Week 4 NFL Recap & Week 5 Fantasy Football Prep

With Week 4 in the books, we are a quarter of the way through this season, which means that you should know what you have on your fantasy team by now. Yes, there were six teams on bye, so not everyone has played four games just yet, but by now roles are starting to shake out and most players are what they are.

There are some exceptions to this, and we’ll get to those players in a bit, but let’s first take a look at some of the heroes of the week.

Fantasy Football Impact Players: Week 4 NFL Recap

This was the week of massive quarterback play from four different passers, each of which excelled for different reasons. Both Eli Manning and Philip Rivers benefitted from facing atrocious defensive play in the Redskins and Jaguars respectively. With Rivers owned in most leagues as a borderline starter, this doesn’t really change anything. He’s a matchup play as well as a high-end bye week fill-in.

Eli, on the other hand, is a much more interesting case. I don’t think anyone should necessarily rush out to add him should he happen to be available, but he certainly does have bye-week/QB2 potential. The Giants passing offense finally looked competent on Thursday night, and though this could just be a one-off stemming from just how bad the Redskins were, this performance does improve Eli's fantasy relevance in deeper leagues.

The other two quarterbacks who put up big time performances were Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers. Turns out Rodgers wasn’t kidding when he told Packer fans to R-E-L-A-X, as he torched the Chicago defense to the tune of 302 yards and four touchdowns. That’s the type of game you wanted from Rodgers when you took him in the second round. He’s fine. As for Luck, he is on pace for a monster season and might actually end up as a top three QB at year’s end. It’s probably too late to try to acquire Luck, but if his owner has is holding on to a decent backup QB, go ahead and make an offer for Luck if you’re weak at the position.

As with the Colts signal-caller, after a certain point you just have to buy in to certain players and accept that they’re going to have big years. Three other players that fit that category are receivers Antonio Brown and Steve Smith, as well as running back DeMarco Murray.

Antonio had his highest yardage total on the season thus far with 131, and he added two touchdowns, to boot. He’s going to end the year as a top five wide receiver this year without question. It’s fair to say that Steve Smith has completely obliterated Torrey Smith’s spot as Baltimore’s number one receiver. For the fourth week in a row, I have to admit that I got the Steve vs. Torrey Smith debate completely wrong. Steve Smith is the Ravens receiver you want to own, and it’s not even close. I know Torrey Smith scored a touchdown in this game, but he only caught two passes. He is now a complementary player on an offense that has found a more talented option. I wouldn’t even argue against dropping him if you need the roster spot.

And then there’s DeMarco Murray. The concerns with Murray have never been about talent-- it's his health that worries owers. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before he ends up getting hurt, so I would actually consider selling high. Murray had 149 yards and two touchdowns as the Cowboys demolished the Saints on Sunday night, which continues his top five season to this point. That’ll continue for as long as he’s healthy, so unless this is the year that he finally plays all 16 games, it’s not a bad idea to try to cash in your Murray chips while you can.

I'll hit on the key injuries as we go through the weekly recap from around the league.

Giants @ Redskins

This game was an absolute train wreck for the Redskins. Just when everyone thought Kirk Cousins would be able to hold on to the starting gig upon Robert Griffin III’s return, he completely unravels and gives up with five turnovers against the Giants. I don’t think it’s over for Cousins just yet, but it appears that the idea of Washington becoming his team was just a bit premature. He can still play himself back into being the Redskins everyday starter, but for now he’s just another QB2.

Every other Redskin was a disappointment in this game, and tight end Niles Paul left the contest with a concussion. That’s a huge blow for Washington, especially considering that starter Jordan Reed hasn’t even seen the field yet. Concussions are funky, so there’s no way to predict how long Paul will be out (if at all), but the starting TE on Washington possesses value whoever it is, given how often they utilize the position.

We’ve already discussed Eli Manning turning into a gunslinger in this game, and a lot of that was due to the play of tight end Larry Donnell. Donnell has developed into a clear top 10 TE for the rest of the year, after being completely off the radar in the off-season. Rashad Jennings didn’t have a great game here by any means, but the Giants were able to throw with such ease in this game that you kind of just have to accept the disappointing performance out of Jennings. He’ll be fine in the long term.

Lions @ Jets 

No on in his right mind would have (or should have) benched Calvin Johnson in this game, and yet if you had and also managed to replace him with someone who managed more than two receptions for 12 yards, then you should probably start playing the lottery. Megatron was a question mark all week with virtually no reps in practice, but he’s still Calvin Johnson-- if he’s active, you start him, end of story.

Considering how atrocious the Jets secondary is, a healthy Calvin Johnson would have torched them. Golden Tate stepped up in Calvin’s stead to the tune of 116 yards. There’s just not much you can do about this game but deal with the disappointing day for Calvin. He’ll be back to being a Transformer once he’s healthy.

Joique Bell left this game with a concussion which, again, is impossible to predict in terms of missing action. If Bell were to miss any time, Reggie Bush would get a huge bump, as the workload for both guys has been practically even until this point. On the Jets side of things, Geno Smith looked terrible and Chris Ivory did not. It’s only a matter of time before the Jets give Michael Vick a shot at quarterback, so grab him now if you’re in a two quarterback league.

Ivory got 17 rushes to Chris Johnson’s six in this game, despite Johnson earning the touchdown. I think it’s clear that the Jets prefer Ivory, as he’s been the more productive runner thus far, but he too has been injury-prone throughout his career. Enjoy the Chris Ivory train till the wheels fall off, because he’s bound to get dinged up at one point or another.

Bills @ Texans

This game fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. Both quarterbacks threw two picks in this game, one of which was intercepted by J.J. Watt for a 79-yard Texans touchdown. That play was fantastic, and it's one of the reasons why the Texans are a legit fantasy defense for the rest of the year.

That was about the only major fantasy development in this game, although it was nice to see Andre Johnson finally get a decent amount of work in despite fumbling the football, with six receptions for 71 yards. Arian Foster played in this game after missing last week’s matchup against the Giants, but he was limited to eight carries. He did, however, end up with seven receptions for 55 yards, so hopefully that was enough to make a difference in your matchup.

The Bills offense just isn’t very good, but it should improve now that Kyle Orton will be the starting quarterback, replacing E.J. Manuel. I think this helps Sammy Watkins, Fred Jackson, and C.J. Spiller, as Orton is a solid veteran backup who should be just fine. Orton should be added ahead of Vick in two-quarterback leagues, considering he’s already been proclaimed as the starter; just be aware that Orton doesn’t have nearly as much upside as Vick does.

Titans @ Colts 

The nicest thing I can say about the Tennessee offense is that Delanie Walker is legit this year. With Jake Locker out, Walker still managed to put up 84 yards with a touchdown in the Titans blowout loss to the Colts. Bishop Sankey finally got more work and did more with it than Shonn Greene, although it’s tough to read too much into the run game in this contest.

I do think the Titans could look to give Sankey the ball more from here on out, given how terrible of a season they’re having thus far. They might be thinking, “We might as well see what we have in Sankey.” It’s not a perfect theory, but it couldn't hurt to scoop up Sankey if someone has already bailed on him. Both Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton had huge days, with both guys topping 100 yards.

Luck continues to spread the ball around a ton, but those two are obviously the guys you want to own the most on the Colts. Despite Trent Richardson finding the endzone in this game, he still only averaged 2.4 yards per carry, compared to Ahmad Bradshaw’s 3.6. Bradshaw continues to outperform Richardson in the run game, and the latter is clearly the back I would rather own in any league. The touchdown for Richardson is nice, but Bradshaw found the endzone on a reception of his own. This is a 50/50 split at best. It should be noted that Bradshaw was seen in a walking boot after this game, but he didn’t exit the field, so he should be fine for next week.

Dolphins vs Raiders (Across the Pond)

Can we please stop playing games in London? I get that the NFL wants to expand their product internationally, but it’s not really fair to deprive a team of a home game for that. Just put a team there and be done with it. The poor Oakland Raiders are bad enough as it is-- they don’t need to be subjected to such tomfoolery.

Having said that, they remain the most fantasy irrelevant team in the league. You’ve got Darren “Overrated Since Day One” McFadden, banged-up Maurice Jones-Drew, and James Jones as the number one receiver. I don’t have an issue with dropping any of those guys. Sure, Jones had 83 yards in this game, but we don’t even know who the Oakland quarterback is going forward, let alone how Jones is going to perform. Derek Carr left this game with a foot injury, which provided Matt McGloin with the opportunity to throw two interceptions.

The Dolphins were one of the top streaming defenses of the week, and that clearly paid off in their 38-14 stomping of the Raiders. Lamar “Better Late than Never” Miller found the endzone twice in this game on 12 rushing attempts for 64 yards. Things are about to get extremely interesting when Knowshon Moreno returns-- we could be looking at the messiest timeshare in the league. For now, Miller remains a solid RB2 on an offense that has quarterback concerns of its own.

Ryan Tannehill was threatened with being benched for this game, so I would be wary of trusting any Miami Dolphin that doesn’t play the running back position.

Panthers @ Ravens 

What happened to the Carolina defense? They seemed to have completely vanished. I don’t think they are an automatic every-week starter anymore, given that they have been blown out by AFC North opponents two weeks straight. Former Panther Steve Smith torched them, albeit with some luck on a ridiculous tipped pass for a touchdown, but hey, flukey plays count just as much as regular ones.

The Ravens backfield was an exact split with Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro receiving nearly identical workloads and both guys scoring a touchdown. Taliaferro remains the back you would rather own, given his upside and that we already know who Justin Forsett is at this point in his career.

The biggest question mark coming out of this game belongs to Cam Newton. It’s time to start worrying. There’re reports that Newton is also dealing with a hand injury on top of his surgically repaired ankle and cracked rib. Abandon ship if you can. With stellar play from guys like Jay Cutler and Philip Rivers thus far, it’s conceivable that Cam Newton ends up outside the top 10 of his position by the end of the year. It’s unfortunate, given how talented and exciting he is to watch, but something just isn’t right.

Kelvin Benjamin, however, is as right as can be. That guy is a stud and should find his way into your lineup every week, unless you happen to be loaded at wide receiver.

DeAngelo Williams is already doubtful for the Panthers Week 5 matchup against the shoddy Chicago run defense. I’ve said before that you should avoid the Carolina running back situation at all costs, so until it’s clear that there is one viable and healthy starter, I stand by that statement.

Packers @ Bears 

With Aaron Rodgers having a huge game here, it’s no surprise that his top two receivers each totaled over 100 yards with two touchdowns apiece in Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson. If you’ve managed not to panic about your Packers thus far, this game should have provided some reassurances.

Eddie Lacy is one of the exceptions to the “you should know what you have by now” theory, in that he did look better than the first three weeks and managed to find the endzone here, but still only had 48 yards. I don’t think you should totally bail on Lacy, but his status as a guaranteed number one running back has diminished. With the huge years from guys like DeMarco Murray and Le’Veon Bell, it’s hard to see Lacy ending up at his draft-day value. If you can still get top dollar for him, deal him, but I wouldn’t necessarily sell low. I would much rather hang on in the hopes he turns it around rather than make a panic move and bail too early at a discount.

On the Bears side of things, Martellus Bennett could very well end the year as a top five tight end. 134 yards is huge for a TE, and with disappointing years for several key TEs so far, Bennett should help out fantasy teams tremendously going forward.

The Bears have stated that it’s time they take a closer look at Brandon Marshall’s ankle injury, which has now become a weekly concern. Marshall SHOULD sit next week so he can rest up and come back closer to 100% in Week 6. Hopefully that’s what Chicago decides to do.

Oh yeah, and Matt Forte is still Matt Forte. With a whole lot of touches and fantastic production, Matt Forte is one of the few first-round running backs that is actually returning his on your draft-day investment.

Buccaneers @ Steelers 

I don’t think anyone expected Tampa Bay to pull out the victory in Pittsburgh, especially after seeing them get humiliated by Atlanta the previous week. After Bobby Rainey’s case of fumblitis last week, Doug Martin stepped right back into his starting role, yet he didn’t do a whole lot with it. 14 carries for 40 yards is “eh,” and that’s basically the kind of back Martin is at this point. He’s “eh.”

The more important matter for the Buccaneers is their passing game, as Mike Evans left this game with a groin injury that is expected to keep him out two to three weeks. This leaves room for Louis Murphy to follow up his 99-yard performance while also allowing Vincent Jackson to find his stride a bit. Jackson did score in this game, but his reception totals continue to suffer. I suppose you can’t be too disappointed if he keeps finding the endzone, but you want actual production, not just lucky touchdowns every week.

We’ve already discussed Antonio Brown at length (who actually threw a pass for a first down in this game-- the dude can do it all), so let’s move right along to the rest of the offense. Le’Veon Bell had his worst game of the year thus far, yet still managed over 100 yards of total offense. I think it’s safe to say his offseason weight loss has aided his on-field performance tremendously.

Here’s a neat little stat: Heath Miller is currently fifth among tight ends in receptions. If you’re struggling at the position, Heath is a solid pickup going forward. The Steeler offense looks much improved as a whole and is developing into one of the more fantasy-relevant teams.

The Pittsburgh defense was another popular streaming defense this week, and if they can’t get it done against Tampa Bay then it’s time to ignore them for the rest of the year. Then again, they do get the Jaguars next week…

Jaguars @ Chargers 

This game went exactly as everyone expected: the Chargers won easily with Philip Rivers throwing all over the Jacksonville defense. If you held on to to Keenan Allen after the first three disappointing weeks of the season, you were rewarded with 135 yards, but he failed to score as Eddie Royal vultured two touchdowns.

Hopefully, this is a sign that Allen will be back to normal as the season rolls along, but it also definitely reinforces that the Chargers could have a relevant pass-catcher any given week.  This week it was Royal, next week it might be Malcolm Floyd. Both guys are probably worth a stash in deeper or three-WR leagues, as each could end up with a touchdown at any time, given how much the Chargers spread the ball around.

Donald Brown was the most popular pickup last week after coming close to 40 touches once Danny Woodhead and Ryan Mathews went down with injuries. This week, however, he only ended up with 14 touches. That’s an unfortunate case of a guy not getting the opportunity against a terrible defense, but when Rivers is out there lighting it up, there’s not much reason to change strategy.

As for the Jaguars, leave them all on your bench until you're desperate due to bye-week woes or injuries. You cannot start any of them with confidence.

Eagles @ 49ers 

This was probably the most exciting game of the week, and if you were smart (crazy?) enough to pick up the Eagles defense/special teams, you were rewarded with three touchdowns. That’s actually kind of unfortunate given how strong the Philadelphia offense is and how fantasy-relevant their starters are.

Speaking of their starters, it’s officially time to panic about LeSean McCoy. McCoy only getting 10 carries is a football travesty, but at least they didn’t go to Sproles as often. They did, however, manage to throw the ball 43 times, with Nick Foles only completing 21 of those passes.

Look, this offense is one of the best in the NFL so you’re not going to start trading away everyone, but if someone out there is willing to give you top dollar for McCoy, take it. Much like Eddie Lacy, it’s better to bail now near 100% value rather than sell low, so if you can’t get equal return, just suck it up and deal with it. Jeremy Maclin falls into the Kelvin Benjamin category, so get him into your lineup if you aren’t loaded at wide receiver.

The 49ers had two injury problems in this game with Michael Crabtree leaving and returning, and Vernon Davis exiting completely with a back injury. I can’t imagine starting Davis until he’s fully healthy, so even if he doesn’t miss any time, leave him on your bench until he’s 100%.

Welcome back Frank Gore! Gore finally rebounded with a performance that netted 174 total yards and a receiving touchdown. Hopefully this means he’s in store for a return to form despite his age.

Falcons @ Vikings

Another surprising upset with the Vikings beating the Falcons 41-28. Roddy White was back to form in this game after missing last week’s Thursday night game. He snagged four receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown here, which shows he still has true value as a WR2 when healthy.

There really isn’t much else to report as far as the Falcons offense is concerned, other than Julio Jones is still awesome. 82 yards is 82 yards; take it and hope he breaks more big plays as the season rolls along.

Vikings rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater sprained his ankle in this game, but the injury is not believed to be serious. Interestingly, the Vikings basically split the carries between Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, and we saw Asiata score three touchdowns while McKinnon racked up 135 yards.

The Falcons couldn't stop a nosebleed when it comes to the run game, so it’s not all that surprising that both guys were productive here. What is surprising, however, is that the Vikings went to a near 50/50 split. McKinnon has been an interesting name floating around as a potential long-term roster add, particularly in dynasty or keeper leagues. I believe that’s an accurate way to look at both guys: Asiata is the guy you want right now if you’re looking to start a running back this week, but McKinnon is the one to stash for later.

Both RBs should be owned in all leagues, but you should yank all Vikings passing options from your lineup ASAP. Don’t drop Cordarrelle Patterson or anything like that, but the production just hasn’t been there this year. Time to pull him until further notice.

Saints @ Cowboys

I’m sure this is the game that will have Dallas Cowboys fans (and the media) hollering about how they have finally turned it around, only to be disappointed come December when they miss the playoffs by one game again. (Better to be right nine times and wrong the tenth than the other way around.)

This was the DeMarco Murray show through and through, but it was nice to see Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams find the endzone a total of three times. Hey, when your team scores five touchdowns there’s bound to be some variety right? Williams had two in this game, but I’m not reading too much into that.

What I am reading into, however, is that it took Khiry Robinson just eight carries to amass 87 yards on the ground. It’s clear the Saints want Robinson as their lead back in Mark Ingram’s absence, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Robinson holds on to to the job. If Robinson is somehow available in your league, grab him and start him immediately.

There really isn’t much else to report on the Saints offense. They are notorious for struggling on the road, but at least Jimmy Graham is still a beast, regardless.

Ideally your team is still competitive four weeks in and you've managed to survive the onslaught of teams on bye in Week 4. Week 5 has just two teams off with the Dolphins and Raiders getting some rest after their silly little scrimmage in London.  There are some tasty matchups coming up next week, with Steelers/Jaguars, Falcons/Giants and Bills/Lions all providing for some serious fantasy potential.