track offensively because of the Packers and Browns defenses, or if it is because of the change in offensive philosophy. One thing is for sure, Dalton owners aren’t complaining.
Jameis Winston vs NYG
332 passing yards, 3 TDs, 12 rushing yards
When this game kicked off in a downpour it looked like the fantasy production was going to get washed away for the Bucs and Giants. But once the rain stopped, the fantasy points began to rain down, with Winston as a primary beneficiary.
Eli Manning @ TB
288 passing yards, 2 TDs, 22 rushing yards, TD
Like I was saying about the rain… when it rains, it pours. Eli even managed a rushing TD.
Russell Wilson vs IND
295 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 38 rushing yards, TD
Wilson excelled in the 2nd half doing what many expected he should do against the Colts defense.
Aaron Rodgers vs CHI
179 passing yards, 4 TDs
Once again, Aaron Rodgers showed that he is the most efficient fantasy QB in the league. It helped his cause that RBs Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams left this game with injuries so the TDs were going to come through the air almost by default. Not that Rodgers needs any help.
Dak Prescott vs LAR
252 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT, 25 rushing yards
When both Dak and Zeke have stud worthy days for fantasy, you’d assume the Cowboys got the W. Unfortunately, their offensive success was not enough to matchup with the most productive offense in the league, the Rams. No, seriously.
Running Backs
Le’Veon Bell @ BAL
35 carries, 144 passing yards, 2 TDs, 4 receptions, 42 receiving yards
The Steelers were bringing Bell along slowly following his holdout. Emphasis on “were”.
Todd Gurley @ DAL
23 carries, 121 rushing yards, 7 receptions, 94 receiving yards, TD
I guess we can stop with all of the ‘Trent Richardson bust’ style comparisons.
Ezekiel Elliott vs LAR
21 carries, 85 rushing yards, TD, 4 receptions, 54 receiving yards, TD
Hopefully, for his owners, this wasn’t the last good fantasy day for Elliott for a while. By the time you read this article we may have a definitive answer on his suspension case. Or not.
Lamar Miller vs TEN
19 carries, 75 rushing yards, TD, 4 receptions, 56 receiving yards, TD
Winning game scripts and good defense aren’t just good for young QBs. The RBs don’t mind either.
Bob Levey/ Getty Images
Bilal Powell vs JAX
21 carries, 163 rushing yards, TD, 4 receptions, 27 receiving yards
If the Jets are trying to get the number 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft, somebody forgot to tell Powell.
Leonard Fournette @ NYJ
24 carries, 86 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 59 receiving yards, TD
The rushing efficiency isn’t ideal, but the volume is. Owners have to be encouraged by Fournette’s involvement in the passing game as well. This will insulate him in those games when Bortles is going to Bortles.
Alvin Kamara @ MIA (London)
5 carries, 25 rushing yards, 10 receptions, 71 receiving yards, TD
It’s pronounced “camera”.
Ok, so that’s not true. But what is true is that Kamara looked great and caught all 10 of his targets. He is fitting the pass-catching role in this offense perfectly.
Wide Receivers
Devin Funchess @ NE
7 receptions, 70 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 9 targets
I’m telling you, they should etch this rule in stone: “Start everyone against the Patriots defense.” And on the back of the stone tablet, they should inscribe: “No exceptions.”
DeAndre Hopkins vs TEN
10 receptions, 107 receiving yards, TD, 12 targets
Hopkins is the most targeted player in the league through 4 weeks. It isn’t close and it doesn’t look like it’s going to change anytime soon. The Titans had no answers.
Jordy Nelson vs CHI
4 receptions, 75 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 7 targets
If you were up against the Rodgers-Nelson stack in any of your leagues, my condolences. At least you weren’t alone. This one got me too.
Tyrell Williams vs PHI
5 receptions, 115 passing yards, TD, 6 targets
The Eagles were supposed to have a solid secondary this season with the addition of Ronald Darby. But in his absence, they have been exposed as of late.
Michael Thomas @ MIA (London)
8 receptions 89 receiving yards, TD, 11 targets
Solid stat line from a solid WR.
Will Fuller V vs TEN
4 receptions, 35 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 6 targets
Careful…
Keenan Allen vs PHI
5 receptions, 138 receiving yards, 11 targets
Even Keenan Allen got loose against the Eagles secondary. Usually the possession type receiver in the Chargers offense, Allen got deep a handful of times on Sunday.
Tight Ends
Tyler Kroft @ CLE
6 receptions, 68 receiving yards, 2 TDs
It’s a good thing for the Bengals that they had a spare Tyler laying around to plug in when Eifert went down.
Jason Miller/ Getty Images
Cameron Brate vs NYG
4 receptions, 80 receiving yards, TD, 6 targets
I guess we will have the Bucs TEs to thank for another week of lame puns/rhymes like “Make TEs Brate Again” or “The Juice is loose”.
A.J. Derby vs OAK
4 receptions, 75 receiving yards, TD, 6 targets
A.J. Derby is a Tight End in the National Football League. He is under contract with the Denver Broncos.
There, now you don’t have to Google him.
Charles Clay @ ATL
5 receptions, 112 receiving yards, 7 targets
Clay and McCoy are this offense. He’s going to have some useful days, but his yardage total was extra nice.
Kickers
Greg Zuerlein @ DAL
7/7 FGs, 2/2 XPs
Greg Zuerlein was the Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Kicker of the Week on Sunday.
Honorable Mentions
Tom Brady vs CAR
307 passing yards, 2 TDs
Philip Rivers vs PHI
347 passing yards, 2 TDs, fumble
Drew Brees @ MIA (London)
268 passing yards, 2 TDs
Jared Goff @ DAL
255 passing yards, 2 TDs
Elijah McGuire vs JAX
10 carries, 93 rushing yards, TD, 2 receptions, 38 receiving yards
Ameer Abdullah @ MIN
20 carries, 94 rushing yards, TD, 3 receptions, 15 receiving yards
Duke Johnson Jr. vs CIN
4 carries, 13 rushing yards, TD, 9 receptions, 47 receiving yards
Tevin Coleman vs BUF
9 carries, 79 rushing yards, 4 receptions, 65 receiving yards
LeGarrette Blount @ LAC
16 carries, 136 rushing yards, 1 reception, 20 receiving yards
Mike Evans vs NYG
5 receptions, 67 receiving yards, TD, 11 targets
A.J. Green @ CLE
5 receptions, 63 receiving yards, TD, 7 targets
Mike Wallace vs PIT
6 receptions, 55 receiving yards, TD, 10 targets
Chris Hogan vs CAR
5 receptions, 60 receiving yards, TD, 9 targets
Jaron Brown vs SF
8 receptions, 105 receiving yards, 12 targets
Cooper Kupp @ DAL
5 receptions, 60 receiving yards, 7 targets