Another week, another monstrous performance from Devonta Freeman. Will he be able to hold off Tevin Coleman and a committee situation once he returns from cracked ribs? We'll have to wait and see. For now, we have a strange, and somewhat high-scoring Week 4 of the fantasy football season. We welcomed back some struggling studs to the top of the mountain (Jeremy Hill, Vincent Jackson!) while seeing others in great matchups fail to live up to their potential (Latavius Murray, boo). Our full recaps of every Week 4 game are below. Enjoy!
Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks
Top performers:
» Matthew Stafford, QB: 203 yards, 8.12 fantasy points
» Lions D/ST: 6 sack, 3 fmbl rec, TD, 22 fantasy points
» Russell Wilson, QB: 287 yards, 2 TD, 40 rush yds, 2 fmbl, 7.28 fantasy points
» Thomas Rawls, RB: 47 total yards, 4.7 fantasy points
» Doug Baldin, WR: 36 yards, TD, 9.6 fantasy points
Um ... where to start? This was one of the least rewarding fantasy football games of the season, unless of course you started the Lions defense, which had an impressive 22 fantasy points on the road. Russell Wilson was a wizard escaping pressure, single-handedly moving the Seahawks down the field (almost), but he was still sacked six times and lost two fumbles. The Lions running game was basically non-existent, and the one bright spot was supposed to be Calvin Johnson scoring the go-ahead touchdown. Until Kam Chancellor forced him to fumble out of the end zone, effectively ruining the Lions' hopes of pulling off the upset and anyone else from gaining fantasy points (aside from the four Jermaine Kearse owners who started him, kudos). On to Week 5, thankfully.
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints
Top performers:
» Joseph Randle, RB: 26 rush yards, TD, 8.6 fantasy points
» Jason Witten, TE: 4 rec, 57 yards, 5.7 fantasy points
» Terrance Williams, WR: 3 rec, 49 yards, TD, 10.9 fantasy points
» Drew Brees, QB: 359 pass yards, 2 TD, 22.36 fantasy points
» Mark Ingram, RB: 77 rush yards, 51 rec yards, 12.80 fantay points
» Willie Snead, WR: 6 rec, 89 yards, 8.9 fantasy points
» C.J. Spiller, RB: 5 rec, 99 rec yards, TD, 10 rush yards, 16.9 fantasy points
What a game. For the first three-plus quarters, there was next to no fantasy action. Josh Hill caught the touchdown we expected him to back in Week 1, while Joseph Randle squeaked into the end zone for Dallas. Mark Ingram racked up some yardage, but was vultured at the goal line by Khiry Robinson. However, in the final minutes and overtime, this one got interesting. Brees racked up a bunch of yardage, making his fantasy day one that actually could have helped plenty of fantasy teams -- especially after he netted 80 yards and a touchdown on the game's final play when C.J. Spiller torched a linebacker on a wheel route and took the pass to the house to win the game in overtime. Ingram also stretched his yardage total to 128, finishing with a very solid day (but that touchdown would have been icing on the cake). This backfield looks to be mostly Ingram's but Spiller will likely begin carving out a bigger role after his coming out party in the Superdome. Also, Willie Snead is a name we need to start paying attention to. He was the Saints most effective wide receiver, and has been making plays for a few weeks now. Terrance Williams made a spectacular touchdown catch on the Cowboys fourth quarter drive to tie the game at 20, salvaging what would have been another rough outing. Lance Dunbar suffered a non-contact knee injury that looked bad, and he did not return. We also got our first sighting of Christine Michael ... on one carry for -1-yards. With Dunbar potentially missing time, Michael will be a name to look for on waivers. Jason Witten turned in a four-catch, 57-yard outing, which could be the norm for him with Brandon Weeden under center.
Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos
Top performers:
» Teddy Bridgewater, QB: 269 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 23 rush yards, 1 fumble, 15.06 fantasy points
» Adrian Peterson, RB: 81 rush yards, 13 rec yards, 1 rush TD, 15.40 fantasy points
» Mike Wallace, WR: 83 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 14.30 fantasy points
» Stefon Diggs, WR: 87 rec yards, 8.70 fantasy points
» Peyton Manning, QB: 213 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 2 INTs, -2 rush yards, 8.32 fantasy points
» Ronnie Hillman, RB: 103 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 5 rec yards, 16.80 fantasy points
» C.J. Anderson, WR: 43 rush yards, 27 rec yards, 7.00 fantasy points
» Demaryius Thomas, WR: 93 rec yards, 9.30 fantasy points
» Owen Daniels, TE, 9 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 6.90 fantasy points
» Emmanuel Sanders, WR: 68 rec yards, 6.80 fantasy points
It wasn't pretty, but Denver pulled out another win in Week 4 against the Vikings by a score of 23-20. From a fantasy standpoint, the Vikings offense produced more than Denver's did. Adrian Peterson exceeded whatever expectations we had for him against a tough run defense, mainly due to an explosive 48-yard touchdown run in the second half. Mike Wallace had a day too, with his first touchdown of the season and 83 receiving yards. Some of Wallace's success may have been due to the absence of Charles Johnson, who was inactive with a rib injury, but it was still good to see Wallace get into the end zone. And even though Teddy Bridgewater seemingly struggled to move his offense, he managed to not throw a pick (although he fumbled late) and finished with a viable 15 fantasy points against what has been a tough Broncos defense.
For Denver, the big story here is the backfield. C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman had an even split of carries, 11 for both RBs. But Hillman was the more productive back thanks to a 72-yard touchdown run early in the game. Hillman finished with 103 rush yards (9.4 YPC) to Anderson's 43 (3.9 YPC). But that number is skewed; If you take away the 72-yard run, Hillman had just 31 yards on his remaining 10 carries. There were a few goal-line plays where Hillman just couldn't punch it in, too. This might be a changing of the guard in the Denver backfield, but we don't have much confidence in either back going forward. As for the wideouts, Demaryius Thomas hauled in nine catches on 12 targets, while Emmanuel Sanders had just three catches that went for 68 yards. Peyton Manning's day was not great for fantasy owners as his two picks knocked his total down under nine points.
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Top performers:
» Nick Foles, QB: 171 yards, 3 TDs, 18.74 fantasy points
» Todd Gurley, RB: 21 touches, 161 total yards, 16.10 fantasy points
» Tavon Austin, WR: 8 touches, 116 total yards, 2 TDs, 22.60 fantasy points
» Jared Cook, TE: 2 catches, 22 yards, 2.20 fantasy points
» Carson Palmer, QB: 352 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 15.98 fantasy points
» Chris Johnson, RB: 19 touches, 94 total yards, 9.40 fantasy points
» David Johnson, RB: 7 touches, 81 total yards, 1 TD, 12.10 fantasy points
» Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 7 catches, 99 yards, 7.90 fantasy points
» John Brown, WR: 7 catches, 75 yards, 8.80 fantasy points
» Michael Floyd, WR: 5 catches, 59 yards, 5.90 fantasy points
The Rams, in a classic Jeff Fisher inter-division upset, bested the previously undefeated Cardinals on the road. Nick Foles, after falling flat in a perfect matchup at home last week, carved up this aggressive defense. He threw the ball well into tight windows, and moved the offense with precision. Tavon Austin was the primary beneficiary. He was used on some specialty plays, as usual, but also ran some clean traditional wide receiver routes. We'll want to see more before trusting he's a primary catalyst of the offense. The real story here is Todd Gurley, who in his second NFL game worked over a good defense for 7.7 yards per touch. This guy is the real deal, and showed today he is talented enough to provide big fantasy days despite playing with lesser talents on the St. Louis offense. We could be in store for a real treat watching the rest of his rookie season. The Cardinals suffered a setback today, but still put up respectable fantasy numbers. Carson Palmer let Arizona down with some misfires, but put up reasonably good numbers in the end. You weren't too disappointed with his performance if he's your QB1. Chris Johnson saw 19 touches, and still ran well. David Johnson caught a touchdown, and out-produced the veteran from a fantasy perspective. The receivers all split up the pie today, but there was a clear one, two, three pecking order between Fitzgerald, Brown, and Floyd. Fitzgerald lost an ugly fumble, but still came away with a fine day as a starting fantasy receiver. We're still seeing more of John Brown's floor than his ceiling, but 7-75 isn't too bad, especially in a PPR league. Floyd is still playing a role, but looks lost trying to play the ball in traffic. We'll certainly see better days from this Cardinals offense.
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers
Top performers:
» Aaron Rodgers, QB: 204 pass yards, 1 TD, 33 rush yards, 15.46 fantasy points
» Eddie Lacy, RB: 93 total yards, 9.3 fantasy points
» Randall Cobb, WR: 5 rec, 44 yards, 4.4 fantasy points
» Packers D/ST: 6 sacks, 1 INT, 15.00 fantasy points
» Richard Rodgers, TE: 45 rec yards, 1 TD, 10.50 fantasy points
» James Jones, WR: 98 rec yards, 9.80 fantay points
» Colin Kaepernick, QB: 160 pass yards, 1 INT, 57 rush yards, 10.10 fantasy points
» Carlos Hyde, RB: 22 total yards, 2.2 fantasy points
The Packers didn't post the fantasy bonanza that everyone expected on Sunday. Instead, Aaron Rodgers and his pass-catchers were efficient and effective against a 49ers defense that put up a solid fight. Eddie Lacy continued to run the football well and James Jones is turning into Green Bay's No. 1 pass-catching option, especially with Randall Cobb looking like he was hurting at times. In a week where there weren't a ton of eye-popping fantasy performances, Green Bay gave you "good enough."
San Francisco's defense should be allowed to sue its offense for lack of support. Colin Kaepernick posted another dreadful game with just 160 passing yards and a pick. Yet his 10.10 fantasy points were by far the most for any 49ers player. As long as Kap can't get things together, it will be nearly impossible for any of his teammates to be fantasy relevant.
Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers
Top performers:
» Josh McCown, QB: 356 pass yards, 2 TD, 1 2-point conversion, 1 fumble, 22.24 fantasy points
» Duke Johnson, RB: 31 rush yards, 85 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 17.60 fantasy points
» Gary Barnidge, TE: 75 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 13.50 fantasy points
» Philip Rivers, QB: 270 pass yards, 3 TD, 14 rush yards, 24.20 fantasy points
» Danny Woodhead, RB: 54 rush yards, 84 rec yards, 13.80 fantay points
» Keenan Allen, WR: 72 rec yards, 1 TD, 13.20 fantasy points
» Josh Lambo, K: 3 PAT, 3 FG, 12.00 fantasy points
Josh McCown wasn't exactly spectacular, but his numbers were good enough to make him the third-highest scoring quarterback heading into the Sunday night game. After the Browns lost Brian Hartline to an injury, McCown started spreading the ball around and getting guys like Duke Johnson and Gary Barnidge involved. Everyone in a Cleveland uniform will be hard to trust on a weekly basis, but when the matchup is right there could be more possibilities there than we first imagined.
McCown might have had a nice fantasy day, but Philip Rivers topped him. The Chargers quarterback was the top QB scorer entering Sunday night. Much like McCown, Rivers spread the ball around to eight different pass-catchers. We're still waiting on Melvin Gordon to have his breakout game. In the meantime, Danny Woodhead continues to do Danny Woodhead things. Keenan Allen backed up last week's nice game with another solid outing. Can he go for three next week against the Steelers? The matchup is certainly favorable.
Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons
Top performers:
» Brian Hoyer, QB: 232 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 17.28 fantasy points
» Arian Foster, RB: 10 rush yards, 25 pass yards, 1 fumble, 1.50 fantasy points
» Chris Polk, RB: 27 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 23 rec yards, 11.00 fantasy points
» DeAndre Hopkins, WR: 157 rec yards, 15.70 fantasy points
» Matt Ryan, QB: 256 pass yards, 1 pass TD, -1 rush yard, 14.14 fantasy points
» Julio Jones, WR: 38 rec yards, 3.80 fantasy points
» Leonard Hankerson, WR: 103 rec yards, TD, 16.30 fantasy points
» Terron Ward, RB: 72 rush yards, 18 rec yards, 1 rush TD, 15.00 fantasy points
» Devonta Freeman, RB: 68 rush yards, 81 rec yards, 3 rush TDs, 32.90 fantasy points
For the Falcons, It was all Devonta Freeman all the time for the second straight week. The second-year runner had two touchdowns and 134 total yards at halftime. He added another touchdown and a few more yards in the second half, and now as two straight games with three scores. Yep, that's six TDs in two games for Freeman. Even in what, on paper, looked like a horrible matchup for Freeman, he was able to eat up big chunks of yardage early as Atlanta was up 28-0 when the game reached its halfway point. He came out of the game in the third quarter since it was such a blowout, so even backup Terron Ward got into the end zone in this one. Because Atlanta was out to such a big lead so early, Julio Jones's numbers suffered. He had just four catches for 38 yards while Leonard Hankerson was the only Falcons WR to score. Go figure.
On the Texans offense, Arian Foster returned for the Texans but was disappointing in his first outing of the season -- especially on a lost fumble that resulted in a scoop and score for Atlanta. Foster had just 35 total yards on the day. Chris Polk, however, scored a rushing touchdown late in the game. There was a lot of #ThatHelpsNoOne going on here, as Houston replaced a struggling Ryan Mallet with Brian Hoyer in the third quarter, and he tossed touchdown passes to Cecil Shorts III and tight end C.J. Federowicz. The only bright side to this story is that DeAndre Hopkins came away with 157 yards on 9 catches (and was targeted 22 times).
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins
Top performers:
» Sam Bradford, QB: 270 pass yards, 3 pass TDs, 14 rush yards, 24.20 fantasy points
» DeMarco Murray, RB: 36 rush yards, 12 rec yards, 4.80 fantasy points
» Jordan Matthews, WR: 50 rec yards, 5.00 fantasy points
» Riley Cooper, WR: 72 rec yards, TD, 13.20 fantasy points
» Miles Austin, WR: 51 rec yards, TD, 11.10 fantasy points
» Kirk Cousins, QB: 290 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 rush yard, 1 rush TD, 21.70 fantasy points
» Chris Thompson, RB: 53 rush yards, 24 rec yards, 7.70 fantasy points
» Alfred Morris, RB: 62 rush yards, 2 rec yards, 6.50 fantasy points
» Pierre Garcon, WR: 55 rec yards, TD, 11.50 fantasy points
Even though DeMarco Murray played after sitting last week, he was unimpressive yet again with just 36 total rush yards on eight carries including one 30-yard gain. Neither Ryan Mathews nor Darren Sproles did much here either, so the Eagles backfield is best to stay away from in fantasy. And while Jordan Matthews had a disappointing game as well, quarterback Sam Bradford thrived, throwing three touchdown passes: One to Riley Cooper, one to Miles Austin and one to Brent Celek. Yeah, so thanks for all of that … said absolutely nobody.
For the Redskins, Kirk Cousins was the only player to score a rushing touchdown ... Wait, what?! On a second-and-goal situation with Matt Jones in the backfield, Cousins fumbled the snap and sloppily pushed his way through the line, with his body bending like a noodle but somehow crossing the plane. In terms of carries, Alfred Morris led the Washington backfield with 16 while Jones saw just seven (for 10 yards) and Chris Thompson saw six (for 52 yards). The only receiving touchdown was scored by Pierre Garcon, and it was the game-winner for Washington. This game was pretty gross all around in terms of fantasy love for studs, and we advise avoiding the Washington backfield going forward. And Kirk Cousins too. And any other Redskins player.
New York Giants at Buffalo Bills
Top performers:
» Eli Manning, QB: 212 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 18.28 fantasy points
» Rashad Jennings, RB: 11 touches, 92 yards, 1 TD, 15.2 fantasy points
» Odell Beckham Jr., WR: 5 catches, 38 yards, 3.8 fantasy points
» Dwayne Harris, WR: 5 catches, 51 yards, 1 TD, 11.1 fantasy points
» Rueben Randle, WR: 3 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD, 9.10 fantasy points
» Tyrod Taylor, 289 total yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 14.46 fantasy points
» Karlos Williams 21 touches, 70 total yards, 1 TD, 13.0 fantasy points
» Chris Hogan, WR: 5 catches, 43 yards, 4.3 fantasy points
» Charles Clay, TE: 9 catches, 111 yards, 11.1 fantasy points
The Giants earned a quality win on the road in a difficult environment to play. Eli Manning threw one dreadful pick near the end zone, but was otherwise very solid. He gave his fantasy owners a strong game with his three touchdown passes. He did most of it without much Odell Beckham usage. The Giants top receiver caught five passes at under eight yards per catch. Ancillary players like Dwayne Harris and Rueben Randle got into the box score instead. Don't think that Rashad Jennings' big stat line solidifies anything in that backfield. Without a long catch and run, his day would have been as uninspiring as the others. You're better off leaving all Giants' backs outside of your plans. The Bills had some big moments toward the end of the game, but the first half was absolutely brutal. Percy Harvin and Robert Woods mishandled multiple passes, were out of position often, and generally did Tyrod Taylor no favors. Taylor eventually pulled out a decent fantasy day, while simultaneously bailing out Karlos Williams' owners with a touchdown pass on a wheel route. Charles Clay paced the team in receiving, and looks like their only reliable asset in that regard. We'll go back to players like Taylor and Williams next week and hope for better.
Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
Top performers:
» Alex Smith, QB: 386 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, 17.94 fantasy points
» Jamaal Charles, RB: 145 total yards, 14.5 fantasy points
» Jeremy Maclin, WR: 11 rec, 148 yards, 14.8 fantasy points
» Travis Kelce, TE: 5 rec, 49 yards, fmbl, 7.28 fantasy points
» Cairo Santos, K: 7 field goals, 25 fantasy points
» Andy Dalton, QB: 321 yards, TD, 16 rush yards, 18.44 fantasy points
» Jeremy Hill, RB: 40 yards, 3 TD, 2pt conversion, 24 fantasy points
» Giovani Bernard, RB: 62 yards, TD, 12.2 fantasy points
» A.J. Green, WR: 7 catches, 82 yards, 8.2 fantasy points
» Tyler Eifert, TE: 3 rec, 69 rec yards, 6.9 fantasy points
The Bengals offense is for real. Andy Dalton was cooking all afternoon, and the only reason he didn't have a better fantasy day was because the Bengals running backs did all of the scoring work. This could have been the game he needed to get his confidence back, as he ran hard, found the end zone three times, and didn't fumble. Bernard finished with a solid 12.2 standard fantasy points as well. After a torrid first quarter, A.J. Green cooled off a bit. He finished with seven catches for 82 yards, though. While Marvin Jones made splashes the last two weeks, this time it was Mohamed Sanu's turn with four catches and 84 yards. Tyler Eifert got back on track, too, with 69 receiving yards. Jamaal Charles proved why he's one of the best running backs in football with 145 total yards on 17 touches. Jeremy Maclin also doubled down on last week's breakout game with 148 yards on 11 catches. That's back-to-back 140-plus yard outings for him, and the Chiefs seem to be finding more ways to get the ball into his hands. Speaking of hands, Travis Kelce needs to work on his when he's holding onto the ball. He coughed up one fumble and almost had another that was ruled incomplete. The fumbled forced Kelce into a 2.9 point fantasy day. Alex Smith is a frustrating quarterback to watch in this offense. They still don't push the ball downfield, and Smith doesn't take any chances. He efficient-ed his way to 17.94 fantasy points without a touchdown, though.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Top performers:
» Blake Bortles, QB: 298 yards, TD, 31 rush yards, 19.02 fantasy points
» T.J. Yeldon, RB: 109 total yards, 10.9 fantasy points
» Allen Robinson, WR: 4 rec, 80 yards, 8 fantasy points
» Allen Hurns, WR: 11 rec, 116 yards, TD, 17.60 fantasy points
» Matt Hasselbeck, QB: 282 yards, TD, 15.38 fantasy points
» Frank Gore, RB: 87 total yards, fmbl, 6.7 fantasy points
» T.Y. Hilton, WR: 7 rec, 67 yards, 6.7 fantasy points
» Donte Moncrief, WR: 6 rec, 75 yards, 7.5 fantasy points
» Coby Fleener, TE: 9 rec, 83 yards, TD, 14.3 fantasy points
This turned into a low-scoring affair with Andrew Luck sidelined with a shoulder injury. Matt Hasselbeck played pretty well, throwing some darts en route to 254 yards and a touchdown to Coby Fleener (eight catches, 55 yards and the touchdown). T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief both turned in OK performances sans Luck, notching 67 and 75 receiving yards respectively. Frank Gore saw 20 touches, but only managed 64 total yards and fumble inside the 5-yard line ... again. Tough outing for the veteran after a big game in Week 3, but he should be fine for the rest of the season. Blake Bortles attempted 50 passes in this one, falling just short of 300 yards with the lone touchdown to Allen Hurns. Speaking of, Hurns is quietly becoming a trustworthy fantasy option. Allen Robinson managed 80 yards on four catches, but saw 12 targets. He'll have some up-and-down weeks, but his arrow is still pointing up. The combination of Clay Harbor and Marcedes Lewis combined for nine catches and 71 yards at the tight end position. Once Julius Thomas returns to this offense, he'll have a solid workload.
Oakland Raiders at Chicago Bears
Top performers:
» Derek Carr, QB: 196 rec yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 13.84 fantasy points
» Amari Cooper, WR: 49 rec yards, 1 TD 10.90 fantasy points
» Roy Helu, RB: 22 rush yards, 13 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 9.50 fantay points
» Jay Cutler, QB: 281 pass yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 17.24 fantasy points
» Martellus Bennett, TE: 83 rec yards, 1 rec T, 14.30 fantasy points
» Matt Forte, RB: 91 rush yards, 64 rec yards, 13.50 fantasy points
The Raiders offense didn't show up quite the way we expected this week. Derek Carr never really got going and Michael Crabtree left the game at one point with an apparent ankle injury. But the most frustrating day might have belonged to Latavius Murray. The running back was limited to just 61 scrimmage yards (49 rushing) with a fumble and a dropped pass that turned into an interception. There is plenty of talent in this offense. The next step will be finding consistency. The combination of Jay Cutler returning and not having to play the Seahawks made the Bears a little more viable this week. Martellus Bennett just reinforced the notion that you always start any tight end going against the Raiders. Chicago's receiving corps without Alshon Jeffery is vexing to figure out, but the ball went Marquess Wilson's way a lot. But why the Bears don't run 95 percent of their offense through Matt Forte will always be a mystery.
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Top performers:
» Cam Newton, QB: 175 total yards, 2 TDs, 16.06 fantasy points
» Jonathan Stewart, RB: 10 carries, 5 yards, 5.0 fantasy points
» Ted Ginn, WR: 2 catches, 18 yards, 2 TDs, 13.80 fantasy points
» Greg Olsen, TE: 2 catches, 28 yards, 2.8 fantasy points
» Brenton Bersin, WR: 4 catches, 54 yards, 5.4 fantasy points
» Jameis Winston, QB: 287 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs, 12.68
» Doug Martin, RB: 25 touches, 143 total yards, 1 TD, 20.3 fantasy points
» Charles Sims, RB: 9 touches, 49 yards, 1 TD, 11.3 fantasy points
» Vincent Jackson, WR: 10 catches, 147 yards, 1 TD, 20.7 fantasy points
» Mike Evans, WR: 2 catches, 32 yards, 3.2 fantasy points
This game wasn't competitive, as the Panthers defense ruled the day with five turnovers. Jameis Winston had an early fumble, and followed it up with four interceptions including a pick-six. He hamstrung this offense, despite getting the best performance of the season from the running game The Bucs committed to an inside power rush game, and were rewarded with a 20 carry, 100-plus yard game from Doug Martin. This was an encouraging sign for Martin's fantasy owners after three straight dud weeks. The offense must go through him if they want more stable performances. Charles Sims continues to mix in, and caught another touchdown. He should be added in all PPR leagues. Mike Evans became just the latest number-one receiver to get blanketed by the Panthers secondary. Vincent Jackson, as a result, blew up for a massive game in garbage time. The Panthers offense had an economical day, and did just enough to get the win. Cam Newton had some misfires, but finished with another multi-touchdown day. Both touchdowns went to Ted Ginn, who continues to outperform his fantasy expectations. He's looking like a better fringe-flex play every week. It's just not happening for Jonathan Stewart and the running game, and he only saw 10 touches today. He fumbled once, but a teammate picked it up and took it for a touchdown. It was just that kind of day.
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (London)
Top performers:
»Ryan Tannehill, QB: 198 pass yards, 2 pass TDs, 2 INTs, 4 rush yards, 12.32 fantasy points
»Lamar Miller, RB: 26 rush yards, 10 rec yards, 3.60 fantasy points
»Jarvis Landry, WR: 29 rush yards, 40 rec yards, 6.90 fantasy points
»Kenny Stills, WR: 81 rec yards 1 rec TD, 14.10 fantasy points
»Jake Stoneburner, TE: 16 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 7.60 fantasy points
»Chris Ivory, RB: 166 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 22.60 fantasy points
»Brandon Marshall, WR: 128 rec yards, 12.80 fantasy points
»Eric Decker, WR: 46 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 10.60 fantasy points
»Zac Stacy, RB: 7 rush yards, 18 rec yards, 1 rush TD, 8.50 fantasy points
»Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: 218 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT, 34 rush yards, 14.12 fantasy points
The Jets got off to an early lead against the Dolphins on Sunday in London, and they never looked back. Chris Ivory and Brandon Marshall led the way, both with big plays in the first quarter. Ivory had a career day with 166 rushing yards and a score, so fantasy owners who slotted him into their lineups late Saturday night or Sunday morning came away with a nice number there. After basically taking the game off last week, Ivory looks fully healthy and was running with a purpose, which is encouraging. The Jets first play from scrimmage was a 58-yard receptions to Marshall, and he just kept piling up yardage the entire game, finishing with seven grabs for 128 yards. Eric Decker also got in on the scoring with a touchdown of his own at the end of the second half. In the third quarter, Ivory chewed up huge chunks of yardage and got his team into the red zone, only to have a touchdown vulture by none other than Zac Stacy. WHY, Zac Stacy ... WHY!?
For the Dolphins, man, it just wasn't pretty. They couldn't get anything going on offense and their only score of the first half came as the result of two long pass interference calls that got them into the red zone. And then, Ryan Tannehill tossed one up to tight end Jake Stoneburner, helping no one. Lamar Miller had a bad game too, with just 26 yards on seven carries, and has proven to be one of fantasy's biggest busts at running back through four games. We didn't expect much from him anyway against a solid Jets run defense. Jarvis Landry had his chances (12 targets) but only managed 40 yards on four catches in the game. He also had a touchdown called back in the fourth quarter on a pass interference call. One of the hot waiver-wire pickups of the week, Rishard Matthews, didn't catch a single pass in this game, and it was Kenny Stills who scored Miami's only second half touchdown. Things are a mess on both sides of the ball in Miami.
Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers (TNF)
Top performers:
» Joe Flacco, QB: 189 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble, 7.56 fantasy points
» Justin Forsett, RB: 150 rush yards,15.00 fantasy points
» Steve Smith, WR: 24 rec yards, 2.40 fantasy points
» Michael Campanaro, WR: 16 rec yards, 9 rush yards, 1 rush TD, 8.50 fantasy points
» Kamar Aiken, WR: 77 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 13.70 fantasy points
» Justin Tucker, K: 2 extra points, 3 FG made 13.00 fantasy points
» Le'Veon Bell, RB: 129 rush yards, 21 rec yards, 1 rush TD, 21.00 fantasy points
» Antonio Brown, WR: 42 rec yards, 4.20 fantasy points
» Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR: 31 rec yards, 1 rec TD, 9.10 fantasy points
» Mike Vick, QB: 124 pass yards, 1 pass TD, 33 rush yards, 12.26 fantasy points
The Ravens versus Steelers AFC North rivalry lived up to expectations as it took several overtime possessions to determine a winner. In the end, the Ravens came out on top 23-20 for their first win of the season. The absence of Ben Roethlisberger was felt here, as the downgrade to Mike Vick really hurt what used to be a high-flying Pittsburgh offense. In terms of fantasy the starting running backs for each team, Le'Veon Bell and Justin Forsett, were the leading scorers as they both collected well over 100 yards and Bell got himself a hard-earned touchdown for the second straight game. Unfortunately, wideouts Antonio Brown and Steve Smith Sr. were quiet for the most part (24 and 42 yards respectively). It was obvious that Brown's slow game was due to Vick's blatant lack of passing prowess. Smith was smothered by Pittsburgh's defense for most of the game and left the contest early with a lower back injury. The few wideouts who did score, Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken and Darrius Heyward-Bey, are collectively owned in just 2.7 percent of NFL.com fantasy leagues, so there was a lot of #ThatHelpsNoOne going on. It was a welcomed relief to see Forsett get going for the first time this season. The level of concern for Brown and his fantasy value going forward will likely be at an extreme level until the Steelers play again next Monday night (a game in which Martavis Bryant is slated to return), but at least we know that Bell can still be productive without Big Ben under center.
