NFL Week 4 is here and with it comes the gift that keeps on giving. Stats. At the conclusion of each week for the 2019 fantasy football season, I will be sifting through all of the fantasy football stats produced. I will filter out stats I find noteworthy or valuable to pay attention to moving forward. I hope this list encourages you to stop and assess the possible impact each stat could have on fantasy values. Conversely, stats are fun. Enjoy each one for what it is and don’t overthink everything presented.
Also, check out Michael Florio’s Week 4 Rankings to help set things straight in this week’s fantasy matchups!
12 Fantasy Football Stats to get you ready for NFL Week 4
All stats listed are based on .5 PPR.
1.) Cam Newton has thrown 4+ TDs in a game six times in his career. He had a QB rating over 144 just once in his career. Kyle Allen accomplished both in Week 3. It looks like Cam could be sidelined for some time. Kyle Allen is worth rostering even in 1 QB leagues. You just never know in the NFL who the next hot fantasy football asset will be.
2.) It may appear at the moment that Phillip Dorsett is Tom Brady’s third option at WR (behind Edelman and Gordon), however, he has been the most efficient WR for the Patriots. He’s caught 13 of his 14 targets (92.9% catch rate), he has 3 TDs to Edelman and Gordon’s 1 and has the best yards per target among the 3 wideouts. He’s gaining Brady’s trust and with that will come more targets. Roster him where you can!
3.) Oakland Raiders’ TE, Darren Waller was the only TE in Week 3 to have double-digit targets. He finished the week catching 13 of his 14 targets for 134 yards and leads all tight ends with an 89.7% catch rate on the season. The touchdowns will come for Waller and when they do, he’ll be mentioned among the elite at the position. Go out and trade for Waller while you still can.
4.) Jeffery Wilson, someone you may not have ever heard about, is a running back for the San Francisco 49ers. He is currently tied for first in rushing attempts from within the 5-yard line. As a result, Wilson has 4 TDs on the season (tied with Mark Ingram). Two of which he scored in Week 3. It may be worth trying to sell him while his value is up as he only has 18 carries on the season which is third-best in his own backfield.
5.) There were only 5 RBs to have 100+ rushing yards last week. The Dallas Cowboys roster 2 of those RBs, Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Pollard finished the day with 13 carries for 103 yards (7.9 YPC!) and a touchdown. He already has double-digit carries in 2 of the first 3 games for the Cowboys. If this offense can continue to be the powerhouse that it is, then Tony Pollard could see the field a lot more than anyone anticipated with Zeke active. Pollard is worth flex considerations in favorable matchups for the Cowboys going forward.
6.) Both Mike Evans and Taylor Gabriel caught 3 touchdowns in Week 3. As crazy as it is to catch 3 TDs in one game, the most touchdown reception total of the season thus far is 4 (Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton, Amari Cooper). Taylor Gabriel will not catch 3 TDs on a regular basis but he may have earned himself more target share in the Bears offense going forward. He’s worth an add to see if his volume increases.
7.) Curtis Samuel tied with Mike Evans for most red-zone targets in Week 3 with 4. It’s a good sign for Samuel as Kyle Allen did not target any other Panthers’ WR in the red-zone last week. If any Samuel owner was worried about his value after Newton went down, this should provide some comfort if he continues to get these valuable red-zone targets.
8.) Greg Olsen was the #1 fantasy football TE in Week 3. He had 6 receptions for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns. The only other Panther besides Curtis Samuel to have red-zone targets (3) last week. Olsen is now the TE4 on the season and will be targeted in this offense regardless who is throwing the ball. It will be hard to get him at a value now but I’d be looking to acquire him if I were you.
9.) The New York Jets defense finished Week 3 as the No. 2 fantasy defense despite giving up 30 points to the Patriots. They are currently the third-best DST and have the most defensive TDs in the league with 3. They are on bye in Week 4 and have a couple of tough matchups that follow but they do have a good stretch of defensive opportunity games from Weeks 8 through 14. Two of those games are against the Miami Dolphins. The Jets DST is worth keeping an eye on picking up before that stretch.
10.) Matt Ryan has thrown an interception in each of his first three games of the season. He leads the league in INTs with six. If there was a time to get Ryan on your roster, it’s now. I find it hard to believe he continues down this path especially with a favorable schedule as 10 of his next 13 games are indoors.
11.) Daniel Jones finally stepped in for the Giants in Week 3 and made the organization look like geniuses for drafting him with the sixth overall pick. He completed 23 of his 36 passes for 336 yards and 2 TDs. Even better, Jones showed that he will utilize his feet when he has to, as he ran for 28 yards and another 2 scores. Just like Kyle Allen, I believe Jones is worth a roster spot in the chance he continues to play at this level and be amazing for fantasy.
12.) Just an example of how bad the TE position is and why I feel compelled to go after the few I believe will have consistent fantasy value… Jacksonville Jaguars TE, James O’Shaughnessy was the #10 TE in Week 3. He had 2 receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown. Insert puking emoji.
Thanks for reading and good luck to all of you in NFL Week 4!
Fantrax was one of the fastest-growing fantasy sites of 2018 and we’re not slowing down any time soon! With multi-team trades, designated commissioner/league managers, and drag/drop easy click methods, Fantrax is sure to excite the serious fantasy sports fan – sign up now for a free year at Fantrax.com.