Tag: devin singletary

Stock up, stock down following Bills’ win over the Chargers

The Buffalo Bills beat the Chargers in an ugly 27-17 win.

The Buffalo Bills met an AFL rival in the Los Angeles Chargers, and it was an ugly affair that saw Buffalo win 27-17 on Sunday. It was a game where there were four turnovers in the fourth quarter, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen only threw for 157 yards, and an outing  where the Bills ran for 172 yards.
With the win against the Bolts, the Bills moved to 8-3 on the season, and closing in on their first division title since 1995.

With that here’s Bills Wire’s stock report for Week 12’s win over the Chargers:

Stock up

Gabriel Davis
In the absence of fellow receiver John Brown, Davis slotted into the No. 2 role for Buffalo, and it wasn’t a pretty game from the Bills passing attack outside Davis. Davis led the team in receiving yards with 79 and had one touchdown. The rookie had just three catches but he averaged 26.3 yards per reception, he’s a big play waiting to happen.

While his touchdown was impressive due to the fact he caught the pass from fellow receiver Cole Beasley. His best catch though was his 44-yard reception, where he high pointed the ball, and out leaped the defensive back on the sideline.

Davis has had a solid rookie season, with 22 catches, 354 yards, an average of over 15 yards per catch and four touchdowns.

A.J. Klein

A.J. Klein has had a run of stellar form these past few weeks, and that form continued against the Chargers. Klein led the team in tackles with 14, and 10 of them were solo tackles… another three of those coming from behind the line of scrimmage. Klein came into the team to fill the void of Lorenzo Alexander, which would always be a tough task due how important Alexander was to the defense because of his versatility. It looks like Klein has started to fill the shoes left behind by Alexander.

While Klein’s tackling was impressive he was also strong when pressuring the quarterback. Klein had 1.5 sacks on rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, making his season total so far a respectable 3.5 sacks.

Tre’Davious White

After a quiet first half of the season Tre White has come back with an impressive three weeks. In the last three games he’s broken up three passes, and grabbed two interceptions. Against the Chargers he broke up two passes and helped seal the game with a pick.

His interception was very reminiscent when he picked off Russell Wilson. At the line of scrimmage he showed that he was playing man-to-man coverage. As the play developed he dropped into zone coverage, which fooled the rookie quarterback, making it a comfortable interception for White.

He was also fourth in the team in tackles, making eight, four of them being solo tackles.

Zach Moss/Devin Singletary

As mentioned earlier, it wasn’t pretty from Buffalo’s passing attack, so the offense relied on the run more than they usually do. The two young backs combined for 20 total carries for 141 yards, an average of seven yards per carry.

At times this season, the rushing attack as either been abandoned or utterly failed, but when the team needed the two backs against Los Angeles, they produced.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Bills want improved run game post-bye: ‘It takes all of us’

Buffalo Bills’ Brian Daboll, Sean McDermott address running game struggles in recent games.

[jwplayer n73ie9r3-ThvAeFxT]

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Bills’ running game appeared to finally be showing some signs of life. The rushing attack has been slow to develop this season for Buffalo, but in Week 8, it had a 190-yard outing against the New England Patriots. 

But instead of growing on that, the work on the ground has stalled again. 

Bills quarterback Josh Allen led all rushers with 38 yards in the Bills’ Week 10 32-30 loss to the Cards. He was followed by rookie running back Zack Moss with 20 and back Devin Singletary with 15. Suffice to say this is not the run offense the team imagined when they added Moss to a backfield with Singletary and Allen. That has not gone unnoticed by the coaching staff and with the weekend off en route for the Bills, the ground game will be something Buffalo’s offense will be focusing on. 

“We need to do a better job,” offensive coordinator Brian Daboll while addressing the media on Monday. “Starts with me. We need to do a good job of designing things for those guys… It takes all of us to get that job done, we’re not where we need to be in regards to the running game, we acknowledge that and we look forward to working on it particularly in this bye week and getting ready for the Chargers.”

The Bills are currently among the worst teams in the NFL at rushing the ball at 29th overall in terms of rushing yards per game (97.6). A year ago, the Bills averaged the eighth-most (128). 

“It’s something we have to take a look at, particularly this week as a staff, and work hard to correct the things that we know we can correct,” added Daboll.

Much of the playmaking that has moved the ball downfield for the Bills offense this season has been in the air. Buffalo averages 278.9 yards per game via the pass attack, the fifth-most, but being a one-trick pony is not a good thing in the NFL. 

While Daboll is calling the shots on offense as Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott has a background as a defensive-minded coach, the bench boss still feels similar. McDermott has often said during his tenure that finding a franchise quarterback is among the most important things for a club, but complementing a QB with an established run game is of the upmost importance to McDermott currently. 

“It certainly hasn’t been good enough, for us to move forward as a football team and continue to evolve and grow, and try to win the games that we have to win, going forward here we’ve got to make sure that we get that better,” McDermott said. 

The Bills will have the week to re-evaluate the run before facing a former Buffalo coach and running back in his own right, Anthony Lynn. He returns to Bills Stadium as head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers where Buffalo will look to bounce back from a loss in Arizona in Week 12. 

[lawrence-related id=73248,73202,73213,73212]

Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ loss to the Cardinals

The Buffalo Bills faced the Arizona Cardinals in a duel in the desert, as Arizona outdueled the Bills.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”X9Zpsu6UQF-1038127-7498″]

The Buffalo Bills faced the Arizona Cardinals in a duel in the desert, as Arizona outdueled the Bills. It was a back and forth game with each teams taking leads throughout, and the Bills thought they had won it with just 36 seconds left as Josh Allen found Stefon Diggs in the end zone. It wasn’t meant to be though, as Kyler Murray heaved up a Hail Mary pass to DeAndre Hopkins to win Arizona the game, 32-30.

With that, here’s Bills Wire’s stock report following the Bills’ loss to the Cardinals:

Stock up

Bills kicker Tyler Bass. Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Bass

The rookie kicker started his career in Buffalo with two missed field goals against the Jets. After his first game though, he has had a good season. Against the Cardinals, he kept the Bills alive with three field goals, with all three being hit from 50 yards or longer.

Bass was drafted due to his big leg, and Buffalo needed it against Arizona. He hit from 53-yards, 54-yards, and an outstanding 58-yards. Bass’s kicking form might be unconventional, but it’s working for Buffalo at the moment.

Stefon Diggs

The Bills were on the brink of victory due to Stefon Diggs, and Diggs throughout the game made some key plays. He came into the contest leading the NFL in receiving yards, and added to that tally, with 10 catches for 93 yards, and one touchdown. This leaves Diggs with 906 yards this season and four touchdowns.

The most impressive part of Diggs’ performance was that he was lined up against one of the best defensive backs in the league, Patrick Peterson. Diggs has consistently shown his value throughout the season, and the game against the Cardinals didn’t prove any different.

Cole Beasley

While Diggs had a great game, he wasn’t the Bills’ leading receiver, that honor falls upon Cole Beasley.

Beasley was the safety blanket for Josh Allen throughout the game, finding himself open on crucial third downs. His most impressive catch was a no-look one-handed grab on third down, that kept a Buffalo drive alive.

Beasley ended the game with 11 receptions, 109 yards, and one touchdown.

AJ Klein

Like Bass, AJ Klein hasn’t had the best start in Buffalo, but for Klein, his poor form stretched until week nine against the Seahawks. Klein extended his run of good form against the elusive Murray. Klein had 11 tackles and one sack on the day.

The Bills defense on a whole played well against one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Klein led the charge. He was always around the football on crucial downs and making big plays. If Klein can continue his run of good form, the Bills can be serious contenders come January.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

PODCAST: Bills fend off pesky Patriots

Buffalo Bills podcast from Bills Wire following 24-21 win over the New England Patriots in Week 8.

It was seemingly a moment that everyone affiliated with the Buffalo Bills at any point over the last 20-plus years had clamored for. The unofficial end of the New England Patriots’ stranglehold over the AFC East, and it came via a 24-21 win for the Bills. While this New England squad looked much, much different from last year, they still admirably battled the Bills with the same tenacity that they always have, and didn’t roll over for Buffalo.

Aside from the game-sealing fumble from quarterback Cam Newton in the final seconds, the Patriots played smart football, never being too overly aggressive with their play calling. Their offense, outside of Newton, running back James White and maybe running back Rex Burkhead, was made up of players that you would probably never have in your starting fantasy lineup. They were impressive, but that’s the genius of New England coach Bill Belichick.

The Bills came out and played gritty football, and came out on top in a nail biter. It wasn’t pretty by any means, but there were certainly some positives to come from it. The running game finally got some traction, which is something that many have been clamoring for. The defense continues to tighten up, and their “bend, don’t break” style of play has led to the most crucial defensive stands happening when needed most.

There’s a lot to build off of for this game, as the Bills prepare for their tougher stretch of schedule, starting with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9.

But before seeing the Seahawks, Bills Wire podcast host Matt Johnson and contributor David De Cristofaro breakdown the week that was.

Subscribe

[lawrence-related id=72480,72453,72466,72423]

Bills vs. Patriots game recap: Everything we know

Patriots at Bills: Everything we know from Bills 24-21 victory

The Buffalo Bills have put an eight-game home losing streak to bed against the New England Patriots in Week 8 with a 24-21 win. It was an old-school affair, as both teams were forced to emphasize the ground attack due to the weather conditions. Both teams ran the ball at will, as the offensive lines dominated in the trenches.

Buffalo and New England put up 378 rushing yards on 72 combined carries. The bills’ Zack Moss and Pats’ Damien Harris broke out in this game. Moss scored two touchdowns and averaged 5.8 yards per carry, while Harris ran for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Both quarterbacks were expected to use their legs to move the ball and Josh Allen and Cam Newton found the end zone with rushes.

Buffalo’s defense, in search of re-establishing their role as the alphas for the Bills, were struggling to stop the Patriots on the ground. New England was driving late in the game, putting themselves in prime position for at least a game-tying field goal. The Patriots put the ball in Newton’s hands, and for the first time all afternoon, the Bills forced a turnover. It was the most opportune moment for the Bills, as they recovered a fumble with 31 seconds left, cementing their victory.

With that, here’s everything we know following the Bills’ win over the Patriots:

Instant analysis: Bills take the torch from Patriots

Instant analysis of the Buffalo Bills’ Week 8 win over the New England Patriots, 24-21.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”uokMZU5qLK-1022056-7498″]

The Buffalo Bills exercised some demons on this Halloween weekend, as they knocked off the New England Patriots 24-21 on Sunday. The Bills move to 6-2, closer to their first AFC East crown in over two decades. Meanwhile, the Patriots drop to 2-5, showing the passing of the divisional torch might have happened at Bills Stadium in Week 8.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Bills. In fact, the elements were far from that in Orchard Park. With the wind whipping a wind chill hovering at freezing, the offenses were forced to take to a rush-heavy attack to move the ball.

The Bills rushed the ball 38 times for 188 yards. Zack Moss was the day’s breakout performer, rushing 14 times for 81 yards, including his first two career rushing touchdowns. It was a game that Buffalo envisioned when they drafted Moss, as he provided downhill thumping rushes to complement the shifty Devin Singletary. For his part, Singletary had a nice afternoon, rushing for 87 yards on 14 carries.

In a theme that’s been a bit problematic for the Bills this year, the defensive line was shredded by New England’s offensive line. Patriots  running back Damien Harris ran 16 times for 102 yards and finished a 22-yard rush for a touchdown largely unscathed. The Bills line struggled to limit rushing lanes.

However, when the game came down to its more important drive, the unit came up with the biggest play of the game. On New England’s final offensive drive, the Pats were moving the ball at will on the ground. On the 12th play of the drive, quarterback Cam Newton hit a hole and was on his way to another strong gain. But Bills defensive tackle Justin Zimmer tracked down Newton and forced a fumble from behind. Safety Dean Marlowe recovered the ball with 31 seconds remaining. Buffalo took possession at their 12-yard line. This play-of-the-game for the Bills was massive, as it ultimately put the W in Buffalo’s hands. It prevented a possible game-tying field goal attempt, or worse, a chance for the Patriots to find the end zone.

It was not the day for the aerial attack to stand out, and this was predicted leading into Sunday’s action. Still, quarterback Josh Allen was efficient, going 11-of-18 for 154 yards. His only miscue was an interception thrown in the direction of receiver Stefon Diggs, where it seems the pair weren’t on the same page. Even so, Diggs was the prime receiving target for Allen, as the wideout caught six passes for 92 yards, including a 41-yard catch-and-run to set up a Bills touchdown.

Jordan Poyer led the way with 11 solo tackles. Marlowe recorded 6 solo tackles, good for second-best on the afternoon. When two of the secondary players lead the team in tackles in a game that was far from an air raid explosion, there is some cause for worry.

Still, a win is a win. And, a win over the Patriots is sweet, no matter how it plays out. Buffalo made the big play when necessary. They did not settle for field goals, as in past weeks. Plus, 6-2 at the midpoint of the season is impressive for the squad. And with this win, they may put their long-time nemesis in a horrid position to make the playoffs. There’s still half of the season remaining, but there’s reason to feel that the AFC crown is Buffalo’s to lose.

[lawrence-related id=72466,72423,72392]

Bills vs. Patriots: 7 things to watch for and a prediction

Things to watch for during Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots in Week 8.

The Buffalo Bills have a moment in time that the team is very unfamiliar with this weekend. Whether they like it or not, there’s going to be outside pressure from their fan base, and rightfully so.

Bills fans put up with mediocrity at the hands of the New England Patriots for nearly two decades. Now, the tables have turned. The Bills have a chance to sink the Pats for the first time in a long time… and really, really sink them.

But even with New England’s struggles, there’s always some added intrigue when a divisional foe pops up on your schedule.

With that, here are seven things to watch for and a prediction ahead of Week 8’s Bills-Patriots contest:

Who Bills’ Jon Feliciano says he owes a donut to

Buffalo Bills Jon Feliciano said he owes donuts ahead of New England Patriots in Week 8.

Offensive lineman Jon Feliciano is excited to get back on the field with his team and he’ll do so potentially on Sunday when Buffalo (5-2) hosts the New England Patriots (2-4).

But before doing so, Tim Hortons better stock up.

Feliciano is returning from a pretty brutal pectoral injury he suffered this offseason. It was an injury many speculated that would cause him to miss an extensive time when suffered in July, but the 28-year-old wanted to be back as soon as possible… or perhaps he just wanted a shot at his former team in the Raiders in Week 4. That game was the soonest he could come off Buffalo’s injured reserve list. Instead, he’s only coming back now.

The truth probably sits somewhere in between there, but on Thursday while chatting via video conference, Feliciano said that he was inching to get back out on the field for awhile. In doing so, Feliciano, reflecting back, admitted that he was a pain to the Bills’ training staff and probably his wife as well.

“I owe those guys some donuts and some food… because they dealt with a lot. They did a great job… the Raider game, it was a bad week to be around me and with the Monday night game against KC (Kansas City),” Feliciano said. “Those two weeks… they deserve their money.”

Now that the dust is settled and Feliciano has officially come off of IR… nobody knows his body better than him, and he’s feeling better than ever.

“Credit to the trainers and the coaching staff… they didn’t really rush me back. You know me, I was trying to get activated weeks before they did activate me and thankfully they didn’t listen to me. They kept me safe,” Feliciano said, “Two weeks ago, I wasn’t ready. I think the coaches and the training staff helped me realize that and then having a plan of how to get my strength back fast and conditioning up.”

Last season, Feliciano signed a two-year deal with the Bills as part of the team’s massive overhaul in the trenches on offense. He won the starting right guard spot and didn’t look back, playing in all 16 games with Buffalo in 2019.

Fast forward to present day and Feliciano went from unknown a year ago to a player that folks are dying to get back in the team’s lineup. A big reason some expect Feliciano to be a welcomed addition has to do with the running game. Buffalo is currently averaging 97 yards per game on the ground, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.

According to Pro Football Focus, Feliciano graded out at 63.1 overall in his first season with the Bills. That’s only their average category. But hey, that’s a lot better than what the team has gotten from replacements Cody Ford and Brian Winters, so it’s possible that Feliciano returning could actually be huge.

If that’s the case, the main beneficiary would be running back Devin Singletary. He’s taken the bulk of the load in the backfield for the Bills this season even when rookie Zack Moss is healthy, but things haven’t gone exactly perfectly.

Singletary is sounding happy to get Feliciano back this week, so if that means anything, it could be a sign of good things to come for the Bills.

“I have a lot of chemistry with Jon,” Singletary said. “He brings that attitude when he’s in the game and he’s in kill-mode all the time.”

[lawrence-related id=72265,72151,72148,72254]

Fantasy Football Targets, Touches & TDs: Week 8

Assessing statistical accomplishments of the top players in fantasy football scoring.

Believe it or not — and ready or not — we’ve just surpassed the midpoint of the fantasy football regular season.

Somehow we’ve made it with minimal COVID-19 disruption, and we can only hope that continues.

In the meantime, there have been the usual surprises, disappointments, and revealing statistics compiled through seven weeks of action so far, so let’s share a moment to take stock in how fantasy 2020 has played out so far. Following are three surprise players, three disappointing players and a trio of telling stats for each of the four main fantasy positions.

To be considered here, players must have played in a minimum of four games, so that automatically weeds out many of the one-week wonders and myriad players who have been curtailed by injury and weren’t going to be considered for those reasons here in any case.

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

That established, here goes, starting with …

Quarterback

Surprises

  • Justin Herbert — Many, including the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaching staff in early September, weren’t even planning on the rookie sixth-overall pick playing much in the first half of the season, but here he is — one Tyrod Taylor punctured lung and Herbert five starts later — ranking fourth at the position with an average of 29.8 fantasy points per game. Herbert has thrown for at least 330 yards or had multiple TDs in each of his five starts, including 413 total yards (team-best 66 yards rushing) and four total TDs Sunday.
  • Ryan Tannehill — Going by his preseason QB average draft position of 20, most viewed his eye-popping 2019 second-half fantasy run as nothing more than a flash in the pan, but the Tennessee Titans’ quarterback ranks 10th with 25.2 fantasy points per contest and has accounted for 16 total TDs and only two interceptions in six games.
  • Derek Carr — The Las Vegas Raiders’ QB was a afterthought in most fantasy drafts with a positional ADP of 25, but he comes out of Week 7, ranking 12th with an average of 23.9 fantasy points — just ahead of some bloke named Lamar Jackson. Carr hasn’t been spectacular, but he’s had at least two scoring passes and 22.1 fantasy points in each of his last five outings.

Disappointments

  • Lamar Jackson — Averaging 23.9 fantasy points per outing isn’t all that shabby, but that’s not why you bypassed some talented running backs and wide receivers and drafted a quarterback in the second round. The Baltimore Ravens’ signal caller is getting it done again on the ground (346 yards, 2 TDs) but is averaging only 189.2 passing yards (28th among QBs) and is on pace to throw 27 TD passes after leading the league with 36 a season ago.
  • Matt Ryan — The Atlanta Falcons QB was drafted seventh overall at the position this summer, but currently ranks 17th with an average of 22.9 fantasy points. After a hot start, he’s had 20.9 fantasy points or fewer in four of his last five games.
  • Daniel Jones — With a QB ADP of 14, big things were expected from the New York Giants’ sophomore, but he ranks 29th with an average of only 17.2 fantasy points. Turnovers have been a killer once again as he had 12 (seven interceptions, five fumbles) in seven games.

Telling stats

  • Each of the current top 12 quarterbacks in fantasy scoring has at totaled at least 12.9 points on the ground this season, except one. And that’s No. 8 Aaron Rodgers with 45 yards and no TDs on eight rushes.
  • The three QBs with at least 20 total TDs have gotten there via differing routes. The Seattle Sawhawks’ Russell Wilson leads the way with 22 scores, all through the air, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ ageless Tom Brady has 18 passing TDs and two rushing scores and Arizona Cardinals sophomore Kyler Murray has 13 TDs via the air and a position-best seven rushing scores.
  • How badly has New England Patriots QB Cam Newton struggled as a passer? A whopping 54.4 of his 110.8 total fantasy points (49.1 percent) in five games have come via his legs (244 rushing yards, 5 TDs). Newton ranks 19th at the position with a 22.2-fantasy point average.

Running back

Surprises

  • James Robinson — Undrafted out of FCS Illinois State and unselected in many fantasy drafts (ADP of 55 among RBs), Robinson won the Jacksonville Jaguars’ starting gig in the preseason and ranks sixth at the position with 19.1 fantasy points per contest. He’s tied for fourth among backs with 27 receptions, is third with 225 receiving yards and has reached double digits in fantasy points in each of his seven games while dominating the Jags’ RB touches (85.4 percent)
  • Chris Carson — This Seattle stud was limited to only 15 snaps (and 5.1 fantasy points) Sunday night after coming out due to a foot sprain, but he had put up at least 19.8 fantasy points in four of his first five games and still ranks eighth at the position with 17.5 points per outing. Not bad for the 20th overall running back drafted on average this summer.
  • Mike Davis — He’s coming off his two worst games (13.5 and 8.6 fantasy points) of the season, but he tallied at least 15.5 points in his first four games while stepping in for the Carolina Panthers’ injured Christian McCaffrey in Week 2. And like CMC, Davis has been a revelation as a pass-catcher, snaring 37-of-41 targets for 233 yards and a pair of TDs.

Disappointments

  • Kenyan Drake — Drafted as the 14th running back overall on average, the Cardinals’ Drake is currently 27th with a 12.2-fantasy-point average. A third of his 85.1 fantasy points came in Week 6 against the defenseless Cowboys — his only outing with more than 14.5 points this season — and now he’s dealing with an ankle injury that is expected to sideline him at least a few games.
  • Devin Singletary — It isn’t just that the Buffalo Bills’ second-year back is slightly underperforming his No. 26 RB ADP (32nd with 10.3 fantasy points per game), it’s the uninspiring way Singletary has gotten there with only two games with more than 10.3 points, a 3.8-yards-per-carry average and only one TD on 99 total touches.
  • Clyde Edwards-Helaire — Sure, the rookie is averaging a solid 15.5 fantasy points with at least 11 in every game and ranks third in RB opportunities (rushes plus targets) with 150, but consider that CEH the only back drafted among the top 10 (seventh overall) at the position who currently ranks outside of the top 12 (19th overall). A lack of TDs (2 in 7 games) has been the biggest issue, and now Le’Veon Bell is in K.C. to cut into the workload.

Telling stats

  • New Orleans Saints stud RB Alvin Kamara not only leads all backs with 53 targets and 43 receptions, his position-best 460 receiving yards is nearly double the total of the next closest running back (Davis’ 233 yards).
  • Of the nine players tied for the league touchdown lead with seven scores apiece, six are running backs: Derrick Henry (7 rushing), Todd Gurley (7 rushing), Dalvin Cook (7 rushing), Aaron Jones (5 rushing, 2 receiving), Kamara (4 rushing, 3 receiving) and Kareem Hunt (3 rushing, RB-most 4 receiving).
  • The league’s two most dynamic running backs in terms of yards per touch — the San Francisco 49ers’ Raheem Mostert (7.3 yards) and Arizona No. 2 back Chase Edmonds (7.4) — have been limited to 62 and 55 touches, respectively, due to health issues (Mostert playing only 24.3 percent of the Niners’ offensive snaps) and role (Edmonds’ 55 touches to Drake’s 126).

 Wide receiver

Surprises

  • A.J. Brown — This second-year Tennessee wideout has missed two of the Titans’ six games due to a bruised knee, but he’s been a terror since returning in Week 5, totaling 71.3 fantasy points (18 receptions for 293 yards and 4 TDs). Brown, who had a preseason wide receiver ADP of 17, ranks fourth at the position with 20.1-fantasy-point average.
  • Robby Anderson — This Carolina offseason signing failed to register on the fantasy radar with his positional ADP of 63, but he’s currently tied for 13th at the position with Tyreek Hill with an average of 16.6 fantasy points. While he only has one scoring grab so far in seven games, Anderson has shown he’s much more than just a deep threat, ranking fifth in receptions (46) on 59 targets and trailing only the Cards’ DeAndre Hopkins (704) with 640 receiving yards.
  • Travis Fulgham — With 23 catches for 357 yards and three TDs in four games (seventh among wide receivers with an average of 19.2 fantasy points), this Philly wideout has been one of the waiver-wire finds of the season — in both fantasy and reality. He’s simply been a godsend for an injury-ravaged and underperforming Eagles’ pass-catching corps.

Disappointments

  • Odell Beckham Jr. — Sadly, OBJ’s season is now done after suffering a torn ACL Sunday in Cincinnati, but he was already falling well short of his WR ADP of 10 with an average of only 12.3 fantasy points (38th among wideouts) before the injury. And 38.4 of his points, including a 50-yard rushing score, came in one blowup in Week 4 (against the Cowboys, of course).
  • Mike Evans — Drafted seventh among wideouts, Evans ranks 30th with a 13.3-fantasy point average. He has snared six scoring passes, but he’s caught only caught 19-of-33 targets in seven games apart from those TDs and his 12.7 yards-per-catch average is down nearly five yards from his 2019 average of 17.3. And just when you think it couldn’t get worse for Evans, Antonio Brown has signed to further muddle the Bucs’ wide receiver mix.
  • JuJu Smith-Schuster — JSS, with a WR ADP of 11, leads the Pittsburgh Steelers in targets (42) and receptions (32), but they’ve only amounted to 279 yards (8.7 per catch) and 77.9 fantasy points (13 per game). That ranks him 31st at the position and essentially third on his own team behind rookie Chase Claypool (14.9) and injury-addled sophomore Diontae Johnson (13.0).

Telling stats

  • Among wideouts with at least 25 targets, Claypool and fellow rookie Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings are the only pass catchers averaging more than 12.1 yards per target at 13.3 and 14.9, respectively.
  • Speaking of productive Vikings wide receivers, veteran Adam Thielen leads the league in red zone efficiency, catching all eight of his targets for a league-most six TDs, according to ProFootballReference.com.
  • The Atlanta Falcons’ Calvin Ridley continues to lead the league in total air yards on receptions with 517 (on 40 catches). Among players with at least 20 receptions, only DK Metcalf (15.8), Kenny Golladay (15.0), Darius Slayton (13.4) and Scotty Miller (13.1) are averaging more air yards per catch than Ridley’s 12.9.

Tight end

Surprises

  • Jonnu Smith — He’s struggled the last two weeks with a combined two catches for 22 yards while battling an ankle issue, but the Tennessee tight end Titan still ranks fourth at the position with an average of 12.4 fantasy points. He’s also tied for the tight end lead with five scoring grabs.
  • T.J. Hockenson — The Detroit Lions tight end is looking like he’ll deliver on his second-year promise as he ranks sixth at the position with 11.9 fantasy points per game. He’s caught a TD pass in four of six contests this season, including the game-winning 11-yard score on the final play Sunday in Atlanta.
  • Robert Tonyan — The Green Bay Packers have long been searching for a reliable tight end, and Tonyan just may fill the bill. He’s off to solid start, anyway, despite only 18 total receptions, with touchdown receptions in three of six games, which ties him for the position lead with Smith, Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews.

Disappointments

  • Zach Ertz — To no one’s surprise, the Philadelphia Eagles tight end is tied for third at the position with 45 targets but has caught only 24 of them for 178 yards, which ranks 25th among tight ends. Overall, Ertz ranks 23rd with only 8.0 fantasy points per contest and is currently on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain suffered in Week 6.
  • Evan Engram — He was the sixth tight end off the board on average in preseason drafts, but he’s the 24th-ranked tight end (7.9 fantasy points per game) coming out of Week 7. He’s averaging a career-low 8.6 yards per catch and is the only current top-30 tight end without a TD grab.
  • Austin Hooper — The Cleveland Browns’ offseason acquisition, currently recovering from last week’s appendectomy, was drafted to be a top-12 fantasy tight end, but he currently ranks 22nd with only 8.1 fantasy points per game. And that’s even after putting up double-digit fantasy point performances in his last three contests prior to his surgery.

Telling stats

  • Five tight ends — Kelce (56), Darren Waller (56), George Kittle (45), Ertz (45) and Smith (33) — currently lead their respective teams in targets.
  • The Miami Dolphins’ Mike Gesicki paces the position in yards per reception (15.6). The Houston Texans’ Darren Fells (14.6) and the Saints’ Jared Cook (14.1) are the only other tight ends averaging more than 14 yards per catch.
  • On the flip side, Waller (8.6), Engram (8.6) and Ertz (7.4) are the only tight ends averaging fewer than nine yards per catch.