It's Monday morning, and there's a lot to cover. Let's run down the most notable fantasy storyline for each team that played yesterday.
Jaguars -- In the last three weeks Christian Kirk has caught 23 of 32 targets, while Calvin Ridley has caught only seven of 17. While both were fantasy-relevant yesterday, Kirk is increasingly looking like Trevor Lawrence's rest-of-season #1 target.
Falcons -- When will we see Taylor Heinicke? Atlanta next has two home games versus the Texans and Commanders. If Desmond Ridder continues to look like a backup, I'd be shocked if Heinicke doesn't take over. Ridder's struggles have directly impacted Drake London's and Kyle Pitts' fantasy values. At this point, Heinicke couldn't do much worse.
Bills -- Stefon Diggs came up huge, which has become the norm. More interestingly, Dalton Kincaid was #2 on the team with five targets. His fantasy value continues to inch upward.
Dolphins -- Was yesterday the day De'Von Achane officially overtook Raheem Mostert in Miami's backfield? Some might argue it was the week before -- a game that he entered with one career carry. Either way, Achane has seized the moment, and Mostert's seemingly inevitable declining fantasy value has taken on a new sense of urgency.
Bears -- I committed to a Justin Fields rebound in a game that could decide Chicago's season. In fantasy, he came through. In reality, it was an unmitigated disaster -- a late-third-quarter 28-7 lead inexplicably squandered. Fields is one of the most polarizing QBs in fantasy. We're not going to see Nathan Peterman. But dynasty managers should consider the possibility that this franchise nabs their next franchise QB in next year's draft. The Bears have the draft capital (two likely early-first-round selections) to get it done.
Broncos -- A broken team became more broken when Javonte Williams exited early, and then somehow revived thanks to timely defensive plays, brilliant running by rookie Jaleel McLaughlin, and a nice performance by Russell Wilson. Awaiting this team are the Jets, Chiefs, Packers, and Chiefs again. Wilson still might be the biggest Denver bust since . . . well every other QB they've invested in during the post-Peyton-Manning era. But of course, the Wilson story is far bigger. Superflex managers should get Jarrett Stidham if you can. If the Broncos get burned by their upcoming schedule, Stidham could be starting by November.
Browns -- Well, I picked the Browns to win/cover on Friday night, on the assumption Deshaun Watson would be out there. Instead, rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson was thrown into a nearly unwinnable situation in his NFL debut. Notably, Jerome Ford remained somewhat relevant despite Kareem Hunt's increased usage. Not bad for a negative game script from (almost) start to finish. Ford is still the top guy in this backfield, at least for now.
Ravens -- I half-heartedly tried trading for Mark Andrews on Saturday, about an hour before a date night with my wife. The date went great, thanks for asking. Acquiring Andrews did not. In a packed receiving corps, the all-world TE is a situational playmaker. But in a corps missing two of its top three WRs, Andrews is always a must-start, elite-upside option.
Titans -- In week when I was competing against Derrick Henry, the future Hall-of-Famer finally came up big. (Hooray?) This is what managers were waiting for. And he's on pace for 334 touches. I don't believe it's sustainable, and I also believe Tennessee wants to make more room for Tyjae Spears.
Bengals -- Before my date night, I also half-heartedly tried to trade for Tee Higgins, believing he and the Bengals' offense would be decent or better versus a troubled Tennessee secondary. Instead, Cincy descended further into the abyss, while Higgins departed early with a rib injury. His status for next week's contest in Arizona is up in the air. This 1-3 team has almost no room for error, and it's now anyone's guess whether a healthy Higgins can be, at minimum, a reliable streamer.
Colts -- It was a blowout loss, until it wasn't. Credit Anthony Richardson, Zack Moss, and some tertiary offensive options for mounting an impressive late comeback. Fantasy-wise, with Jonathan Taylor's return on the horizon, it'll be fascinating to see what role Moss will play. Can he be a fantasy streamer as an 8-10 touch option? Or will Taylor dominate looks?
Rams -- I was completely wrong about Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua. Both dominated. We'll see how Cooper Kupp's impending return impacts the latter. For now, I will quietly remove myself from conversations about the Rams, because clearly I don't understand what's happening there.
Saints -- On Saturday, about two hours before my date night, I *also* half-heartedly put out feelers for Chris Olave. The first half said it all, with Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed combining for 12 of the team's 18 targets. That's not a recipe for success, though it sure made Kamara managers happy, as the veteran RB caught 13 balls . . . for 33 yards. As I've shared repeatedly, temper expectations with Kamara. Yesterday was a step in the right direction. But he won't be the offensive centerpiece every week, and Kendre Miller (and eventually, Jamaal Williams) loom.
Buccaneers -- Did I mention I also half-heartedly tried to trade for Chris Godwin? It was about 25 minutes before my date night. You must be wondering why I didn't spend that time getting ready, so that I could look my best for my wife. Well, I'll have you know that I showered earlier that day, and then changed my clothes and brushed my teeth again five minutes before leaving. Efficiency, people. Efficiency. As for Godwin, he was one of my favorite buy-low WRs, with the understanding that Mike Evans' (who exited the game with an injury) incredible start to the season was/is not sustainable. We'll see how Evans is doing later this week. But for now, Godwin's value is back where it belongs.
Eagles -- A couple weeks ago, I tried trading for A.J. Brown. Just like all of my opponents this season, this opponent wisely turned me down. As subscribers know, Brown was my overall-3rd-ranked player compared to an overall-12 ADP. I picked 10th in the draft. He went early. Dang it. What might have been. I predicted 1,600+ yards and 10+ touchdowns. He's on pace for 1,750 and 9. He just might finish as the overall WR1. He's officially left DeVonta Smith in the dust.
Commanders -- A week after Buffalo embarrassed him, Sam Howell did a little bit of everything, as Washington nearly knocked off Philly on the road. He has the personnel to be a top-14 QB. And with the Bears, Falcons, and Giants on deck, he could be a very serviceable bye-week streamer.
Panthers -- Invest in Chuba Hubbard. I shared this last week and am re-sharing it here. Miles Sanders looks spent, and while that offensive line isn't helping, Hubbard keeps looking better (though it's obviously all relative on this team).
Vikings -- There's so much to talk about with the recently winless Vikings. For now, I'm surprised/impressed that Alexander Mattison held off Cam Akers. Mattison was a buy-low option for me this preseason, and then a sell-high guy after the first week or two. I'm batting .500, which is nothing to be proud of. So I'll refrain from speaking further about a player I don't fully grasp. But I will say this: Minnesota's victory might help keep Kirk Cousins around a little longer. He's been floated as a potential midseason trade target. His departure could ravage the fantasy values of Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison, as well as every Vikings RB. More wins should produce more stability. But more losses could mean trouble.
Texans -- It was Nico Collins' turn. A week after many of us wondered if Tank Dell was the new #1 WR in Houston, Collins almost single-handedly vanquished Pittsburgh. I want to take a moment to highlight Houston's DST. Their preseason ADP was DST-31. As some of you know, I pushed them and the similarly overlooked Lions as my favorite bargains. The Texans are currently the DST13. Not too shabby, and certainly streamable in the right weeks.
Steelers -- Kenny Pickett's knee injury is the biggest story, but not the biggest *fantasy* story. Candidly, I don't see much difference between Pickett and Mitch Trubisky leading this offense. The more interesting angle is Najee Harris pushing his YPC to 4.3, while Jaylen Warren out-targeted him 6-2. This has been a rising trend since Week 1, with Harris looking better on the ground, and Warren getting more love (and certainly earning more love) through the air.
Chargers -- No skill player was knocked out for the season. Given the Chargers' terrible injury luck the past 20-or-so years, that's surely notable. Fantasy-wise, Joshua Palmer led the way with eight targets. While he didn't do much with it, his usage suggests he's still firmly ahead of Quentin Johnston on the depth chart.
Raiders -- Josh Jacobs! Patient fantasy managers finally earned their payday, while I slinked back to my couch and admitted defeat. It took four weeks, but Jacobs finally broke loose against a largely broken defense. While he continues to limp along on the ground, 25 touches is just what the doctor ordered. Perhaps the team doesn't care that he's netting only 2.7 YPC thru four games. But . . . keep an eye on Zamir White, especially if the Raiders find themselves 3-6 or worse by mid-November.
Cowboys -- Yes, I tried trading for the Cowboys DST this past week. My opponent was starting them, and I thought I could increase my odds of winning if I took them away. Like everyone else, this opponent was too savvy. Dallas's DST has now scored 78 points. For context, only four RBs have scored more. Of course, managers rostering individual Cowboys are feeling the pinch. For example, Dak Prescott is merely the QB20. There are sometimes costs to starting passing-game players on teams with elite defenses, especially when facing weak offenses.
Patriots -- Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe will start the Pats' next game. In fantasy, it might not matter. The bigger story is the collapse of Rhamondre Stevenson, who's simply not moving the chains. The good news is that Zeke Elliott is playing much better. However, it's fair to wonder how long New England will be patient with their starting RB. Three of their next four games are against the Saints, Bills, and Dolphins. Consider the implications of, say, a 2-6 Patriots squad making personnel decisions as they plan for 2024, knowing that next year will be the final year on Stevenson's rookie contract.
49ers -- I whiffed completely on Deebo Samuel, whose snap count was incredibly high, but whose usage was abysmal. But Deebo will be fine. More pressingly, we need to recognize that (a) CMC is the best fantasy RB, hands down, and (b) with 27 more touches on Sunday, he's now on pace for 417 -- and perhaps 475+ if they make a deep playoff run. Help. While managers love his production, there's an oncoming cliff. Either San Fran needs to slow things down, or CMC could be a huge risk by the fantasy playoffs.
Cardinals -- Rookie Michael Wilson is now on the fantasy map, and he might be one of the biggest waiver adds of the week. As it stands, I'd rather have Wilson than Marquise Brown. While that might sound bizarre, it comes down to who's more likely to be active in December and January when (or if) this team is completely out of the playoffs.
Jets -- Didn't someone say Zach Wilson would be benched during this game or replaced the following day? Yes, that was me. And when the Chiefs took a 17-0 lead in the opening frame, I patted myself on the back and went downstairs to grab a snack. Wilson remains a longshot to finish this season as the starter. That said, he proved he could hang against a pretty tough D. Is that a good sign for Garrett Wilson and the rest of this offense? Well, we'll postpone that discussion for another day.
Chiefs -- The Jets' D entered this contest yielding only 3.7 yards per carry. Isiah Pacheco blew up that average. I've had my doubts about whether he could hold off CEH. So far, he's doing it.