Spooky Season Starts
On the eerie eve of Sunday, October 1st, we stepped into the enchanting realm of “Spooky Season,” the bewitching month of October. As neighbors metamorphose their homes with towering twelve-foot lawn skeletons, drape their houses in intricate spiderwebs, and transform pumpkins into mystical lanterns, another kind of unearthly dread haunts those who find themselves cursed with disheartening fantasy football records of 0-4 or 1-3. The specter of embarrassment and heightened insecurity can manifest when your fantasy team stumbles from the starting line. Fear not, for these spine-chilling week-winning stats stand ready to exorcize the malevolent fantasy spirits that prowl within your league’s haunted grounds.
Alvin Kamara touched the ball 24 times in his first game back from suspension, including 13 receptions
This past week, the Saints leaned heavily on Kamara as their RB1 and de facto WR1 with Derek Carr limited due to an AC sprain. While Kamara did earn 14 targets and caught 13, he set an NFL record for fewest receiving yards with 13 or more receptions (33 yards). We should expect similar usage for Kamara in Week 5 against the New England Patriots, with Jamaal Williams on IR and Kendre Miller still working his way into the Saints offense. 20 or more touches automatically puts Kamara into high-end RB2 status. Only Christian McCaffrey earned more Red Zone targets among RBs in Week 4, and with those high value touches comes TD variance in favor of Kamara.
Nico Collins leads all WRs in Yards After Catch (YAC) and YAC/Reception among WRs with 10-Plus targets
Nico Collins and CJ Stroud have hooked up for massive games to begin the season. And the production has not been manufactured by dink-and-dunk plays. Collins’ Average Depth of Target is No. 34 of 97 qualified WRs, meaning that not only is he running routes downfield, he’s also getting open enough and utilizing an impressive 33-percent Juke Rate to make defenders miss. Collins isn’t getting sizable separation or cushion, ranking No. 34 and No. 41 among receivers – which is a testament to his ability to make plays after the catch. Continue to start Collins as a WR2.
Missed tackles forced per reception
[WRs, min. 5 receptions, Weeks 1-4, @FantasyPtsData]I've caught at least some of all but Collins, does he look this good?
1. Nico Collins (0.50)
2. Deebo Samuel (0.47)
3. Demario Douglas (0.44)
4. Kadarius Toney (0.44)
5. Zay Flowers (0.42)…— Ryan Heath (@RyanJ_Heath) October 4, 2023
Jonnu Smith played 96-percent of snaps either in the slot or out wide in Week 4, the most among all TEs
Ignoring Jonnu Smith‘s usage in Arthur Smith’s Atlanta Falcons offense would be folly in a tight end wasteland. Smith averaged 6.7 targets per game over his last three games, and increased his Route Participation each of the last three weeks. The Falcons are reportedly still concerned about Kyle Pitts‘ knee as a result of the MCL injury he suffered last year, and integrating Smith more into the offense is a sign of that leaning. If you were starting David Njoku, Noah Fant, or Gerald Everett, consider Smith as a bye week fill-in TE streamer.
Wicked Week 5 Byes and Beyond
As the moon casts its eerie glow over your fantasy football league, your quest for fantasy glory continues into Week 5. The Chargers, Buccaneers, Seahawks, and Browns may be on bye, but fear not, you are armed with knowledge to navigate this treacherous fantasy landscape. Embrace the supernatural guidance of these week-winning insights as we journey deeper into this spooky fantasy season.
