I believe in second chances. I believe in redemption stories.
Week 4 provided many of those things.
Consider the top of the quarterback board after the early period ended Sunday. Justin Fields – cut by the Bears and the presumed backup in Pittsburgh – had a league-best 31.98 fantasy points. Baker Mayfield ranked as the QB3 with 28.88 points – the same Mayfield drafted from Cleveland, Carolina and Los Angeles. Sam Darnold, the split from the Jets and Panthers, was added to Minnesota as a placeholder and was expected to be a backup. He threw three touchdowns in Green Bay and has 11 this year, multiples in each start.
Fields gets top billing after 312 passing yards and 55 rushing yards in a 27-24 loss at Indianapolis. He was responsible for three touchdowns, two on land and one through the air. Fields had to run the offense because Najee Harris was shockingly ineffective running (13 carries, 19 yards) against a suspect rushing defense.
Fields now has three rushing scores in two weeks, and he’s clicking with top receiver George Pickens (7-113-0, 11 goals, one fumble lost). Every fantasy manager knows how valuable rushing quarterbacks are, and Fields has gotten better at avoiding negative play.
Projecting Fields into the future is no easy task. The Steelers certainly wouldn’t bench him as long as the team was undefeated, but a loss at least sows some doubt in everyone’s minds. That said, if I were managing the club I would stick with Fields and see what happens – he is ten years younger than Russell Wilson. And I’m not afraid of a regular Dallas defense calling Week 5.
Mayfield’s season has been up and down: the expected loss to Washington in Week 1, followed by disappointing returns against Detroit and Denver. But he was on point in a 33-16 rout of the Eagles, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns, with a third on the ground. Mayfield didn’t turn the ball over and had just two sacks, in a game that resembled Tampa Bay’s easy win over Philadelphia in last season’s playoffs.
Mayfield has a lot of help around him. Mike Evans was at the front of the line (8-94-1, 14 goals) and Chris Godwin was solid (6-69-0), although he failed to score a touchdown. Cade Otton’s 6-52-0 line is playable for tight ends in 2024. Mayfield looks ready to rip as the Buccaneers travel to Atlanta and New Orleans in the next two weeks.
Darnold’s day could have been much bigger, but the game situation worked against him. The Vikings opened a three-touchdown lead in Green Bay in the first half, encouraging conservatism in the second half and limiting Darnold to 28 passing attempts. Packers QB Jordan Love was a master of garbage time, orchestrating three scoring plays in the fourth quarter and making the game cosmetically close, ultimately a 31-29 victory for Minnesota. Love finished with 379 yards on 54 attempts, four touchdowns, three interceptions, a whirlwind of a day. Darnold easily crushed him in efficiency metrics (9.8 YPA to 7.2, 123.4 rating to 83.0).
Darnold’s biggest challenge likely comes next week, when the Vikings and Jets play a game in London on Sunday morning. New York clearly has a nasty defense, and Darnold’s three seasons in New York weren’t pretty. The schedule looks friendly after that, and it helps that Jordan Addison (two scores, including one running) returned in Week 4 and TJ Hockenson will eventually return as well. Throw in Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones and this offense is overflowing with playmakers. Darnold has Circle of Trust privileges on my clipboard.
Sort by other peaks and valleys from week 4
Nico Collins continues to torch opponents’ secondary 🔥
Collins was a target and an efficiency darling (12-151-1, 15 targets) as the Texans held off an upset Jacksonville. Even if Tank Dell returns, Collins earns an inflated target share. His lowest receiving yardage total through four games is 86.
D’Andre Swift finally breaks out… on fantasy benches 😱
Swift was only started in 29% of Yahoo leagues, which was wise considering his terrible three-game start. But Swift got his groove back against the Rams, with 23 touches, 165 total yards and a touchdown. Yes, the first rushing score in Chicago went to Roschon Johnson, but otherwise Johnson played no role (7-26-1 rushing, nothing in the passing game).
Jayden Reed’s fantasy stock rises with Love back 🚀
If Love can stay healthy, Reed appears to be on his way to the moon. Reed missed just one of his targets, good for a 7-139-1 romp through high school in Minnesota. The upcoming schedule is a daisy, with the Rams and Cardinals next.
Najee Harris’ slow start continues 🐢
It’s a good thing Harris picked up three catches for 54 yards, because he went nowhere on the ground against the Colts — on a day when Jaylen Warren didn’t play and Cordarrelle Patterson left early with an ankle injury. And while Fields controlled the offense, Harris went without a touchdown for the fourth straight game.
The Bears passing game appears to be a no-fly zone 🛑
While Swift paced the Chicago offense, the Bears did little through the air. Caleb Williams was asked to complete just 23 passes, and while he played flawlessly, his main target on the field was Cole Kmet (3-34-0). DJ Moore did sneak some touchdown deodorant, but the Chicago receiver room only collected seven catches for 51 yards. With a good defense and an inexperienced young quarterback, Chicago’s passing game seems like a temporary headache to avoid.
Remark: I’ll be back later today with more week 4 analysis.
