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What Mattered in Week 4

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.

35 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Oct 6, 2026
Published
Tue, October 6, 2026
54
Player insights
49
Players mentioned
Topics
Bucky IrvingJalen RoyalsKyren WilliamsRashee RiceTyler HigbeeBraelon AllenBrock BowersCarnell TateChris BrooksChristian McCaffreyCourtland SuttonCyrus AllenDalton KincaidDavid Montgomery
Player analysis

Player insights

54

Braelon Allen

PositiveRole12:07

Braylon Allen handled every Jets running back touch, including 14 carries and two targets. He is trending toward being a startable low-end RB2 in better game scripts for the Jets.

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Brock Bowers

PositiveUsage26:53

Brock Bowers is effectively functioning as a wide receiver in the Raiders' offense, though dynasty managers should monitor potential positional designation changes.

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Bucky Irving

NegativeUsage21:29

Bucky Irving is losing high-value touches to Kenneth Gainwell and Sean Tucker, including all goal-line, long down-and-distance, and two-minute drill work, making it difficult for him to produce without high efficiency.

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NegativeUsage21:57

Bucky Irving faces a difficult path to fantasy relevance because he lacks passing-down work and goal-line opportunities. He must be incredibly efficient to produce, and he lacks the elite profile of players like Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs.

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Carnell Tate

PositiveBreakout3:33

Carnell Tate has firmly moved into the WR27-WR45 range after a breakout performance of nine receptions for 145 yards, commanding a 44% target share and 68% of team air yards. He is now a viable weekly starter.

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Chris Brooks

NegativeInjury20:20

Chris Brooks suffered an ankle injury in the first half of the Week 4 game and did not return.

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Christian McCaffrey

NegativeProjection30:58

There is official concern that McCaffrey is no longer the elite 'Run CMC' of the past and has regressed to being just an average player.

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Courtland Sutton

NegativeProjection30:26

Sutton's fantasy value is tied to the Broncos' struggling offense and Bo Nix's poor play, with Rashad Whiteout. Austin Eckler questioning if any value can be salvaged.

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Cyrus Allen

PositiveSleeper25:12

Cyrus Allen is a potential waiver wire pickup for the Chiefs, as he conceptually has a better chance to earn targets than other depth options in the offense.

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Dalton Kincaid

NegativeUsage9:09

Dalton Kincaid's usage is trending downward, with his route participation dropping significantly over the last two games compared to his early-season 70%+ rate. With Dawson Knox playing more snaps and Kincaid running only 20 routes, there is cause for mild panic.

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David Montgomery

NegativeBust22:29

David Montgomery appears to be an extreme dead-zone running back. Woody Marks is outplaying him, scoring touchdowns inside the 10-yard line and appearing to be the more effective player. Montgomery's fantasy outlook is bleak, with a modal outcome of roughly 6 points per week.

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Drake Maye

PositiveProjection6:56

Drake May showed significant momentum and confidence, scoring 27 fantasy points with two big-time throws and 54 rushing yards. This performance is a massive win for his outlook, especially with AJ Brown expected to return.

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Emanuel Wilson

PositiveUsage29:09

Wilson dominated the backfield with 21 rushes for 81 yards and a touchdown (70% of team carries) plus a 21% target share; he is a top-20 RB play while Jadarian Price is sidelined.

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George Pickens

NegativeValue20:36

There is growing concern regarding George Pickens' ability to pay off his second or third-round ADP. While his route rate is high (92%), he is being significantly out-targeted by CeeDee Lamb, who has established himself as the clear alpha in the offense.

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J.K. Dobbins

NegativeUsage30:03

Dobbins saw 11 carries but failed to produce fantasy value in a crowded and frustrating three-way backfield rotation for the Broncos.

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Jadarian Price

NegativeInjury29:06

Price is currently on the injured reserve, opening up significant volume for Emmanuel Wilson in the Seattle backfield.

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Jalen Royals

NegativeDepth Chart25:02

Jalen Royals saw increased playing time following Tyquan's injury, but he has historically struggled to draw targets despite significant snaps.

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NegativeUsage25:05

Jalen Royals saw increased playing time following the injury to Tyquan Thornton in the Chiefs' offense.

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Jalon Daniels

PositiveProjection21:55

Jalen Daniels performed better than expected in his spot start, showing grit and gamer-like qualities despite the Buccaneers' 0-4 start.

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Jaylen Wright

NegativeDepth Chart22:28

Despite being listed as the RB1 on the Dolphins' depth chart, Jalen Wright was outplayed by Ollie Gordon in Week 4, seeing significantly fewer snaps and routes.

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Jeremiyah Love

PositiveValue25:01

Despite frustration over his usage in passing situations and a potential ankle aggravation, Jeremiah Love remains a buy-low candidate. Coaches currently prefer the veteran Algier in passing downs, but Love's talent makes him a hold.

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Jordan Addison

NegativeUsage23:48

Jordan Addison disappointed in Week 4, seeing fewer targets than Aaron Jones and finishing with only 6 catches for 32 yards despite high expectations.

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Josh Downs

NegativeProjection0:13

Josh Downs is struggling to be the engine of the passing offense, managing only three targets on 35% of routes despite a 95% route rate. While he is not a drop candidate, his fantasy value is highly variant due to a low ADOT and lack of red-zone usage, with the team favoring Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Warren in scoring situations.

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Keaton Mitchell

PositiveUsage27:45

Keaton Mitchell led the Chargers' running backs in snaps, targets, and touches in Week 4.

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Kenneth Gainwell

PositiveUsage21:29

Kenneth Gainwell is carving out a role in the Buccaneers' backfield, taking 100% of long down-and-distance and two-minute drill snaps, and recording a 10-yard receiving touchdown.

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Kenyon Sadiq

PositiveUsage12:27

Kenyon Sadiq's route participation trended up from 55% to 76% this week. While A.D. Mitchell's return may impact his target share, the increased participation is an encouraging sign for his long-term outlook.

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Keon Coleman

PositiveSleeper11:35

Keon Coleman is a strong waiver wire add, particularly with DJ Moore expected to miss time due to a shoulder injury.

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Kyler Murray

NegativeProjection24:25

Expectations for Kyler Murray have been downgraded; he is unlikely to have a strong season, and even 'okay' production seems out of reach given the current state of the Vikings' offense.

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Kyren Williams

PositiveUsage19:26

Kyren Williams had a massive Week 4 performance with 36.7 PPR points and an 83% share of running back opportunities, effectively ending the narrative that Blake Corum would be a viable flex starter.

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PositiveUsage32:06

Kyron Williams remains the workhorse for the Rams, commanding 83% of running back opportunities and scoring 36.7 PPR points, effectively silencing concerns about Blake Corum's role.

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Ladd McConkey

NegativeInjury27:54

Ladd McConkey suffered another injury in Week 4, raising concerns about his availability and consistency.

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Malik Nabers

PositiveProjection28:27

Malik Nabors remains a strong fantasy asset, even while playing through a shoulder injury. Jameis Winston's improved play significantly boosts the outlook for Nabors and other Giants pass-catchers.

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Mark Andrews

NegativeUsage5:41

Mark Andrews is losing snaps to rookie Matt Hibner. While Andrews remains a starter, his usage should be monitored in tight end premium leagues as Hibner's role could expand in the back half of the season.

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MarShawn Lloyd

NegativeBust20:20

MarShawn Lloyd is not considered startable in fantasy football due to fumbling issues and poor on-field performance, despite potentially projecting for more points than Caleb Johnson if Chris Brooks remains out.

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Michael Mayer

PositiveUsage26:53

Michael Mayer is seeing a strong role, playing 74 of 84 snaps and running more routes than other depth receivers, making him a viable fantasy option.

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Noah Gray

NegativeUsage25:05

Noah Gray saw increased playing time following the injury to Tyquan Thornton in the Chiefs' offense.

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Ollie Gordon

NegativeUsage22:28

Ollie Gordon outperformed Jalen Wright in Week 4 with 22 snaps to 12 and 10 routes to 3. While he played well, the Dolphins' offense is struggling, and this 100-yard performance is likely his ceiling for the season.

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Pat Bryant

PositiveInjury30:16

Bryant was carted off with an ankle injury; his absence likely forces Troy Franklin into a larger role, though Bryant remains the superior talent for target share.

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Puka Nacua

PositiveRole19:02

Puka Nacua was essential to the Rams' comeback effort in Week 4, solidifying his role as a key offensive contributor.

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Rashee Rice

NegativeInjury25:02

Rashee Rice suffered a hamstring injury during the game, adding to the Chiefs' personnel concerns.

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NegativeInjury25:02

Rashee Rice suffered a hamstring injury in Week 4; his availability for Week 6 remains uncertain despite the upcoming bye week.

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Saquon Barkley

NegativeInjury19:37

Saquon Barkley suffered a hamstring injury during the game, and it is anticipated that he will miss a significant amount of time.

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Sean Tucker

PositiveUsage21:29

Sean Tucker is involved in the Buccaneers' backfield, taking every rush inside the five-yard line and scoring a two-yard rushing touchdown.

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T.J. Hockenson

PositiveProjection23:37

TJ Hockenson dominated with 13 targets and 24.9 points in Week 4, but he is not a recommended buy. The Vikings' offense is 31st in yards per play and has struggled to score, suggesting regression is coming for the team.

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Tank Bigsby

PositiveUsage19:46

Tank Bigsby led the backfield with 14 rushes and is expected to handle goal-line work, effectively stepping into the Saquon Barkley role with minimal receiving involvement; he should be owned in 12-team leagues.

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Troy Franklin

NegativeRole30:20

Franklin absorbed the routes and role of the injured Pat Bryant, though he is considered less talented than Bryant.

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Tyler Higbee

NegativeDepth Chart19:05

Tyler Higbee is currently serving as the backup to Terrence Ferguson, though his role may shift with Colby Parkinson's potential return; he is viewed primarily as a receiving threat.

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PositiveSleeper30:29

Tyler Higbee is a top-15 tight end candidate if Colby Parkinson remains out. He saw a 65% route share and was heavily involved in the passing game, proving to be a reliable target for the Rams.

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Tyquan Thornton

NegativeInjury24:52

Tyquan Thornton is out indefinitely, likely for the remainder of the season, due to a broken or dislocated ankle.

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Tyreek Hill

PositiveValue25:29

Tyreek Hill is the top priority for Chiefs waiver wire pickups, with strong indications he will sign with the team.

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Will Shipley

PositiveUsage19:46

Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby are in a near 50-50 split, with Shipley handling all long down-and-distance and two-minute drill situations; he should be owned in 12-team PPR leagues.

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Xavier Worthy

NegativeProjection25:55

Xavier Worthy's production is expected to increase marginally following injuries to teammates, but there is skepticism regarding his overall talent level.

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Zach Charbonnet

NegativeInjury29:31

Charbonnet has returned to practice, signaling that his 21-day window to return from injury is open.

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Zay Flowers

PositiveProjection5:16

Zay Flowers is entering the top-five wide receiver conversation, evidenced by an eight-catch, 118-yard performance in just one half of play. He commanded a 33% target share and 29% targets per route run, establishing himself as a season-long standout.

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Full transcript

Episode Transcript

432
0:00Jeremiah Love said that he's having the hardest year of his life.
0:03I hope your guys' fantasy football season is going a little bit better.
0:07We're going to recap everything that mattered in fantasy football because I watched every snap so that you don't have to.
0:13Starting on Sunday morning, Josh Downs just simply might not cut out to be the engine of a passing offense.
0:19Daniel Jones was awful against the commanders, but I had high expectations for Josh Downs in this game.
0:24He was absolutely brutal. Three targets on 35% of the routes.
0:28He does have a 95% route rate, but was target-mogged by Laquan Treadwell and Ashton.
0:32Obviously, you are not trading away Josh Downs. You're not dropping Josh Downs because this is the nadir of his fantasy football
0:38value, but the idea that I had coming into the season that Downs could be one of these transformative, you know, JSN-style breakouts, I just think is wrong.
0:47You know, I think that Josh Downs is probably going to be a pretty cromulent fantasy football wide receiver.
0:52He will probably average about 10, 11, 12 fantasy points per game, but because he does not have a high average depth
0:58of target despite his ADOT spiking before this game and because he's not particularly a touchdown score, this team just uses Jonathan
1:05Taylor and Tyler Warren in the red zone. His week-to-week fantasy football value is just going to be way too variant.
1:11On the commander's side in that Sunday morning game, the commanders are basically just dedicated to making sure that Ja'Cory Kratzky-Meritt is
1:17never going to be a fantasy football starter. He started out the game.
1:21He actually played the first three third downs, but he played 45% of the offensive snaps in this loss with Rashad Whiteout.
1:28Austin Eckler came off the street to play 17 snaps.
1:30He got eight routes, actually ended up getting four carries and two targets.
1:34Katron Allen came in and then this completely surprised me.
1:37Craig Reynolds, who used to be the running back three for the Detroit Lions, traveled overseas to play in this game for
1:44the Washington commanders, got six snaps and a carry or two carries, actually.
1:47I mean, look, I liked Ja'Cory Kratzky-Meritt coming into the season, but again, the idea that he is going to be this
1:54reliable, dependable fantasy football starter, it's just very clearly not true.
1:57If Austin Eckler is going to come in, having not played football off of an Achilles stare and then just play 17
2:03snaps while you play 29, it's just not going to happen.
2:07I wish it was. This looks like one of the things that I was going to be wrong about in fantasy football.
2:13Carnell Tate had his best game as a rookie here for the Tennessee Titans against the Baltimore Ravens in a way that
2:19frankly was actually a little bit surprising to me because Cam Moore did not play particularly well in this game.
2:25He had nine for 145, was not able to score a touchdown, finally had his average depth of target increase.
2:31This was the thing I was waiting for the Tennessee Titans to do, 68% of the team's air yards, a 44% target share, 21.5 PBR points.
2:39I had actually drafted Carnell Tate in a fair amount of managed leagues and I had not been starting him.
2:44And I now think that Carnell Tate has kind of moved into that, you know, wide receiver 27 through wide receiver 40,
2:51wide receiver 45, where every single week you look at your lineup and you're like, man, who do I start?
2:57Whereas Tate before this game for me was a guy that I basically just was not starting, but now I think he's firmly moved into that range.
3:04Wendell Robinson did run 25 routes and saw five targets, but I think that's really all that's interesting with the Tennessee Titans.
3:11Sadly, Lamar Jackson injured his ankle and was seen in a protective boot leaving the stadium.
3:16And the reason it's so sad is that Zay Flowers, I think, is clearly entering the top five wide receiver conversation.
3:22He had eight for 118 and one basically in one half of a ball because the team barely dropped back to pass
3:28with Tyler Huntley in the second half. A 33% target share, 29% targets per route run.
3:33Flowers is to me is looking like one of the guys who is going to be the story of the season.
3:39And then also interesting, if you have Mark Andrews in fantasy football, he's really starting to lose snaps to Matt Hibner, one
3:45of the tight ends that the Baltimore Ravens drafted.
3:48I would be concerned over the back half of the season that Hibner ends up running fewer routes.
3:53I think obviously Andrews is not going to be benched.
3:56He's not going to be phased out of the offense, particularly with Devontez Walker and Rashad Bateman and Elijah Surratt and all
4:02these secondary receivers for the Ravens doing absolutely nothing.
4:05Andrews also did score the touchdown in this game, but I really want to monitor that Hibner usage, particularly in tight end premium leagues.
4:12I'm thinking that Hibner a little bit later in the season could become a pickup.
4:16Drake May, this was a very surprising one to me.
4:19I thought this really profiled as a Buffalo Bills steamrolling win.
4:22Drake May had 31.3 fantasy points on the season coming into this game, scores 27 fantasy points in this game, had a
4:29really strong PFF grade with two big time throws, generated eight for 54 as a rusher, did so with Romeo Dubs, you
4:35know, clearly leading the team in targets, really good fantasy game for Romeo Dubs.
4:39F'd in Chisholm with one of the best catches of the year.
4:43If you did not see the F'd in Chisholm touchdown catch, the Drake May lobbed him in the right back corner of
4:49the end zone, you should definitely go seek that one out.
4:52Then also just a note here on the usage for the running backs, Ramondre Stevenson and Trevion Henderson.
4:58These guys are just in the worst dead 50-50 touch split.
5:01I mean, I wish that it was, it's just so unfortunate.
5:04You know, I wish that Trevion Henderson played a little bit better.
5:08I wish they trust him a little bit more on passing downs, which is very clear on third downs and in long down and distance situations.
5:15The Patriots are not going to extend that leash for Trevion Henderson at all, but I was encouraged by Drake May.
5:21I think it's going to be obviously great for him to get AJ Brown back, but I just had larger concerns about
5:28Drake May's shoulder, about how poor he had played to this point in the season.
5:32I think this is a huge win, like momentum wise.
5:35I think this is big, like confidence wise. I just think this is absolutely massive for the Patriots.
5:40Keon Coleman has a four real game with DJ Moore who re-injured his shoulder.
5:44I'm guessing DJ Moore will not return until after the Buffalo Bills week seven bye.
5:49You know, I put no panic on Dalton Kincaid here.
5:51I'm actually starting to panic a little bit. Joe Brady had a quote after the game that led me before I really
5:58dug into the usage stuff to maybe not panic as much because Joe Brady said there's no reason Dalton Kincaid should have two targets.
6:05I think I'm probably wrong about that because Dawson Knox actually played one more snap and then scaled up to 13 routes.
6:11DJ Moore who left injured ran 14 routes. Kincaid only ran 20.
6:15Josh Palmer ran 22 routes. Shakir led the team with 31 routes run and actually eight targets.
6:20I mean, this was not a banner game for the Bills.
6:23This is not a banner game for Josh Allen, but early on in the season, it was looking like Dalton Kincaid might
6:29be the breakout tight end story of the year.
6:32He had a route participation above 70% in their first two games and then is really, really trailed down in these last two games.
6:39So, so revise that a little bit mild panic on Dalton Kincaid.
6:42I'm going to give Joe Brady a chance to kind of change his mind about the usage of this upcoming week.
6:48But if we see another week where he plays fewer snaps than Dawson Knox, I I'm officially going to press that panic button.
6:55And we're going to talk much more about Keon Coleman in the waiver wire video tomorrow.
7:00But as of right now, he to me looks like a very strong waiver wire ad, particularly with DJ Moore still struggling with the shoulder injury.
7:07Very little to say about the Jets. Honestly, the Jets ran the fourth fewest plays of any team in any game and National Football League history.
7:15Since the beginning of the National Football League, they only ran 32 plays.
7:19The Bears generated 34 first downs, which is obviously a Chicago Bears record.
7:23The Jets ran, it was just, it was an awful, awful game from the Jets.
7:27Braylon Allen, for what it's worth, did get every single Jets running back touch.
7:31He ran 13 of 18 routes. He had handled 14 of 14 carries, did have two targets out of the backfield.
7:37So Braylon Allen, obviously in better days for the New York Jets, I think is going to be a startable running back,
7:43you know, in fantasy football, kind of low end running back too.
7:47Also worth noting, Kenyon Sadiq's raw participation did go up in this game.
7:51Obviously, you're very frustrated if you started Kenyon Sadiq, but his raw participation actually trended up from 55% last week to 76% this week.
7:58So I'm actually, it's weird, but I'm kind of encouraged about Sadiq.
8:01Obviously, one of the things that's going to be an issue is A.D.
8:05Mitchell probably is going to be back next week, and that is going to directly take away from his targets.
8:11But this kind of is just for the Jets.
8:13It's one of these games, you just have to say, hey, sometimes that's a cost of doing business.
8:19Sometimes when you have a Frank Reich, Aaron Glenn, you know, Geno Smith-led team, sometimes this is going to happen, 42 minutes
8:25and 45 second time of possession for the Chicago Bears in this game.
8:29Kyle Menungai had a massive game, 30 rushes, 146 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
8:33Khalif Raymond fell to a distant fourth in routes and targets for this team.
8:37The Khalif Raymond stuff did basically start to evaporate.
8:40He only played only 47 of 93 overall snaps, 20 of 36 routes, was targeted two times in the passing game.
8:46One of those turned into an interception. Colston Loveland drew a team-high nine targets.
8:50So I think, you know, obviously we're all very worried about Colston Loveland.
8:54We are all pressing the panic button on Colston Loveland, but I'm not dropping this guy.
8:59I actually started him in two leagues this last week, was kind of pleasantly surprised by the results that we got from him.
9:05I don't know how much actionable there is to take away from Menungai because DeAndre Swift fumbled in this game and that
9:12did not get another touch after the fumble. Also, according to Ben Johnson, Kyle Menungai hurt his thumb in the fourth quarter,
9:18which then led to Roshan Johnson getting some rushes in the very end of the game in the fourth quarter.
9:24So a lot to monitor for the Chicago Bears, but I would say arrow up for Luther Burden.
9:29Very nice if you're a Roma Dunsay guy just to see him play well and to look like an NFL receiver in this game.
9:36You might notice only 52 of 93 snaps for Luther Burden.
9:39I think the stuff there is very clear, which is he does not play in 13 personnel.
9:44Roma Dunsay plays in 13 personnel, and basically the entire second half was 13 personnel because the Bears were just running.
9:50They ran out the clock. I believe they got the ball back with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter and then just ran the clock out.
9:58I mean, truly just absolutely grinded the New York Jets into paste in this game.
10:03The Jacksonville Jaguars by Sheltude and absolutely snakebitten in this game.
10:06Two holding calls wiped out touchdown for him. He dominated the backfield work.
10:10He had a 44-yard touchdown run and a three-yard touchdown run, both in the second quarter, wiped out due to holding penalties.
10:16The 44-yard run was like kind of negligible. The three-yard touchdown run, those plays are never called back by holding.
10:22It like truly to me felt like a conspiracy in that game.
10:25He played 36 snaps, 15 for Chris Rodriguez Jr.
10:28He was targeted twice, no targets for Chris Rodriguez.
10:30Kent Allen's role was diminished. Amir Abdullah's role was diminished.
10:33I really do think that Baishel Tootin is one of the best buys in all of fantasy football right now.
10:39I think we are really, really trending towards Baishel Tootin being like a top 10 running back in fantasy football.
10:45Chris Rodriguez did score the 25-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
10:48The game was basically decided by that point, and it's just one of those.
10:53He happened to wriggle away and get the touchdown.
10:55I don't think there's anything predictive to that touchdown.
10:58Searod was clearly not a big part of the game plan.
11:01Tootin was a very big part of the game plan and is going to continue being a big part of the game plan.
11:08I was very, very encouraged by what I saw from Tootin on offense in this game.
11:12And still, you know, only 61 offensive plays for the Jaguars.
11:16They did not have the ball a ton, but just overall really adding to the body of work in a very frustrating way.
11:22Like, I get it. If you started Tootin in this game, you are unbelievably frustrated.
11:27The fact that he just was not able to generate more fantasy points here, but I do think the fantasy points are coming.
11:33Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins were both injured in this game against the Jaguars.
11:37A concussion for Jamar Chase, an adductor injury for Tee Higgins.
11:41Sounds like there would be a chance for Jamar Chase to play next week.
11:45I think it's going to be harder for Tee Higgins to get back with that injury.
11:49Dante Myers, a former Uber driver, was the story of the game here.
11:5354 of 58 routes, was targeted nine times, had 15 PPR points in this game.
11:57And then, as always happens when the Cincinnati Bengals suffer a wide receiver injury, Mike Kosicki really stepped up.
12:0340 of 58 routes, three receptions, 40 yards, and a touchdown.
12:0687% of his pass snaps in the slot. I mean, this is why Mike Kosicki continually gets drafted in fantasy football, despite being a part-time player.
12:14Kosicki is going to be a really high-end waiver wire ad at wide receiver this week.
12:18I would anticipate probably Chase finding a way to play next week and Tee not playing.
12:23And I actually, I mean, maybe this will be an unpopular opinion, but I would have Kosicki as an ad over Dante
12:29Myers, just because I've seen Kosicki excel in this role without one of Chase or Higgins in the lineup multiple, multiple times.
12:36I am officially a bit worried about George Pickens.
12:38His usage is very similar to last season as a whole, but Lamb seems to just be absolutely dominating him.
12:44He had a 92% route rate in this game against the Texans, but CeeDee Lamb was targeted 20 times.
12:50Pickens was targeted three times, four for Flournoy, four for Jake Ferguson, and then five for Javante Williams.
12:55George Pickens did have a really great reception on the left sideline, where he really did look like George Pickens.
13:01I mean, seven targets per game this year versus 8.1 last year.
13:04I don't really know what to make of George Pickens' lack of fantasy points, but I will say a month into the
13:11season, it just to me looks like CeeDee Lamb is the absolute alpha here.
13:15And George Pickens is, you know, really what this is, is this is a Jamar Chase, Tee Higgins thing, where in stretches, Tee Higgins can look incredible.
13:23Jamar Chase went out yesterday. Tee Higgins looked like one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, with Jamar Chase on the sideline.
13:30But when Jamar Chase is in, it's very clear that a Chrysler 300 looks like a Phantom until a Phantom rolls up,
13:36and CeeDee Lamb would be the Phantom in this equation.
13:39So you can go ahead and report it, put it in the newspaper.
13:43I am a little bit worried about George Pickens paying off his second round or third round fantasy football value.
13:49David Montgomery looks like an extreme, extreme dead zone running back.
13:52Ran 17 of 35 routes here. Was not targeted in this game.
13:5510 carries. Woody Marks had 6. Marks scored another touchdown inside the 10-yard line.
13:59He scored from the 1 in Week 3. He scored from the 6-yard line and this one.
14:04Now, the long down and distance and the short down and distance stuff is about what you would expect.
14:10But frankly, the issue with David Montgomery is that 19 of his yards came on a hook and ladder from Belton Schultz.
14:16Montgomery is playing more of the long down and distance and the 2-minute drill.
14:20But Marks basically just seems like the better player at this point than David Montgomery.
14:25So if you spend a 4th round, 5th round pick on David Montgomery, I mean, you can't cut him.
14:30You can't drop him. You know, we really are not going to be able to get anything from him in a trade.
14:37But I would just say the odds of David Montgomery being like, oh, we're winning pick in fantasy football this year is like sub-5%.
14:44Like, I think this is who David Montgomery is.
14:46If he doesn't score a touchdown and it looks like they are giving Marks more opportunities to score than they are Montgomery,
14:53David Montgomery is basically going to get you 6 points on a given week and that's going to be like just kind of the modal outcome for him.
15:01As I was talking about on the thumbnail, Jeremiah Love says to Arizona Cardinals reporters after this game that this is going
15:07to be the longest year of his life. He plays 30 snaps.
15:11Algier plays 36. He runs 9 routes. Algier runs 13.
15:14He did get 14 carries. He was only targeted once in the passing game.
15:18LeFleur called Algier the third down back and also Algier is playing the two-minute drill.
15:22Now, Love is coming back from this high ankle sprain and they're saying, you know, quote unquote, they're managing it.
15:28And there was a Twitter thread that was going around from one of these guys who's like a doctor or PT or
15:34whatever talking about how there was a chance that Love aggravated his ankle injury or, you know, one of his lower body injuries in this game.
15:42And that's why the emphasis was on Algier in the second half.
15:45And then basically Michael first said, no, that's not true.
15:48It was more of a protection emphasis. Algier took 100% of the inside the five carries, also scored on a 22-yard run, 12.9 PBR points for Algier.
15:56I'm very frustrated as someone who played Jeremiah Love in a lot of different fantasy sports contests on Sunday.
16:02I clearly, you know, did not read the tea leaves correctly from the way the Arizona Cardinals used those guys in week three.
16:08This ended up being like a more competitive game and the Cardinals did just happen to be in two-minute drill, long down-and-distance situations more than you would anticipate.
16:16It's also just weird to think of Algier being a long down-and-distance, you know, two-minute drill style guy given how he was used in Atlanta.
16:24But I think one of the things that's become clear for me analyzing football this year is rookies are just generally not
16:30ready for the responsibility that those clear passing situations require.
16:33They just have not seen enough. There's not enough experience at the NFL level.
16:37So coaches are going to prefer someone who's just been around, seen more, you know, like Algier is just going to be
16:43steadier presence in those situations than Jeremiah Love. And it's very, very frustrating.
16:47Obviously, you can't sell Jeremiah Love. In fact, if anything, I would think of him as a buy.
16:52But it's just very annoying to spend the number three overall pick on a running back and then be like, you know what?
16:59We got to take this guy off the field when we are trying to score for a guy that we signed in free agency.
17:06One of the biggest positive things for me was that Jameis Winston looked about 200% better this week.
17:11250 passing yards, three touchdowns, two classic Jameis interceptions.
17:14Malik Nabors suffered a shoulder injury earlier in this game, but then came back and was, you know, really awesome in fantasy football.
17:21Six for one, 12 and one. Nabors is, I think, probably going to be playing through that shoulder injury for most of the year.
17:28But just the fact that Jameis kind of looked like classic Jameis here.
17:31Like, yeah, he's going to throw some picks. You're not going to, you know, you're not going to win a Super Bowl.
17:38You're not going to win a division or anything like that.
17:41But Jameis looking so much better than he did against the Titans and the Rams tells me that Nabors, Scadaboo, Najee Harris,
17:47you know, Isaiah Likely, all of these guys are going to continue to be pretty good fantasy football assets.
17:53Najee Harris actually has a better yards per carry than Scadaboo thus far.
17:57And Isaiah Likely with a 7, 466, a 41% target share for Likely.
18:01It looks like one of the things I'm going to be wrong about in fantasy football this year is just not really buying into the Isaiah Likely thing.
18:09He's dominating targets for this New York Giants team.
18:11But I was very concerned about specifically Nabors' fantasy football value.
18:15I think my friend Sigmund Bloom said you could maybe sabotage drop Malik Nabors.
18:19I mean, definitely, obviously, do not do that. But we're just happy to see Jameis, you know, be able to play passable
18:25football and be able to replace Jackson Dart. Tyler Higbee was the lead Rams tight end with Terrence Ferguson and Colby Parkinson out.
18:32The Rams basically had to completely get rid of their 13 personnel.
18:35Because they do not trust Max Clare to play yet.
18:38Max Clare, their second round pick, played one snap in this game.
18:42If Parkinson misses again next week, Higbee, for me, is going to be a top 15 tight end in the fantasy football.
18:4865% route share. Had really strong, you know, 6 of 50 targets.
18:51Devontae Adams only had 9. Puka Nakua had absolutely no restrictions.
18:55Ran 90% of the routes. Had 12 targets. Scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown as well.
18:59Puka was incredible in this game and in the comeback.
19:02Basically, the comeback effort could not have happened without Puka Nakua.
19:05And frankly, couldn't have happened without Tyler Higbee. You had a very nice first down conversion reception as well.
19:11So we basically have our answer, which is that Tyler Higbee is going to be Terrence Ferguson's backup.
19:16What we'll see what the snaps look like next week with Colby Parkinson potentially returning.
19:21My guess is that Colby is still a blocker and that Higbee is viewed more as the receiving touchdown.
19:26And then I'll just obviously a huge shout out here to Kyron Williams.
19:30Massive game. 36.7 PPR points. Had 83% of the running back opportunities.
19:33You know, this idea that Blake Corum was going to be a flex starter.
19:37I think it's just clearly not true. Saquon Barkley injured his hamstring in this game.
19:42I'm going to guess that he misses quite a bit of time with this one.
19:46Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby were in a near 50-50 split.
19:49Shipley played all the long down and distance passing situations.
19:52He ran 15 of 32 routes, only eight routes for Tank Bigsby.
19:56Bigsby led the backfield with 14 rushes. Actually, he was targeted once.
19:59No targets for Shipley. Obviously, Bigsby and Shipley both need to be owned in 12-team leagues moving forward.
20:04Shipley is going to be playing all the long down and distance and all the two-minute drill.
20:09But Bigsby will get the goal line stuff. Bigsby basically will kind of be in the Barkley role with like effectively no receiving work.
20:16But both of them need to be owned, I think, in 12-team PPR leagues.
20:20The Packers running back usage was just insane. Chris Brooks got injured early on.
20:25And then Caleb Johnson lost a bad fumble inside the Tampa Bay 5 with about nine minutes left.
20:30He got no touches after. 9.9 PPR points for Lloyd.
20:332.2 for Johnson. And then 4.5 for Brooks. He injured his ankle left in the first half and did not return.
20:39Lloyd fumbled, but he had the good luck of it going out of bounds.
20:43Matt LeFleur had the quote. If guys don't start holding onto the ball, they're going to be sitting on the bench.
20:49However, given that Lloyd and Johnson both fumbled, what do you even do?
20:53If they're both fumbling, what do you even do?
20:55Caleb Johnson had the best run of the game.
20:58He had a nice 31-yard run to set up a scoring possession for the Green Bay Packers.
21:03And then what did he do to follow up that run?
21:06He fumbled. I mean, none of these guys are startable in fantasy football.
21:10You know, that just is what it is. I would anticipate if Brooks doesn't play next week, Marshawn Lloyd will probably project
21:16for marginally more points than Caleb Johnson. But I would guess that I will probably rank Caleb Johnson ahead of Marshawn Lloyd
21:23because I have eyes and I can watch Marshawn Lloyd play.
21:26And he just does not look very good in fantasy football.
21:29Bucky Irving sadly is losing high value touches to both Gainwell and Tucker.
21:33Zero targets for Bucky on 15 rounds. Did have 16 for 61 as a rusher.
21:37Sean Tucker took every rush inside the five-yard line, had a two-yard rushing touchdown, and then Gainwell had a 10-yard receiving touchdown.
21:44He also took 100% of the long down and distance and 100% of the two-minute drill snaps.
21:49So with Baker Mayfield out and the Buccaneers just getting canned, I mean, the Buccaneers are 0-4 to start the year.
21:55Jalen Daniels, you know, kind of did his best.
21:57He looked maybe even a little bit better than I thought he would.
22:01He was definitely a gamer, quote-unquote, in this spot.
22:04But basically, Bucky has to get there on efficiency.
22:06It's just very, very hard in fantasy football. If you're not going to play passing downs and you're not going to get
22:13goal line work, you have to be so insanely efficient to be good for fantasy football.
22:17And Bucky just is not going to be that good.
22:20You know, he's not Dijon Robinson. He's not Jameer Gibbs.
22:23So it's just going to be so hard for him to get there in fantasy football.
22:28Ollie Gordon dominated Jalen Wright in this game. 22 snaps versus 12 for Jalen Wright.
22:3210 routes for Gordon, 3 for Wright. And then basically, he was rewarded for playing very well.
22:37He had 9 for 101 as a rusher with a really nice 53-yard run.
22:41The Miami depth chart listed Jalen Wright as the running back 1.
22:45And the usage for those guys was close in the first half.
22:48And then because Ollie Gordon just played really well, he was breaking tackles.
22:52I'm sure he was doing what was asked of him in passing situations.
22:56And frankly, I mean, it's not like you really want anyone on this offense.
23:00I mean, the team only ran 39 plays on offense.
23:03But if I had to choose one of these guys moving forward, it would obviously be Ollie Gordon.
23:08I think Ollie Gordon is a much better player than Jalen Wright is.
23:12He scored on a 12-yard run in the third quarter.
23:15But the Dolphins stink. You know, I mean, is this going to be the best game that Ollie Gordon has for the
23:21entire season in terms of fantasy points? Yeah. I mean, I think that is probably it.
23:26I would not imagine he's going to have another 100-yard rushing game.
23:29He might. I mean, he scored a rushing touchdown this week and last week.
23:33Those might be the only rushing touchdowns that he scores on the entire season.
23:37With no Justin Jefferson and no Josh Oliver, TJ Hawkinson dominated in this game.
23:4265 of 78 snaps, ran 32 of 43 routes.
23:44He was targeted 13 times. A lot of people were expecting a huge game from Jordan Addison.
23:49He saw fewer targets than Aaron Jones. Only had six for 32.
23:5324.9 PBR points from Hawkinson. He was the clear tight end one.
23:56This is before Monday night. 3.72 yards per route run with a 41% target share and 45% of the Vikings air yards.
24:02I mean, what is there to take away from this?
24:05Do I want to buy TJ Hawkinson in fantasy?
24:08No, I don't. I definitely do not. Frankly, my biggest takeaway is that the Minnesota Vikings are 31st in the NFL in yards per play.
24:15They have two wins without scoring an offensive touchdown.
24:18They're 4-0. I think bad things are probably coming for the Minnesota Vikings.
24:22I was one of these guys that really... I really did believe in Kyler.
24:26I thought he could have really strong, solid production here for the Minnesota Vikings.
24:30I thought KOC would be very good for him.
24:32And it turns out I was wrong. Like, it turns out that it's just not going to be happening for Kyler Murray this year for the Minnesota Vikings.
24:41I think at best, he is going to have an okay season.
24:44And even okay seems a little bit out of reach right now for Kyler Murray and the Minnesota Vikings.
24:50Bad, bad news for the Kansas City Chiefs here.
24:52Tyquan Thornton out indefinitely, probably out for the rest of the year.
24:56Looks like he broke or dislocated his ankle. It was the injury that kept Chris Godwin out for a very long time.
25:02Rashi Rice also pulled his hand string. It was Jalen Royals and Noah Gray who played more after Tyquan's injury.
25:08However, the Chiefs did not play any 11 personnel after Tyquan left the game.
25:12So I do think there is a chance that actually Cyrus Allen is a pretty good waiver wire pickup here at work
25:18noting the Chiefs do not play in week five.
25:21And then they're going to have an opportunity to sign Juju Smith-Schuster, who is a free agent.
25:26I mean, maybe they could bring in Odell Beckham.
25:29Obviously, as I am recording this, there is every chance that Tyreek Hill signs for the Kansas City Chiefs.
25:34Adam Schefter just had a report that Tyreek's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, reported, you know, Tyreek is meeting with teams, deciding who he's going to sign with.
25:42I would guess that he is going to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.
25:46I would not go crazy on Royals, on Gray, on Allen, on any of these guys, because what's going to happen is
25:52the Kenneth Walker production is going to go up.
25:55The Xavier Worthy production is going to go up marginally.
25:58I mean, I just don't think Xavier Worthy is that good.
26:01I really wish he was. I mean, Tyquan was looking like one of the best players on the team.
26:06Obviously, Rice would have the ability to play with his hamstring injury in week six.
26:11He's going to have the time off. I don't know if he'll be able to make it back by then.
26:17I mean, if I had to rank Chiefs waiver wire pickups right now, I would rank Tyreek Hill first.
26:22I would rank Cyrus Allen second, and I would rank Royals third.
26:26The deal with Royals is he's actually played a fair amount for the Kansas City Chiefs both last year and this year,
26:32and has just not shown any ability to draw targets.
26:35Allen, I think, conceptually could earn more targets in this offense.
26:38I mean, I don't think that is the most likely scenario, but it's just, I mean, it's a bummer because Tyquan was playing so well.
26:45We'll see what happens with Rashi. But really what this does solidify is that I think Tyreek is probably going to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.
26:53Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers have been an insane tandem.
26:5659 snaps against the Chiefs with both Mayer and Bowers on the field.
27:00Mayer ran more routes than Cody White, obviously ran more routes than Ian Thomas.
27:0474 of 84 overall snaps for Mayer. Eight for 82.
27:0716.2 PBR points. The tight end seven before Monday night begins.
27:10I mean, basically, Bowers is just a wide receiver.
27:13So the relationship between Bowers and Mayer's snaps really only relates to targets per route run.
27:17And because Trey Tucker, Jalen Naylor, and Cody White are not really target earning receivers, that means that Mayer's role is still like pretty strong.
27:25I mean, one thing you could maybe be concerned about is that Bowers is going to have his positional designation changed at some point.
27:32That it'll just be changed. Maybe if you're a dynasty manager, it might be changed to wide receiver.
27:37He might try and get a wide receiver contract instead of a tight end contract.
27:41The Chargers, I don't even know where to begin with the Chargers.
27:45Keith Mitchell led the Chargers running backs and snaps targets and touches.
27:48Kamani Bidel caught a touchdown inside the 10-yard line.
27:51Arande Gadsden did draw seven targets on 28 of 43 routes.
27:54Ladd McConkie got injured again. I mean, this is just going to be the usage for the Chargers.
27:59Hampton is going to need to score a touchdown to have a good week because he's not going to have enough touches to get there.
28:07I do think the 23% target share for Gadsden is marginally encouraging.
28:10I did pick him up in a fair few number of leagues.
28:14And obviously, if Ladd is out, that's going to be even better for Gadsden because they're just going to need someone who can earn targets.
28:21Trey Harris actually had a decent role here as well.
28:24To be fair, Keaton is, in my mind, the guy who has the ability to have an expanded role.
28:29They're clearly trying to use him in the passing game.
28:32They're clearly just trying to find something, anything, to get the offense going.
28:36And Keaton is the only one of the Chargers backs who possesses a special skill set.
28:41You know, Keaton's ability to generate space, Keaton's ability to get both north, south, and east, west is something that Vidal can't
28:47do and something that Hampton can't do. And poor, poor second-round Damari and Hampton drafters.
28:51I mean, look, I've got Hampton in the second round on a couple teams.
28:55And, man, I don't know. If we were drafting again today, where would we take Amari and Hampton?
29:01It would not be very high. That'll be a big question for me in my rest-of-season rankings video.
29:06Jadarian Price on the injured reserve for the Seattle Seahawks.
29:09Emmanuel Wilson dominated on the ground. 21 rushes, 81 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown.
29:1370% of Seattle's rush attempts. Also had a 21% target share.
29:16George Jelani only ran 8 of 26 routes. Did get some mop-up carries in garbage time.
29:21I mean, frankly, I never thought we would be here.
29:24But Emmanuel Wilson is going to be like a top 20 running back, a top 50 flex option while Jadarian Price is out.
29:31Zach Charbonnet did return to practice this upcoming week.
29:33So I think that means his 21-day window is open.
29:36Be really interesting to see what happens with that 21-day window.
29:39Apparently, Joe Mixon had a free agent visit with the Seattle Seahawks.
29:43We'll see if anything comes of that. But if you got those Emmanuel Wilson points last week, I mean, you are feeling
29:49great because he also looked quite good. You know, I don't know how often they're going to play teams as bad as
29:56the Los Angeles Chargers, but a very encouraging start for Emmanuel Wilson.
29:59The Broncos' three-way backfield. I mean, does it get more annoying than this?
30:03You know, 30 of 67 snaps for Harvey, 21 of 67 snaps for Dobbins, 13 of 67 snaps for Tyler Beatty, 11 carries for J.K.
30:10Dobbins, but absolutely no fantasy production. 10 targets, 10 catches for Harvey, but not getting any touches inside the 10.
30:16Pat Bryant had an ankle injury and was carted off, did not return.
30:20Troy Franklin subsumed his routes and his role. Pat Bryant, obviously a better player than Troy Franklin, so I think Pat Bryant's
30:26target share is going to be greater. I mean, maybe this is the only way that any fantasy football value is able to come from Court and Sutton.
30:34Can't feel that good. I mean, you know, the Broncos' offense, I was pretty high on it coming into the season, or
30:41at least I thought it could be good for fantasy, but Bo Nix is playing awful.
30:45You know, half of Bo Nix's throws were at or behind the line of scrimmage, just like a really, really bad offensive
30:52start to the season for the Denver Broncos. Jalen Waddell did score a touchdown here, so good for him on that one.
30:58I am officially concerned that Christian McCaffrey is just a guy now, that he is no longer run CMC.
31:04Really, the big difference for me, and, you know, comment down below, you guys tell me if you agree with this or
31:10not, is that the way the 49ers offense is built now is it is now built around Brock Purdy.
31:16It is built around what Brock Purdy can do.
31:18It is built around what makes Brock Purdy comfortable, the types of throws he likes to make, the types of rollouts that
31:25he likes to do, the types of route concepts that he likes, whereas I think for a large part of Shanahan's career,
31:31his offense was built around protecting the quarterback. His offense was built around what can my running backs generate?
31:37What can I do to power the run game?
31:39You know, that's kind of always the misconception about the Shanahan, McVay, you know, kind of these elaborate, evolved West Coast offenses
31:46is like, they're not built around the pass. Generally speaking, they're built around the zone running scheme.
31:51And, you know, basically Christian McCaffrey is going to be, I think a good fantasy pick.
31:55I think he's going to be a good fantasy asset.
31:58I don't think he is going to challenge Jameer Gibbs and Ken Walker and Bijon Robinson for, you know, 20, 21, 22, 23 fantasy points per game.
32:06I just think, I think no chance. I think Christian McCaffrey is probably going to average about 17, 18 fantasy points per game.
32:13I think he's going to have a couple nuclear weeks, but I think that as the 49ers pass catchers get healthy, like,
32:19okay, we're going to see Christian Kirk return. You know, we're going to see Debo's role continue to grow.
32:25We're going to see Evans have his rib injury healed.
32:28The offense really is going to be about what Brock Purdy can do.
32:31Jamison Williams did have a mini breakout, despite dropping what would have been an 89-yard touchdown in the first quarter, six for
32:38102 on eight targets, a 100% route share, a 17 average up the target.
32:42The drops were not great, but it is nice to see, you know, like if I spent a fifth round pick on
32:48Jamison Williams, he is not a stone zero. I mean, the thing that we like about the Lions offense, I mean, look
32:55at these route shares, a hundred percent each for J-Mo and St.
32:58Brown, 62 of 71 snaps for Jameer Gibbs. You know exactly who to play in the Lions offense.
33:03They are trying to ride their horses, eight for 84 and one for Sam Laporta.
33:08Momentary dip in production for Amon and Ross St.
33:10Brown, but obviously it's all good there. And then on the Panthers side, Ted Arroyo McMillan and Bryce Young, just truly with
33:17an announcement of how good they are. The Bryce Young, I saw a great tweet about this.
33:22I believe this is my friend, Roto Pat. The Bryce Young improvement has gone from incremental to exponential.
33:27And I have to count myself as a buyer here.
33:30I think Bryce Young can clearly be the engine of either an average or above average NFL offense.
33:35With no Jalen Coker, three targets for Bryson Tremaine, five for Mechie, only three targets for Darren Waller, partly because, you know,
33:41basically the Panthers were kind of just dominating in this game.
33:45And really because Ted Arroyo McMillan left no meat on the bone for anyone else.
33:4914, 192 and two career highs and catches in yards for Ted Arroyo McMillan in this game.
33:54I mean, just an awesome performance. If you drafted him, you are very happy.
33:58And, and, you know, Bryce Young, I was obviously worried about him after, you know, I moved him up so high in my rankings for that Browns game.
34:06But I mean, I think it's pretty clear that he, and just in general, the Panthers offense has arrived.
34:12Make sure that you like this video. Hey, please make sure to subscribe to the Matic Fantasy Football channel.
34:17If you want to ask me a fantasy football question, you want to get a team review, anything like that, head on over to flockfantasy.com.
34:24Link to that is down in the description. You can sign up over there using code Davis, support me, support the channel,
34:31get really good fantasy football advice, win your league.
34:34And I'll be back with you guys for the waiver video tomorrow.

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