The conclusion of week four has been wild. This is the week we fantasy owners can start to conclude which players can be busts and a complete waste of a draft pick. Or which players will be league winners and help you hoist that league trophy?
Week Four Busts
Number Five: Calvin Ridley
Yet again, another disappointing week from what was supposed to be a clear-cut wide receiver one. With only two targets as the main wide receiver on the team, it is already upsetting, but also only one red zone target, even though that resulted in a touchdown, and he caught both catches for 38 yards. Those stats are just so underwhelming and make every fantasy owner very upset, as he is barely getting the targets he deserves. If you are a fantasy owner, he just dropped to flex or maybe even trade bait, as his value still holds a bit. But again, this week, he only dropped 11.8 points, which is very frustrating. For me, though, watching Ridley in terms of fantasy, he needs his target rate to be up to one touchdown a week is fine. It’s just the limited targets that lead to fewer yards that get the other points. So, if his target rate does not increase, I would be in panic mode if you have Ridley.
Number Four: Tony Pollard
This one is very surprising because Tony Pollard has been producing very well, but this week, he didn’t show up whatsoever. He had 11 carries, which is solid, but he was only able to turn that into 47 yards, which is a little frustrating as his average yardage was only 4.3. Even though this is solid, you should expect better from such a high-level running back. He also had zero touchdowns because of no red zone touches, and this week, he only dropped 9.0 fantasy points. That’s the part that annoys me. You need your running back to touch the goal line, but Pollard did not receive any. I wouldn’t be too worried about Pollard, but this was definitely a shocker, as we all expected better from him. I think he will turn it back around in the previous weeks, so don’t put your head down just yet if you are a Pollard owner.
Number Three: TJ Hockenson
This one came as a surprise to all fantasy owners of TJ Hockenson; he has been the most consistent tight end through the first three weeks. But in week four, he absolutely sold for teams. Hockenson had three targets for two receptions and only 24 yards but with zero touchdowns and targets, which is a huge surprise, and was only 4.4 fantasy points. He has been Cousins’ favorite target in the red zone, and this week he disappeared. This one, again, is not to worry about because he will easily bounce back, but it was a terribly underperforming week for the most productive tight end in the league.
Number Two: Chris Olave
This performance by Olave was an absolute letdown. Last week, Olave had a 100-yard-plus game, but this week, he only had 4 yards on one catch, even though he was targeted six times. That would only count for 1.4 fantasy points. If I were a fantasy owner, I would be a little concerned because it shows that a high-level wide receiver wasn’t able to get open against a mid-defense. And only being able to catch one ball in six attempts is very pathetic. Olave needs to pick it up next week because on most fantasy teams, he has adapted into a wide recovery one role, and he needs to start showing it. But this week was a huge step backward for Olave and made all fantasy owners very upset.
Number One: Deebo Samuel
The worst bust of the week by far was Deebo Samuel. He only dropped 0.6 fantasy points, one of the worst days for a wide receiver in the fantasy world this year. In this game, he was not targeted once he picked up his very slight amount of points, all from rushing. This is awful; a wide receiver who is picking up his points in the backfield is not it. If this is what the 49ers are gonna start to use him, I would be worried. Deebo is not utilized in the area as a number one on this team right now, and it worries some. After this game, it seems like they are trying to figure out how they want to use him, and that’s not a good sight for fantasy owners because he was looked at as a high, wide receiver and now is turning into a struggle for all fantasy owners.
Top Performer
The top performer of the week was AJ Brown, with 38.5 points. He put on a monster performance against the Commanders. He had 13 targets for nine receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns. He absolutely dominated, making himself known that he could be the wide receiver in that Philly offense. If you are an owner of AJ Brown, I would be super happy. He is only going to trend upward after that monster game, and Hurts is only going to become more and more comfortable throwing to him. AJ Brown is slowly sliding into that conversation for 10 ten receivers. I would be super high on AJ Brown this year and value him super high because, after a performance like this, there’s no doubt AJ Brown is legit this year.
Player to Watch
Kyren Willimas, in my opinion, is a top-five running back right now in the league. He dropped 27.7 fantasy points this week, and that is normal for Williams so far this year in this Los Angeles offense. Kyren had 25 carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts. If you are a fantasy owner of him, be excited. He is the Ram’s all-purpose running back. They use him as a first-down back, a third-down back, a power back, and the red zone and goal-line back. He is used everywhere, no matter the situation, which is why he is so good for fantasy. He is the only player in that running back room and will continue to shine. If he is on the waiver wires, immediately pick him up. If he is on your team, keep him and start him, or value him super high in trades. He is catching up to Austin Ekeler’s level in fantasy if he puts on another 2-3 solid weeks. Kyren Willimas is a rising star and will only help your team.
Week four was very unpredictable, but we also saw some stars start to shine, that have been disappointing. There are also some players who can’t get out of the funk or are falling more into it and continue to be busts. We will keep you updated after week five with a new list of players. This week, however, take all the considerations into thought, and I hope these takes can help make some decisions for your team moving forward.
