Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
How does Week 4 utilization data impact fantasy value?
Fantasy football is driven by data, and reviewing key utilization statistics from Week 4 will help us evaluate what might be ahead in the foreseeable future. Now that a month is in the rearview, we’re able to get a better sense for any developing trends.
Latest status of fantasy football weapons who are on the mend entering Week 4.
This is a team-by-team review of any key fantasy football player injury news after this week’s practice activity and team statements. Only those players listed on the team’s official injury report will be addressed, unless the situation warrants further attention.
PLEASE NOTE: The NFL releases its final official injury report each Friday (approximately 5:30 p.m. ET). West Coast teams often report their injuries late and may not be included in the initial publication.
This week’s key game-time decisions: WR Marquise Brown, WR Deebo Samuel, QB Deshaun Watson, TE Tyler Higbee, RB Miles Sanders
ARIZONA CARDINALS
QB Kyler Murray (knee) is on the PUP as he recovers from a torn ACL. WR Marquise Brown (thumb) was limited Thursday and Friday and carries a questionable tag. RB James Conner (back) was limited Wednesday but a full-go Thursday and Friday. He’ll play.
ATLANTA FALCONS
RB Cordarrelle Patterson (thigh) was limited Thursday and Friday and will be questionable again.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
WR Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) and WR Rashod Bateman (hamstring) are out. RB Justice Hill (foot) graduated to a full practice Friday but is questionable. RB Gus Edwards (concussion) worked all week and will be good to go.
BUFFALO BILLS
No injuries of fantasy relevance.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
QB Bryce Young (ankle) worked all week and will return. RB Miles Sanders (groin) is questionable after limited work Wednesday and Thursday and no work Friday. WR Jonathan Mingo (concussion) also is questionable, but he had a full practice Friday. WR DJ Chark Jr. (hamstring) upgraded to a full practice Friday and will play.
CHICAGO BEARS
No injuries of fantasy relevance.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
QB Joe Burrow (calf) had full sessions all week and will play.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) was limited all week and draws the questionable tag. RB Jerome Ford was limited Wednesday and had full sessions the rest of the week. He doesn’t carry an injury tag. Nor does RB Kareem Hunt (ribs, groin), who was limited Thursday and Friday. TE David Njoku (face, arm) was added as questionable on Saturday after burning himself while lighting a backyard fire pit.
DALLAS COWBOYS
No injuries of fantasy relevance.
DENVER BRONCOS
WR Jerry Jeudy (knee) upgraded to a full session Friday after limited work the previous two days. He’ll play.
DETROIT LIONS – Played Thursday
RB David Montgomery (thigh) returned and ran wild with 32 carries for 121 yards and three scores.
GREEN BAY PACKERS – Played Thursday
RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) and WR Christian Watson (hamstring) returned for Week 4 and played 20 and 26 snaps, respectively.
HOUSTON TEXANS
No injuries of fantasy relevance.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
RB Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is on the PUP for one more week. QB Anthony Richardson (concussion) worked all week and appears ready to return.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
WR Zay Jones (knee) is out once again.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle), RB Isiah Pacheco (abdomen) and WR Justin Watson (ankle) practiced fully Friday and are off the report. WR Kadarius Toney (toe) was limited all week, but he’s good to go.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS
QB Jimmy Garoppolo (concussion) is questionable after limited work Thursday and Friday.
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
RB Austin Ekeler (ankle) is in danger of missing another game as he’s listed as doubtful. He worked in limited fashion all week. WR Keenan Allen (hip) also had limited work Friday, but he doesn’t carry an injury tag. TE Gerald Everett (illness) practiced Friday and is good to go.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) is on IR and hopes to return in Week 5. TE Tyler Higbee (Achilles) is questionable after upgrading to limited work Friday. WR Puka Nacua (oblique) had full sessions Thursday and Friday and will continue playing through the injury.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
WR Jaylen Waddle (concussion) came off the report after a full session Wednesday.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
No injuries of fantasy relevance.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
No injuries of fantasy relevance.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
QB Derek Carr (shoulder) is questionable, and the early reports are it would be a surprise if he played. He upgraded to limited work Friday.
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NEW YORK GIANTS – Monday night
RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) is listed as doubtful after Saturday’s practice.
NEW YORK JETS
RB Breece Hall (knee) and PK Greg Zuerlein (groin) had full sessions Thursday and Friday and will play.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
WR DeVonta Smith (illness) upgraded to limited work Friday but doesn’t carry an injury tag. RB Boston Scott (concussion) practiced all week and is good to go.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring) remains on IR with a hamstring injury. WR Allen Robinson (ankle) had a full session Friday and will play.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
RB Elijah Mitchell (knee) and WR Deebo Samuel (ribs, knee) are questionable. Mitchell didn’t practice Friday, but Samuel graduated to limited work. Mitchell may be on the wrong side of questionable, and Samuel may be a game-time call. WR Brandon Aiyuk (shoulder) was limited early in the week but practiced fully Friday and will play. WR Jauan Jennings (shin) is doubtful.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – Monday night
WR DK Metcalf (ribs) doesn’t have an injury designation.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
RB Chase Edmonds (knee) remains on IR.
TENNESSEE TITANS
WR Treylon Burks (knee) is out. WR DeAndre Hopkins (ankle) had a full practice Friday and will play.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
TE Logan Thomas (concussion) had full practices Thursday and Friday and is poised to return.
Will this TD-reliant veteran find the end zone in Week 4? His value depends on it.
Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start as a streamer. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as my favorite fantasy football gamble of the week.
The players chosen in this series are meant to be fliers for fantasy owners in desperate situations or willing to take an intentional risk. No player is intended to be a lineup lock for guaranteed results, hence the name of the series.
Tracking my 2023 predictions: 0-3-0
All-time record: 18-34-3
Win: Player produces ≥ 75% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >75% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected, leaves with an injury, or is ruled out after publishing
This year, we’ll also track the accuracy on a percentage basis to show relative results, since sometimes calling a player a loss doesn’t actually hurt gamers. An example would be if a projection narrowly falls short of the 75 percent threshold, the player is still of use in a lineup.
Not much to say about last week’s utter failure of a pick in Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams. It’s not that he played poorly, but the Miami Dolphins obliterated their opponent, which led to an abandonment of the running game. I’m a little surprised he didn’t see more targets, but all things Broncos stunk out loud.
Going back to the well against Miami … hopefully there’s something in the bucket when it reaches the surface this week. Tight end is one of the most volatile positions in fantasy, and Knox is overly reliant on finding the end zone. That’s a combination for an extra-risky recommendation, so this won’t be for the faint of heart.
Buffalo has sent only 11 total targets Knox’s direction in 2023. He has a mere seven catches and no more than 25 yards in any game, scoring once in Week 2. Knox current sits one target shy of rookie Dalton Kincaid, the team’s future at the position, but the rookie has just 9.3 PPR points as his high-water mark through three contests. The veteran has twice as many targets in the red zone, which is where Knox scored his lone TD.
Miami has given up the seventh-most fantasy points to the position in ’23, and that includes allowing 1.1 to all three Denver TEs last weekend. The majority of positional success has come from a pair of touchdowns in the first two games (Donald Parham and Hunter Henry), though we saw Mike Gesicki nab five passes for 33 yards in Week 2 for 19.3 percent of the total fantasy success.
While volume usually isn’t Knox’s game, he managed to post a 6-98-1 line in the 2022 Week 15 meeting, though his previous Week 3 trip to Miami was good for a lowly 6.5 points in PPR. These divisional foes played three times last season, including the Wild Card meeting in which Knox’s number was dialed five times, leading to 11 PPR points on a 3-20-1 day.
This one comes down to game script and the Dolphins having to stop Buffalo’s receiving corps. The Miami offense from last week would force the Bills into an all-hands-on-deck script. That’s not a reliable outlook given the strength of the Buffalo defense, and gamers considering Knox should be solely focused on a situational touchdown. He’s useless without one. Consider playing him only if you have someone like Kyle Pitts, Dalton Schultz, Dallas Goedert, Cole Kmet, or Pat Freiermuth as your drafted TE1.
My projection: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 44 yards, 1 TD (15.4 PPR points)
Talking NFL player news, fantasy football advice, DFS strategy and more!
In this episode, Steve and Harley bring you NFL news, DFS game selection, the how/why of missing on a player, and “DFS Pay-ups, Stay-aways and Value Plays.” So Huddle up, tune in, and get Blitzed!
Check out the top waiver-wire targets in fantasy football for Week 4.
Another wild week of fantasy football is now in the books as we near the conclusion of the first quarter of the 2023 season.
Through the first three weeks, the standings across fantasy leagues are beginning to take shape as are the narratives surrounding some of the biggest names in the game. Regardless of whether you’ve started 3-0 or 0-3, the waiver wire is arguably the most vital tool a manager can lean on.
Notably, this will be the final week without byes until Week 8.
We’ll be taking a look at the top available players rostered in Yahoo leagues, using the 75% rostered mark as the threshold. If you have any questions about prioritizing a certain player over another, don’t be afraid to hit me up on X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11). Your questions and comments are always welcome!
We also will be taking a look at some deeper players to stash and the top streaming options for the upcoming week.
Fantasy football waiver wire recommendations refer to 12-team league formats, unless specifically stated.
Check back for any updates throughout Monday and Tuesday as more injury news becomes available.
