Week four of the NFL season has already brought new injuries that are shaking up the NFL landscape. Rashee Rice is feared to have a torn ACL, while others such as Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, Christian Watson, and Malik Nabers left and did not return to their respective games. Additionally bye weeks are upon us with the Lions, Chargers, Eagles, and Titans having week five byes. If you have any questions on who to add or drop, or want personalized team advice, click the link below and shoot me a message on Discord!
Quarterback Targets
Sam Darnold (44%)
This is now the third time in four weeks that I’ve written about Sam Darnold. If he is still available in your league, he shouldn’t be, but in ESPN leagues, he is still available in more than 50% of leagues. He’s doing exactly what Kirk Cousins did last season in Minnesota before his injury – posting a top-five campaign. Not much more needs to be said about this Vikings team and their early success. If you’re in need of a quarterback and Darnold is available, he’s an obvious pickup.
Joe Flacco (0.2%)
I don’t know if Anthony Richardson will be out long-term, but if he isn’t now, he may still be later in the season, so Flacco is a name to keep an eye on. We all saw what he did last year in Cleveland, and yesterday, the Colts offense had a rhythm with Flacco at the helm that they did not have with Richardson. Indianapolis turns into a similar offense to what they had last year when Gardner Minshew was at quarterback, but seemingly better. Pittsburgh has one of the best defenses in the league, and Flacco was still able to find success. If he ever finds himself in charge of the offense for multiple weeks at at time, he would be a great play.
Running Back Targets
Kareem Hunt (21%)
I’ll admit that I’m a fan of Kareem Hunt in fantasy football. I had him when he was paired with Nick Chubb and he was great in PPR leagues. After Carson Steele had another fumble, it was clear that Hunt was the lead back for the day. With such a short time in the building and only his first NFL game back, Hunt exceeded my expectations for him. It seems like Pacheco will be out for at least 6-8 weeks, which is roughly half the fantasy football season. With Rashee Rice potentially out as well, the offense is going to have to change. I think Travis Kelce will become the primary look on offense again, but with teams likely keying on him defensively, Hunt should be able to get some check-down receptions in addition to his solid carry volume. I am envisioning an RB2 finish for Hunt for however long Pacheco remains sidelined.
Emanuel Wilson (9%)
Wilson’s sub-par fantasy showing was largely due to the fact that Green Bay found themselves in a 28-0 hole and had to rely on their passing game. Green Bay threw the ball on 74% of their plays, which made for a slow day for their running backs. Nevertheless, Wilson found himself playing on roughly 40% of Green Bay’s offensive plays while only having one fewer carry than Josh Jacobs. He’s certainly still the backup, but Wilson is slowly getting more looks and is a great handcuff to have as well.
Wide Receiver Targets
Wan’Dale Robinson (27%)
Last week I wrote that Robinson averaged eight targets per game. After this week that number is now 9.5 Not only is Robinson becoming an extremely reliable WR2 for the Giants, he is currently a WR2 in PPR leagues. Not only should Robinson be rostered, he should be starting in all PPR leagues. With Nabers rightfully getting all the attention of the defense, there’s no reason to think that Robinson will slow down anytime soon.
Jordan Whittington (4%)
Whittington was a popular waiver wire pickup after the injuries to Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp but has seen his roster percentage decline after posting uninspiring weeks two and three. This week was a bit of a bounce back, with Whittington catching 6 of his eight targets. More significantly, Whittington saw his snap percentage jump drastically. He was on the field for 44% of the team’s snaps between weeks 2 and 3 but then saw that number jump to 97%. As his numbers have risen, Tyler Johnson’s have fallen, and I think Whittington will continue to get looks as long as Nacua and Kupp are out. Keep an eye out for Kupp's injury news, however, as the team has a week six bye, and he could be coming back after that.
Dontayvion Wicks (10%)
This recommendation comes with a couple of caveats. First, I’m not buying Wicks expecting the same kind of target volume (13) from this week or touchdowns (2) moving forward. The Packers threw the ball on 74% of their plays as they were playing from behind and are unlikely to do that very often. Having said that, Christian Watson is hurt, which immediately provides more targets for guys like Wicks, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed. Wicks is likely a boom-or-bust player, but the upcoming schedule is favorable. In the next five weeks, the Packers don’t play any defenses that are in the top half of points allowed to wide receivers. Three of the next five teams are in the top 10 of most points allowed to wide receivers so far this season.
Tight End Targets
Tyler Conklin (28%)
I listed Conklin last week and am sticking with it this week. Tight end is a wasteland right now, but even in a poor offensive performance by the Jets as a whole, Conklin saw 8 targets. He is continuing to get more looks and I am optimistic that the offense will improve over the course of the season leading to more opportunities for everyone involved.
Cade Otton (6%)
Otton is another tight end with a recent increase in target share. After eight targets in week three, he had nine in week four. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are still the focal points of the Tampa Bay offense, but that opens up opportunities for Otton, who seems to have a great connection with Baker Mayfield. I first noticed it during the playoffs last season when Otton received 19 targets over two games, catching 13. That connection is on display over the last two games as well, with Otton seeing 17 targets over the last two games.