Dose: Freeman Erupts Again
Week 4 was relatively quiet on the injury front, but player performances took fantasy owners on a wild ride from the London game between Miami and the New York Jets all the way through C.J. Spiller’s overtime dash. Just one game remains in Week 4, with the Detroit Lions preparing to face the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night, but there was no shortage of action on Sunday to recap in today's Daily Dose.
The headliner in Week 4 was a familiar face, as Devonta Freeman exploded for a second straight week. This time, Freeman’s target was the Houston defense and he was not kind while shredding the Texans for 149 total yards and yet another three touchdown performance. Freeman scored on runs of six yards, 16 yards, and 23 yards as the Atlanta Falcons put this game on ice early on the way to a 48-21 victory. In the last two weeks, Devonta Freeman has totaled 342 yards on 54 touches (6.3 yards per touch) with six touchdowns. Freeman has been simply incredible and has the Washington Redskins in his sights for Week 5.
Let’s check in on a few other notable storylines from a busy Sunday in Week 4.
WR1 M.I.A.
Week 4 was not kind to top-flight wide receivers, with disappointing performances turned in by a number of fantasy football’s go-to options. According to the consensus expert rankings at FantasyPros, only five of the top-12 ranked Week 4 wide receivers finished in the top-30 in standard league scoring. Usually reliable WR1 options like Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., and Randall Cobb all failed to top 50 yards receiving as loads of unheralded wide receivers turned in big performances.
Below is a small sampling of lesser-owned Week 4 wide receivers who turned in stellar fantasy stat lines:
Tavon Austin caught his first two touchdowns of the season and doubled his 2015 receiving yardage total as he caught six of seven Nick Foles targets for 96 yards and two scores.
Jacksonville’s Allen Hurns doubled his 2015 reception total in one game, hauling in 11 catches for 116 yards and a score. Hurns now has at least 60 receiving yards in every game this season.
Leonard Hankerson has taken over for Roddy White in Atlanta, catching six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown in Week 4. Hankerson is averaging 7.3 targets per game from Matt Ryan this season.
Miami’s Kenny Stills was the proud owner of three catches and 20 receiving yards prior to Sunday. Stills then went out and caught five of eight Ryan Tannehill targets for 81 yards and a score as the Dolphins lost to the New York Jets in London.
Tough Week For Tight Ends
With Rob Gronkowski enjoying the New England bye and Jimmy Graham set to play on Monday, a curious cast of characters headlined the tight end position this week. Among the top scoring tight ends this week, we had appearances by Gary Barnidge, Brent Celek, and Jake Stoneburner, just to name a few. Only six fantasy tight ends reached double-digit scoring in standard leagues, leaving many owners with disappointing scores in their “TE” spot.
One aspect of the tight end position that was not a complete wreck was the defense of the Oakland Raiders. As predicted, the Oakland defense continued to get blown up by opposing tight ends, allowing Chicago’s Martellus Bennett to catch 11 of 13 targets for 83 yards and a touchdown. Through four weeks, here is how opposing tight ends have fared against DC Ken Norton Jr.’s defense:
Week 1: Tyler Eifert. Nine receptions, 104 yards, two touchdowns
Week 2: Crockett Gillmore. Five receptions, 88 yards, two touchdowns
Week 3: Gary Barnidge. Six receptions, 105 yards, one touchdown
Week 4: Martellus Bennett. 11 receptions, 83 yards, one touchdown
Those stat lines produce an average of 7.8 receptions, 95 yards, and 1.5 touchdowns per week. Denver’s Owen Daniels gets the privilege of matching up with Oakland in Week 5, and San Diego’s Antonio Gates draws the Raiders in Week 7. Giddy up.
Kicker Insanity
The fantasy kicker position in Week 4 was the stuff of legends or nightmares, depending on your field goal assassin of choice. Kansas City’s Cairo Santos was the big winner on Sunday, as he booted a whopping seven field goals while the Chiefs lost to the Bengals. Santos hit three field goals in the second quarter alone, and oddly tacked on his seventh three-pointer with the Chiefs down 18 at the 2:34 mark of the fourth quarter. To put this in perspective, Atlanta’s Matt Bryant, Buffalo’s Dan Carpenter, St. Louis’ Greg Zuerlein, and Dallas’ Dan Bailey all have less than seven made field goals on the entire 2015 season.
Arizona’s Chandler Catanzaro wasn’t far behind Santos, as the Cardinals were forced to settle for five field goals in Week 4, of which Catanzaro was perfect. The Arizona kicker had connected on just two field goals prior to Sunday, so the five field goal performance was certainly unexpected and also eclipsed Catanzaro’s career-high of four field goals in one game.
On the flips side, there have been 14 missed field goals and four missed extra points so far in Week 4 as former Pittsburgh kicker Josh Scobee got things started on Thursday night with two missed kicks before being released by the Steelers. Jacksonville’s Jason Myers missed two field goals on Sunday while Tampa Bay’s Kyle Brindza missed two field goals and an extra point. Neither of these were highly-started options, but their ineffectiveness perfectly illustrates the roller coaster ride at the position this week.
Injury Quick Slants
Marshawn Lynch has been declared out for Monday night’s game in Seattle, leaving Thomas Rawls and Fred Jackson to handle rushing duties for the Seahawks. … Arian Foster (groin) totaled 35 yards on 11 touches in his 2015 debut on Sunday. Foster will get more work moving forward when Houston isn’t getting blown out as they were on Sunday. … Dallas running back Lance Dunbar injured his knee on Sunday night and owner Jerry Jones said that early reports do not “sound good.” Another injury to a key player for the Cowboys will not help their offense. … Davante Adams was inactive in Week 4 and plans to “be smart” with his ankle injury. Ty Montgomery filled in as Green Bay’s WR3 in Adams’ absence. … Andrew Luck (shoulder) missed Week 4 and is now considered “day-to-day” as he attempts to return on a short week. … Stevie Johnson exited San Diego’s Week 4 game early with an injured hamstring. … Malcom Floyd sustained a concussion on Sunday and did not return as the Chargers played the Browns. … Jordan Reed suffered a concussion on Sunday and is now in danger of missing time as he has a past history with head injuries.
