MNF REAX + Post-Week 5 People’s Panic Meter: Are Love, Jeanty fantasy RB busts?!

Jeanty is dealing with ongoing injury concerns beyond his preseason ankle injury. He suffered ankle injuries in the preseason, returned for Week 1, but now is dealing with additional injury issues. Harmon is in total panic about Jeanty and wishes he would sit down for a few weeks to fully recover. Jeanty does not have a bye until Week 13, so he won't get rest soon. Clint Kubiak said Jeanty is "beat up" and "it's a testament to how tough he is that he's out there playing today for his teammates." Jeanty responded "unless I can't run, jump, I'm playing." His volume has declined week-to-week: 29 touches Week 1, 25 Week 2, 22 Week 3, 21 Week 4, 13 Week 5 (blowout). He is currently RB 11 in points per game but trending downward.

Jeanty's ceiling is limited due to injury concerns and declining volume. Harmon had him ranked at RB 16 last week but notes that was not low enough. He now projects Jeanty as a high-end RB2 at best, not an RB1, given the way he's playing and the risk that at any moment his injuries could worsen and prevent him from playing.

Blake Corum scored a goal-line touchdown and continues to split carries with Kyron Williams. The split remains mostly the same, with Corum still rotating in on drives, which could be annoying for fantasy purposes when games are tight. However, Kyron Williams' elite receiving usage means he'll accumulate fantasy points even if Corum gets some rushing volume.

Bo Nix is playing poorly and is the root cause of the entire Broncos offense's dysfunction. Matt Harmon emphasizes that until Nix's play improves, none of the Broncos offensive players will hit their ceilings, making the entire offense largely unplayable week-to-week. Harmon notes this is obvious to anyone watching the team and the tape.

Brandon Cooks got into the end zone on Sunday and continues to produce at a high level from the 2015 draft class, though at a different level than Mike Evans. With Deebo Samuel injured, Cooks may see increased opportunity in the 49ers passing game.

Brandon Cooks is on the 49ers roster but is only worth targeting in crazy deep leagues given the concentration of the offense toward CMC, Kittle, and Mike Evans.

Brian Thomas Jr. is in the coping corner, meaning fantasy managers have moved past panic to acceptance of his underperformance.

Stroud is QB 13 in points per game and QB 9 in overall scoring. He ranks second in the NFL in catchable air yards (behind only Jared Goff) and has played well in adverse situations. Boone projects him as a low-end QB1 for the rest of the season with the expanded receiver depth (Collins, Harrison, Jalen Nola). Harmon notes Stroud was a top-10 QB in EPA per play last regular season and is emerging as a guy you can start every week.

Harmon is considering Cam Akers for coping corner, particularly in Dynasty formats. The segment begins with a caller expressing panic about Akers, especially in Dynasty.

Despite disappointing early production as a second-round pick, Matt Harmon is buying low on Brown as a trade target. Brown has played 76% of snaps (vs. 17% for Pirine) and 71% before his Week 5 fumble (vs. 29% for Pirine), showing he remains the lead back. The fumble caused snap share to drop to 48% after, but Harmon compares this to Ramondre Stevenson's fumble situation—Stevenson bounced back the next week. Brown faced tough early matchups (Bucs, Texans, Steelers, Jags run defenses) and fumbled in the one favorable matchup (Dolphins). Last year he was RB 38 through five weeks (8.1 PPG avg) then RB 9 from Week 6 on (17.3 PPG avg). This year he's RB 21 in half-PPR (10.6 PPG) through five weeks. Harmon expects a realistic path to top-15 or top-20 RB production rest of season, especially with bye week coming and potential for cheaper acquisition from frustrated managers.

Christian Kirk is on IR for the 49ers and is not expected back soon, making him a stash candidate only in deep leagues with IR spots.

Christian McCaffrey is positioned to continue receiving concentrated offensive volume for the 49ers, especially with Deebo Samuel sidelined. The offense will continue to lean on McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Mike Evans as primary fantasy assets.

CMC is one of the core fantasy pieces in the concentrated 49ers offense and continues to be great for fantasy; he has somehow managed to avoid injuries over the last couple of years despite the team's injury issues.

Colby Parkinson returned to the game and was the leading receiving tight end for the Rams, indicating he remains ahead of Tyler Higby in the tight end pecking order despite Higby's recent usage.

Harmon is holding Loveland in his expert league (where he also has George Kittle) and recommends holding rather than dropping or selling low. He believes better days are coming and there may be an opportunity to sell higher later. However, he is not putting Loveland in coping corner yet because the Bears have only had one full game with starting QB Caleb Williams (Week 1 was awful with 0 catches on 2 targets, Week 2 was a rain-out where Caleb got hurt, then backups). The offense spread targets more than expected, but Loveland can still be a usable low-end TE1. Harmon wants to see more games with Caleb before making grand proclamations, noting that Tyson Bajan and Case Keenum are not getting these guys to produce downfield.

Loveland is not a priority player in the Bears offense despite preseason hype. Route participation dropped from 89% in Week 1 (with Caleb Williams) to 71%, 74%, 72%, and 77% in subsequent games. Matt Harmon notes that while the offense has one full game with starting QB Caleb Williams (59 points scored), Loveland did not pop off and is not a priority enough to redraft in the top 100 picks if starting over today—likely a tight end 9-12 in the 9th-10th round, far from his fourth-round ADP going into the season (as early as third round with summer hype). Loveland had only two targets in Week 1 with Caleb and zero catches. His average depth of target is just 4.4, the lowest among Bears pass catchers, and he has a 50% contested catch rate.

DJ Moore missed the entire Monday Night Football game due to a setback from a previous injury. This was his first missed game since 2020. Matt Harmon expects DJ Moore to return the following week after being given a one-week break. His absence forced the Bills into a one-dimensional offensive game plan and limited Dalton Kincaid's involvement.

Dalton Kincaid received only 2 targets for 1 catch and 7 yards, plus a 2-point conversion, despite playing 25 of 33 dropbacks. This is the second consecutive game with minimal targets despite head coach Joe Brady's stated concern after Week 4 that he couldn't leave a game with Kincaid with only two targets. The lack of involvement is particularly concerning because DJ Moore was out the entire game, eliminating any excuse about receiver depth. Matt Harmon views this as a total panic situation if expectations were set for Kincaid to be a top-three set-and-forget tight end, though he acknowledges there are very few such tight ends in fantasy football this year.

Montgomery is expected to miss a couple of weeks. Boone notes he wasn't playing well even before the injury. The Texans' run game is struggling overall, and the offensive line is better suited for pass protection than run blocking, which may limit Montgomery's upside going forward.

David Montgomery is in the coping corner, meaning fantasy managers have moved past panic to acceptance of his underperformance.

Deebo Samuel is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks with a hamstring injury suffered on Sunday in Seattle. With the 49ers' bye in Week 8, he likely won't return until at least Week 9. His absence will concentrate the 49ers offense further onto Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Mike Evans.

Deebo Samuel is expected to miss at least through week eight due to injury, with likely return not until week nine at earliest; his absence will concentrate the 49ers offense further toward CMC, Kittle, and Mike Evans.

Drake London's ceiling is significantly elevated when Michael Penix is on the field; his fantasy value is directly tied to Penix's health. The Falcons offense was awful in the first two weeks without Penix, making London's production dependent on Penix's availability and performance.

George Kittle is positioned to continue receiving concentrated offensive volume for the 49ers, especially with Deebo Samuel sidelined. The offense will continue to lean on Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, and Mike Evans as primary fantasy assets.

Kittle is one of the core fantasy pieces in the concentrated 49ers offense and continues to be great for fantasy; health is critical given the team's injury issues.

J.K. Dobbins is in the coping corner; while he scored RB13 last week, his underlying production was weak with only 74 scrimmage yards on 19 touches, and concerns exist that increased work under Sean Payton could increase injury risk given his history of injuries; the upcoming Seahawks defense matchup is not favorable.

Dobbins faces the Seahawks defense next, which Matt Harmon views as an unfavorable matchup and expresses lack of optimism about his performance in that spot.

Matt Harmon is moving J.K. Dobbins into the coping corner, indicating sustained concern about his fantasy viability and role in the Broncos offense.

Dobbins received 18 carries in Week 5 that went nowhere, and the Broncos offensive line has not performed as expected. Matt Harmon is frustrated with the entire Broncos offense due to Bo Nix's poor quarterback play, which is preventing all offensive players from hitting their ceilings. Dobbins faces Seattle next, offering little hope for immediate improvement.

Matt Harmon considers Jaylen McMillan the top-ranked player of the 2024 wide receiver class and views that as a settled debate; McMillan has been great throughout the season, distinguishing him from the more volatile performance of other receivers in his class like Buka Mayfield and Matthew Golden.

Jalen Daniels, an undrafted backup quarterback, has looked good in his performance against the Dallas Cowboys defense on Thursday night, keeping the Commanders offense moving effectively.

Jalen Daniels and the Commanders face the Steelers in Week 6, which presents a different and more challenging defensive situation than the Cowboys.

James Cook had two fumbles in the game, including a potential game-ending fumble late in the contest. Despite these critical turnovers, he still finished with 7 carries and was involved in the passing game, but the fumbles overshadowed his performance and generated significant negative social media reaction.

Harmon recommends holding or buying Waddle in a trade package rather than trying to sell him. He notes that everyone has access to the internet and managers will not give up anything good for Waddle or Loveland in a one-for-one trade. Both players are better positioned as buys or holds than as trade-away candidates.

Harmon is moving Jeremiah Love to coping corner. Love is running back 25 in points per game and said "this is going to be the longest year of his life," which Harmon interprets as him fighting through injuries. Love trained hard for the combine, then suffered a preseason injury, and Harmon believes he will never be 100% healthy this season. The Cardinals have taken a long view with Love, and he was scripted out in the last game. Usage has dropped for three straight weeks after one good game where he flashed. Love's bye week is Week 14, so he won't get rest soon. His schedule is brutal: Rams Week 6, Broncos Week 7, Seahawks Week 9, Rams again Week 10, Chiefs Week 11. Harmon expects Love to be a better player next year but is concerned about getting consistent production this year.

Josh Allen delivered a superhero rushing performance with 121 total rushing yards (107 scrambling yards, career high) and a rushing touchdown on 10 carries, marking his second-most rushing yards in his career. This was his first overtime win in his NFL career after going 0-7 in overtime previously. Allen's performance was critical because the Bills' receiving corps was severely limited without DJ Moore and Josh Palmer, forcing a one-dimensional ground-heavy attack that still succeeded due to Allen's elite scrambling ability and his status as the best emergency option in the NFL.

Raymond has minimal downfield involvement in the Bears offense with an average depth of target of just 5.04, indicating he is not getting the type of deep-ball opportunities expected from the offense.

Keon Coleman scored a touchdown on a slot receiver route but had to return to the X receiver role due to injuries to DJ Moore and Josh Palmer. The issue is that Coleman is more effective as a move tight end or big slot off-ball Z receiver, and when he's forced into the X role, the 13 personnel packages (which the Bills ran at 35 percent, 27 percent higher than NFL average) become less potent because they lack a man-beating vertical receiver on the outside. This creates four tight ends from a speed perspective on the field, which limits the effectiveness of those packages.

Khalil Shakir finished with 3 catches for 80 yards, including a 57-yard catch-and-run play that nearly put the Bills in position to win before James Cook's fumble. He was a secondary receiving option in a game where the Bills' receiving corps was decimated by injuries to DJ Moore and Josh Palmer, forcing Keon Coleman back to the X receiver role.

Kyron Williams received 8 targets for 6 catches in this game and is on pace for a career-high in receptions this season. He's getting real deal receiver usage with 0.13 air yards per target (most in the NFL), indicating he's being used as a primary outlet for short, high-efficiency routes. He already has 27 receptions on the season and is on pace for 75 catches, which is how he'll survive even with Blake Corum rotating in on drives. Scott Pienowski drafted him in the second round of an experts league, and the pick is looking prescient given his elite usage.

Luther Burden has been part of an ongoing debate among Packers and Bears fans regarding his relative performance compared to Matthew Golden; the comparison reflects the volatile and circumstance-based nature of wide receiver performance in the 2024 class.

Burden has not taken a step in downfield productivity. His average depth of target is just 6.7, and he has a 50% contested catch rate, indicating he is not getting opportunities to make plays downfield like the Bears offense was expected to provide.

Traded to Houston Texans from Arizona Cardinals. Justin Boone sees this as an upgrade from being the third or fourth option in Arizona to the number two option in Houston. The connection with CJ Stroud from their college days is a positive setup. Boone expects Harrison to move from being unranked (WR 45+) to potentially WR 30s in redraft once ramped up, though he remains a WR2 in the Texans' offense behind Nico Collins.

Matt Harmon compares Harrison's situation to Amari Cooper's 2015 trade to Dallas—a fourth overall pick whose career began to slip away before a position change to Z receiver revitalized his production. Harmon frames this as the hope the Texans must have if invested in Harrison: that a role adjustment could spark a turnaround, though he notes Cooper was more productive than Harrison on a bottom-line basis. The comparison suggests Harrison's current trajectory is concerning enough to warrant a position change or trade consideration.

Matthew Golden has become the subject of comparison with Luther Burden in fan debates, with some now arguing he is clearly better than Burden; this reflects the volatile nature of wide receiver performance in the 2024 class where circumstances and matchups drive significant swings in perception.

Matthew Stafford is one of the top five-ish best quarterbacks in the league and demonstrated his elite ability to manipulate zone coverage defenders, which is critical to the Rams' offensive success. He can better manipulate zone defenders than anybody else in the league at this point, enabling the Rams to build entire game plans around underneath zone-beating routes to Puka Nakua.

Michael Penix's rib injury is not considered serious according to sources; there is optimism he will be able to play Sunday against the Bears, though the team wants to be cautious and see him practice this week before confirming his Week 6 availability. This is critical for Falcons fantasy assets, as the offense was awful in the first two weeks without Penix and has been more interesting since his return.

Mike Evans was awesome on Sunday for the 49ers and continues to produce at a high level despite being from the 2015 draft class. With Deebo Samuel sidelined, Evans is positioned to see increased offensive concentration alongside Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle.

Mike Evans is one of the core fantasy pieces in the concentrated 49ers offense and continues to be great for fantasy; he is quietly putting up Jackson Smith-Jigbo level receiving efficiency stats on a per-route basis, making him a strong play if he stays healthy.

Washington is a bench hold in case Jeanty misses time but does not have standalone flex value. He is not a passing-down back, so his usage is limited in game scripts where the Raiders fall behind. In Week 5, he had only 2 touches vs. 16 for Jeanty and 7 for Dylan Lobby. Harmon could not figure out why Washington wasn't used more in the first half to give Jeanty a breather.

Boone describes Collins as an elite receiver and a cornerstone of the Texans offense. However, he notes Collins has a history of missing games—he missed regular season games last year and a playoff game when the Texans lost to New England. The Texans' acquisition of Marvin Harrison Jr. is partly motivated by needing depth at receiver given Collins' injury history. Boone expects Collins to remain in his X receiver role in an expanded passing offense.

Puka Nakua received a career-high 24 targets, the most targets for a receiver in at least the last 10 seasons (previous highs: Garrett Wilson and Jamar Chase with 23 each). His long was only 21 yards, indicating the Rams built the entire game plan around him with underneath zone-beating routes. Despite not being 100 percent healthy, Nakua was awesome due to his toughness, elite zone coverage understanding, and Matthew Stafford's ability to manipulate zone defenders. He's being treated as a top-three wide receiver overall in fantasy, with his pre-hernia injury concerns becoming secondary to his elite production.

Ray Davis was the third-leading receiver for the Bills with 1 catch for 31 yards in a game where the offense was heavily run-focused and the receiving corps was depleted by injuries.

RJ Harvey has not run away with the Broncos running back job and was never expected to become a workhorse back in this offense. In the two games before Week 5, he received significant passing-game work but does not get many carries and is inefficient when he does. Matt Harmon's panic level on Harvey is lower than on other Broncos players because Harvey's performance aligns with preseason expectations of a complementary back, though he had a bad Week 5.

Perine has been annoyingly involved in the Bengals backfield, limiting Chase Brown's opportunity. Through five weeks, Brown has only a 74% share of running back touches. Perine's involvement increased significantly after Brown's Week 5 fumble, jumping to 73% of remaining snaps vs. Brown's 48%, as the Bengals used Perine in slot and backfield roles. Before the fumble, Perine had been less involved (17% snaps Week 1-3, 29% Week 4), but the fumble triggered a clear shift in usage.

Travis Etienne is in the coping corner, meaning fantasy managers have moved past panic to acceptance of his underperformance.

Ty Johnson emerged as the second-leading receiver for the Bills with 4 catches for 72 yards on 4 targets in a game where the receiving corps was severely limited. He was one of the few pass-catchers to accumulate meaningful yardage in an offense forced to rely heavily on Josh Allen's scrambling and ground game.

With Terrence Ferguson out and Colby Parkinson returning, Higbee remains the leader in receiving tight end snaps for the Rams. Matt Harmon projects Higbee can continue as a low-end tight end starter given the Rams' upcoming favorable schedule (Cardinals, Raiders, Chargers, Commanders through Week 11).

Hutchinson is mentioned as a depth receiver in the Texans' expanded passing offense. Boone expects him to rotate in alongside other receivers in an 11-personnel base, but he is not projected as a primary fantasy option.