Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Sunday’s games

The Raiders kept their top two wide receivers from last season in Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, who have consistently played over 90% of Las Vegas’ offensive snaps each week. To help their wide receiver room, the Raiders spent a second-round pick on Bech and a third-round pick on Dont’e Thornton Jr.. While it seemed like Bech should have been the favorite for the third spot, Las Vegas had Thornton ahead for all of training camp and the preseason. Meyers is more of a Z/slot receiver, and Tucker is an undersized player, while Thornton naturally fits the X receiver role. Bech is a similar receiver to Meyers.

This left Thortnon playing 66% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps over the first four weeks, including 90% of the snaps in three-receiver sets. Bech was the clear fourth receiver on the depth chart, playing 12% of the snaps in the same time.

This week, Thornton and Bech were used interchangeably as the third receiver in three-receiver sets. Both receivers played multiple snaps on nearly every drive, and there was no clear tendency by down. It wasn’t until late in the game that Bech pulled slightly ahead of Thornton in terms of total snaps. Bech caught three passes for 27 yards while Thornton was held without a catch. Bech was typically the X receiver when he was on the field, like Thornton, but the Raiders moved receivers around more than usual. Meyers played more out wide than in the first four weeks, and Tucker and Thornton played more in the slot than usual. 

Fantasy football managers can release Thornton from any redraft league. There is a chance this makes a Meyers trade more likely. He requested a trade before the season, hasn’t scored a touchdown yet and has been held under 35 receiving yards in back-to-back weeks. If Meyers gets traded, that would lead to a lot more playing time for both Bech and Thornton. The Raiders could be getting Bech more experience now so he can see a more gradual uptick in snaps. Meyers would be a solid buy-low option, as he could find a nice landing spot where he could see more targets.

The Colts change primary backup wide receivers: Ashton Dulin started at wide receiver instead of Adonai Mitchell, with Alec Pierce out.

Indianapolis typically uses Pierce as their X receiver, Michael Pittman Jr. at Z and Josh Downs joining in three-receiver sets in the slot. Pierce missed last week due to injury, leading Mitchell to be their X receiver. Mitchell notably lost the football one yard before scoring, resulting in a safety, and also had a holding penalty nullify a 53-yard touchdown run.

Pierce was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but had some kind of setback on Friday, leading him to miss another game. Rather than giving Mitchell a chance to redeem himself, Indianapolis turned to Dulin as its X receiver. Dulin has been with the team since 2019, starting six games before this game. He had three career games of over 50 receiving yards.

While other receivers saw more targets, Dulin caught two passes for 55 yards, leading the team in receiving yards. This is the fourth-straight game where the Colts’ starting X receiver has had at least 50 receiving yards. Pierce is a fine waiver-wire target, considering the success he and his two replacements have had.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (knee) and Michael Mayer (concussion) were both questionable this week but ultimately inactive. Mayer was also inactive last week. Las Vegas signed Carter Runyon to the 53-man roster earlier in the week, while Albert Okwuegbunam was a practice squad callup.
• Ian Thomas was the Raiders’ primary tight end on early downs and two-tight-end sets. Okweugbunam was the third down tight end and split two-tight-end snaps with Runyon.
• The Raiders had made either Raheem Mostert or Zamir White inactive each week, but Las Vegas opted to let all four of its running backs be active this week.
• Ashton Jeanty played 28 of the first 29 snaps, but they were down 20-3 at halftime. This led the team to use Mostert for most of the second half, as there was little chance of catching up. The only reason you should be concerned about Jeanty’s playing time is if the Raiders keep getting blown out like this game.
• Raiders backup wide receiver Alex Bachman has been frequently added and released from the 53-man roster throughout the season, depending on who is healthy at other positions. He was re-signed to the 53-man roster on Friday.
• The Colts took their starters out for the last seven snaps of the game. Daniel Jones, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., Ashton Dulin, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren all didn’t play during this time.
• Indianapolis’ third-string running back Tyler Goodson was inactive due to a groin injury. He missed the first two weeks of the season due to an elbow injury. Ameer Abdullah was activated off the practice squad to take his place.
• Colts kicker Spencer Shrader suffered a leg injury and was ruled out for the game. They do not have a kicker on the practice squad, so they will need to look elsewhere for a kicker if Shrader misses time.

New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints

Monitor Darius Slayton’s health: The Giants’ top remaining outside wide receiver suffered a hamstring injury in the middle of the fourth quarter and didn’t return.

The Giants’ best offensive weapon, Malik Nabers, was placed on injured reserve on Monday after tearing his ACL, which ended his season. New York spent the first three weeks of the season with a clear top three wide receivers and top tight end in Nabers, Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson. All four players were on the field for at least 74% of New York’s offensive snaps, while none of the backups were above 25%. This meant there was room for at least one player to step up.

In terms of playing time, Slayton, Robinson and Johnson all received notable increases. Slayton played 50% of one-receiver sets in the first three weeks, and that was up to 100% this week. Robinson typically played in only three-receiver sets, but he’s added two-receiver sets to his responsibilities. Johnson was also more consistently on the field but didn’t play as much once the Giants were down two scores.

When the Giants went to 11 personnel, Jalin Hyatt was almost always on the field. Once Slayton suffered his injury, Hyatt took over as an every-down receiver, while undrafted rookie Beaux Collins played in three-receiver sets. Collins made his first NFL catch in this game. If Slayton misses time, Hyatt would be the player to target in deep leagues.

Malik Nabers’ injury leads to more two-tight-end sets: Daniel Bellinger received the largest increase in playing time due to Nabers’ injury.

Instead of sticking with their typical high rate of 11 personnel, the Giants became more balanced, as 12 personnel became their base offense. Earlier in the season, Bellinger was Johnson’s backup, while Chris Manhertz was the second tight end for two-tight-end sets. This week, Bellinger was a part of the base offense, often sharing the field with Johnson in two-tight-end sets. 

Bellinger led the team in receiving with four receptions for 52 yards. Johnson caught four passes for 17 yards and two touchdowns. Bellinger should continue to play more over the rest of the season, but likely not enough to warrant rostering him. The Giants kept the game close for most of this matchup, but when they fall behind earlier, they’ll switch to more 11-personnel sets sooner. Johnson could be worth considering off the waiver wire, as he’s scored three touchdowns since Jaxson Dart has taken over at quarterback. He will need to earn a higher target rate before considering him in fantasy starting lineups.

The Saints move closer to a two-back committee: Kendre Miller led the team in rushing attempts while Alvin Kamara played a season-low 56.1% of the Saints’ offensive snaps.

Kamara started the season with a very similar role to last season, playing between 73-86% of the offensive snaps. Miller has been the clear primary backup in all situations, while rookie Devin Neal was a healthy inactive in recent weeks.

While Kamara has played 100% of two-minute drill and goal-line snaps this season, his playing time in normal early-down situations has sharply declined in recent weeks. He played 84.8% of the early-down snaps in Week 2, and that has steadily declined to 52.4% of the offensive snaps this week. Similarly, Kamara was the clear short-yardage back earlier in the season, but Miller took all of the short-yardage snaps in this game.

This led Miller to run 10 times for 41 yards and catch an eight-yard pass, while Kamara ran eight times for 27 yards and caught four passes for 28 yards. Kamara remains the better option of the two for fantasy due to his receiving ability, but that could quickly change. Miller needs to be on fantasy rosters because the chances of him becoming the Saints’ top running back have increased each week. Kamara may get traded to a team that is more willing to utilize his strengths as a receiving running back.

Taysom Hill and Foster Moreau return: The Saints were at full strength at tight end for the first time this season.

Juwan Johnson (ankle), Hill (knee) and Moreau (knee) were all questionable. Hill and Moreau started the season on the PUP list, but both were brought onto the 53-man roster on Saturday. Backup tight end Moliki Matavao was released to help make room for the other tight ends.

Johnson’s playing time has been on a slow and steady decline since Week 1. It seemed like this would be the perfect storm for a significant decrease in snaps. Instead, it just continues his steady decline. He is still playing notably more than he did in any game last season.

The Moreau and Hill additions led to a significant increase in three- and four-tight-end sets. New Orleans used eight three-tight-end sets over the first four weeks and ran 13 plays out of three-tight-end sets this week. The Saints had not used a four-tight-end set before this week, but they used four in this game.

Moreau is primarily a run-blocking tight end and could eventually play more, taking time from Jack Stoll. However, Hill could become fantasy-relevant. He only played nine snaps in this game, but he ran the ball six times and threw a 19-yard pass. He took six snaps at quarterback, one at running back, one at tight end and one in the slot. This was his first week back and first week of practice with a new coaching staff. His playing time could increase with more practice. It’s also possible that Hill gets traded, and if that happens, he would likely land with the Denver Broncos, another team that would likely give him significant touches.

Hill remains someone who could be a cheat code at tight end, given his rushing attempts. The time to pick him up is now, before he has his first big game of the season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. missed his second game due to a shoulder injury. Cam Skattebo remained the starter over Devin Singletary in Tracy’s absence, playing just over double the number of Singletary for the second-straight week.
• New York elevated Jude McAtamney instead of Younghoe Koo from the practice squad for a second straight week to replace Graham Gano, who is on injured reserve.
• Saints backup wide receiver Devaughn Vele played a season-high 37.9% of the Saints’ offensive snaps this week, largely cutting into Brandin Cooks‘ playing time. 
• Saints backup wide receiver Trey Palmer was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury. He had been inactive each of the first four weeks of the season.

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets

Jets adjust without Braelon Allen: Allen was placed on injured reserve on Thursday due to a knee injury, which is expected to cost him the next eight to 12 weeks

New York started the season with a three-man running back rotation. Breece Hall was the primary early-down back, while Allen was the backup on early downs, and Isaiah Davis was the receiving-down back. This left Hall playing between 55-64% of New York’s offensive snaps each week, which is notably lower than his 72% average from last season.

With Allen out, New York added Khalil Herbert from the Seattle Seahawks‘ practice squad to fill his roster spot. However, instead of sticking with its three-man rotation, New York became a two-man rotation. However, instead of both running backs receiving a significant increase in time, Davis mostly absorbed Allen’s workload. Hall’s playing time on early downs and third downs has remained largely the same as the first two weeks. The biggest difference for Hall is that New York has consistently used him at the goal line after splitting time with Allen earlier in the season.

Davis is a solid waiver-wire target. While he’s unlikely to have standalone value as long as Hall is healthy, Davis would be the clear lead running back if Hall were to suffer an injury. The Jets are 0-5, and Hall is in the last season of his contract. If New York decides they don’t want to pay Hall long-term, it could make sense to trade him.

Jaydon Blue quiet NFL debut: The fifth-round rookie running back was active for the first time as the Cowboys’ primary backup.

Blue received notable sleeper hype heading into the season, as Dallas barely invested in the running back position, so there was a chance Blue would be the clear lead running back in a good offense. However, Javonte Williams always maintained a lead on the position, while Miles Sanders won the backup job. Dallas was fine keeping two halfbacks in addition to halfback/fullback hybrid Hunter Luepke on the active roster, leaving Blue as a healthy inactive the first four weeks. However, Sanders missed this week due to knee and ankle injuries, allowing Blue to be active.

Williams averaged 73.5% of Dallas’ offensive snaps before garbage time over the first four weeks. This included playing 68% of the early-down snaps, 53% on third downs, and over three-quarters in short yardage, goal-line and two-minute-drill snaps. This week was largely similar for Williams, outside of third downs, where he was on the field more often than usual. Williams had an excellent day with 16 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown, while Blue had four carries for seven yards.

If anything, Blue might be further away from winning the starting job rather than closer, given how well Williams dominated the defense compared to how little Blue did when the starters were playing. While it’s fine to hold onto him in dynasty leagues, it would likely take at least an injury to Williams for Blue to have fantasy value this season.

The Cowboys adjust down two receivers: The Cowboys were without two of their top four wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb (ankle) and KaVontae Turpin (foot).

The Cowboys had a simple wide receiver rotation over the first two weeks of the season. Lamb and George Pickens played over 90% of Dallas’ offensive snaps, while Jalen Tolbert took two-thirds of the 11 personnel snaps while Turpin took the other third. Lamb suffered his injury in Week 3, leading to Tolbert and Turpin playing more in both two- and three-wide receiver sets.

Ryan Flournoy was the fifth wide receiver over the first two weeks, but the injuries bumped him up to third on the depth chart for this week. He was almost always on the field in three-receiver sets and took some time from Tolbert in two-receiver sets. While the Jets’ defense was focused on Pickens, Flournoy caught six passes for 114 yards.

Typically, any wide receiver available on the waiver wire who has over 100 receiving yards is worth at least considering, but Flournoy is probably a player to avoid this week. He could fall as low as sixth on the depth chart. He was fifth at the start of the season when everyone was healthy. Jonathan Mingo returned to practice this week, and although he wasn’t activated for this game, he should be in the next week or two. Late last season, Mingo was ahead of Flournoy on the depth chart.

Even if Flournoy surpasses Tolbert, Turpin and Mingo on the depth chart, it would be hard to start him once Lamb is healthy.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Cowboys practice squad receivers Jalen Brooks and Jalen Cropper were both activated from the practice squad due to injuries at the position. Both played a few snaps before garbage time and then played significantly during garbage time.
• Jake Ferguson played a season-low 55% of Dallas’ offensive snaps, but he seems to be rotated out more frequently in games where he’s catching a lot of passes. He similarly played below 60% of the offensive snaps in Week 3, when he caught 13 passes for 82 yards. 
• Jets fourth-string running back and returner Kene Nwangwu missed his fifth game due to a hamstring injury. He was initially ruled questionable on Friday, but that changed to out on Saturday.
• New York has had one veteran wide receiver inactive each week who has played significantly. In Week 1, it was Allen Lazard, but in Weeks 2 and 3, it was Josh Reynolds due to injury, and it was Tyler Johnson in Week 4. This week, all four were active.
• New York released Isaiah Williams after he lost a fumble on a kickoff last week. It was the second time the Jets released a wide receiver and returner this season after losing a fumble on a kickoff. The first was Xavier Gipson after Week 1.
• New York signed Avery Williams to the practice squad earlier in the week and elevated him, presumably for his abilities as a returner.
• New York made both Stone Smartt and Jelani Woods inactive, giving the team only two tight ends. In most weeks, only Woods was a healthy inactive, giving New York at least three tight ends in every other game.
• Mason Taylor set career highs in receptions and receiving yards last week with five receptions and 65 yards. He beat those marks this week with nine receptions for 67 yards. It’s worth noting that seven of those receptions occurred in the last 21 minutes of the game while New York was down multiple scores.

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Denver Broncos @ Philadelphia Eagles

Tyler Badie regains the passing down role: Badie was consistently on the field for both third downs and two-minute drill snaps.

Badie played 11 of the 18 snaps on third downs and nine of 12 during two-minute drills over the first two weeks. While this wasn’t enough for him to have fantasy value, it was enough to complicate R.J. Harvey‘s fantasy value. Over the last two weeks, the Broncos became more of a two-man rotation. Badie only played three of the 20 third-down snaps and seven of the 16 in two-minute drills, in a notably reduced role. This allowed both J.K. Dobbins and Harvey to play more offensive snaps and stay involved in the offense.

This week, Badie was back to being the third-down and two-minute drill back. The Broncos played more snaps in these situations than usual, leading Badie to be on the field for over one-quarter of the snaps. Dobbins was still able to be fantasy-relevant, finishing with 20 carries for 79 yards and a touchdown, but Harvey only ran the ball four times for 12 yards and caught three passes for 18 yards.

Any momentum Harvey gained last week was lost this week. Harvey can’t be in fantasy starting lineups. While I would still keep him on your fantasy roster for his handcuff value, it would be understandable if he were released in some 10-team leagues once bye weeks become a bigger problem.

Pat Bryant moves up to third on the Broncos depth chart: Bryant cut into Marvin Mims Jr.‘s playing for a second straight week.

In the preseason, it seemed like the Broncos would have Courtland Sutton and Mims as their every-down receivers, while Troy Franklin joined them in three-receiver sets. Very early, we learned that Franklin was ahead of Mims on the depth chart. In the preseason and Week 1, it seemed like Bryant was simply Sutton’s backup as the X receiver.

Bryant played notably more snaps from Weeks 1 to 2 and from Weeks 3 to 4. In the last two weeks, he has only played in three- and four-wide receiver sets. Last week, Sutton, Franklin, Mims and Braynt all played over 50% of Denver’s offensive snaps in 11 personnel. This week, Bryant was up to 70.4% of the snaps in three-receiver sets, leaving Mims under 50%.

This did not lead to a single target for Bryant, but he can be picked up in deeper leagues. The Broncos constantly changing their depth chart and rotation makes it very difficult to trust anyone in their offense, but generally, a third-round wide receiver who is consistently playing more is worth considering in most fantasy leagues. On the other hand, Mims is someone who can be dropped in most leagues.

Saquon Barkley reaches season lows in snaps: Barkley played in 72% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps after averaging 85% over the first four weeks.

Barkley’s playing time was erratic last season, as his time largely depended on the game script. For example, he reached over 82% of the offensive snaps three times last season. Two games were losses, and the other was a close 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. He fell below 55% twice, and the Eagles won by a combined 66-9 in those two games. 

This was a competitive game that the Eagles ended up losing, and Barkley played less than usual. This is likely tied to Will Shipley‘s health. His previous low this season was in Week 1, where he played 79% of the offensive snaps, and Shipley was healthy for the first half of the game. He missed Weeks 2 and 3, and returned last week but in a limited role.

This week, A.J. Dillon remained the primary backup, but Shipley was notably more involved on offense this week compared to last. It wouldn’t be surprising if Barkley stays below 80% of the offensive snaps going forward.

Regardless of his playing time, he has disappointed fantasy managers. He ran six times for 30 yards and caught three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown. Last season, he was breaking long runs for touchdowns at a historic pace. This season, regression has hit hard. He hasn’t had a 17-plus-yard run. Barkley remains a must-start player, but it’s becoming less likely he finishes as a top-three fantasy running back each week.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Broncos backup tight end Lucas Krull was placed on injured reserve due to a foot injury. He showed up on the injury report on Friday and was a healthy inactive last week.
• Evan Engram’s role with the Broncos has not changed this season. He’s played between 34-44% of Denver’s offensive snaps, averaging 36% of the snaps on early downs in single-tight-end sets, 63% on third downs, and 26% in two-tight-end sets. While he caught a touchdown this week, he remains a player to avoid.
• Eagles backup tight end Grant Calcaterra suffered an oblique injury and didn’t return. Kylen Granson took over as the Eagles’ second tight end after the injury.

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Tennessee Titans @ Arizona Cardinals

Tyjae Spears returns to the Titans: He spent the first four weeks of the season on injured reserve.

Spears was questionable due to an ankle injury but was activated off injured reserve on Saturday. Tennessee had put rookie running back Kalel Mullings on injured reserve a week ago, so the team didn’t release a running back in a corresponding move.

Tony Pollard played 89.3% of the offensive snaps over the first four weeks, which was the highest rate for a running back. This week, Spears primarily returned to being the third-down back. He also took a few snaps on early downs and in two-minute drills. This left Pollard playing a season-low 73.1% of the offensive snaps. It wouldn’t be surprising if Spears takes a higher percentage of the snaps once he’s further removed from his injury, particularly in two-minute drills and a little more on early downs.

There is currently no indication that Spears could take over as the lead back, but it’s at least possible if Spears starts playing well enough or if Pollard starts playing poorly enough.

Gunnar Helm leads the Titans’ tight ends in snaps: Helm took the lead from Chig Okonkwo, who was the clear top tight end to start the season.

The fourth-round rookie worked his way up to second on the Titans’ depth chart early in training camp, overtaking the previous No. 2 tight end Josh Whyle. Helm has played 100% of the two- and three-tight-end sets throughout the entire season. His overall percent of offensive snaps hadn’t changed much in the first four weeks, but his snaps by situation were changing. He played 11% of the snaps in single-tight-end sets on early downs in Week 1, and that increased to 26% in Week 2 and 40% in Week 3. He had played roughly one-third of the snaps the last two weeks. His more notable increase has been on third downs. He played 20-30% of those snaps the first three weeks, but that jumped to 40% last week and 60% this week. 

Tennessee’s snaps out of two-tight-end sets were generally on the decline after Week 1, as the Titans were playing from behind, but Tennessee kept the game closer this week. This allowed them to play 20 snaps in two-tight-end sets and seven in three-tight-end sets. Helm caught four passes for 34 yards, while Okonkwo caught four passes for 48 yards.

As long as this is a two-man rotation, it’s a situation to avoid for fantasy purposes.

Calvin Ridley shines despite decreased role: Ridley was questionable due to both knee and an elbow injuries.

Ridley had a quiet first month of the season, finishing with less than 40 receiving yards per game and no touchdowns. His playing time notably decreased last week, including barely playing in the fourth quarter. He appeared on the injury report this week, and there were reports that he wouldn’t play his usual number of snaps.

The Titans notably rotated Ridley out more frequently in two-receiver sets, while Van Jefferson took nine snaps in those situations. The Titans also played 11 snaps with only one wide receiver on the field. Most of the time, Chimere Dike was that receiver. Ridley was consistently on the field in three-receiver sets with Elic Ayomanor, while Dike and Tyler Lockett split the slot snaps.

Ridley caught five passes for 131 yards while clearly leading the team in targets. Ridley similarly had a slow start last season and then scored the 24th-most fantasy points for a wide receiver over the second half of last season. Ridley should be picked up in any league where he was dropped, but it will remain a gamble any time you put Ridley in your fantasy starting lineup.

Michael Carter leads the Cardinals’ backfield: While Emari Demercado led the team in rushing yards, Carter was the primary running back on early downs.

Arizona put Trey Benson on injured reserve on Wednesday after having surgery to repair a meniscus, which will reportedly cost him four to six weeks. This is after James Conner was placed on season-ending injured reserve the week before. There was a mad scramble to pick up Carter and Demercado, as it was not obvious who would be the better option for fantasy heading into the week. Demercado has graded better as a runner and initially made the roster while Carter didn’t, but offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has consistently used a two-man backfield. Carter had been used more on early downs and Demercado played more on late downs during their time in Arizona. Typically, the early-down back has more fantasy value.

It became clear leading up to the game that the plan was for Carter to take over on early downs. He did just this, taking the same role Conner had early in the season and Benson had last week. Demercado remained the third-down back, while also playing most of the two-minute drills. Bam Knight also became involved as the primary backup on early downs, as well as taking some snaps in two-minute drill situations.

Carter ran the ball 18 times for 51 yards and a touchdown in addition to catching five passes for 22 yards. Demercado ran the ball three times, and all of his carries occurred on third downs. He broke one of those runs for 71 yards, but fumbled at the one-yard line, resulting in a touchback.

Carter should be picked up in any league where he is still available, as he should remain the Cardinals’ early-down back. While he ideally would have taken more advantage of this matchup, he can still be a borderline RB2, especially as there are more bye weeks in the next few weeks. Demercado can be dropped in any league where he was picked up. While he might catch a few passes going forward, his fantasy value isn’t any better now than it was when Benson was healthy. If anything, his fumble could lead to a decrease in snaps. While Carter wasn’t all that effective in the run game, if Arizona wanted to decrease Carter’s snaps, it appears Knight would be the one to play more.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Titans backup wide receiver Bryce Oliver missed his third straight game due to a knee injury.
• The Titans elevated James Proche II from the practice squad due to the injuries at the position.
• Zay Jones missed last week due to a concussion, but he was back this week. His primary competition for playing time, Greg Dortch, was questionable due to a collarbone injury. Jones played most of the three-receiver sets over Dortch and split snaps in two-receiver sets with Michael Wilson.
• Arizona added both D’Ernest Johnson and Jermar Jefferson to the practice squad due to all of its running back injuries. If the backfield isn’t as productive as the coaching staff would like, or there is another injury, one of these players could join the rotation.
• Cardinals backup tight end Tip Reiman suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury, requiring him to be carted off the field. Reiman also missed Week 2, in which Elijah Higgins moved to second and Travis Vokolek moved to third on the depth chart. This injury should have no impact on Trey McBride’s fantasy value.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks

Rachaad White leads the Buccaneers’ backfield without Bucky Irving: Irving was ruled out due to foot and shoulder injuries.

Irving had been the clear lead back over the first four weeks of the season, playing 70% of Tampa Bay’s offensive snaps. That includes over 75% on early downs, two-minute drill snaps and short-yardage situations. White had been the third-down back and primary backup in all situations, while Sean Tucker only played three offensive snaps in the first four weeks.

Irving was able to finish last week’s game. The team knew about the foot injury, but he didn’t report the shoulder injury to the team until Tuesday. As the week progressed, it appeared the injury was more serious, and it’s possible Irving will miss more games beyond this week.

White played the vast majority of the offensive snaps, similar to his role in 2023 before Irving joined the team. He wasn’t very effective in the run game, but he scored two touchdowns to help any fantasy manager who started him. Tucker was the primary backup, only playing in typical early-down situations. Undrafted rookie Josh Williams, who spent the first four weeks of the season as a healthy inactive, was active for this game and also played a few offensive snaps.

White should remain in fantasy starting lineups for as long as Irving is out. Tucker can be a waiver-wire pickup, but only in deeper leagues in case Irving’s injury lingers and White also suffers an injury. However, Tucker was likely already picked up in most of these kinds of leagues leading up to this week

Seahawks running back tendencies become clearer: Zach Charbonnet played more offensive snaps than Kenneth Walker III, but that won’t necessarily continue.

Walker and Charbonnet have spent the entire season in a two-man rotation. Walker has been the primary running back on early downs. He played a season-high 65.9% of Seattle’s snaps on early downs last week, and he was at a similar 64.7% of the snaps this week. Charbonnet has been the third-down back and two-minute drill back this season, and that hasn’t changed. Seattle played 12 snaps in two-minute drills in this game, which is a big reason why Charbonnet ended up playing more snaps this week.

Notably, the two have split short-yardage situations this year. Charbonnet has been the primary goal-line back. Charbonnet scored a five-yard touchdown in this game, leading to more fantasy value this week.

Walker has been among the highest graded runners this season and averaged 8.6 yards per carry in this game. Ideally, Walker can start to play some snaps either at the goal line or during two-minute drills in order to reach his fantasy potential. Without that, Walker could have more games like this, where he is great from a real-life perspective but held under 10 PPR points. He needs to remain in fantasy lineups, while Charbonnet, at least, needs to remain on rosters. Especially once bye weeks hit harder, there will be times when Charbonnet makes sense for fantasy starting lineups.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans missed his second game due to a hamstring injury. Tampa Bay continued using their wide receivers similar to last week. Emeka Egbuka took over for Evans at the X-receiver spot, Chris Godwin Jr. played at Z, and Sterling Shepard played in the slot in three-receiver sets.
• A.J. Barner has played in at least 80% of Seattle’s offensive snaps in four of five games this season. While Barner’s role hasn’t changed, he appears to be a more viable fantasy option after catching seven passes for 53 yards and a touchdown in this game.

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Detroit Lions @ Cincinnati Bengals

Isaac TeSlaa wins the third wide receiver job: TeSlaa played 88.9% of Detroit’s offensive snaps in three-receiver sets.

The Lions didn’t play their starters in the preseason, allowing their third-round rookie wide receiver to play significant snaps. He played well, and the team traded their third receiver, Tim Patrick. This made it seem like TeSlaa would start the season as the third receiver. Instead, he only played three offensive snaps, while Kalif Raymond was the clear third receiver.

TeSlaa began cutting into Raymond’s playing time in Week 2, playing 43.2% of the snaps in two-receiver sets, but his snap rate declined slightly the following two weeks. This game was completely different from the first four, as TeSlaa consistently was on the field in three-receiver sets. He was also the primary backup in two receiver sets.

Unfortunately, the Lions gained a big lead early in the game and didn’t need to run nearly as many three-receiver sets as usual. Detroit had at least 36 snaps in three-receiver sets each of the first four weeks but only 18 snaps in three-receiver sets this week. This means TeSlaa should play significantly more snaps next week when the Lions play the Kansas City Chiefs.

It will be hard to trust TeSlaa in most normal fantasy football leagues, given all the weapons in Detroit’s offense, but in deeper leagues, TeSlaa should have much more value going forward than he’s had the first five weeks.

Noah Fant was held without a catch in his return: Fant missed last week for Cincinnati due to a concussion, but he was cleared to play this week.

Fant spent the first three weeks of the season barely playing in single-tight-end sets, but he played the majority of the snaps in two-tight-end sets. Fant was targeted on a ridiculous 41.2% of his routes over the first three weeks, leading to 2.35 yards per route run. Fant was 17th in PPR points during that time

Fant’s role this week was the same as the first three weeks, but he wasn’t targeted in the game. The Bengals spent the day playing from behind, so they didn’t run as many two-tight-end sets as usual. This led to a slight decrease in Fant’s total offensive snaps. Fant can be left on the waiver wire in fantasy leagues, as it’s much more likely that Fant has more games like this than having games like the first three weeks.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs played 71% of Detroit’s offensive snaps over the first seven drives, culminating with his 20-yard touchdown reception. With Detroit up by 28 points, it turned to Montgomery for most of the rest of the game. Montgomery had 19 snaps to Gibbs’ five. Montgomery ran 12 times during the closing stretch.
• Lions running back Sione Vaki was inactive due to a groin injury. He has missed four of the first five games this season.
• Bengals backup wide receiver and returner Charlie Jones was questionable due to an Achilles injury. He was active but only played on special teams.

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Washington Commanders @ Los Angeles Chargers

Jacory Croskey-Merritt starts for Washington: Croskey-Merritt turned his first start into his first 100-yard rushing game.

The Commanders spent the first four weeks with either Austin Ekeler or Chris Rodriguez Jr. starting the game and taking the first two drives on offense. Croskey-Merritt wasn’t playing his first offensive snap until the third drive of game. He took over as the primary early-down back for the rest of those games. Jeremy McNichols has been the receiving back since Ekeler’s injury.

While McNichols’ role hasn’t changed, Croskey-Merritt played on early downs on the first two drives this week. This led him to a season-high 47.5% of Washington’s offensive snaps. His playing time on early downs was also a season high at 63.9%. He also notably played more in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He played a combined eight of the 23 snaps in those situations over the first four weeks and five of eight snaps in this game.

This led Croskey-Merritt to run 14 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns while catching two passes for 39 yards. There is still room for Croskey-Merritt to play more offensive snaps and receive more touches. There are running backs like Chase Brown, Travis Etienne Jr., James Cook III, Derrick Henry and Breece Hall who play 70% or more snaps on early downs while not playing much on third downs. Ideally, Croskey-Merritt can reach over 70% of early-down snaps in the near future. 

While Croskey-Merritt isn’t necessarily a must-start player yet, he is much closer now than he was before this game.

Monitor Omarion Hampton’s health: Hampton suffered a left ankle injury and was seen in a walking boot after the game.

Hampton had a breakout Week 4, playing 89% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps with Najee Harris out for the season. He ran 12 times for 128 yards and a touchdown while catching five passes for 37 yards. He started this week with a similar role, playing 83% of the offensive snaps. He set a new career high in receptions at six but wasn’t as effective in the run game. His injury occurred late in the third quarter, leading him not to play in the fourth quarter. 

Hassan Haskins was the primary backup before Hampton’s injury. He played six snaps before the injury compared to Kimani Vidal‘s two, including two runs compared to Vidal’s one. Haskins played eight of the nine snaps immediately after the injury, while Vidal closed out the drive. On the following drive, Los Angeles turned to backups on offense, including Trey Lance at quarterback, and Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith at wide receiver. Vidal took that drive.

Haskins is the player to primarily target off the waiver wire if Hampton misses time. While there has been more hype for Vidal in his short career, Haskins made the roster when Vidal didn’t, and Haskins has been the primary backup on early downs the last two weeks. The Chargers will probably use a heavy rotation between the two. If this injury appears to be long-term, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Chargers bring in another player. Undrafted rookie Amar Johnson is the only other player on the practice squad. Nyheim Miller-Hines and Jaret Patterson both spent training camp with Los Angeles and are unsigned. One of their running backs from last season, Gus Edwards, also remains unsigned. A trade could be more likely if Hampton is expected to miss most of the season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Commanders didn’t have starting wide receivers Terry McLaurin (quadriceps) for a second straight week and Noah Brown (groin, knee) for a third straight week. Similar to last week, Chris Moore stepped up as the second wide receiver in two-receiver sets, while Moore, Luke McCaffrey and Jaylin Lane rotated for the second and third spots in three-receiver sets.
• Washington elevated Tay Martin from the practice squad because of their injured receivers.
• Jayden Daniels, who missed the last two weeks with a knee injury, was back this week.
• Commanders tight end John Bates returned after missing the last two weeks due to injury. He played nearly every two-tight-end set, which is normal for him. This left Zach Ertz just barely playing over 50% of Washington’s offensive snaps. He was held without a catch this week.
• Chargers backup wide receiver and returner Derius Davis was inactive for a second game due to a knee injury.
• Chargers tight end Will Dissly missed his third straight game due to a knee injury.
• Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden played just over 50% of the offensive snaps for the first time this season. That’s because Los Angeles used more two-tight-end sets this week, and Gadsden was typically in on this package.
• Kimani Vidal was activated off the practice squad to be the Chargers‘ third running back. He will presumably get signed to the 53-man roster once his practice-squad call-up eligibility ends, as Los Angeles only has two running backs on the 53-man roster.

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New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills

Monitor Antonio Gibson’s health: Gibson suffered a knee injury on a kick return, and early indications suggest it could be serious.

The Patriots spent the first four weeks of the season utilizing a three-man rotation at running back. Rhamondre Stevenson played 55% of offensive snaps, second-round rookie TreVeyon Henderson played 37%, and Antonio Gibson saw 17%. All three were capable of handling every situation, with the only consistent trend being Stevenson’s role on third downs.

New England opened this week’s game with Stevenson on the field for all five offensive snaps over the first two drives, with Gibson joining him on one. However, Stevenson fumbled for the third time this season  (and the 10th time in his last 20 games). Notably, his other two fumbles came in Week 3, the same game in which Gibson also fumbled. Henderson, meanwhile, had consistently played between 30 and 36% of snaps in every game and logged 46% this week.

Following the fumble, the Patriots initially turned to their other backs. Gibson played eight of the next 11 snaps, while Stevenson saw four and Henderson just one. Gibson, however, suffered a knee injury after the fourth drive. From that point on, Henderson operated as the team’s primary back, though game script kept the Patriots in pass-heavy mode, limiting him to just six carries.

If Gibson’s injury proves serious, Henderson should see a bump in playing time — likely into the 40% range. And if Stevenson’s fumbling woes persist, Henderson could begin to take over the lead role. The Patriots face the New Orleans Saints next week, and both backs could be borderline fantasy starters depending on how the backfield shakes out.

Curtis Samuel moves up the Bills depth chart: Elijah Moore was a healthy inactive for the first time this season.

Buffalo spent the first three weeks with Keon Coleman as the X receiver (72% of snaps), Joshua Palmer at Z (53.2%), and Khalil Shakir in the slot (63.2%). Elijah Moore and Tyreel Shavers served as backups — Moore primarily in the slot, Shavers out wide. Curtis Samuel, a 2024 free-agent addition, was a healthy inactive during that span.

Samuel was active last week, giving the Bills six active wide receivers and resulting in even more rotation than usual. Coleman maintained a 73% snap share, and Shakir continued as the slot receiver in three-wide sets. The remaining four receivers each played between 14 and 20 offensive snaps. Samuel caught just one pass for nine yards, but Moore had only four catches for 64 yards across the first four games. The team opted to activate Samuel this week, leaving Moore inactive.

Not only did Samuel see a notable role, but Coleman’s usage also declined — he was no longer consistently on the field in three-receiver sets. Shakir remained the one constant, consistently playing in three-wide looks, though he’s still rarely used in one- or two-receiver sets.

In rare games where Buffalo is trailing or playing a tight contest, Shakir could offer some fantasy value, as we saw this week. Outside of those scenarios, it’s difficult to trust any Bills receiver in fantasy lineups. Coleman, in particular, is droppable in most leagues — since his eight-catch, 112-yard breakout in Week 1, he’s posted exactly three receptions per game for just 20 to 45 yards.

Miscellaneous Notes

• DeMario Douglas received a notable uptick in snaps in three-receiver sets, taking playing time away from Mack Hollins. That didn’t lead to much this week, considering how much New England stuck with two-tight-end sets, but it could lead to more playing time for Douglas in games where the Patriots are playing from behind.
• Bills receiving running back Ty Johnson continues to play more than Ray Davis in normal early down situations.
• Bills rookie tight end Jackson Hawes played notably less this week compared to the last three weeks. He is someone who will likely play more when the Bills are ahead and less when the Bills are losing.

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Table Notes

• Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
• Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
• Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.