Fantasy football Week 4 takeaways: Travis Kelce is a must-start again, Kyle Pitts is a historic bust and more

Posted by Admin September 30, 2024 Football

The big story in Week 4 was the potentially devastating knee injury to Rashee Rice, who was hurt by his quarterback diving into a pile to make a tackle after a horrible interception. The reports after the game seemed very ominous, but we hope for the best.

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid said WR Rashee Rice will have an MRI on his knee Monday, though the team fears the worst.

“We feel terrible for Rashee.” pic.twitter.com/EbLf84TFQf

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 29, 2024

That injury opened the door for Travis Kelce (overthrown badly on the interception that led to Rice’s injury). He stepped through with a big game, but the circumstances were fluky. Going forward, without Rice, Kelce seems to be a must-start again.

Kareem Hunt was the man in the running game so all those Carson Steele bids were wasted. This is probably the 15th-to-20th offense without Rice. I was shocked that JuJu Smith-Schuster didn’t get a single target. I’m sure I saw him out there.

Justin Herbert is just not healthy. But Ladd McConkey impressed, and he might be available for you on the waiver wire (about 50% rostered on Yahoo).

The Jets offense was such a disgrace, especially the offensive line. Breece Hall could not convert twice from first-and-goal from the 1-yard line, and his short-yardage and goal-line days should be over. The Jets win the game if rookie Braelon Allen is the back there. Honestly, I’ve watched every Jets play, god help me, and I can’t remember Hall breaking one tackle so far, though I’m sure he has.

Garrett Wilson has been disappointing. Everyone isn’t a shutdown corner. Make some plays.

Javonte Williams seized control of the Denver running game but everyone seemingly will get a drive to start the game and then it’s the hot hand. What a nightmare.

Courtland Sutton had just 60 receiving yards but that was 100% of the Denver total. He’s going to be a top 30 WR. (He also had the game’s lone TD.)

Brandon Aiyuk got his money but the holdout seems to have hurt him. Jauan Jennings is crushing him. Jennings is a must add given he’s been so efficient and is on the field in three-WR sets, even though the 49ers run fewer of these than just about anyone.

George Kittle had the kind of TD catch you used to have when you overpowered the little brothers with the Nerf football. It was one against three and the one won.

Kyle “is just the” Pitts — we have to face it, he’s a complete and utter bust in reality and fantasy. One of the worst picks in NFL history. The Falcons took Pitts over Ja’Marr Chase — so, so gross. I always say drafting a TE with a premium pick in real life (not our game) is a bet on the coaches as much as the player, because no team has an offensive playbook that makes the TE a primary weapon. So everything has to be torn up and rethought.

Neither the Falcons nor the Saints could make a big play in their game. There were three all day. The Falcons won 2-1 and won the game. That’s 2024 football so far. Matriculate, if you’re lucky.

Another trademark of the season is having guys score on our bench. D’Andre Swift? I apologized for that guy. Well, actually I conceded, while blaming the Bears for betting on the guy to begin with — that’s their job. But there he goes for 165 total yards, seven catches and a TD. Roschon Johnson, who we all wanted/started, had less of a role than in Week 3. Apparently, the Bears coaches aren’t following our LOL Swift gifs.

Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington are the receivers to roster for the Rams. Not Demarcus Robinson. I’ve said that Atwell is the poor man’s DeVonta Smith — same body type and downfield chops. Whittington was always on the field.

Oh, “punt returner” Kyren Williams has six TDs and has found paydirt now in seven-straight games. He’s a top five RB now and likely to stay there. Blake Corum is a zero, not shocking given he was a late third-round pick. Why would you guys bet that Sean McVay was going to suddenly become a committee coach? Never bet against the base rate!

Sam Darnold’s rating has been at least 109 in every game. That’s not indexed. It’s actual. He has a TD pass every three incompletions — a stat I just made up (you’re welcome). And he’s making Aaron Jones (139 yards, four catches) and Jordan Addison (two TDs) very viable, too.

I’d be very happy with how Jordan Love looked after a rough start if I rostered him. The Vikings have a good defense. It was a lot of quasi-garbage time, but Love threw the ball very well.

Jayden Reed doesn’t need every snap. He’s so efficient. And he’s their designer guy for touches. We hope Christian Watson (ACL fear) is okay, but a narrower passing tree will help the non-Reed WRs become playable.

Anthony Richardson may look like Cam Newton but he survives contact like he’s Mr. Glass. And he has to run to be effective. Upgrade all the Colts WRs if he’s out for a while, which I suspect will be the case. Chief among them will be Michael Pittman Jr., who Joe Flacco had instant chemistry with. The problem with the running QBs is that they usually only help the person who drafted the running QB.

The Colts are a terrible defense but I have to tip my hat to Justin Fields, who was much better than in any of his wins. Najee Harris got nothing going all day.

I’m going to be nice and give Jalen Hurts a pass given he was down his starting WRs.

Mike Evans‘ managers needed that. He’s fine for 2024. Last chance at romance though given his age.

Cade Otton had 11.2 PPR points, which we’d take. And nine targets with a near 20% market share is also quite acceptable.

I don’t know what to make out of the Bucs backfield but I’d rather be the Bucky Irving manager going forward.

Chase Brown managers are having their moment but Zack Moss managers are fine (17.8 points). I previously said Moss was about RB20 and Brown RB40 and now I’d move Brown up to RB30-35.

Chuba Hubbard is good enough to be sure, but he has an expiration date with Jonathon Brooks coming back.

Andy Dalton can support two receivers most weeks and Xavier Legette managers have to be happy with the 10 targets. Everyone invested in the Panthers needs Carolina wins or they go back to Bryce Young.

Brian Thomas Jr. is checking all the boxes — eye test, target share, air yards, red zone. But the Trevor Lawrence-led passing game for the Jaguars is not productive enough so far. Lawrence is 1-8 in his past nine starts with a YPA barely over 6.0.

C.J. Stroud needed a big game and gave us one, taking Nico Collins (151 yards and a touchdown on 15 targets) with him.

Jayden Daniels is incredibly efficient. The Commanders have one punt in their past three games. That’s total, not average.

Brian Robinson Jr. is not going to be a bell cow but he’s going to be a winning player at his ADP. I wish I rostered him everywhere. No one saw Jeremy McNichols coming. I liked McNichols as a rookie and then he got cut and I resolved to never draft (in best ball season) a fifth-round rookie again.

This was one of Kyler Murray’s worst games. And it came against a bad Washington defense. Sometimes I feel alone in not seeing it all for Murray. After the hiccup last week, James Conner was great again, but his managers need Murray to be average, at least.

Amari Cooper managers lost an 82-yard TD on a phantom holding call. Sorry. Watson’s pick was Cooper’s fault.

The less said about Browns-Raiders, the better. Brock Bowers had just three targets — he’s delivered basically nothing the past two weeks after he was banging, seemingly, on the TE1 door. Rookies?! Yes, but more importantly, rookie TEs!

(Top photo of Travis Kelce: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)