Fantasy Rewind - Week 4
Delicious. Victorious. Domination. Destruction.
These are just a few words to describe the fantasy football landscape in Week 4. Not only did the Packers decimate the Bears in Chicago on Sunday, but I managed to move to 4-0 on the young, fantasy season!
So let's dive right in and take a look at what went down this past weekend. Looks like my predictions went 50/50 this week - not too shabby!
HITS: My vague prediction of a good game by Jordy Nelson was correct to the tune of 108 yards and two touchdowns. Matthew Stafford continued the air assault against the New York Jets defense with 293 yards and two touchdowns. Philip Rivers trounced the Jaguars defense throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns, while Keenan Allen tallied 135 yards receiving.
Toby Gerhart's struggles continued with only 32 yards rushing and a fumble this week at San Diego. His fantasy output was only helped by his touchdown (8 points). My suggested replacement for Gerhart, Vikings back Matt Asiata, knocked around the Falcons for 78 yards and three touchdowns (28 fantast points.)
MISSES: I underestimated the output Aaron Rodgers was going to bless his fantasy owners with. I predicted a good game, but he went well above and beyond. I'm perfectly fine missing this one! While Eddie Lacy finally found the endzone for the first time this season, he didn't hit the 100-yard mark like I'd hoped. However, he did put up solid, RB2 numbers this week with 48 yards rushing and the touchdown for a total of 11.9 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues.
Despite Stafford's decent day, Golden Tate did not catch the touchdown I predicted despite 116 yards on eight catches. Even though the San Diego offense looked good against Jacksonville, Donald Brown did not get anywhere near the production everyone was expecting (5.4 total fantasy points). The entire Eagles offense struggled Sunday at San Francisco, which includes rookie receiver Jordan Matthews (2.8 fantasy points).
There were some amazing performances in the NFL this past weekend as well. Here are some that stood out, and probably helped managers come out victorious in their matchups.
Studs of the Week
After being all but written off by fantasy owners and experts alike, Eli Manning (42.7% owned) dropped a bomb on the Washington Redskins on Thursday night, throwing for 300 yards and four touchdowns. He even used his legs to get into the end zone as well. On the night, he finished with 32.1 fantasy points - good enough for tops in the entire league. Giants tight end Larry Donnell (26.8% owned) was the recipient of three of Manning's touchdown throws and finished with 23.4 fantasy points on the night.
Dud of the Week
Philadelphia Eagles running back and 2013 rushing leader LeSean McCoy couldn't get anything going against the San Francisco defense on Sunday. On 10 rushing attempts, McCoy only managed 17 yards, and didn't catch a single pass. This is the second week in a row that McCoy laid an egg for fantasy owners (2.2 points in Week 3 against Washington). Given the style of offense that head coach Chip Kelly runs and the potential that McCoy holds, you may just have to weather the storm as an owner. He'll come around.
Surprise of the Week
Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took advantage of his first NFL start to the tune of 23.3 fantasy points - good enough for eighth among quarterbacks in Week 4. Despite not throwing a touchdown, Bridgewater threw for 317 yards. He also rushed for 27 yards and one touchdown. After suffering a slightly sprained ankle, monitor Bridgewater's status leading up to Thursday's game against the Packers. If you're in need of a quarterback this week due to byes, I'd skip over Bridgewater this week due to the short week and minor injury.
Let me know how you did this week in your league! Who are your best players so far?