In one of the more enigmatic weekends in of the NFL season, several stud players failed to meet their statistical expectations while borderline fantasy starters posted monstrous totals. This odd trend spread to all positions, as the likes of Damon Huard, Justin Fargas and Andre' Davis made a lot of noise while stars like Marc Bulger, Cedric Benson and Steve Smith were held silent in the box scores. So without further adieu, let's take a look at all the best and worst performances from Week 4.
Best Performances
1. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas (37 points): Romo continued to shine for owners in Week 4, as he recorded 339 passing yards, 24 rushing yards and four total touchdowns in a 37-7 blowout win over St. Louis. His first score came on a 15-yard run, his second on a 59-yard pass to Patrick Crayton, his third on a 37-yard pass to Crayton and his fourth on a 17-yard strike to Jason Witten. Romo ended the weekend as the top point producer in fantasy football, and he faces Buffalo next week on Monday Night Football.
2. Daunte Culpepper, QB, Oakland (35 points): How does a quarterback complete less than 50 percent of his passes, throw for 75 yards and still score 35 points? Well, he can do it if he throws for two touchdowns and runs for three others. That's what Culpepper did against his former team, the Miami Dolphins. Both of his touchdown passes went to Jerry Porter (7, 27), and he also scored on rushes of 2, 5 and 3 yards. The Raiders have a bye in Week 5, but Culpepper will be a hot name on the waiver wire.
3. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis (31 points): Manning threw for an unspectacular 193 yards and rushed for minus-3 yards on four carries against Denver, but his four total touchdowns were enough to make him a top-three fantasy performer this week. His scores came on a 9-yard pass to Dallas Clark, a 1-yard run on a quarterback sneak, a 3-yard pass to Clark and a 5-yard pass to Reggie Wayne. Manning remains a must-start option in all formats next week when the Colts host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
4. Patrick Crayton, WR, Dallas (30 points): When a Dallas wideout makes our list of top performances, his initials are in most cases T.O., not P.C. However, that was the case this week as Crayton totaled seven receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns against what was supposed to be a formidable Rams pass defense. His scores came on receptions of 59 and 37 yards, both in the third quarter. Crayton has a nice matchup next week in Buffalo, but don't expect such immense totals in consecutive contests.
5. Ronnie Brown, RB, Miami (26 points): Brown's value was headed south after the first two weeks, but now he's the hottest runner in fantasy football. Brown followed up last week's 211 all-purpose yards and three scores against the New York Jets with 207 all-purpose yards and one score in a 35-17 loss to Oakland. Brown, who has become more involved as a receiver out of the backfield this season, should now be considered a must-start back when the Dolphins travel to Houston to face the Texans in Week 5.
6. Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh (24 points): Holmes entered this weekend's contest in Arizona as the top option in the Steelers' pass attack in the absence of Hines Ward, and he took full advantage of the chance to shine. The former Ohio State standout caught six passes for 128 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 21-14 loss to the Cardinals. Holmes scored on passes of 43 and 7 yards from Ben Roethlisberger. Holmes should be considered a nice option for Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks.
7. Brett Favre, QB, Green Bay (23 points): One of the best draft values in fantasy football, Favre had his third consecutive solid performances in Week 4. The veteran threw for 344 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-16 win over Minnesota. His first score, a 16-yard strike to Greg Jennings, broke Dan Marino's NFL record for career touchdown passes. His second score went to James Jones on a 33-yard pass. Favre has a difficult matchup next week against Chicago, but it's hard to sit a quarterback this hot.
8. Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City (22 points): Bowe, who was active in a mere 33 percent of NFL.com leagues, has become a real stud for fantasy owners in recent weeks. He caught eight passes for 164 yards and scored on a 51-yard pass from Damon Huard in a 30-16 win over San Diego. Bowe has now score a touchdown in each of the past three weeks and will be a hot name on the waiver wire. He has a difficult matchup in Week 5 against Jacksonville, but he's still a viable No. 3 fantasy wide receiver.
9. Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seattle (21 points): Hasselbeck's matchup this week against San Francisco's 11th-ranked pass defense didn't look so hot on paper, but he still found fantasy gold. The veteran out of Boston College threw for 281 yards and tossed two touchdowns in a 23-3 win over the Niners. His scores came on a 17-yard pass to Bobby Engram and a 14-yard pass to Marcus Pollard. Hasselbeck could be in for a much tougher contest in Week 5, however, when the Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh.
10. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego (21 points): Tomlinson has been a bit of a disappointment headed into Week 4, but he looked like the old L.T. in a loss to Kansas City. The NFL MVP caught five passes and totaled 154 all-purpose yards with one touchdown, which came on a 5-yard run in the first quarter. Tomlinson should have another monster stat line next week in Denver, where he'll face a Broncos team that entered this weekend with one of the worst run defenses in the entire NFL.
Worst Performances
1. Joey Galloway, WR, Tampa Bay (0 points): There was a Buccaneers wideout that recorded seven catches for 114 yards in a 20-7 win over Carolina, but it was Ike Hilliard, not Galloway. The inconsistent veteran was limited to a miniscule one catch for seven yards, as the Panthers defensive backfield put the clamps on him the entire afternoon. In fact, Galloway wasn't even targeted until the fourth quarter. Owners should consider him no more than a No. 3 fantasy wideout next week in Indianapolis.
2. Marc Bulger, QB, St. Louis (2 points): It's hard not to feel for Bulger, who has two broken ribs and a patchwork offensive line in front of him. Even against a mediocre Dallas pass defense, Bulger mustered a mere 114 yards with no touchdowns and one interceptions in a 35-7 loss. Bulger was hurried and pressured quite a bit, and the coaches took him out late in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. He should be considered a real risk next week when the Rams host an improved Arizona defense.
3. Philip Rivers, QB, San Diego (2 points): Rivers has had no real success against the Chiefs in his career, and that trend continued in Week 4. He threw for 211 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, and he also lost one fumble that Tyron Brackenridge returned 50 yards for a score. Rivers has been a real disappointment for fantasy owners to this point, and next week won't be any easier as he faces a Denver team on the road that fielded the NFL's top-rated pass defense headed into the weekend.
4. Chris Chambers, WR, Miami (2 points): Chambers had been one of the hotter wide receivers in fantasy football, but he was held down in a bad loss to Oakland. The veteran out of Wisconsin caught two passes for 21 yards and didn't find the end zone for Miami, which fell to 0-4 in its first season under head coach Cam Cameron. Chambers should see more than his share of opportunities next week in Houston, however, so he's still a viable No. 3 fantasy wideout or flex starter in most fantasy formats.
5. Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia (3 points): McNabb might have been the weekend's biggest fantasy disappointment. One week after a solid four-touchdown performance against Detroit, McNabb was expected to shred a vulnerable Giants pass defense. Well, that didn't happen. The G-Men sacked him 12 times, and his final stat line (138 yards, no touchdowns, three lost fumbles) was no less than terrible. The Eagles have a bye in Week 5, so McNabb will have time to recover before a contest against the N.Y. Jets.
6. Steve Smith, WR, Carolina (3 points): Smith caught five passes for a mere 32 yards in a 20-7 loss to Tampa Bay, and it appears the absence of Jake Delhomme will hurt the wideout's value. Smith was frustrated with the offense all afternoon, as David Carr targeted him just nine times in his 41 pass attempts. The stud wide receiver should remain active in Week 5 when the Panthers face a vulnerable New Orleans defense at the Superdome, but he's not as consistent when Delhomme is on the sidelines.
7. Terrell Owens, WR, Dallas (3 points): Even the best athletes have a bad week, and that's what happened to Owens in Week 4. He recorded three catches for 33 yards and no touchdowns, and he dropped three passes from Tony Romo as well. The Cowboys still scored 35 points even with Owens as a non-factor, but his lack of numbers hurt fantasy owners. He should bounce back next week in front of a national audience against a Buffalo defense that won't be able to handle the amount of firepower Dallas has on offense.
8. Todd Heap, TE, Baltimore (3 points): Heap sure did look like a nice option this week against a Cleveland defense that allowed an NFL-high 11 receiving touchdowns and ranked 21st against the pass headed the weekend. But in the world of fantasy football, the matchups don't pan out all the time. That was the case for the Ravens tight end, who caught four passes for 36 yards in a 27-13 loss. Heap also injured his hamstring and was hobbled after the contest, so keep tabs on his status for Week 5.
9. Thomas Jones, RB, N.Y. Jets (5 points): Much like Heap, Jones looked like a solid option this week based on his matchup. But in the unpredictable world of the NFL, Jones struggled to do much of anything against a vulnerable Bills defense. The veteran caught two passes and totaled 55 all-purpose yards and no touchdowns in a 17-14 loss to Buffalo. What's more, he lost carries to Leon Washington in the second half. Jones has another nice matchup in Week 5 against the Giants, but he has become a risk.
10 Willie Parker, RB, Pittsburgh (5 points): Parker has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of his first three starts, but an aggressive Arizona defense that created frequent penetration into the Steelers' backfield ended that streak. Fast Willie finished with four catches, 66 all-purpose yards and no touchdowns in a 21-14 loss to the Cardinals. Despite the porous performance, Parker should still be active in fantasy leagues across the board next week when the Steelers host Seattle at Heinz Field.
