Bears WR D.J. Moore caught eight of nine targets for 131 yards and a score in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. This Denver defense is the worst in the league right now, but it was nice to see Moore (and QB Justin Fields) take advantage of the matchup. Moore has now topped 100 yards in two of his last three games. More importantly, he's registered 24%, 30%, and 26% target shares the past three weeks. If Moore continues to see that type of volume -- and this Bears passing game can just be serviceable -- Moore will be a solid weekly fantasy starter. His stretch of favorable matchups continues the next four weeks vs. the Commanders, Vikings, Raiders, and Chargers.
DeVante Parker played 16 more snaps and ran 10 more pass routes than any other Patriots WR in Sunday's loss to the Cowboys. It marked the third straight week Parker has led the group in routes. He has run a route on 91% of New England's dropbacks in that span, after missing Week 1. TE Hunter Henry checks in next at 82.9%. WR Kendrick Bourne trails at 60.4%, with WR JuJu Smith-Schuster at 54.1%. That has amounted to only 7 total targets and 4 receptions over the past two weeks. But it leaves room for upside in upcoming matchups. Week 5 brings the Saints, who have played well on defense but been a positive scoring matchup for WRs. Our adjusted fantasy points allowed say the Raiders, Bills, and Dolphins the following three weeks have been negative. We'll see as those matchups draw closer.
Bears TE Cole Kmet was on the receiving end of two of QB Justin Fields' four TD passes in Sunday's loss to the Broncos. More importantly, Kmet tied for the team lead with nine targets and finished behind only WR D.J. Moore with seven catches and 85 receiving yards. QB Justin Fields might never have a bigger passing day than he did in this one. But Kmet is playing a significant role in this passing game. He's now totaled 24 targets on a 19.5% target share through four weeks. If Fields and this passing game are just OK going forward, Kmet has a shot at top-12 production on that type of volume.
Chargers WR Quentin Johnston posted just 1 catch for 18 yards in Week 4. Johnston garnered an end zone target and a deep target, but both plays were near-misses broken up by the DB. On the day, the rookie ran 22 routes -- thrid on the team behind Josh Palmer (30) and Keenan Allen (30). Johnston wil remain a low-floor fantasy option following a Week 5 bye.
Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson caught all of his team-high 7 targets for 77 yards in Sunday's win over the Patriots. He narrowly missed scoring on the team's first drive, getting taken down at the 1-yard line after a 3-yard catch. He got Dallas down to the 4-yard line with a 14-yard catch-and-run before that. Ferguson continues to have a strong role in a good offense. That makes him a solid weekly starter in fantasy, though a Week 5 visit to San Francisco will challenge that.
Based on footage of pre-game warmups, Saints QB Derek Carr looked healthy ahead of Week 4. Come gametime, though, Carr looked limited by the shoulder injury that made him a game-time decision. The veteran tallied just 127 yards on 23 of 37 passing – an ugly 3.43 yards per attempt – all against a banged up Bucs defense. We’ll keep an eye on Carr’s practice participation ahead of a Week 5 date at New England.
The Cowboys racked up 38 points in Sunday's blowout win over the Patriots, but RB Tony Pollard didn't do any of it. He carried 11 times for 47 yards and caught all 3 targets for 13 more. But he watched Hunter Luepke claim the team's only rushing TD from 3 yards out midway through the fourth quarter. CeeDee Lamb caught the only other offensive TD. The defense added a pair of TD returns. There's nothing to worry about from this disappointing day if you have Pollard rostered. Just shrug it off and get ready for a tough matchup with the 49ers in Week 5. At least the doughy Chargers defense awaits the week after that.
Patriots TE Hunter Henry led the team with 4 receptions and 51 receiving yards in Sunday's beatdown at the hands of the Cowboys. He was the only New England player to catch more than two passes in the game. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster matched Henry's 5 targets for the team lead. WR DeVante Parker followed with 4. Five others tallied 3 targets apiece. New England gets another tough matchup with New Orleans in Week 5 but a friendlier spot at Vegas the following week.
Texans QB C.J. Stroud completed 16 of 30 passes for 306 yards and 2 TDs in a Week 4 win over Pittsburgh. Despite continuing to play without multiple O-linemen, Stroud delivered several dimes while going without a turnover. Two of his scores went to Nico Collins, with the other going to Dalton Schultz. Stroud has now hit 280+ yards in three straight. The rookie enters a neutral matchup at Atlanta in Week 5.
Patriots QB Bailey Zappe completed just four of nine passes for 57 yards after taking over for Mac Jones in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Cowboys. Zappe took a sack and didn't pilot any scoring drives. But he at least avoided turnovers. We're guessing New England will go back to Jones for Week 5, but we'll watch for confirmation.
The Patriots made Ian Rapoport's Sunday Ezekiel Elliott report look like a lie. The NFL Network reporter said New England planned to give Elliott "starter reps" against his old team. That amounted to 6 carries and 3 targets in the 38-3 loss. Elliott totaled just 22 yards and watched Rhamondre Stevenson beat him 16-8 in touches. We'll see what gets reported about the Patriots backfield heading into Week 5, but Elliott's 3.9 yards per touch so far this season certainly don't scream that he needs to get the ball more. Stevenson managed only 40 total yards against the Cowboys. The New England backfield gets a tough matchup with New Orleans in Week 5 before a better spot at Las Vegas in Week 6.
Texans RB Dameon Pierce gained 81 yards on 24 attempts in Week 4. Houston gained an early lead on Pittsburgh and never looked back, which helped Pierce see his biggest workload since Week 9 of 2022. He encountered bad luck when a five-yard TD was overturned by penalty, but this outing was still encouraging. Backup RB Devin Singletary mixed in for only 7 carries, while C.J. Stroud continued to impress. Pierce should remain busy for a Week 5 date at Atlanta.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles said after Sunday's game vs. the Saints that WR Mike Evans "tweaked" his hamstring and would undergo tests tomorrow. Evans had a “mild but not significant limp” leaving the stadium, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine. We should learn more about the severity tomorrow.
Steelers QB Kenny Pickett is scheduled for an MRI on his left knee on Monday, according to Pro Football Talk. The team is “hopeful” he’s just dealing with a minor MCL sprain. We should get an update on Pickett's status within the next 24 hours. QB Mitchell Trubisky finished today’s game for Pittsburgh, completing 3 of 5 passes for 18 yards.
QB Mac Jones was benched in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Cowboys, with the Patriots down 31-3. Jones completed 12 of 21 passes for 150 yards, 0 TDs, and two INTs, one of which went for a pick-6. Jones also lost a fumble that was returned for a Dallas TD. He's been replaced by QB Bailey Zappe. We'll see about New England's plan at QB going forward.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts racked up 319 yards and 2 TDs passing in Sunday's OT win over the Commanders. He found WR A.J. Brown for both scores, from 28 and 59 yards out. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined to draw targets on 59.5% of Hurts' pass attempts. They also accounted for 79.3% of the team's receiving yards. TE Dallas Goedert managed just 2 receptions for 25 yards among 4 targets. RB D'Andre Swift ranked third on the team with 4 receptions on 4 targets.
Even with WR A.J. Brown garnering 35% of Eagles targets in Sunday's win over the Commanders, WR DeVonta Smith still managed a solid outing. He drew 9 targets, tallied 7 receptions, and totaled 78 yards. Smith saw a target on 24.3% of QB Jalen Hurts' 37 pass attempts. He's now up to 22.3% target share through four games. That's down a bit from last year's 25.4%, though, and makes Smith more of a high-end WR3 than WR2.
Texans WR Nico Collins had his way with the Pittsburgh secondary in Week 4, tallying 7-168-2. Collins scored once at the goal line; once from deep on a play that showed his length and post-catch ability. On the day, his 30% target share easily led the team. The third-year pro now has 22 catches, 428 yards, and 3 TDs through four games. He'll be in the WR2/3 mix for Sunday's matchup at Atlanta.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert got his left hand caught in a Raider helmet after throwing an INT in the third quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Raiders. He was bleeding and taken into the medical tent. We'll update Herbert's status when we know more. At least it was Herbert's non-throwing hand.
Update: Herbert has returned with his left hand heavily taped and his middle finger in a splint.
Eagles WR A.J. Brown racked up 9 receptions, 175 yards, and 2 TDs in Sunday's OT win over the Commanders. His scores came from 28 and 59 yards out, while his 13 targets accounted for 35.1% of Jalen Hurts' total pass attempts. Through four games, Brown has drawn a target on 33.1% of Hurts' attempts. He gets a nice matchup with the Rams in Week 5, ahead of a more challenging Week 6 draw in the Jets.
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