Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’re just 3 weeks into the season, and already the rookie crop has been making a massive impact on fantasy leagues. Hopefully you weren’t too busy watching Taylor Swift cheer at the Chiefs game to notice it. De’Von Achane posted arguably the greatest rookie single-game performance we’ve ever seen as the Dolphins rolled the Broncos by 50 points, but he was hardly alone in having a standout performance. Sam LaPorta finished the week as the TE1, Tank Dell finished as the WR6, and CJ Stroud and Marvin Mims put up big games as well.
Injuries have been a rampant problem in the early going, which has helped get some of these rookies extended opportunities, and those injuries don’t show many signs of slowing down after Mike Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday. Standout rookies Achane, Dell, Puka Nacua, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jayden Reed have all benefitted from injuries ahead of them on the depth chart thus far, and following along with the Rookie Report all year will help you know which rookies can step up when an injury happens.
A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Let’s get into week 4…
Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:
RB Bijan Robinson, ATL (Wk. 4: @Jax.): Robinson is coming off his worst game of his young career and gets a really tough matchup, but you can’t sit your first-round pick in week 4, especially when he finished as a top-10 RB in two of the first 3 weeks. Robinson is more of a contrarian play in DFS lineups this week as he faces a Jacksonville team that ranks 4th in Aaron Schatz’s run defense DVOA and has allowed the 10th-fewest running back points per game. He still needs to be in your lineups in season-long leagues.
TE Sam LaPorta, DET (Wk. 4: @GB): LaPorta through three weeks is making the conventional wisdom that rookie tight ends don’t produce in fantasy look silly. The rookie ranks as the current TE2 in total points behind only TJ Hockenson, and he’s logged PPR finishes of TE8, TE8, and TE1. Has he reached the point where you should be starting him over guys like Mark Andrews, Darren Waller or Evan Engram? I wouldn’t go that far, but that doesn’t mean he can’t outscore them. I just wouldn’t count on LaPorta pulling in another 45-yard TD. The Packers are a middling TE defense, allowing the 16th-most points per game, but the Lions had one of the narrowest target trees last week that I’ve seen. LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Kalif Raymond combined for 93% of the Lions total targets in week 3. If that continues going forward, LaPorta should be a safe top-10 PPR TE (at least until Jameson Williams returns).
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:
QB Anthony Richardson, IND (Wk. 4: vs. LAR): Richardson is on track to be back under center this week after returning to a full practice on Wednesday, and he should be treated as a low end QB1 despite a matchup that looks tough at first glance. The Rams have allowed the 5th-fewest QB points per game so far and held both Geno Smith and Joe Burrow below 10 fantasy points, but the Rams also rank just 20th in pass defense DVOA. None of the QBs who have faced the Rams offered much in the way of rushing upside, and we know Richardson is a virtual lock to run the ball 8-10 times, giving him a healthy floor. The DVOA ranking tells me that the passing matchup isn’t quite as tough as the points allowed number would indicate. Don’t be afraid to plug Richardson in if he’s been your QB1.
RB De’Von Achane, MIA (Wk. 4: @Buf.): I know, I know…there’s probably no world where you’re considering benching Achane this week if you’ve got him after watching him pile up 4 TDs and over FIFTY(!) PPR points against the Broncos last Sunday, but the sledding will be notably tougher this week. Denver’s barely-there run defense allowed nearly 30 PPR points to Brian Robinson Jr. in week 2 before being incinerated by Achane and Raheem Mostert last weekend. Buffalo, on the other hand, has allowed the 9th-fewest RB points per game and ranks 6th in run defense DVOA. On the plus side, Achane’s big game last weekend wasn’t fueled by garbage time. He worked in a committee with Mostert early in the game and was actively involved while the game was still competitive and should remain in at least a timeshare with the veteran Mostert this week. Despite the tough matchup, the Dolphins’ run game has been playing at an incredible level, and you’ll be kicking yourself if he has another blow up game from your bench. You should find a way to fit him in your starting lineup this week if you can.
RB Jahmyr Gibbs, DET (Wk. 4: @GB): Gibbs had a strong performance on Sunday against the Falcons, but his fantasy production didn’t really reflect that. The Lions leaned on Gibbs on the ground with David Montgomery sidelined, and he racked up 80 yards on 17 carries and hauled in a 2-yard catch. He helped the Lions control the game but didn’t help you win your fantasy matchup. This week David Montgomery seems to be on the right side of questionable, but I’m on board with going back to the well here with Gibbs. The Packers have been shredded for about 150 running back scrimmage yards per game, 5th-most in the NFL. They also rank just 27th in pass defense DVOA on throws to running backs. No team is allowing more RB catches per game, and only the Broncos and Bears are allowing more RB receiving yards per game. Monty’s return should free up Gibbs to be more involved in the passing game, and I like his chances to produce a strong PPR day in a good matchup. I like Gibbs to finish as a high-end RB2 or better on Thursday night.
RB Roschon Johnson, CHI (Wk. 4: vs. Den.): One of the more interesting games of week 3 will happen when a stoppable force meets a movable object in Chicago on Sunday. The Bears and Broncos have been huge dumpster fires in the league’s first few weeks, but one of them is bound to pick up their first win in week 4. Chicago may finally play a game with neutral or positive game script. The Bears want to be a run-first team, but scoreboard deficits have limited their running backs to just 15 rush attempts per game. A competitive contest this week would be a good thing for both Roschon and Khalil Herbert. Another good thing for that pair is a matchup with a Denver defense that gave up 182 scrimmage yards to the Commanders’ running backs in week 2, and a whopping 441 to Miami’s backs in week 3. Johnson appears to have closed the playing time gap on Khalil Herbert, and the duo essentially took turns playing full drives in Kansas City. Roschon has been the more effective runner of the two, but both backs have high-end RB3 appeal in this very inviting matchup.
WR Puka Nacua, LAR (Wk. 4: @Ind.): Nacua had the worst game of his season on Monday night against the Bengals. He finished that game with 5 catches for 72 yards on 7 targets, good for a PPR WR36 finish for the week. If that’s the floor, you have to feel pretty good about firing him up against an Indy defense that has allowed the 7th-most WR points per game. Cooper Kupp could be back as soon as week 5, so this could be the last week of Nacua as an auto-start.
WR Tank Dell, HOU (Wk. 4: vs. Pit.): Dell has logged back-to-back 20-point PPR games and may be emerging as the best wide receiver on the Texans. The 5’10”, 165-pound Dell’s usage has been surprising, as he’s played just 28 snaps from the slot. Dell is doing his damage lined up mostly as a perimeter WR. The Texans should continue to lean on CJ Stroud and their passing game this week, and the Steelers have allowed the 5th-most WR points per game so far. I’m not saying another 20-point day is a sure thing, but I trust Dell to be a serviceable WR3 this week.
WR Jordan Addison, MIN (Wk. 4: @Car.): Addison logged a season-high 80% route participation rate and earned a season-high 8 targets in week 3, but he posted his lowest fantasy output of the season after failing to find the end zone. Addison still hasn’t overtaken KJ Osborn for the WR2 role, but he’s slowly closing the gap and this offense is going to continue to be pass-heavy enough that he’ll keep seeing 6-8 targets in his current role. Carolina is a tough matchup, allowing the 3rd-fewest WR points per game, but some of that is due to the Panthers frequently playing from behind and their opponents running the ball a ton. Minnesota isn’t likely to run the ball a ton, and the Panthers rank 20th in pass defense DVOA on deep throws. Both of Addison’s TDs this year have gone for more than 35 yards. I wouldn’t fault you for sitting Addison this week if you have a WR3 you feel really good about ahead of him, but I’d roll with the Vikings rookie if you don’t.
TE Luke Musgrave, GB (Wk. 4: vs. Det.): Musgrave has posted a route participation rate of 80% or better in each of Green Bay’s first three games, and Detroit’s defense has given up 9+ tight end receptions or a tight end score in all 3 of their games. Packer tight ends not named Musgrave have seen two total targets this season. I wouldn’t treat the 8 targets Musgrave earned last week as the new normal. Green Bay threw more than they would like to after falling behind 17-0 last Sunday. If their passing volume gets back to normal this week, something like 5-6 targets feels likely here, and against Detroit’s defense that has struggled to contain the TE position, that’s probably enough to push for a back-end TE1 finish. Musgrave has higher than normal chances of scoring a TD as well in this plus matchup. I’d rather roll out Musgrave this week than guys like Hunter Henry, Kyle Pitts, Tyler Higbee, or Pat Freiermuth.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:
QB CJ Stroud, HOU (Wk. 4: vs. Pit.): Stroud has been fantastic over the last two weeks, piling up 664 passing yards and 4 TDs with just 1 turnover, but he gets a stiffer defensive test this week. Each of Stroud’s last two opponents have been bad against QBs, coughing up 18+ points to the opposing signal caller in every game they’ve played. The Steelers have allowed 18+ just once, to Jimmy Garoppolo on Sunday night when they couldn’t contain Davante Adams. The Steelers rank 7th in pass defense DVOA and allow the 13th-fewest QB points per game. There should still be a good amount of passing volume for Stroud, so he’s a great QB2 option in superflex leagues, but I have a hard time ranking him as a top-12 QB option this week.
RB Tyjae Spears, TEN (Wk. 4: vs. Cin.): Spears’ early season usage has been promising for PPR leagues, but the production just isn’t matching that usage. Spears is playing nearly all of the long down & distance snaps, and he’s consistently drawing targets in the passing game, but this offense looks like a shell of what it was in 2022, especially when it comes to running backs in the passing game. Last season there were 89 different NFL running backs who logged 10 or more targets for the season. Only 8 of them averaged 8 or more yards per target. The Titans’ backfield collectively averaged 8.0 yards per target on 85 total targets. Through 3 games, Tyjae Spears has 10 receiving yards on 10 targets, or just 1 yard per target. That must change for Spears to start returning fantasy value, and it’s unlikely to change this week. The Bengals have allowed just 3 catches and 20 receiving yards per game to opposing backs. I’m holding Spears in deeper PPR leagues still, but this offense needs to turn it around or have a very favorable matchup before I’d consider plugging him into lineups.
RB Kendre Miller, NO (Wk. 4: vs. TB): Miller failed to make the most of his NFL debut, tallying just 34 yards on 10 touches. He faces a middling Bucs’ run defense this week (15th-fewest RB points allowed and 23rd in run defense DVOA), but the Saints get Alvin Kamara back this week and he should step immediately into the lead back role. Kendre will split the backup work with Tony Jones, making him a bad option in fantasy lineups.
WR Zay Flowers, BAL (Wk. 4: @Cle.): So far this season the Todd Monken offensive revolution in Baltimore hasn’t quite gone as planned. The Ravens are attempting just 29 passes per game and rank just 14th in points scored. Zay Flowers has continued to earn a big share of the workload, seeing 20% or more of the team air yards in all 3 games and 10 targets in two of them, but the matchup this week with the Browns is a tough one. Cleveland ranks 1st in pass defense DVOA and has allowed the fewest WR points per game. 54% of Flowers’ yards this season have come after the catch, and Cleveland has allowed the 6th-fewest yards after catch in the league. There’s a sliver of hope that the Browns focus more on Mark Andrews as they did last year, when they limited him to just 3 catches for 31 yards in 2 meetings, freeing up Flowers to do more damage, but that feels like hopium. Flowers is the Ravens’ WR1, so he’s certainly a viable WR3 option in your lineups this week, but if you’re having a tough time choosing between him and another player this week, I’d lean away from Flowers.
WRs Jayden Reed & Dontayvion Wicks, GB (Wk. 4: vs. Det.): The Packers will get Christian Watson back for week 4’s tilt with the Lions, and that knocks both Reed and Wicks down a spot in the WR pecking order this week. Watson is expected to be on a snap count, but the Packers are already a lower passing volume team (they rank 21st in pass rate over expectation so far), and they’ve been spreading their receiver snaps around more than you’d like to see. In week 3, only Romeo Doubs was in a route on more than 72% of Jordan Love’s dropbacks, and 5 different receivers earned multiple targets. Watson’s return further muddies things. If I had to guess, I’d say Wicks is the WR hurt most by Watson’s presence. Wicks has been targeted regularly on play action passes (5 of his 12 targets have come on PA passes). Last season, Watson led the team with 31% of his targets coming from play action. Watson likely pushes Wicks to the bench, and Reed probably loses some routes to Wicks. The Lions have allowed the 10th-fewest WR points per game, and while both Reed and Wicks have flashed with their opportunities thus far, I can’t recommend starting them here with reduced playing time.
WR Josh Downs, IND (Wk. 4: vs. LAR): Downs made me look smart last week by doing exactly what I predicted and compiling his way to a top-30 PPR finish on 12 targets with Gardner Minshew at QB. It looks like Anthony Richardson is good to go for this game, and I don’t expect quite as much passing volume for the Colts in this one. The Colts are favored by a point and a half, the Rams rank 29th in run defense DVOA, and Zack Moss is coming off a breakout performance in week 3. I’d expect the Colts to try and lean on Moss and that run game as long as they can Sunday. They may still throw enough for Downs to earn a healthy number of targets, but he turned 12 targets into a line of just 8 catches for 57 yards last weekend. His low aDOT opportunities mean he needs to pile up a lot of catches or yards after the catch to maximize his output, and the Rams have allowed the 2nd-fewest yards after the catch so far this season. I’d treat Downs as a low-ceiling PPR WR4 option this week.
WR Quentin Johnston, LAC (Wk. 4: vs. LV): The Chargers got the disappointing news after their game last Sunday that starting wide receiver Mike Williams is done for the year with a torn ACL. The injury will mean good things for Johnston’s playing time, but I’d still wait to plug him into any lineups. Johnston has worked behind Josh Palmer on the depth chart, and that should continue in the short term. As the season wears on, I’d expect Johnston to carve out a bigger role. If you’re looking for reasons to plug in Quentin this week, he does have a higher target-per-route-run rate than Palmer, he’ll be on the field in most 3-WR sets, and the Raiders rank 29th in pass defense DVOA (28th on deep passes). Just consider yourself forewarned that the floor is lower than you’d like. He’s a boom-or-bust WR4 this week.
WR Rashee Rice, KC (Wk. 4: @NYJ): In case you haven’t been paying attention, Rashee Rice has now logged 3 consecutive games with a target-per-route-run rate above 30%, and in week 3 he logged a season-high 51% route participation rate. He finished the game with 5 catches for 59 yards on 7 targets, but it could’ve been a much bigger game as he was tackled at the 1-yard line twice. My biggest concern for Rice is that only 2 of his targets happened before the team was up by more than 20 points. I think the route participation rate may be an outlier caused by garbage time. The matchup this week is dicier against a New York defense that has allowed the 6th-fewest WR points per game. Rice is worth a stash in most deeper leagues and could emerge as the best wide receiver in this offense, but I wouldn’t trust him to have a big game this week.
WR Michael Wilson, ARI (Wk. 4: @SF): Wilson hasn’t earned big target volume in the first 3 weeks, but he’s functioned as Arizona’s WR2 and his targets have come downfield. His 16.8-yard average target depth ranks 9th in the NFL among qualified pass catchers, and 6 of his 7 catches have resulted in at least 15-yard gains. That sort of usage isn’t going to lead to much production against the 49ers, who do not allow downfield completions. Opposing teams have attempted 8 passes of 20+ air yards against the 49ers this season. The only two of those attempts that were caught were hauled in by 49er defenders. This is a bad matchup for a WR who specializes in deep balls.
TE Dalton Kincaid, BUF (Wk. 4: vs. Mia.): Kincaid gets a favorable matchup against a Miami defense allowing the 7th-most TE points per game, but he’s logged back-to-back games with a route participation rate below 70% and hasn’t yet topped 10 fantasy points in a game. His average target depth for the season is below 5 yards, and it’s just going to be hard for him to put up big fantasy days until that changes. He’s still on the field a lot in a high-powered offense and facing a favorable matchup, so there’s still upside here, but I’d treat him like a fringe top-15 TE this week.
Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:
QB Aidan O’Connell, LV (Wk. 4: @LAC): Jimmy Garoppolo was concussed on Sunday night and is listed as questionable for this week, but it would likely be Brian Hoyer who gets the starting nod if Garoppolo is unable to play. The Chargers have allowed more QB points per game than any other defense so far, but even if O’Connell gets the nod, you’d probably be crazy to start him in his first NFL start. The Raiders would undoubtedly lean on Josh Jacobs in that scenario.
RB Jaleel McLaughlin, DEN (Wk. 4: @Chi.): McLaughlin played a season-high 20% of the offensive snaps in week 3 and posted 5 carries for 15 yards, but most of that work came late in an epic 50-point beatdown at the hands of the Dolphins. This week’s game should be more competitive against the only other team in the league that looks like as big of a mess as the Broncos. Any opportunities against the Bears’ awful defense are good opportunities, but I don’t expect McLaughlin to get many of them this week.
RB Tank Bigsby, JAX (Wk. 4: vs. Atl.): Bigsby has found the end zone in two out of three games this season, but he’s handled just 2 touches on 19 snaps in the last 2 games combined. This is Travis Etienne’s backfield, and while Bigsby will remain a threat to vulture more goal line opportunities, the Falcons are yet to allow a running back score this season and have allowed the 5th-fewest running back points per game.
RB Sean Tucker, TB (Wk. 4: @NO): Tucker has been largely a disappointment in the first 3 weeks if you’ve stashed him in hopes that he eventually takes more of Rachaad White’s touches. White was back to his inefficient self in week 3, but he played 91% of the offensive snaps in the game and Tucker was even worse with his limited opportunities. Tucker now has 10 carries for 8 yards in the last two weeks. You can still hold him in deeper leagues, but every week that passes with White outplaying him makes it harder for Tucker to be useful without an injury ahead of him.
RB Deuce Vaughn, DAL (Wk. 4: vs. NE): Vaughn tallied 6 touches in each of the first two games of the year as Dallas had a bunch of garbage time in blowout wins. He then played zero offensive snaps in week 3 in a game the Cowboys never led. Dallas is favored by 7 points against the Pats, so if the game goes as expected there may be a chance for a few garbage time touches for Vaughn, but there’s not a lot of ceiling to chase and the floor is zero points if Dallas doesn’t play from ahead.
WR Ronnie Bell, SF (Wk. 4: vs. Ari.): Bell tallied the first two touches of his NFL career last Thursday and turned one of them into a TD with Brandon Aiyuk sidelined. His other catch was hauled in off a deflection on a pass that wasn’t intended for him. Aiyuk appears likely to return this week, but Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings have picked up questionable designations ahead of this game as well. If any of them sit, Bell could be worth a cheap dart throw in showdown DFS contests, but I wouldn’t roll those dice in any other format. Again, with Aiyuk out last week he was truly targeted only once, and the 49ers won’t need to throw much in this game as two-touchdown favorites. If both Deebo and Jennings miss this game, I’d treat Bell as a desperation WR4/5 option.
WR Trey Palmer, TB (Wk. 4: @NO): Palmer was on the field for a season-high 86% of the Bucs’ team passing dropbacks in week 3, but he earned a season-low 1 target as a result. Through 3 weeks, 53% of the Bucs’ team targets have gone to either Mike Evans or Chris Godwin. Just 6 targets have gone to Palmer. The 3rd receiver in this offense will continue to be a lightly targeted ancillary player.
WRs Kayshon Boutte & Demario Douglas, NE (Wk. 4: @Dal.): Boutte has been a healthy scratch in back-to-back weeks after running 46 routes in week 1, and Douglas has run just 16 routes in the last two weeks. Neither player is worth consideration against a Dallas defense that ranks 3rd in pass defense DVOA.
TE Luke Schoonmaker, DAL (Wk. 4: vs. NE): Schoonmaker has run just 10 routes total for the season and earned 2 total targets. If you’re looking for 1 target per week (at least for the time being), he’s your man.
Rookies to sit who are injured or have had very limited or non-existent roles: QB Will Levis, TEN, QB Clayton Tune, ARI, RB Chase Brown, CIN, RB Israel Abanikanda, NYJ, RB Chris Rodriguez Jr., WAS, RB Eric Gray, NYG, RB Zach Evans, LAR, WR Xavier Hutchinson, HOU, WR Tyler Scott, CHI, WR Cedric Tillman, CLE, TE Michael Mayer, LV, TE Darnell Washington, PIT
Deep League Sleepers, Stashes, and Cheap DFS Options:
QB Bryce Young, CAR (Wk. 4: vs. Min.): You’re probably scoffing at the idea of using a QB who in his first two games averaged 150 passing yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT, but this is a great opportunity for Young to post a solid fantasy day. A week of watching Andy Dalton throw for 361 yards against a bad pass defense hopefully taught Young some things he can use toward a similar outing against a bad Minnesota secondary. The Vikings have coughed up the 3rd-most QB points per game and rank 23rd in pass defense DVOA. They’ve given up 8 total QB touchdowns through 3 games as well. Bryce’s results in the first two games mean he should be viewed as just a low-end QB2 this week, but he’s got some extra upside in a favorable matchup. Don’t be surprised if he throws for comfortably over 200 yards with a pair of scores.
RB Zach Charbonnet, SEA (Wk. 4: @NYG): Charbonnet has quietly been earning more and more playing time in this offense, logging a season-high 44% snap share in week 3. Kenneth Walker is still going to get most of the high-value touches, but we saw Charbonnet produce 46 yards on 9 carries against a bad run defense last weekend, and he’s got another one on the docket this week. The Giants have allowed the 6th-most RB points per game and rank just 25th in run defense DVOA. If Charbonnet sees another 10 or so touches this week, he should be a fringe RB3 again like he was last week.
WR Marvin Mims, Jr., DEN (Wk. 4: @Chi.): You might not have noticed it amidst the SEVENTY points that Miami put on the Broncos, but Marvin Mims put up another stellar game on limited opportunities in week 3. Mims has run just 17 routes in the last 2 weeks, but he’s earned 7 targets and turned them into 5 catches for 186 yards and a TD, with 4 of those catches going for 30+ yards. He also added a 45-yard punt return and a 99-yard kick return TD in those games for good measure. At some point the Broncos are going to realize they have to get this kid on the field more often (beat writer Cecil Lammey hinted that will happen as soon as this week), but even if that doesn’t happen this week, he’s got another matchup where he could put up big splash plays. The Bears have been a disheveled defense so far, and rank 30th in pass defense DVOA on deep throws. Mims is the definition of a boom-or-bust play, but he’s boomed in back-to-back weeks and has a history of being uber efficient. Per Scott Barrett of Fantasy Points: Mims in 2019 put up the most receiving yards in US high school history. In 2020, he posted the 2nd-best age-adjusted yards per route run that PFF College has ever tracked. And in 2021, he posted the best ever yards per target that PFF College has ever tracked. If your league gives points for return yards, Mims is a great upside play, and he should be rostered in all formats. If you want to live dangerously in more standard formats, roll the dice on Mims making it 3 straight booms weeks.
WR Jonathan Mingo, CAR (Wk. 4: vs. Min.): Mingo still hasn’t quite cleared the concussion protocol, but he’s trending towards being able to play this week against a bad Minnesota defense. Adam Thielen and DJ Chark seemingly cemented themselves as the go-to receivers in this offense last week, but that was with Andy Dalton under center. Mingo still has the highest target share from Bryce Young of any pass catcher on the team, and no team in the NFL has allowed more PPR points to perimeter wide receivers this season than the Vikings. Mingo spends most of his time lined up outside. Obviously, Mingo is a risky play in what has been a shaky passing game with Young at QB, but if Mingo gets cleared, I’d view him as a fringe WR4 with upside for a better game than expected. He’d make a nice contrarian play in showdown DFS contests to counter players chasing the narrative of a resurgent Adam Thielen in a revenge game. Thielen costs $8,600 for showdown contests on DraftKings. Mingo costs $3,000. I expect Mingo to be the better value of the pair this week at those prices.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, SEA (Wk. 4: @NYG): Obviously a 1st round NFL draft pick isn’t someone you would think of as a ‘sleeper’, but JSN hasn’t exactly been someone you can use in fantasy lineups so far this year. He’s averaging just 4 yards per target as the Seahawks have used him only on short throws. This week he’s got a matchup where he could put up his best game of the season on those short throws. The Giants rank 30th in overall pass defense DVOA, 27th in pass defense DVOA on short throws, and have allowed the 7th-most yards after catch this season. You still can’t start Smith-Njigba in most formats, but he’s got a little more upside this week than usual in deeper full PPR leagues.
WR Jalin Hyatt, NYG (Wk. 4: vs. Sea.): Hyatt was predictably blanked by the 49ers on Thursday night, but he gets a much more favorable matchup in week 4. The Seahawks have coughed up over 300 passing yards in each of their first 3 games and have given up 17 completions of 20+ yards and 5 of 30+ yards. The Giants should get Hyatt a couple of deep targets in this game, and it would only take one deep connection to make him a worthwhile play in showdown DFS contests.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.
