Welcome in to the Week 4 edition of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to RB! This is the place where we talk all things running back streaming. Each week we discuss running back usage, matchups, and waiver opportunities to convert the least amount of capital into a playable running back position on your fantasy teams.
Unfortunately, Pittsburgh Mitch has looked too much like Chicago Mitch. Heading into Week 3, he was putting up 5.1 (No. 33) Yards Per Attempt and a -11.8 (No. 40) Expected Points Added. On Thursday, he threw for 204 yards against the Browns. This was less than Cleveland had given up to both Joe Flacco and Baker Mayfield in Weeks 1 and 2. With the Steelers now 1-2, and near the bottom of all offensive categories, those of us that drafted Pickett should get excited, right?
Week 3 was as ugly a fantasy week as we have seen all season, and coincidentally, this week’s waiver wire is also the worst we have seen. If they are available, there are some substantial additions like Romeo Doubs and Tyler Conklin, but for the most part, this is a week to clean up the bottom of your roster and make some smaller bids. Here is the Week 4 Waiver Wire Additions!
The worst part of our beloved game is the frequency of injuries. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of such a fast-paced, contact-heavy sport. It’s something that is important to remember as we approach the first full week of the preseason. Luckily for the NFL players, they have access to some of the best doctors in the world and can usually return to form at least by the next season. Unfortunately for us fantasy players, it’s not always easy to know when a player will get hurt. To another degree, sometimes your roster isn’t big enough to plan ahead for an injury. This series, the Infirmary Report, will give you advice on the injuries that have happened every week during the season. Without further ado, here are the injuries from Week 3 of regular season action.
Whether it be the dysfunction of the Giants offense or the competency of Rush’s quarterback play, the public is understandably undecided on a winner. The game’s meager game total is a culmination of the Prescott injury and both teams anchoring the league in points scored.
After two games, Curtis Samuel has 15 receptions (No. 5) on 20 targets (No. 14) for 133 yards (No. 23) and 2 TDs (No. 7). This has translated to 21.1 (No. 9) fantasy points per game. The Commanders’ current target leader and co-receiving leader gains a massive 49.41 Lifetime Value points to climb 25 spots to WR46.
In two games, Justin Fields has a total of 28 pass attempts (No. 33). To put this into perspective, 26 quarterbacks surpassed this total in Week 2 alone. Fields has an Accuracy Rating of 6.3 (No. 32) and a True Passer Rating of 42.3-percent (No. 32). The former Ohio State Buckeye drops 14.99 Lifetime Value points and three spots to land at QB16 on PlayerProfiler’s dynasty rankings.
Raise your hand if you have as many receptions this NFL season as Cole Kmet! Also, raise your hand if you had just as many receiving yards as Darnell Mooney last week. Congratulations! For reasons I’m unaware of, the Bears coaching staff has decided to abandon the notion of throwing the ball. Why? I don’t know. The Bears have thrown the ball 28 times through two games which is easily the lowest in the NFL.
On our Underdog slip, we sold high on Najee Harris’ rushing yards. This was thanks to eyeballing his injury report and a fear of Pittsburgh’s offensive line in a tough matchups against New England. Taking the under on popular players continues to be a valuable play in the player prop market. Harris never challenged his 55.5 rushing yard line in the game.
D.K. Metcalf is still top-30 in Target Share and Snap Share this season, but the Geno Smith-led Seahawks offense isn’t utilizing Metcalf optimally. Shepard is top-20 in Target Share and Air Yards Share. On top of that, he’s No. 33 in Yards Per Route Run. He currently leads the NFL in Target Separation Vs. Man and is the undisputed top option in the Giants’ passing offense.
Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season has come and gone. 16 more games have entered the history books. These are games from which we can pluck yet more valuable data regarding players and teams. One such data stream is the Pace of Play, which we began our weekly look at last week. Surely not much has changed over just a single week of action, I hear you say. Well, let’s take a look, shall we?
