Tag: C.J. Uzomah

3 pending free agents to watch in wild card weekend

3 pending free agents to watch in wild card weekend with an eye for the Detroit Lions, from @maxgerbs

The Detroit Lions’ 2021 campaign may be over, but there is still plenty of football left to watch.

With six playoff games occurring over wild card weekend, Lions fans, media, and front office staff alike have the chance to watch teams and players that they may not have been able to catch throughout the season.

The Lions have several holes on the roster that need to be filled, and there are a handful of soon-to-be free agents playing in games this weekend that the Lions should consider.

The NFL’s All-Underrated offense in the first half of the 2021 season

From Matt Ryan to Deebo Samuel to Rodney Hudson, here are the NFL’s most underrated offensive players in the first half of the 2021 season.

In every season, there are those players who, for whatever reason, do not receive the recognition their talents deserve. Perhaps they’re languishing on bad teams, or they’re doing their best in less than optimal situations, or it’s just that their positions aren’t the ones that get noticed.

But these players — Touchdown Wire’s Secret Superstars of the first half of the 2021 NFL season — have all earned notice as among the best at what they do, and it’s our job to help bridge the talent/recognition gap.

Here are most underrated offensive players in the first half of the 2021 season.

Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 9

Examining surprises and disappointments through eight weeks.

Believe it or not — and ready or not — we’ve already crossed into the second half of the fantasy regular season.

It’s been an eventful journey so far to be certain, and there have been the usual surprises, disappointments, and revealing statistics compiled through eight weeks of action to date. So let’s take a moment to take stock in how fantasy 2021 has played out by highlighting three surprise players, three disappointing players and a second-half player to watch for each of the four main fantasy positions.

To be considered for the surprising and disappointing lists, players must have played in a minimum of four games, so that automatically weeds out many of the one- or two-week wonders and the unfortunate players who have already been bitten hard by the injury bug.

And, as a general rule, we’re training most of our focus on the top-25-ranked players (average fantasy points per game) and the top 25 players selected, on average, at the four positions in re-draft leagues.

Fantasy point totals, as usual, are all point-per-reception scoring.

That established, here goes, starting with …

QUARTERBACK

Surprises

  • Tom Brady — Sure, we heard about how Brady was more in tune with the offense after full offseason, etc., but few, if any, expected him to be leading the position with an average of 30.3 fantasy points per outing through eight games. It’s been a highly effective mix of volume and efficiency for Brady, who leads the league in attempts (343), completions (231), yards (2,650) and touchdown passes (25), total QB TDs (26) with a 108.6 passer rating (fifth) and a 69.5 QBR (second). And all at age 44, still with no signs of decline.
  • Matthew Stafford — The L.A. marriage with Rams coach Sean McVay has been even better than expected as Stafford has thrown for at least 365 yards or multiple TDs in seven of eight games and trails only Brady in passing yards (2,477) and TD tosses (22). He’s averaging a career-best 9.1 yards per attempt and has formed an elite, league-leading bond with wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who has caught 63-of-90 targets for 924 yards and 10 TDs to easily rank as fantasy’s No. 1 wideout.
  • Derek Carr — This Silver & Black veteran was the 21st quarterback to come off the board, on average, in drafts this summer, but he currently ranks 11th with an average of 23.5 fantasy points per game. Carr trails only Brady with an average of 324.1 passing yards per game while averaging a career-best 8.5 yards per attempt. If he can pick up his passing TD pace (12 in seven games so far), he’ll challenge for a mid-level QB1 finish.

Disappointments

  • Aaron Rodgers –– Rodgers and the Pack are doing just fine — tied for the league’s best record at 7-1 — but there has been some definite (and expected) fantasy regression as Rodgers’ numbers are down across the board from his MVP season of 2020. Most notably his TD-passes-per-game average (2.1 from 3.0) and yards-per-attempt average (6.6 from his league-leading 9.1) have fallen off. As a result, he’s more of a QB2 (14th with 22.4 fantasy points per game) and not the QB1 he was drafted to be (ADP of 5th at the position) this summer.
  • Ryan Tannehill –– The Titans’ starter is another ADP QB1 who ranks in QB2 territory (15th among QBs who have played at least four games with 21.8 fantasy points per outing) as he’s thrown one or fewer TD passes in six of his eight games. Tannehill’s volume certainly should increase with the brutal Derrick Henry injury news that dropped Monday, but at the same time his efficiency very well could take a dip with opposing defenses’ no longer having to worry about the league’s best running back.
  • Justin Fields –– There were certainly high fantasy hopes for the Bears’ prized rookie, who was drafted 19th among quarterbacks this summer, but he’s only averaged 14.2 fantasy points in his six starts — and that includes Sunday’s season-best 29.1-point outing against the 49ers. Fields is only averaging 153.5 passing yards per start with a 3:6 TD pass-to-interception ratio during that span, but an encouraging sign came Sunday with his season-high 10 rushes for 103 yards and a TD, helping power his first 20-fantasy-point-plus day.

Second half QB to watch: Joe Burrow

The second-year Cincy QB is currently 10th at the position with an average of 24.4 fantasy points and he’s thrown for two more TD passes in all eight of his games. However, that average has jumped to 28.4 over the last three weeks with a trio of scoring tosses in every outing. His young cast of weapons is on the upswing as well, so don’t be surprised if Burrow winds up finishing as an upper-echelon QB1 when all is said and done this season.

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RUNNING BACK

Surprises

  • Cordarrelle Patterson — Undrafted in the summer, this well-traveled, ninth-year veteran shockingly ranks seventh among running backs with an average of 19.2 fantasy points per game. He’s played only 46 percent of the Falcons’ offensive snaps and ranks 26th in the league with 96 total touches — an average of 13.7 per game — but they’ve most certainly been high-efficiency touches as he ranks third at the position with an average of 6.3 yards per touch, is second among RBs with 333 receiving yards (on 32 catches) and is tied for seventh overall with seven total TDs. If anything, peg Patterson for a few more touches going forward with WR Calvin Ridley’s announcement Sunday that he’s taking an indefinite mental-health break.
  • D’Andre Swift — So with the likes of Dalvin Cook, Aaron Jones and David Montgomery also residing in the division, who had this second-year player for the winless Lions as the highest-ranking NFC North running back (eighth with 18.4 fantasy points per game) eight weeks into the season? Yet, here we are with Swift, who has been a PPR stud, leading all backs with 57 targets, 47 receptions and 415 receiving yards to account for 68.2 percent of his 147.4 total fantasy points.
  • Elijah Mitchell — As detailed a couple weeks ago in our fantasy rookie review, this 49ers sixth-round draft pick and owner of a preseason ADP of 81 among RBs has been a revelation, ranking 21st at the position so far with an average of 13.7 fantasy points per outing. Kyle Shanahan’s Niners have been known for their RB playing time volatility, but in the five games (out of the team’s seven) that Mitchell has been healthy, he’s handled 70.8 percent of the team’s running back touches.

Disappointments

  • Saquon Barkley — After missing most of 2020 with a knee injury, Barkley did start the season with games of 3.7 and 8.9 fantasy points but was just rounding into form with back-to-back 21-plus-point fantasy games in Weeks 3 and 4 before injury struck again early in Week 5. It was initially classified a low-grade ankle sprain, but Barkley hasn’t practiced or played in the three weeks since, and with the team slated for Week 10 bye, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the wait for Barkley’s return extended to Week 11.
  • Antonio Gibson — This Washington back was the 12th running back off the board on average in fantasy drafts this preseason as a big leap was anticipated in Year 2. But it hasn’t come to fruition so far as Gibson ranks 28th at the position with an average of 12.4 fantasy points. He’s been dealing with a shin stress fracture for a month now, but despite still practicing and starting as if all is OK, his recent numbers are saying otherwise. Gibson has now had three straight games with 8.4 fantasy points or fewer, including Sunday’s loss in Denver when he hit season lows in touches (11) and offensive snap share (33 percent) while sharing the backfield duties with J.D. McKissic and rookie Jaret Patterson.
  • Miles Sanders — With an ADP of RB18, Sanders wasn’t drafted as high as Gibson, but he ranks far lower at 43rd with an average of 8.7 fantasy points per outing. He had only one game of at least 10.2 points before injuring his ankle early in Week 7 and landing on injured reserve. One of the primary issues has been simple a decline in usage (11.7 touches per game) after averaging 14.3 and 16, respectively, over the previous two seasons.

Second half RB to watch: Christian McCaffrey

McCaffrey could come off IR and end a five-game absence as early as this coming Sunday in Week 9, but will we see the same old Run CMC step right back in to his usual monster workload? In his only two full games before injuring a hamstring in Week 3, McCaffrey totaled 59 touches and averaged 26.2 fantasy points. The Panthers have gone 1-4 since after that 3-0 start with rookie Chuba Hubbard averaging 20.4 touches and 13.3 fantasy points per outing during that five-game span. Seeing the missed games piling up, it’s very likely that McCaffrey will see a reduced workload with Hubbard spelling him more frequently going forward. But that could prove to be a boon down the stretch for McCaffrey’s fantasy teams if it helps keep him on the field and off the IR list.

WIDE RECEIVER

Surprises

  • Cooper Kupp — As aforementioned, he’s fantasy’s No. 1 wideout with 214.9 total points (26.9 per game), which is 27.8 more fantasy points than any other non-quarterback in the league and has posted at least 23.8 points in six of eight games. And through those eight contests, Kupp has already surpassed his season-long fantasy points totals in three of his previous four years. He is pacing the league in targets (90), receiving yards (924) and receiving scores (10) while ranking second with 63 receptions. Not bad at all for a player drafted to be a low-end WR2.
  • Deebo Samuel — Right behind Kupp and second-place Tyreek Hill (25.7 fantasy points per game) is this 49ers third-year wideout who’s averaging 22.6 fantasy points and has already established a new career season high with 819 receiving yards in only seven games. Samuel has an impressive 34 percent team target share and has accounted for a whopping 46 percent of San Francisco’s receiving yards so far. Just two months ago, Samuel was the 36th wideout being selected in fantasy drafts, on average.
  • Ja’Marr Chase — Running only behind the Stafford-Kupp connection is the Burrow-Chase duo, which has accounted for 38 completions for 786 yards (a league-leading 20.7 yards per catch) and seven TDs. If you were able to snag him in the middle rounds as the 23rd wide receiver off the board in late August, give weekly thanks to Chase’s preseason drop issues, which knocked the LSU rookie down a few rounds.

Disappointments

  • Allen Robinson — This Bears veteran had an ADP of 12 among wide receivers but somehow currently finds himself as WR75 with an average of 7.4 fantasy points per contest. He only has 44 targets, 26 receptions, 271 yards and one TD through eight games, which puts him on track for 55 catches and 576 yards — 17-game numbers that would barely exceed his 10-game rookie totals (48 for 548) from 2014 with the Jaguars. Truly a disappointment among disappointments.
  • Brandon Aiyuk — While his teammate Samuel has soared, this second-year Niners wide receiver has floundered in the team doghouse with all of 23 targets and 13 receptions for 141 yards and one TD through seven games. That ranks him 106th with a 4.9 point-per-game average — brutal numbers for the wideout with a positional ADP of 24, just one spot behind Chase.
  • Stefon Diggs — Diggs, of course, enjoyed a career year a season ago, leading the league in targets (166), receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) while totaling 328.6 fantasy points — third at the position. And that precisely was his WR ADP this summer. However, he currently can be found 19th among wideouts with an average of 15.8 fantasy points per contest. Even with the extra game this season, Diggs is on pace for 158 targets, 102 catches and, most significantly, 1,222 yards — all short of his 16-game totals from 2020 — as QB Josh Allen’s target tree looks to have sprouted a few more branches this season.

Second-half WR to watch: A.J. Brown

The Titans’ Brown got off to a brutally slow, injury-addled start, totaling all of 23.3 fantasy points over Tennessee’s first five games. But over the last three contests, Brown has compiled 74.9 points, looking much more like the top-15 fantasy wideout he was a season ago and the wide receiver drafted ninth overall, on average, at the position last summer. With Henry expected to miss the rest of the season, and fellow wideout Julio Jones battling nagging hamstring injuries on the downside of his brilliant career, Brown is now the unquestioned No. 1 playmaker and offensive option in the Music City.

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TIGHT END

Surprises

  • Dawson Knox — One reason why Diggs is seeing fewer targets this season is the emergence of pass-catchers such as Knox, who in six games has reeled in 21-of-27 targets for 286 yards and a tight end-leading five TDs — numbers, which are approaching or exceeding his full-season totals from his previous two years. Knox should be back soon from the hand injury he suffered in Week 6 and currently owns the fifth-highest fantasy scoring average (13.3 points) at the position after owning the 28th highest tight end ADP this summer.
  • Dalton Schultz — The Cowboys’ Schultz ranks a couple of rungs lower (seventh) than Knox with a 12.6-fantasy-point average. Schultz largely went undrafted as the TE35 this offseason — nine spots lower than Dallas TE teammate Blake Jarwin — and has capitalized on the defensive focus paid to the Cowboys’ ground game and talented wide receivers with 33 receptions for 370 yards and three TDs on 44 targets.
  • C.J. Uzomah — In his previous six seasons, the Bengals’ Uzomah had a combined eight scoring receptions, but so far this season, he’s matching Knox with a position-high five TD grabs. And he’s done so on only 23 targets and 21 receptions. Uzomah, though, is also averaging 13.8 yards per catch — fifth among tight ends — so there’s more to his game than just a high TD rate.

Disappointments

  • George Kittle — The Niners’ tight end missed half of the season a year ago due to injury, and here he is again having played in only four of San Francisco’s seven games due to a calf issue that currently has him on injured reserve. In the four contests in which he has played, the production has been mediocre with 19 catches for 227 yards and no TDs on 28 targets — certainly so far not worth the TE3 ADP pricetag most paid in drafts.
  • Jonnu Smith — Smith appeared on more than a few tight end sleeper lists this summer with his move over the Patriots, but he’s averaging only 5.8 fantasy points so far through eight games and that ranks way down at 30th at the position. Fellow New England offseason TE addition Hunter Henry has been significantly better with four TD catches to Smith’s one while averaging 9.8 fantasy points per outing.
  • Tyler Higbee — With Stafford’s arrival and the departure of fellow tight end Gerald Everett, many had sleeper tight end draft designs on Higbee, who wound up with a positional ADP of 12. But aside from two double-digit fantasy-point outings in the first three weeks, it hasn’t exactly gone according to plan with Higbee currently ranking 18th at the position with an average of 8.7 fantasy points per outing.

Second-half TE to watch: Pat Freiermuth

The Steelers’ rookie ranks only 22nd among tight ends with a 7.7 fantasy-point average, but his two best outings (12.8 and 14.4 points) have come in the Steelers’ two most recent games as they’ve looked for ways to replace injured-and-out-for-the-season wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Freiermuth has been targeted seven times in each of those games, catching 11 of those 14 for 102 yards and TD. That kind of volume and productivity is top-five worthy at a position of continued fantasy scarcity, so the rookie is definitely worth swooping up off the waiver wire if the rest of your league has been slow to notice.

C.J. Uzomah scores two touchdowns as the Cincinnati Bengals dominate Baltimore Ravens

C.J. Uzomah was a BEAST on National TIght Ends Day!

The Auburn Tigers were well represented in the NFL’s National Tight End Day on Sunday.

C.J. Uzomah was a big part of the big Cincinnati Bengals win over their AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens.

Uzomah had three catches for 91 yards and two scores. One catch went for 55 yards and a score. He caught all three passes that went his way from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

Here are his two scores against the Ravens on Sunday.

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Cincinnati makes a statement with a road win over the Ravens

Joe Burrow and company made a statement with an impressive win on the road over the Baltimore Ravens.

Week 7 of the NFL season served up a rather interesting slate of games. With six teams on a bye week, there were not many options in the early window.

But perhaps the most fascinating matchup was an AFC North clash between the 5-1 Baltimore Ravens, and the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, checking in with a 4-2 record. Would the Ravens remain the top dogs in the North, or would the young, upstart Bengals make a case of their own?

Consider the case made.

Joe Burrow and company when into the Inner Harbor and took control in the second half, en route to a stunning 41-17 rout of the Ravens. Burrow continued his impressive sophomore season, completing 23 of 38 passes for 416 yards and three touchdowns, and his connections with rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and tight end C.J. Uzomah remained solid. Chase caught eight passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, while the tight end caught three passes for 91 yards and a pair of scores.

The first touchdown of the entire game came on this 55-yard connection from Burrow to Uzomah, on a beautiful throwback design:

Burrow comes out of a run fake to the left and rolls to his right, but he picks up Uzomah who is running a post route from right-to-left, away from the flow of the play. The Ravens lose him in coverage, and Burrow hits his tight end for the huge touchdown.

Uzomah got back into the end zone early in the third quarter to restore a  Cincinnati lead, on this beautiful fake screen:

The Bengals fake the quick flat screen to the receiver, with Uzomah releasing vertically on the seam route. Burrow, after faking on the route to the flat, resets and hits his tight end up the hashmark, and the timing gives Uzomah a chance to catch, secure and make a defender miss, allowing Uzomah to finish the play for a touchdown.

The huge play, however, came between the former LSU teammates as Burrow and Chase hooked up for this 82-yard scoring play:

This is a simple slant route on a slant/flat combination, thrown on third and short to move the chains. But Chase is thinking about more than just the first down, as he runs through multiple tackle attempts en route to the 82-yard score.

As you can see courtesy of the dots and Next Gen Stats, this play accounted for the highest amount of yards over expected out of any play the past four seasons:

The Bengals put the game away in the fourth quarter thanks to their ground attack and touchdown runs from both Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. First it was Mixon getting in from 21-yards out with a nice cutback to the right side:

Then it was Perine from 46-yards out to put the game on ice, and send the Bengals back home as your AFC North leaders:

What lies ahead for the Bengals? Well, they get the New York Jets on Halloween, a team coming off a 54-13 rout at the hands of the New England Patriots. They will not see the Ravens again until after Christmas. There is obviously a ton of football left to be played, but with road wins at Baltimore and at Pittsburgh, the Bengals have certainly made a statement here in the early going.

 

 

Bengals’ C.J. Uzomah loving National Tight Ends Day

The Bengals’ C.J. Uzomah with a big game against the Baltimore Ravens

The best way to celebrate National Tight Ends Day is to feed the football to the player at that position.

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals got the message for their AFC North battle with the Baltimore Ravens.

The recipient was C.J. Uzomah, who grabbed a pair of touchdown passes in the first three quarters.

The first was a 55-yarder in the second quarter to give the Bengals a 10-3 lead after the PAT.

The second came in the third quarter and was good for 32 yards and gave Cincy a 20-17 lead after the PAT.

Team social media loved the concept.

Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 7

Examining touchdowns scored thus far in 2021 to find useful fantasy nuggets.

Touchdowns. Tuddies. Scores. Paydirt. Sixers. TDs.

Whatever you want to call them, they’re under the TTT fantasy microscope this week.

More specifically, we’re looking at who’s scoring them and who’s not, and what it has meant for fantasy so far — and going forward — as we approach midseason.

We’re doing a touchdown stat analysis of all of the major fantasy positions, including defense, and we start (as usual) with the …

Quarterbacks

Total TDs (passing + rushing)

Patrick Mahomes 19 (18 passing-1 rushing), Tom Brady 18 (17-1), Josh Allen 17 (15-2), Kyler Murray 17 (14-3), Dak Prescott 16 (16-0), Matthew Stafford 16 (16-0), Justin Herbert 15 (14-1), Joe Burrow 14 (14-0), Aaron Rodgers 14 (12-2), Kirk Cousins 13 (13-0), Jaylen Hurts 13 (8-5), Jameis Winston (13 (12-1)

Fantasy takeaways

  • Mahomes, the current positional leader in average fantasy points per game with 31.8 (Huddle Performance scoring), is on pace for 54 total TDs and 51 passing scores, which would eclipse his career highs from 2018 when he paced QBs with 494.1 fantasy points (30.9 per contest). KC’s less-than-formidable defense, which is surrendering 29.3 points per game, is prodding Mahomes to keep the pedal to metal late into games.
  • The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (fifth with an average of 28.6 fantasy points) and the Panthers’ Sam Darnold (10th with 24.6) are the only current top-10 fantasy QBs who don’t rank among the top 12 in total TDs. Jackson (11 total TDs), though, leads all QBs with 392 rushing yards and is averaging a career-best 281 aerial yards per game, while Darnold (12 total TDs) is tied with Hurts for the positional lead with five rushing scores.
  • Prescott (seventh with 26.9 fantasy points per outing) and Stafford (eighth with 26.4) are the only top-10 fantasy QBs without a rushing score. Prescott has run for 70 yards on 22 carries, while Stafford has 26 yards on 18 rushes. Both QBs, not coincidentally, are coming back from injury-marred 2020 seasons.

TD pass percentage leaders

Winston 10.3 percent, Stafford 8.0, Burrow 8.0, Russell Wilson 8.0, Mahomes 7.4, Prescott 7.4, Murray 7.2, Allen 6.5, Rodgers 6.5, Brady 6.4

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Playing on the run-heaviest team in the league (54.74 percent of total plays), the Saints’ Winston ranks 31st in the league with 116 passing attempts but is tied for ninth with 12 TD tosses. Winston, who has had games of five and four TD passes so far, is averaging only 178.4 passing yards per contest and ranks 17th among QBs who have played three or more games with 21.4 fantasy points per outing.
  • Stafford on Sunday enjoyed his third game this season with three or more passing scores and has had a banner start to his first season in Sean McVay’s Rams offense. In his 12 seasons with the Lions, Stafford had a TD pass percentage of 4.6, with his full-season high-water mark coming in 2011 when he had a 6.2 rate, throwing for a career-high 41 TDs. That’s the only season in which he’s had more than 32 scoring passes.
  • Burrow has thrown multiple TD passes in all six of his games this season after doing so in only four of his 10 games as a rookie a year ago when he ranked 28th in the league with 3.2 TD toss percentage.

Running backs

Total TDs (rushing + receiving)

Derrick Henry 10 (10-0), Austin Ekeler 7 (4 rushing-3 receiving), Ezekiel Elliott 6 (5-1), Aaron Jones 6 (4-2), James Conner 5 (5-0), Darrell Henderson 5 (4-1), Kareem Hunt 5 (5-0), Cordarrelle Patterson 5 (1-4), James Robinson 5 (5-0), Jonathan Taylor 5 (4-1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Ekeler, fantasy’s second-ranked back with 21.5 points (point-per-reception scoring) per game, has already set a career season high with his four rushing TDs. Ekeler is on pace to score 20 TDs, which would smash his 2019 career high of 11 — a total that included a running back-best eight receiving TDs.
  • Henry, who has finished either first or second among RBs with 17 and 18 touchdowns, respectively, the past two seasons, is on pace for a whopping 28 scores in 2021. He is averaging a league-most 29.6 total touches per game — a full seven touches more than any other player.
  • Patterson already has as many TDs (5) in five games this season as he totaled in his previous three seasons combined and is tied with the Packers’ Jones for the RB lead with four receiving scores. Patterson’s season career high for TDs was set back in his rookie season of 2013 with the Vikings when he had nine total (four receiving, three rushing and two on kickoff returns).

Most total touches with 1 or fewer TDs

Mark Ingram 90 touches (1 TD), Chuba Hubbard 85 (1), Alexander Mattison 83 (1), Chase Edmonds 79 (0), Javonte Williams 79 (1), Tony Pollard 76 (1), Miles Sanders 75 (0), Devin Singletary 73 (1), Christian McCaffrey 68 (1), A.J. Dillon 58 (1), Sony Michel 58 (1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • It’s not surprising to see Edmonds high on this list as Conner is now the team’s goal-line back with all five of his rushing scores coming from inside the opposition’s 5-yard line on seven total carries. Edmonds has had one carry inside the enemy 5-yard line but still is the only running back ranked among the top 34 in total PPR points (17th with 73.9) who has yet to score a TD.
  • It’s interesting to see both of the Panthers’ top backs listed here with McCaffrey and the rookie Hubbard combining for two TDs on 153 touches to date. Nineteen of those 153 combined touches and both of those TDs for the Carolina backs have come in the red zone. The aforementioned Darnold, meanwhile, has logged six red-zone rushes and has scored on five of them.
  • Sanders has yet to find his way into the end zone after scoring six TDs in each of first two NFL seasons. Sanders has a minus-one yard on nine red-zone rushes this season, including minus-five on four inside-the-5-yard-line carries. The second-year QB Hurts, meanwhile, has stolen the Philly close-in thunder with 47 yards and five TDs on 14 red-zone rushes. Sanders is 46th among RBs with an average of 6.5 fantasy points.

Wide receivers

Total TDs (receiving + rushing)

Cooper Kupp 7 (7 receiving, 0 rushing), Mike Williams 6 (6-0), DeAndre Hopkins 6 (6-0), Marquise Brown 5 (5-0), Ja’Marr Chase 5 (5-0), Tyreek Hill 5 (5-0), D.K. Metcalf 5 (5-0), Adam Thielen 5 (5-0), Antonio Brown 4 (4-0), Amari Cooper 4 (4-0), Mike Evans 4 (4-0), CeeDee Lamb 4 (4-0), Deebo Samuel 4 (3-1), Emmanuel Sanders 4 (4-0)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Kupp, whose two-TD game Sunday against the Giants was his third of the season, also leads the league in targets (68), red-zone targets (12), and is tied with Davante Adams and Hill with a league-most 46 receptions. His seven TD grabs this season already is the second-highest total of his five-season career, trailing only the 10 he had on 134 targets in 2019 when he finished fourth among wideouts with 270.5 PPR points.
  • Thielen finished third a season ago with 14 touchdown catches thanks to his mega-efficient red-zone production, reeling in 16-of-19 targets for 115 yards and 13 scores inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. He’s at it again this season, catching all six of his red-zone targets for 37 yards and four TDs.
  • In his last 11 games, including three last postseason, the Bucs’ Brown has caught 57 of 82 targets for 765 yards and 10 TDs — an average of 17.6 PPR points per outing. He’s averaging 19.1 through five games played in ’21.

Most targets with 1 or fewer TDs

Keenan Allen 58 targets (1 TD), Brandin Cooks 57 (1), Jakobi Meyers 52 (0), Michael Pittman Jr. 46 (1), DeVonta Smith 44 (1), Calvin Ridley 42 (1), Chase Claypool 42 (1), Laviska Shenault 41 (0), Darnell Mooney 39 (1), Tyler Boyd 38 (1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Allen has notched six or more TD grabs in each of his previous four seasons, but the Chargers’ target leader ranks fifth on the team with his one scoring reception so far. Fellow wideout Mike Williams’ ascendance (six TD catches on 33 receptions and 56 targets) has hurt Allen as he currently ranks 26th with an average of 14.5 fantasy points per game.
  • Since the start of last season, Diggs leads the league in targets (224) and receptions (164) and ranks second in receiving yards (1,998) but is tied for 16th with 10 TD grabs in 22 regular-season games. Among wide receivers, Diggs still ranks third, though, in total PPR points (423.9).
  • Meyers has 174 targets since the start of the 2019 season — 83 more than any other Patriots wide receiver or tight end — but famously is still waiting on his first NFL TD. During that span, including the postseason, only the Panthers (40) and Jets (39) have thrown fewer TD passes than the Patriots’ 44 in 39 games.

Tight ends

Total TDs (receiving + rushing)

Dawson Knox 5 (5 receiving-0 rushing), Rob Gronkowski 4 (4-0), Travis Kelce 4 (4-0), Mo Alie-Cox 3 (3-0), Mark Andrews 3 (3-0), Noah Fant 3 (3-0), Hunter Henry 3 (3-0), Juwan Johnson 3 (3-0), Dalton Schultz 3 (3-0),  C.J. Uzomah 3 (3-0)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Knox (finger) has been a surprise at fantasy’s shallowest position as he’s already doubled his career TD total six games into the season. Essentially he’s been the 2021 Robert Tonyan, ranking 17th at the position with 24 targets and 12th with 21 receptions but leading the way with five scoring receptions.
  • A high ratio of TDs to targets also is inflating the fantasy stocks of the Bengals’ Uzomah, the Colts’ Alie-Cox and the Saints’ Johnson … all have three TDs on 18 or fewer targets so far.
  • Gronk has missed the past three games with a rib injury but still is tied for second among 2021 tight ends with his four scoring grabs on 21 targets and 16 receptions. In his last 11 games, Gronkowski has eight TDs on 50 targets and 32 catches — meaning one of every four catches is counting for six points.

Most total targets with 1 or fewer TDs

Mike Gesicki 43 targets (1 TD), Kyle Pitts 36 (1), Tyler Conklin 30 (1), George Kittle 28 (0), Dan Arnold 26 (0), Jonnu Smith 25 (1), Cole Kmet 24 (0), Evan Engram 21 (1), Pat Freiermuth 20 (1), Robert Tonyan 20 (1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • On the other side of the touchdown ledger, the Dolphins’ Gesicki ranks fifth in 2021 tight end targets (43) and sixth in receptions (30) but has only one scoring grab to show for it. From 2019-20, he had 11 TDs on 174 total targets.
  • Niners star Kittle began his career with 12 TD catches in his first three seasons, but with a string of injuries limiting him to 12 games since the start of last season, he’s only added two more touchdowns since on 91 targets and 67 receptions.
  • As expected, regression has hit the Packers’ Tonyan and Patriots’ Smith hard this season with one TD apiece so far. In 2020, they finished ranked tied for first (11) and third (9), respectively, a year ago in tight end TDs, both with 52 touches or fewer.

Defensive/special teams

Non-offensive TDs (defensive TDs + special teams TDs )

Cowboys 3 (3-0), Buccaneers 2 (2-0), Jaguars 2 (0-2), 13 teams with 1 apiece

Fantasy takeaway …

  • The top annual fantasy team defenses/special team units typically feature multiple return-score TDs, and this season is no exception. The top eight 2021 D/STs, according to Huddle Performance scoring, all have at least one non-offensive touchdown, led by the league-leading Cowboys (57 total fantasy points) with their trio of interception-return TDs.

Tunnel Vision of Week 4

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Sam Darnell 301-35 4
 Patrick Mahomes 278-26 5
 Matt Ryan 283-17 4
 Daniel Jones 402-27 2
 Jalen Hurts 387-47 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Saquon Barkley 13-52 rush
5-74 catch		 2
Derrick Henry 33-157 rush
2-20 catch		 1
David Montgomery 23-106 rush 2
Ezekiel Elliott 20-143 rush 1
James Robinson 18-78 rush
1-(-2) catch		 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Tyreek Hill 11-186 3
Cordarrelle Patterson 6-34 rush
5-82 catch		 3
Deebo Samuel 8-156 2
Terry McLaurin 6-123 2
D.J. Moore 8-113 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
C.J. Uzomah 5-95 2
Mo Alie-Cox 3-42 2
Dawson Knox 5-37 2
Maxx Williams 5-66 1
Dalton Schultz 6-58 1
Placekickers XP FG
Tyler Bass 4 4
Matt Prater 4 3
Justin Tucker 2 3
Jake Elliott 3 3
Ryan Succop 1 4
Defense Sack-TO TD
Bills 2 – 5 0
Cowboys 4 – 2 0
Bears 4 – 2 0
Football Team 1 – 0 1
Colts 3 – 2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Jimmy Garoppolo – Calf
QB Teddy Bridgewater – Concussion
RB David Montgomery – Knee
RB Tony Jones – Ankle
TE Logan Thomas – Hamstring
WR DJ Chark – Broken ankle
WR Will Fuller – Hand
WR Dyami Brown – Knee
WR Josh Reynolds – Knee
PK Robbie Gould – Hamstring

Chasing Ambulances

David Montgomery and DJ Chark were the biggest names from Week 3. But when your kicker (Robbie Gould) gets hurt before scoring a point, you know it’s probably not your lucky day.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) – He injured his calf and said that he “anticipates being out a couple of weeks.” That would put Trey Lance under center for this week in Arizona. The 49ers have their bye in Week 6 to help Garoppolo heal, but if he remains out, they play the Colts and at the Bears the following two weeks. He’d be an option as a starting fantasy quarterback since he played for one half and threw for 157 yards and two scores on the Seahawks, plus rushed for 41 yards in just 30 minutes of play.

QB Teddy Bridgewater (DEN) – Hit by a linebacker helmet-to-helmet, Bridgewater was ruled out with a possible concussion. Drew Lock played in the second half of the loss to the Ravens and passed for 113 yards and one interception. It’s a downgrade for the offense if Bridgewater remains out and they play in Pittsburgh in Week 5, so Lock doesn’t hold much interest even if he ends up starting next Sunday.

RB David Montgomery (CHI) – Laid on the field for a while as they looked at his knee, but he walked off to the locker room. He was in much pain when it happened, but it is believed to be a hyperextension and didn’t tear any ligaments. If an MRI bears that out, he may not miss much time. The Bears play in Las Vegas this week and will need Montgomery. Damien Williams will take his place for however long it is needed. Williams ran for 55 yards and a score on eight carries in the win over the Lions. He’s worth grabbing if the Montgomery owner left him on the waiver wire.

RB Tony Jones Jr. (NO) – The Saints No. 2 running back injured his ankle in the loss to Washington and was carted from the field. Jones appeared to think it was severe when he left the field but his status will be better known on Monday. Dwayne Washington is the only other running back on the current roster, and there are none on the practice squad though Ty Montgomery was originally a running back and typically gets a rush or two per game. There isn’t much fantasy value in the No. 2 back since Latavius Murray left, but there is always the chance that Alvin Kamara could get injured.

WR DJ Chark  (JAC) – A broken ankle shakes up the Jaguars’ receivers while Trevor Lawrence goes through the learning curve for a rookie quarterback. Laviska Shenault is the one most likely to benefit. He and Marvin Jones are the new starters, but the No. 3 role is likely a combination of Tyron Johnson, Jamal Agnew, and Tavon Austin. Shenault was dropped in some leagues but needs to be on fantasy rosters.

TE Logan Thomas (WAS)  – Left with a hamstring injury and threw his helmet at the bench after he hobbled off the field. There’s no word yet on the severity, but Ricky-Seals Jones would replace him again if needed this week when the Saints visit.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Week 6 byes are almost here – The Falcons, Saints, Jets, and 49ers have a Week 6 bye, so get ahead of the game and review your rosters in preparation.  Week 7 is even worse with the Bills, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, Vikings, and Steelers. Week 7 will touch likely every fantasy team. Look ahead to see if you need to swap out any kickers or team defenses.

TE C.J. Uzomah (CIN) – He only totaled four catches for 39 yards over the first three weeks, but Uzomah came to life against the Jaguars when he caught five passes for 95 yards and both passing scores for the Bengals. It’s just an aberration for now, but he helped out in Week 4 when Tee Higgins was inactive.

WR Curtis Samuel (WAS) – His debut was only four catches for 19 yards, but he’ll become a bigger part of the offense.

RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson (ATL) – He’s 30 years old and on his fifth NFL team. But he just scored three touchdowns while catching five passes for 82 yards, plus he also led the backfield with six runs for 34 yards. Patterson’s five touchdowns in the last two weeks are more than he scored in any of the eight past seasons. He is 6-4 and 205 pounds and not built like any other running back. He faces the visiting Jets this week and it doesn’t have to make sense why he suddenly is posting fantasy points.

TE Dawson Knox (BUF) – He not only scored twice on his five catches for 37 yards in the win over the Texans, he also turned in touchdowns in each of the last three games. That ties him with  Rob Gronkowski for the scoring lead among NFL tight ends.

QB Justin Fields (CHI) – What a difference a week makes. The rookie threw for 209 yards and just one interception in the win over the Lions. He still only rushed for nine yards on three runs. So, it is odd that they cannot make use of his skills as a runner. On the plus, Darnell Mooney (5-125) finally showed up with Fields under center though his 64-yard catch helped significantly.

RB Dalvin Cook (MIN) – Took the start after missing Week 3 with an ankle injury. But he only ran nine times for 34 yards while Alexander Mattison gained 20 yards on ten rushes. There’s speculation that Cook aggravated the ankle as he played little in the second half.

QB Sam Darnell (NYJ) – He passed for 301 yards and two scores in Dallas, plus ran six times for 35 yards and two more touchdowns.  He currently ranks as the No. 5 fantasy quarterback after four games. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for the Jets where he struggled for three years.

RB Saquon Barkley (NYG) – Now that’s the Barkley we remember. The Giants upset the Saints in New Orleans partly thanks to Saquon rushing for 52 yards and a score on 13 carries, plus catching five passes for 74 yards and another touchdown. He handled all but one touch for the backfield and finally looked back to form.

Giants Wide Receivers – Maybe the Saints got caught in a trap game. The Giants were without Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and facing the Saints secondary. But Daniel Jones threw for 402 yards and two scores. The rookie Kadarius Toney (6-78) had a breakout effort, and John Ross (3-77, TD) debuted after missing time with a hamstring injury. Whether that was a trap game or not, the Giants head to Dallas this week, where the points tend to skew higher. It will all be worth tracking to see if Shepard and Slayton return from their respective hamstring issues.

RB Alvin Kamara (NO) – He ran for a season-high 120 yards on 26 carries as the Saints tried unsuccessfully to eat up the clock.  But Taysom Hill ran in the two rushing touchdowns, and odder still was that Kamara never had a catch. He never had a pass thrown to him. Last year, he had one game where he was thrown one pass and it was incomplete. But this week appears to be the first-ever game that he was never thrown a pass.

RB Jeremy McNichols (TEN) – The Titans were without Julio Jones and A.J. Brown in the loss to the Jets. Chester Rogers (5-63) and Josh Reynolds (6-59) were their replacements, along with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (3-29). But Ryan Tannehill threw a team-high twelve passes to No. 2 running back Jeremy McNichols, who led the team with eight receptions for 74 yards. Worth noting for a cheaper Daily Fantasy play next week in Jacksonville if Jones and Brown remain out.

RB Michael Carter (NYJ) – The rookie now takes a much bigger slice of the backfield pie. In the win over the Jets, he ran 13 times for 38 yards and the first Jets’ rushing touchdown of the year. Tevin Coleman (4-14) and Ty Johnson (3-1) played lesser roles though all caught one or two short passes.

Eagles backfield – Miles Sanders disappointed (again) with a role that shrinks since the season opener when he ran 15 times for 74 yards and caught four passes for 39 yards. Sanders was limited to just two runs and three catches in Week 3, then seven carries for 13 yards in the loss to the Chiefs that added three catches for 34 yards. However, Kenneth Gainwell gets better. He ran three times for 31 yards and a touchdown on Sunday and caught six passes for 58 yards. He plays more in passing situations, but the Eagles’ next three opponents are the Panthers, Buccaneers, and Raiders. This bode worse for Sanders and better for Gainwell.

TE Maxx Williams (ARI) – He posted seven receptions for 94 yards in Week 2 but then only three catches for 19 yards in Week 3. Versus the Rams, he caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. The problem with that is Kyler Murray playing so well is that he takes what the defense  gives, and that changes every game. Christian Kirk went from 104 yards on seven catches in Week 3 to only one catch for five yards versus the Rams. DeAndre Hopkins and Murray are the only constants, but players like Williams occasionally show up in box scores.

RB Alex Collins (SEA) – The 49ers knew to bottle up Chris Carson and held him to only 30 yards on 13 carries and a one-yard catch. But Alex Collins replaced Rashaad Penny, who is on injured reserve, as the No. 2 back. And he provided a spark that helped lift the Seahawks to a win in San Francisco. Collins gained 44 yards and a touchdown on ten rushes and turned two catches into 34 yards. He was everything that fantasy owners wanted from Carson. He’s a must-own for the Carson owner now and showed that he could produce when given a chance. The depth chart remains unchanged, but Collins spawned more confidence about using him.

RB Trey Sermon (SF) – There is a good chance that Elijah Mitchell may return this week for the matchup in Arizona. It will likely be disappointing to see what happens to the backfield rotation. Sermon ran 19 times for 89 yards but had no role as a receiver in the loss to the Seahawks.  He was given all but two carries for the backfield and ran well. When Mitchell returns, he may assume a role as a receiver even though fullback Kyle Juszczyk already was the No. 2 receiver with four catches for 41 yards on Sunday. A tangled mess is looming.

WR Randall Cobb (GB) – Marquez Valdes-Scantling was placed on injured reserve last week, and that only made the prospect even worse of what happens when Davante Adams is somehow actually covered?  For at least one week, the answer is Randall Cobb. He was held with no catches in San Francisco during Week 3, but he led the Packers with five receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Steelers. The next two weeks are on the road to the Bengals and Bears, so the Packers will need someone besides Adams to step up.

Huddle player of the week

Tyreek Hill  –  After two weeks of very moderate stats and no scoring, the Chiefs’ star wideout dominated the overmatched Eagles’ secondary when he caught 11 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Kelce (4-23) may have had an off day, but Hill was unstoppable.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Sam Darnold 336 4 QB Lamar Jackson 342 1
RB James Conner 66 2 RB Dalvin Cook 44 0
RB Kenneth Gainwell 89 1 RB Myles Gaskin 3 0
WR C. Patterson 116 3 WR DJ Chark 0 0
WR Randall Cobb 69 2 WR CeeDee Lamb 13 0
WR Kalif Raymond 46 2 WR Tyler Lockett 24 0
TE C.J. Uzomah 95 2 TE Logan Thomas 0 0
PK Jake Elliott 3  XP   3 FG PK Brandon McManus 1  XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 156 Huddle Fantasy Points = 31

Now get back to work…

How Bengals QB Joe Burrow audibled his way to a Thursday night win

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow lived up to his “Joey Franchise” nickname on Thursday night by audibling his way to an important win.

As an offensive coach, you do everything you can to help your young quarterback develop (unless you’re Matt Nagy). You hammer the plan, you make sure the quarterback is mentally and mechanically sound, and you put it all on the field week after week, hoping that it all comes together consistently. But if you have a great young quarterback, eventually, you have to let him take the playbook in his hands, react to what he sees, and win a game with his own acuity.

This happened to Bengals head coach Zac Taylor on Thursday night in Cincinnati’s 24-21 win over the Jaguars. The win took the Bengals to 3-1 on the season, which is one more game than they won in 2019. That 2-14 mark put the team at the top of the 2020 draft order and gave them the right to select LSU’s Joe Burrow first overall. Burrow looked good but limited in his rookie season, as the Bengals ran a bunch of quick stuff out of empty formations, and Burrow ran for his life behind an awful offensive line. Burrow was lost for the season in Week 11 when he suffered a torn ACL against Washington, and all Taylor and his staff could do was to wait for the next season to see how Burrow would respond.

It’s not just that Burrow has looked reborn as a quarterback, especially as a deep passer, behind a much better front five, and now reunited with former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase; it’s the on-field acumen combined with his physical gifts that make Burrow such a potentially special quarterback.

Burrow had to be special to pull out that win against a competitive Jaguars team, which had the benefit of Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback taken first overall this year to match Burrow’s equity. There was 5:33 left in regulation when the Bengals got the ball back for the last time, and they never gave it back to the Jaguars. The pivotal play came with 1:09 remining. The Bengals had the ball at the Jacksonville 46-yard line, and Burrow threw a screen to tight end C.J. Uzomah. The play gained 25 yards, and put Cincinnati in position for Evan McPherson’s game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired.

But the most impressive part of the play was that it wasn’t Taylor’s original call — Burrow saw the defense and audibled to something else, based on the knowledge he’d gained in just over one NFL season. As former NFL quarterback and current analyst Sage Rosenfels pointed out, it was the perfect check.

“That wasn’t the play we called,” Taylor said in retrospect. “That was a check from Joe. We put those guys everywhere in empty, they can line up anywhere and that just happened to be where he was on that play and they zero-blitzed us. I don’t know how many empty plays we ran, but it was a lot. I don’t know if the ball ever hit the ground. They had to try something different. They zeroed us and Joe was ready for it.”

Burrow explained his thought process after the game. Basically, the Jaguars brought a Cover-0 blitz (no deep safeties), and Burrow was able to go through his internal computer in a hurry to discern the best plan of action. It was not a random thought process. It was also a candy dish of a defense for Borrow, who, per Sports Info Solutions, had completed two of two passes against Cover-0 in the first three weeks of the season for 44 yards. When running Cover-0 in the first three games of the season, the Jaguars had allowed three completions in three attempts for 42 yards.

“You guys have heard me talking about having the playbook in the back of my head and seeing looks that I can take advantage of. That just comes with experience. They gave me a ‘zero’ look, and so all week I knew the defensive coordinator [Joe Cullen] had a Baltimore background [Cullen was the Ravens’ defensive line coach from 2016 through 2020, and the Ravens generally run a lot of Cover-0 blitzes]. They showed some ‘zero’ on film — I knew I’d have to be ready for it in a big spot. I had C.J. out there — that’s not exactly the personnel we usually throw those jailbreak screens to, but he really took advantage of the opportunity. I had those plays in the back of my head expecting ‘zero,’ and I just got to it and didn’t really think about it.

“We were going to run it, but it was just that C.J. was out wide. And I was trying to figure out if I wanted to get to the boundary or to the field. I just figured there was more room to the field. I had C.J. out there, and I knew he’d take advantage of it.”

Uzomah was pretty surprised by the whole thing.

(Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY NETWORK)

“I’ll be honest, I had to [do a] double take on that one. Tyler Boyd was looking at me, too, like ‘What did he just call?’ It was Cover Zero and we knew going in that this [defensive coordinator] was coming in from the Ravens and that’s what they like to do — run Cover-0 in critical situations — and Joey Franchise is just back there dealing dots out there knowing and understanding what the defense is doing. He called that play up and just made something happen. [Receiver Tyler] Boyd had a huge block on that one, Trenton (Irwin) came out and had a big block. [Burrow] gave me a wink after I caught it, and I was like, ‘This guy here, he’s reckless [laughs]!

“[Burrow] is the smartest person out there at all times. I was fortunate enough to get brought into the quarterbacks’ Jeopardy game… The questions, I was like ‘What the hell is this — I don’t know anything!’ and [Burrow] is just like ‘Can I steal this one? Can I steal this one?’ and I was like ‘If you want to — I don’t know the answer!’ He’s just Joey Franchise.”

Joey Franchise? There are better nicknames, but Burrow seems to be living up to it. When you have a quarterback who, in his second NFL season can mentally tear apart a defense that way, you’ve got something special.

Joe Burrow, C.J. Uzomah connected on best play of Bengals training camp

A big Bengals highlight has players saying things have finally turned around.

[mm-video type=video id=01fcrqz97qs2e97rsb4j playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fcrqz97qs2e97rsb4j/01fcrqz97qs2e97rsb4j-02536dcd65bf7b62bd75fd3615e9cbb0.jpg]

Cincinnati Bengals players says it’s the highlight that turned around training camp.

The scene was simple enough: Burrow, on his surgically repaired knee, quickly rolled out of the pocket with Larry Ogunjobi in pursuit, stopped and delivered a 25-yard touchdown strike to tight end C.J. Uzomah.

After many days of struggles, including all sorts of misfires, drops and Burrow’s well-documented struggles with pocket presence as he gets comfortable, the big scoring strike was an exclamation point on a few solid days of camp for the offense.

“There was a lot behind it,” Uzomah said, according to The Athletic’s Jay Morrison. “Positionally and offensively, we had a slow start, and we can’t do that. That was just a lot of pent-up frustration, like ‘all right, here we are, we’re getting after it right now.’ So that’s why I screamed.”

More than anything else, the big play shows just how comfortable Burrow’s getting in the pocket as camp continues. The vibe that the entire offense is finally getting on track is nice, but it doesn’t get there without the franchise quarterback getting back to his old self.

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