2023 Fantasy Football Week 5 Target Report Preview: Chris Olave to Bounce Back

Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. And to earn a target, you need to be deemed “open” by the quarterback. It’s one big trickle-down effect. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent target-earners are near the top of fantasy football ADP: They can be relied on by not just their team’s offense to earn targets and produce on those targets, but that also trickles down to the fantasy managers drafting those pass-catchers and starting them in their lineups each week.

In this season’s Fantasy Football Target Report, we’ll take a weekly team-by-team look into these target earners and separate the wheat from the chaff. To properly lead into what we’ll be looking at this season, we’ll have to establish a baseline of the most important things we’re looking at with targets and other receiving metrics that paint the full picture for who we should be rostering, who we should be adding, and who we can drop. Combing the box score stats doesn’t paint a clear picture of the players we should target, roster, and start. Fantasy football rankings can only paint so much of the picture as well.

Everything we’ll be talking about here and this season in this season’s Fantasy Football Target Report will be some of the best statistics and metrics that correlate with fantasy football production. Think of targets as a page in a coloring book, just the outline yet to be colored. Coloring on that page adds context and flavor to that page. That’s what we’ll be doing with targets — adding more context than just some target totals and saying, “go add this player,” which doesn’t help anybody.

This season, we're adding a video component, so if you want to get some of the juiciest nuggets of the target report in video form, check out the Target Report Bulletpoints for the upcoming Week 5!

Bye Weeks:

• Week 5: CLE, LAC, SEA, TB
• Week 6: GB, PIT
• Week 7: CAR, CIN, DAL, HOU, NYJ, TEN
• Week 9: DEN, DET, JAX, SF
• Week 10: KC, LAR, MIA, PHI
• Week 11: ATL, IND, NE, NO
• Week 13: BAL, BUF, CHI, LV, MIN, NYG
• Week 14: ARI, WAS

NOTE:

Always Start Your Studs: These are players you should be starting in all formats, regardless of matchup. Use your judgment in shallower leagues where startable players are plentiful.

Start ‘Em: Players that should be starting most weeks on your fantasy rosters.

Keep Them Rostered: Players that should be rostered in most formats but shouldn't be started unless you’re in a pinch or during bye weeks. Maybe they’re not startable due to various issues like a backup quarterback playing, a player coming back from injury, a contingent running back, or are just unproductive, consistent, or dependable at the moment. League size designations or other designations (bench stash, etc.) will be in parenthesis next to players for deeper leagues. Depending on your league, this is a general recommendation, so use your best judgment.

Example: Parris Campbell (deeper 12 & 14-team), Jerome Ford (bench stash).

Add ‘Em: Players that warrant an add due to circumstances, productivity, or metrics that show they’re being utilized heavily in their offenses. These will usually have a format that they should be added in. 

Listing a player as “12-team leagues” assumes that player also be an addition in deeper 12-team and 14-team formats as well. 

Dump ‘Em: Players that you should be dropping from your rosters. Use your judgment in deeper leagues where players with usefulness on waivers aren’t as plentiful.

Any player not listed in any of these categories for a particular team is assumed to not be rosterable in most fantasy formats.

All statistics below are listed in the following format:

• WR/TE as:
  • (10-4-100-2) Targets - Receptions - Rec. Yds. - TD
• RB as:
  • (18-75-1; 10-4-100-2) Rush Att. - Rush Yds. - TD; Targets - Receptions - Rec. Yds. - TD

NFL Target Report

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals continue to surprise everybody with how competitive they are, and even in a game where they lost by multiple touchdowns, there are actual takeaways we can take from this team. Namely, Joshua Dobbs, who has been MUCH better than expected — the expectation being the 32nd-best starting quarterback in the NFL — and Michael Wilson (7-7-76-2), who has shown bouts of efficiency but now put some production behind it in Week 4. Wilson’s routes have been all over the place in the first four weeks, but hopefully, this game moving forward will get him 80% and higher on a weekly basis.

Marquise Brown (10-7-96) and Zach Ertz (10-6-53) both earned 10 targets, and who knows, this offense might be at least competent enough to support a rotating group of pass-catchers each week. Nobody thought that going into the season — myself included — but good for the Cardinals.

Emari Demercado (40% routes, 35% snaps) took a portion of James Conner’s snaps and routes, likely because of the blowout here.

Week 4 Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Marquise Brown, James Conner

Keep Them Rostered: Zach Ertz, Joshua Dobbs (legitimate streaming QB with some rushing upside), Michael Wilson (deeper 12 & 14 team), Rondale Moore (deeper 12 & 14 team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Atlanta Falcons

Desmond Ridder is a #bad quarterback and we don’t root for anybody to get benched, but imagine Kyle Pitts (4-2-21) and Drake London (7-3-28-1) with a moderately competent quarterback like Taylor Heinicke?

Instead, we get Jonnu Smith (6-6-95) line running 64% of routes. Nobody asked for this, but Arthur Smith has other ideas. At least Bijan Robinson (14-105; 5-5-32) is a locked-in stud each week. And he clearly separates more and more from Tyler Allgeier (7-16; 2-1-(-4)) each week.

Week 4 Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Bijan Robinson

Start ‘Em: Drake London, Kyle Pitts (we’re going to be doing this all season, folks…)

Keep Them Rostered: Tyler Allgeier (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: Jonnu Smith (::sigh:: if you need help at tight end…)

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens threw just 19 passes in Week 4, so the Todd Monken thesis of more passing volume has not happened in 2023. Still plenty of time, but even with J.K. Dobbins lost for the season and a group of castoffs at running back, the pendulum hasn’t shifted toward the pass as many had hoped.

Even without pure volume, guys like Mark Andrews (5-5-80-2) are definitely getting there, and in a down week, Zay Flowers (4-3-56; rush attempt) was the next-best pass-catcher on 100% route participation. They were dominant against the Cleveland Browns, who trotted out a backup quarterback and only scored a field goal.

Gus Edwards (3-2-1) saw just 71% of the running back carries and dominated routes (65%) and snaps (69%) for Baltimore. Yes, you read that right; Edwards earned three targets and caught two of them. He’s the clear start here but this is still a volatile backfield that could shift weekly.

Week 4 Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews

Start ‘Em: Zay Flowers

Keep Them Rostered: Odell Beckham (missed Week 4 - ankle), Gus Edwards, Justice Hill (deeper 12 & 14-team), Rashod Bateman (missed Week 4 - hamstring; deeper 12 & 14-team), Melvin Gordon (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Buffalo Bills

James Cook (31% routes, 40% snaps) has been solid enough for the Bills as fantasy football’s RB12 in PPR. He has double-digit fantasy points in each game and has seen no worse than 50% of all running back routes and snaps for Buffalo in the first three weeks, until Week 4. Cook saw a dramatic downturn in routes, with 31% routes per dropback and 40% of snaps - both season lows.

Annoyingly, both Latavius Murray (45% routes, 33% snaps) and Damien Harris (10% routes, 28% snaps) have mixed in to see increases in routes and snaps to Cook’s detriment. Cook DID see all three green-zone touches inside the 10-yard line and converted one for a rushing touchdown, which helped bolster his RB13 day last Sunday, but the reduced overall receiving workload is concerning for the upside of Cook. Still, his one long gain in Week 4 was a 48-yard reception on an off-script sort of wheel route when everything was covered downfield.

Cook feels like such a smash to put into fantasy lineups, but ultimately, he’s a puzzle with just a couple of pieces missing. If we can get both the goal-line work AND the receiving work on Cook’s side, he’ll fully take off in this elite Buffalo Bills offense. Until then, we’re looking at a mid-level RB2 until all the pieces can come together.

Dalton Kincaid (5-4-127-0) has fallen through the cracks here in terms of fantasy football production so far in 2023, but there are some signs here that we have to like and be bullish on. Sure, Kincaid hasn’t had more than six targets, five catches, or 43 receiving yards, but we know the Bills offense is incredibly potent and Kincaid figures to be a big part of it moving forward.

Kincaid’s routes have increased to a season-long high of 79% in Week 4, with Dawson Knox’s hitting a season-low of 48%. Week 4 was also the first time this season that Kincaid out-snapped Knox. Kincaid’s 15 receptions so far are the third-most by a rookie tight end in the first four weeks of the season in the last decade. If it weren’t for Sam LaPorta’s blistering start to the season, we’d be talking about Kincaid more. Kincaid may be a borderline start right now in fantasy, but the puzzle pieces are coming together: 

• Elite Bills offense
• Routes are climbing
• Still some passing game ambiguity in their target tree after Stefon Diggs (7-6-120-3; is awesome). 

We’ll need to exercise patience with Kincaid, but that Kincaid tree is going to bear more fruit very soon.

Don’t look now; Gabe Davis (3-3-61-1) has a touchdown in his last three games and is running 84% of routes in his last three games. Solid WR3/flex utilization right now in a great offense; even the targets aren’t quite there. He’s never been a target earner anyway. Bye weeks are tough to find quality starters, though, so he fits the bill.

Week 4 Buffalo Bills Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs

Start ‘Em: James Cook

Keep Them Rostered: Gabe Davis, Dalton Kincaid (borderline 12-team starter)

Add ‘Em: Latavius Murray (seems to be the preferred contingent play; may grab some standalone value here on an offense that’s going to be scoring)

Dump ‘Em: Dawson Knox (tight end is tough, but the pendulum is swinging Kincaid’s way)

Carolina Panthers

There’s a pretty clear difference here between Andy Dalton last week (467 air yards) and Bryce Young this week (100 air yards). Young may not be ready for prime time, and that’s okay. Anthony Richardson and C.J. Stroud have spoiled us with their quick ascent so far. It’s going to take some time, but the Panthers need some pass-catching weapons that aren’t raw (Jonathan Mingo), retreads (Terrace Marshall, Hayden Hurst, Laviska Shenault), or senior citizens (Adam Thielen).

Thielen (8-7-76) and Marshall (10-9-56) combined for 58% of the team’s targets, but Young had a Week 4 low 3.7-yard-aDOT. Marshall got his run thanks to the concussion that sidelined Mingo.

Miles Sanders (13-19; 3-3-13) was hampered by a groin injury throughout the week leading up to Week 4, so Chuba Hubbard (14-41; 2-2-12) ended up besting him in snaps and routes. Sanders should be back to his 57-62% snap share as long as he’s healthy in this Panthers offense.

Week 4 Carolina Panthers Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen, Jonathan Mingo (deeper 12 & 14-team; missed Week 4 - concussion), Chuba Hubbard (deeper 12 & 14-team), D.J. Chark (deeper 12 & 14-team), Bryce Young (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Chicago Bears

Bears are going to Bears; they get their best game of the season and then blow a 21-point lead to the Denver Broncos. Like, what?

It definitely helped the Bears’ cause in Week 4 that the Broncos may literally be the worst NFL defense in recorded history.

Justin Fields would have been perfect in the first half if it weren’t for a Hail Mary to end the first half, as he was 16-of-17 for 231 and three touchdowns. Two to Cole Kmet (9-7-85-2) and a 29-yard strike to DJ Moore (9-8-131-1). Moore and Kmet both accounted for almost 60% of the team’s total targets. Fields’ second-half mistakes did him in as he threw a late interception and then was strip-sacked, and the Broncos ran the fumble back for a touchdown to tie the game.

Just when we thought that Khalil Herbert would be ceding work to Roschon Johnson (23% routes, 22% snaps), Herbert took 78% of the snaps in Week 4 in a positive game script, or at least the closest thing to one for most of the game.

Week 4 Chicago Bears Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Justin Fields, DJ Moore

Keep Them Rostered: Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson (developing standalone role), Cole Kmet. Darnell Mooney (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Cincinnati Bengals

How the mighty have fallen. I was expecting to write that the Patriots or Titans would be the worst offense in Week 4, but it’s the Bengals!?

Joe Burrow’s second-worst aDOT of 4.6 yards is incredibly worrisome. This has to turn around, right? This “bizarro world” Bengals offense has to get going; they have too much talent not to.

Ja’Marr Chase (9-7-73) was fine, Tyler Boyd (7-4-26) hung around and saw a little more run with Tee Higgins (4-2-19; left Week 4 - ribs) leaving the game. Joe Mixon was solid and took 80% of snaps. The Bengals put up three points. In 2023. In THIS economy.

Week 4 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins (left Week 4 - ribs), Joe Mixon

Start ‘Em: Joe Burrow (if you have a better option, start somebody else)

Keep Them Rostered: Tyler Boyd, Trayveon Williams (14-team leagues; contingent back)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Irv Smith

Cleveland Browns

With a backup quarterback in Dorian Thompson-Robinson, it’s hard to gauge any of these performances in a one-week sample size that isn’t indicative of their typical utilization. No Deshaun Watson in Week 4 means DTR puts up 121 passing yards and throws three interceptions. Seems bad.

David Njoku (7-6-46) and Jerome Ford (9-26; 6-5-19) led the way as easy completions for the young quarterback, and only Elijah Moore (4-2-20) caught more than two balls. They put up three points. The Browns head into their Week 5 bye.

Week 4 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Deshaun Watson, Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Jerome Ford

Keep Them Rostered: David Njoku, Kareem Hunt (deep 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Dallas Cowboys

Only Brandin Cooks (4-4-27) ran more than 69% of snaps in this one as the Cowboys’ defense got their licks in on Mac Jones, and the Cowboys got their starters out in a hurry in the third quarter. Jake Ferguson (7-7-77) and CeeDee Lamb (6-4-36-1) had a strong Week 4. Ferguson, in particular, only ran routes on 69% of dropbacks, showing the needed efficiency on a somewhat-limited routes percentage to earn more, but Dallas has always mixed in a bunch of other bodies at tight end, so that may be slow going for Ferguson.

Tony Pollard only saw 53% of snaps and less than half of the running back carries as players like Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke came in to salt away the rest of the game. It’s hard to take anything away here in such a positive game script slash blowout.

Week 4 Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: CeeDee Lamb, Tony Pollard

Start ‘Em: Dak Prescott (borderline 12-team starter)

Keep Them Rostered: Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup (deeper 12 & 14-team), Jake Ferguson (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Denver Broncos

What if I told you the most productive receiver by far on a per-route basis for the Denver Broncos has run routes on 26% of total dropbacks this season? Almost everybody on Planet Earth and in distant galaxies are in full agreement that Marvin Mims (2-2-47-0) should be playing more offensive snaps and running more routes for the Broncos. Mims even got some steam this week as a player who could earn an expanded role in Week 4, and Sean Payton said the Broncos would have some changes in receiving personnel, but Mims ran the same amount of snaps and routes as Brandon Johnson. Sadly, it is still a season-high for Mims at 39% route participation.

Courtland Sutton (5-3-27-1) has run 137 routes this season. Jerry Jeudy (5-3-52-0) has run 93 routes in three games. Mims has a total of 39 routes in four games. And Mims leads the team in receiving yards. Not only that, he had an otherworldly 6.21 yards per route run and an awesome 28.2% targets per route to lead the Broncos in both categories. A high YPRR is a great indicator of a player that’s hugely efficient and correlates to future fantasy production.

Mims might be a guy you can acquire for next to nothing now that the bye weeks are starting up in Week 5, as he’s undeniably been THE most efficient and arguably the most explosive player in fantasy football so far.

Javonte Williams left Week 4 with a hip flexor injury, so Samaje Perine (36% routes, 46% snaps) and Jaleel McLaughlin (3-3-32-1) saw more time and basically split with a slight edge to Perine. Reports have varied that the Williams injury isn’t serious, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he misses only Week 5. In that case, McLaughlin is a solid upside flex play with four teams on bye.

Week 4 Denver Broncos Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Javonte Williams (left Week 4 - hip flexor)

Start ‘Em: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy

Keep Them Rostered: Samaje Perine (contingent play with a little standalone value), Russell Wilson, Marvin Mims

Add ‘Em: Jaleel McLaughlin 

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Detroit Lions

I have capitulated on David Montgomery (32-121-3; 2-2-20). He’s been pretty good, but the broad thesis that “Montgomery good early, Jahmyr Gibbs (8-40; 5-4-11) takes workload and is great late” might just be out the window. The Lions are potent enough on offense — ESPECIALLY on the ground — that both can coexist together and produce for fantasy. Obviously, that’s what we’re seeing here. 

Sam LaPorta (5-4-56) is a megastar. He’s already a locked-in top-five tight end, and even on what is on the surface a moderately pedestrian stat line, the Lions took the air out of the ball in the second half against the Packers. The pass volume wasn’t going to be there in a positive game script where the Lions were up 27-3 at halftime.

Even in a game where much of the passing took place in the first half, Amon-Ra St. Brown (7-5-56-1) still caught a touchdown, so you love to see that.

Jameson Williams was unsuspended at the end of last week and is now available to play in Detroit’s games. That said, he’s likely going to take some time to ramp up to a usable workload, so keep him on your benches for now.

Week 4 Detroit Lions Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Amon-Ra St. Brown

Start ‘Em: Jahmyr Gibbs, Jared Goff, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery

Keep Them Rostered: Josh Reynolds (deeper 12-team leagues), Jameson Williams 

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Green Bay Packers

The Packers looked absolutely dreadful in the first half, but Christian Watson’s return (4-2-25-1; 48% routes) led him into the end zone. Watson wasn’t expected to play a full game, and the first-half blowout led the Packers to limit him further in the second half. Romeo Doubs (13-9-95) paced the Packers with heavy second-half volume as they didn’t exactly roll over, but they still lost by two touchdowns. It could have been much, much worse. Luke Musgrave (1-1-1; 21% routes) left the game early in the second quarter with a concussion and didn’t return.

Aaron Jones also returned but didn’t play anywhere near a full game (29% routes, 35% snaps). AJ Dillon is still kind of bad, and there’s a reason why the Packers are still in the Jonathan Taylor sweepstakes for a possible trade and why they’re bringing in running backs like the twice-released James Robinson.

Week 4 Green Bay Packers Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Aaron Jones (limited snaps in Week 4), Christian Watson (on snap count)

Keep Them Rostered: Romeo Doubs, Jordan Love, Luke Musgrave (left Week 4 - concussion), Jayden Reed, AJ Dillon

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans. THE TEXANS!

It’s nice to see a competent offense again in Houston. C.J. Stroud has to be the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year after four games. Stroud hasn’t taken a sack since Week 2 and threw three touchdown passes in this rout of the Steelers. Even in a week where Robert Woods (6-3-26) and Tank Dell (3-1-16) didn’t bring the production but both ran routes on 82% of dropbacks, Nico Collins (9-7-168-2) did almost all of the heavy lifting on 73% of routes.

Dalton Schultz (3-3-42-1) picked up the other touchdown, but his routes are dropped like a rock in the ocean at a season-low 39% from last week’s 74%. Not sure if it was injury-related as I didn’t see anything, but it’s concerning for sure if not.

Seeing a season-high in carries (24) and snaps (59%), Dameon Pierce is still pretty inefficient, but this offense is buoyed by the passing game now, so Pierce isn’t relied on like he was last season, where he was almost the only game in town. That could help the touchdown upside, but with the team still wanting to get Devin Singletary (passing touchdown in Week 4) on the field, Pierce is going to be a bottom-rung RB2 for fantasy purposes. 

Week 4 Houston Texans Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: N/A

Start ‘Em: Tank Dell, C.J. Stroud (it’s hard to find many quarterbacks outside the truly elite that I’d want to start right now)

Keep Them Rostered: Dameon Pierce, Robert Woods, Dalton Schultz (14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts scored 23 points, and Anthony Richardson completed just 11-of-25 passes and lost a fumble, yet finished as QB2 with almost 30 fantasy points. THAT is why it literally doesn’t matter how bad a quarterback is with his arm if he has rushing upside. Richardson ran for 56 yards and ran in a second touchdown to shake off a bad first half and keep the Colts in the game before eventually succumbing in overtime. 

The wide receivers combined for four receptions for 87 yards, so that means Michael Pittman (5-1-15) and Josh Downs (3-2-34) didn’t get there.

The big question this week is: what happens to Jonathan Taylor going forward? Reports are that Taylor’s relationship has vastly improved with the team and fully practiced yesterday. Taylor being inserted back into this offense over Zack Moss (18-70; one target) would be huge for Richardson and the Colts. Moss hasn’t been bad at all, but he’s no Taylor when healthy and fully acclimated. 

Week 4 Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Michael Pittman

Start ‘Em: Anthony Richardson, Zack Moss (up in the air with Jonathan Taylor’s possible return)

Keep Them Rostered: Jonathan Taylor (PUP until Week 5), Josh Downs

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Jacksonville Jaguars

Both Christian Kirk (12-8-84) and Evan Engram (8-7-59) combined for 20 targets and 67% of the team’s total targets in London, but Calvin Ridley (2-2-38-1) got the lone receiving touchdown on just two targets. After Ridley’s blowup (11-8-101-1) in Week 1, it looked like Ridley and the rest would be fighting for scraps from Trevor Lawrence, but that’s not the case. Ridley has just a 17-7-110-1 combined line in the last three games. No doubt it’s left fantasy managers wanting much more, but those days will come.

Travis Etienne (83% of running back carries; 85% snaps) has a definite stranglehold on this running game so far for the Jaguars, and the Tank Bigsby thesis besides a random touchdown snipe, hasn’t come to fruition. Despite a relatively inefficient day from Etienne, where he averaged 2.8 yards per carry, he’s got this backfield locked up.

Week 4 Jacksonville Jaguars Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley

Start ‘Em: Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, Zay Jones (missed Week 4 - knee)

Keep Them Rostered: Tank Bigsby (weaker contingent play; deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Kansas City Chiefs

This was probably my favorite tweet of the week and it was about Isiah Pacheco:

Pacheco (20-115-1; 3-3-43) saw 60% of snaps to keep the distance between him and the other backs in the offense.

Let’s just condense this paragraph about the passing-game options for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs: Travis Kelce (9-6-60). A dash of Rashee Rice (5-3-32). That’s all we can stomach. It’s time to trim the fat. I’m dropping Skyy Moore and Kadarius Toney if I have them and need the bench space. For me, I can’t afford to hold them. Your leagues may be different, but there have been no routes or production spikes from either.

Week 4 Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes

Start ‘Em: Isiah Pacheco

Keep Them Rostered: Jerick McKinnon (deeper 12 & 14-team leagues), Rashee Rice (deeper 12 & 14-team)

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Kadarius Toney and Skyy Moore (we are never, ever ever, getting back together)

Las Vegas Raiders

At least Aidan O’Connell knew who to target when he wasn’t being sacked a bajillion times by the Chargers (okay, seven). The condensed Raiders passing-game tree continues here as Davante Adams (13-8-75; should have had a late TD) and Josh Jacobs (17-58-1; 11-8-81) reeled in 63% of Vegas’ targets against the Chargers. Adams left but came back after a shoulder injury and Jacobs had his best game of the season by far in this one.

Jakobi Meyers (4-2-33) saw 96% of routes but didn’t do much here with everything funneled to Adams and Jacobs.

Week 4 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs

Start ‘Em: Jakobi Meyers

Keep Them Rostered: N/A

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Los Angeles Chargers

In the first Chargers game post-Mike Williams, Quentin Johnson (3-1-18) ran routes on 71% of Justin Herbert’s dropbacks — easily a season-high. He’s trending upwards and still feels very good as the mid-to-late season play over Joshua Palmer (8-3-77), who was pretty inefficient despite running 97% of routes. Keenan Allen (5-3-32-1) is a stud but lurked in the shadows most of the day outside of a second-quarter touchdown.

We miss you Austin Ekeler. It’s just not the same with Joshua Kelley (17-65; 60% snaps) in tow. The Chargers go on their Week 5 bye and hopefully, Ekeler is back in the lineup.

Week 4 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Keenan Allen, Justin Herbert, Austin Ekeler (missed Week 2-4 - ankle)

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Joshua Kelley, Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnson

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Los Angeles Rams

Puka Nacua (10-9-163-1) became the first wide receiver with 100 receiving yards in three of his first four games since 1954. He also has the most receptions in a player’s first four games.

Pretty, pretty good. Even with a Cooper Kupp return, you can’t put the genie back in the bottle with Nacua. 

Van Jefferson (3-2-29) probably loses a ton of routes, but that’s negligible. Kupp and Nacua would be deadly for opposing defenses to stop. Add in Tutu Atwell (9-5-24), Tyler Higbee (11-5-64), and Kyren Williams (25-103-2; 3-3-24) on the ground, and that’s an offensive core. Keep Matthew Stafford healthy at all costs.

For Week 4, the Rams were, by and large, pretty inefficient, besides the main pieces of Nacua and Williams. Williams did lose a little bit of work to Ronnie Rivers (20% routes, 28% snaps), but Williams’ role in this offense is as safe as it gets.

Week 4 Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Takeaways:

Start Your Studs: Cooper Kupp (IR - hamstring; eligible to return in Week 5), Puca Nacua, Kyren Williams

Start ‘Em: N/A

Keep Them Rostered: Tutu Atwell, Matthew Stafford, Tyler Higbee

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Miami Dolphins