In 1999, teammates Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison combined for 3,806 offensive yards, accounting for 65% of the Colts' total offense. Their average age was 24.
Scanned most of the past 30 years last night. Couldn't find RB-WR that matched or exceeded the historic James-Harrison combo. Some have come relatively close, such as Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, who produced 58% of the 2014 Steelers' offense yards. Their average age also was 24. Christian McCaffrey (age 23) and DJ Moore (22) collected 61% of the 2019 Panthers' offensive yards.
But thru Week 6, the duo of Bijan Robinson and Drake London have amassed 64% of the Falcons' offensive yards. London's 24; Robinson's turning 24 later this season.
It doesn't matter whether a QB is Peyton Manning or Michael Penix. I mean, it does, but when it comes to fantasy, it's not as much as one might think. Robinson's the RB1 at 24.8 points per game. London's hovering around the top 10-12 with 17.1 per game, thanks in part to a 180-target season pace. Talent matters. *Concentrated* talent really matters. Robinson and London are Atlanta's unquestioned offensive focal points.
That degree of concentrated talent has elevated other teammates. And by season's end, particularly if Penix can take his game to the next level, the Robinson-London combo might be one of the best ever -- both in fantasy and on the field.
Buffalo's fantasy offense is entirely different. The normally elite Josh Allen struggled -- something we see maybe three times a year. It's already happened, twice, and interestingly both were road games. His two single-digits outings last season were on the road. His fantasy playoff schedule is @Patriots, @Browns, and the Eagles. Something to keep in mind . . .
Meanwhile, James Cook lacks Robinson's target share and has struggled to produce if he doesn't score. Five touchdowns in his first four contests made him seemingly untouchable. Now we're seeing what happens when he doesn't reach the end zone.
And despite Dalton Kincaid absence, Buffalo's receiving corps is as confusing as ever. We can attribute much of that to Atlanta's defense. But Allen has thrown it only 132 times in their last five games. That clip would have made him last year's lowest-volume passer. If you have a "Should I start Khalil Shakir or Keon Coleman" question, there's no reasonable way to confidently answer it, at least not until/unless this offense transforms.
The later game was dramatic in its own way, with 2024's #1 and #2 overall draft picks facing off. Both Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels made mistakes, and yet both made fantasy managers happy. It remains unclear which one will be better this season, next season, or the rest of their careers. It's notable, though, that Williams continues to benefit from a huge collection of capable playmakers, while Daniels is missing his #1 and #3 WRs and has to compensate for the loss of his top two 2024 RBs, who combined for 55 catches. Despite the crushing defeat, Daniels still looks like the more impressive quarterback.
Through the air, Williams passed to DJ Moore four times in the first 12 minutes but only once in the final 48. When journeyman Olamide Zaccheaus is leading the team targets, everyone's fantasy ceilings take a hit. However, it's a good reminder that touchdowns sometimes blind us. In his first four games, Rome Odunze racked up five TDs on only 20 catches. Of course that's not sustainable, especially in a crowded receiving corps. Touchdowns don't anoint #1 receivers.
The ground games proved to be the difference. Entering last night, Chicago's D had yielded the second-most yards per carry (5.7). But they kept Jacory Croskey-Merritt in check in what "should" have been a prime opportunity for JCM to cement his bell cow status. As with James Cook, the rookie needs to score to be fantasy-relevant, as he simply doesn't (yet) do enough through the air.
Finally, the bye week worked wonders for D'Andre Swift, who I've given up on since the middle of last season. This was a throwback performance, and it should buy him more time as the 1A with Kyle Monangai looming.
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