Week 4 Studs & Duds
We are four weeks into the 2022 fantasy season, and it is safe to say that we, like John Snow, know literally nothing. Today we have a list of studs and duds from this week, so far. Some of the names on this list are surprising, to say the least.
Quarterback Studs
Jared Goff -380 passing yards - 4 Touchdowns
Goff came into this matchup missing both his WR 1 & WR 2, as well as DeAndre Swift. Despite the lack of weapons, he put up one of the absolute best performances of his career and sits at QB1 for the week going into Monday Night Football.
Geno Smith -320 Passing Yards - 2 Touchdowns - 49 Rushing Yards - 1 Touchdown
Geno was on fire this week. This was his second consecutive game with over 300 passing yards. Coming into this season he had 3 such games in his career. Impressive showing against a beatable Lions defense in this one.
Tom Brady -350 Passing Yards - 3 Touchdowns
After an awful start to this season, it’s reassuring to see Brady have a great game in prime time. It was a come-from-behind effort that dictated his passing volume.
Russell Wilson - QB4 - 237 Passing Yards - 2 Touchdowns - 29 Rushing Yards - 1 Touchdown
Russ has been off to a slow start. He finally got cooking in this one, sitting at QB4 as of now. A start of the week candidate for us in this one.
Quarterback Duds
Trevor Lawrence - 174 Passing Yards - 2 Touchdowns - 4 Fumbles Lost
This was a tough outing for the Jaguars as a whole. Playing against an elite Philadelphia defense knocked the Jags back down to earth. Four fumbles lost on the day is a wild stat.
Baker Mayfield - 197 Passing Yards - 1 Touchdown - 2 Interceptions - 1 Fumble Lost
Baker does not look like an NFL quarterback. I was hopeful that he could bring some juice to D.J. Moore and the Panther’s offense. That hasn’t been the case yet this season.
Carson Wentz - 170 Passing Yards - 1 Touchdown - 2 Interceptions
Wentz came out on a tear to start this season. He is just too reckless with the ball to be a consistent fantasy option. This was a dud of a game for him, something he is prone to week in and week out.
Running Back Studs
Austin Ekeler - 60 Rushing Yards - 50 Receiving Yards - 3 Touchdowns
Another one of our starts of the week, Ekeler was off to a terrible start to the season coming into week 4. He turned things around in this one, averaging positive yards per carry on the ground and finding the endzone three times. He is still on the elite end of talent at the running back position and seemingly has broken his slump.
Josh Jacobs - 144 Rushing Yards - 31 Receiving Yards - 2 Touchdowns
Jacobs put up more fantasy points in this game than he did in weeks 1-3 combined. His usage in the passing game is on the rise, and he seems locked into a huge workload in a Raiders offense that is struggling to get going through the air.
Rashaad Penny - 151 Rushing Yards - 2 Touchdowns
We called for a big game on the ground for Seattle. We thought Ken Walker would get some play too, but Penny dominated. He looked like he did to finish last season, exploding for big runs all day long.
Dameon Pierce - 131 Rushing Yards - 1 Touchdown - 6 Receptions
Pierce looked great running the ball, and his usage in the passing game is encouraging for his rest of season outlook. He looks like the league winner we thought he could be in the preseason.
Running Back Duds
Jonathan Taylor - 42 Yards - 1 Fumble Lost
This marks the thirst week in a row that JT has looked absolutely dreadful. He is running into a wall on every play. The hope is that the coaching staff can find a way to get him the ball in space, assuming his ankle is okay for the foreseeable future.
Javonte Williams - 28 Rushing Yards - 1 Reception
Javonte went down in the third quarter with a knee injury. He was off to a poor start as it is. Here’s hoping he is able to be back on the field soon.
James Robinson - 29 Rushing Yards & Travis Etienne - 32 Rushing Yards
Both Jaguars' backs let down fantasy managers. Neither recorded a reception in this one, and they combined for 61 rushing yards. A brutal week on the ground.
Wide Receiver Studs
Justin Jefferson - 10 Receptions - 147 Yards - 1 Rushing Touchdown
Jefferson made a huge comeback across the pond this week. After two down weeks in a row, he showed why he is one of the alpha receivers in the league.
Mike Evans - 8 Receptions - 103 Yards - 2 Touchdowns
Getting Godwin and Julio back out on the field seemed to open up opportunities for Evans. Playing from behind in this one, #13 showed why he is one of the top red zone threats in the league.
Tee Higgins - 7 Receptions - 124 Yards - 1 Touchdown
Tee Higgins is often overlooked, playing opposite of Ja’Marr Chase. He dominated this week and showed why the Bengals arguably have the best receiving tandem in the league.
D.K. Metcalf - 7 Receptions - 149 Yards
D.K. didn’t score in this one, but only missed the endzone by a few yards on a long play in the first half. Metcalf dominated the secondary all game and proved why he should be a top target in the league. Look for Geno to gain some confidence after this monster performance for Seattle.
Wide Receiver Duds
Amari Cooper - 1 Reception - 9 Yards
Cooper just earned the trust of fantasy managers after a few solid weeks in a row. On paper, a juicy matchup vs. Atlanta really let down fantasy players. This could be a buy-low opportunity.
Gabe Davis - 1 Reception - 13 Yards
Davis was one of the biggest risers this offseason. He is a touchdown monster but has never been a consistent playmaker. The Bills offense overall struggled in this one. Davis is worth plugging into your lineup for the upside alone.
Devonta Smith - 3 Receptions - 17 Yards
Crashing back to earth in this one, Smith had a minimal role for the Eagles. The run game dominated in this one. On such a high-powered offense with a great defense, this will happen for Smith this season. He’s a boom-bust player, who busted this week.
Tight End Studs
T.J. Hockenson - 8 Receptions - 179 Yards - 2 Touchdowns - 1 2 PT Conversion
The last man standing for the passing attack in Detroit, Hockenson delivered. An absolutely massive game in this one. He finished Sunday as the #1 scoring flex play in PPR leagues. Another one of our starts of the week!
Mo Alie-Cox - 6 Receptions - 85 Yards - 2 Touchdowns
For a second consecutive week, a tight end for the Indianapolis Colts scored two touchdowns. Unfortunately, it was a different tight end each week. Great performance, but not one to chase for fantasy managers. The offense is sub-par and the usage is unpredictable.
Tight End Duds
Darren Waller - 3 Receptions - 24 Yards
Two straight dud games for Waller, who has been disappointing all season. The Raiders are struggling to get going through the air, and Waller will be tough to trust until he proves something on the field.
Kyle Pitts - 1 Reception - 25 Yards
A perennial dud performer, Pitts put up another stinker. With all the talent in the world, it is mind-boggling to see such low usage for a player with his on field ability. We always knew Arthur Smith was inflated as a play caller due to Derrick Henry. We didn’t know how badly this guy stinks until he came to Atlanta. Hopefully, someone realizes they need to find ways to get Pitts the ball in space, ASAP!