Aside from the 49ers and Jets, who have byes this week, the league’s 30 other teams will all have finished a quarter of the season by the time this week’s games are over. In the world of fantasy football, there have been some pleasant surprises and some major disappointments.
That trend is only going to continue all season because it’s the nature of the game. Some guys that are fast starts will keep going in that direction and some guys off to slow starts will continue to struggle. But there also will be lots of guys that change courses as the season goes on.
Let’s take a look at 11 last-minute fantasy football thoughts for Week 4.
11. Derrick Henry needs to save Marcus Mariota’s job
In Nashville, there’s been a lot of talk that Mariota should no longer be the starter quarterback. That’s understandable because he’s off to a slow start and the Titans are 1-2. But before resorting to such a desperate measure, the Titans should change up their offensive philosophy a little bit. They have one of the game’s better all-around running backs in Henry. But they’ve been underusing him. He’s been effective, but he needs to get the ball more often. Against Atlanta, the Titans need to give Henry 25 carries and get him more involved in the passing game. He’s caught only four passes this season and this is a guy that’s a threat to score if he can get into the open field.
10. Baker Mayfield’s slump will continue
I still think Mayfield will end up being a good quarterback in the long run. But he’s not there right now. Despite great expectations after a promising rookie season, Mayfield has struggled in the first three games. That’s not likely to change against Baltimore. The Ravens love to blitz and they’re going to be coming after Mayfield all day.
9. Calvin Ridley will be more involved in Atlanta’s offense
Yeah, Julio Jones is the No. 1 receiver and he deserves every target the Falcons give him. But Calvin Ridley is a very solid No. 2 receiver and the Falcons need to use him more. Ridley had only one target last week. Against Tennessee, Ridley needs to get six or seven targets. After all, if he catches some passes, it could ease the defensive attention on Jones.
8. Kyle Allen will come back to reality
The Carolina backup was fantastic against Arizona last week. But, let’s emphasize that was against Arizona. Houston is a much better team than Arizona. Allen’s not a real threat to stay in the lineup once Cam Newton is healthy. The best-case scenario is he ends up as a nice backup in the long run. He’s not a long-term starter. There’s a reason why he came into the league as an undrafted free agent last year. Guys like Kurt Warner only come along once in a lifetime.
7. Time to unleash Jacoby Brissett
The Colts tried not to put too much on Brissett’s plate in the first two games. But they let him throw 37 times against Atlanta last week. That may be the start of a new trend because the Colts can’t keep riding running back Marlon Mack at the same pace they have been. Brissett has shown he’s efficient, throwing for seven touchdowns with just one interception. It’s time to let Brissett throw more.
6. Keenan Allen will have a career day
The San Diego Chargers wide receiver already is having a great season. It’s about to get better. The reason? He’s playing against the Miami Dolphins. Nothing more needs to be said on this one.
5. Daniel Jones was not a one-week wonder
Jones was fantastic in his first career start against Tampa Bay last week, throwing for 336 yards and two touchdowns and running for two touchdowns. I’m not ready to anoint him as the next great quarterback because he’s bound to have some ups and downs over the rest of his rookie season. But this will be another up week. That’s because he’ll be playing against a Washington defense that’s not as good as Tampa Bay’s. In Washington’s first three games, the Redskins have all the three opposing quarterbacks to complete over 70 percent of their passes and given up more than 30 points in each game.
4. The much-awaited shootout between Kirk Cousins and Mitchell Trubisky
That headline was meant as a joke. Cousins, the Minnesota quarterback, and Chicago’s Trubisky both are struggling. Their teams are trying everything possible to win in spite of their quarterbacks. Obviously, Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, the league’s leading rusher, should be a starter in every fantasy league. But this might be a good week to start Chicago running back David Montgomery. Sure, the Vikings will be focused on stopping the run, but what other offensive options do the Bears have?
3. Teddy Bridgewater is now a fantasy starter
Bridgewater is filling in for the injured Drew Brees. Real-life backups generally don’t make for good fantasy starters, but this is an exceptional situation. Bridgewater is obviously no Brees, but he doesn’t need to be. He’ll still put up numbers against Dallas. That’s because it’s hard not to put up numbers in Sean Payton’s offensive system, especially when running back Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas highlight the supporting cast. Tight end Jared Cook has barely been a factor in the passing game. But look for that to change against the Cowboys. The Saints could use another offensive weapon to take some of the defensive attention away from Kamara and Thomas.
2. The Jaguars have Joe Flacco’s number
Only start the Denver quarterback in fantasy if you have no other choice. The Jaguars produced nine sacks last week and they’ll be all over Flacco. Plus, there’s something else to consider. While still with Baltimore, Flacco’s had just 242 passing yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions in his last two outings against the Jaguars.
1. Might be time to sit Josh Allen
Mark Konezny-USA TODAY SportsI’ve been saying the Buffalo quarterback is the most underrated quarterback in the league and he’s done nothing to change my mind. He’s been passing and running well and has the Bills off to a 3-0 start. Still if Allen is your fantasy quarterback, you might want to consider sitting him this week (and only this week) if you have another legitimate option. That’s because the Bills are playing New England. The Patriots have not given up a touchdown pass and lead the NFL with six interceptions.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
