DraftKings Reignmakers | Week 5 NFL Breakdown
This NFL season, we are pleased to have partnered with DraftKings as a content provider, covering their exciting new NFT-powered fantasy football game, DK Reignmakers! Each week in this space, we will be breaking down the upcoming Reignmakers NFL slate. Be sure to check out our Fair Value Card Estimates and Contest EV tool as you build your lineups.
SUNDAY UPDATE
- Dak Prescott (thumb) has not been officially ruled out today, but his chances of actually playing appear slim. Cooper Rush will get the start for Dallas.
- Washington rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. is expected to be activated and play around 20 snaps today, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
- The Bears remain optimistic about David Montgomery’s (ankle) status.
- Russell Gage (back) was downgraded to “questionable” status on Saturday, but he’s expected to be on the field today while Julio Jones (knee) remains a game-time decision.
- Tee Higgins (groin) should be good to go against Baltimore.
- For the Lions, Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) will be a game-time decision today, while Josh Rerynolds (ankle) is expected to play.
FRIDAY UPDATE
- Kyle Pitts’ 2022 campaign continues to disappoint, and the second-year tight end has been ruled out for Week 5 with a hamstring injury. Pitts has actually been out-snapped by blocking tight end Parker Hesse over the last two games as Atlanta has deployed a run-heavy approach.
- Daniel Jones (knee) will play this week when the Giants take on the Packers in London. Jones has been limited in practice throughout the week, and will likely be playing at less than 100 percent. To make matters worse, backup QB Tyrod Taylor has not yet been cleared from the concussion protocol and has been declared out.
- Rookie Bailey Zappe will make his first career start for New England after filling in for Brian Hoyer (concussion) last week. Mac Jones (ankle) has not yet been officially ruled out, but it appears he will be available only as an emergency option if he is ultimately active. Zappe does not yet have a player card on Reignmakers.
- David Montgomery (ankle) is officially questionable to play in Week 5 and there is optimism that he may be able to return to action this weekend. Khalil Herbert has been excellent in Montgomery’s absence and it’s hard to know how the two backs may split the workload when both are healthy.
- Rashod Bateman (foot) has been ruled out for Week 5. Demarcus Robinson benefitted the most when Bateman was limited in action last week, and the team also signed Andy Isabella for depth at the position.
- Jameis Winston (back) is doubtful to play against the Seahawks and head coach Dennis Allen has declared Andy Dalton the Week 5 starter. Last week, Dalton threw for 236 passing yards with a touchdown against the Vikings while filling in for Winston.
- Alvin Kamara is listed questionable to play following his surprise Week 4 scratch. According to Luke Johnson of NOLA.com, Kamara is “intending to play.”
- Tee Higgins (ankle) is questionable after a week of limited practice sessions. Head coach Zac Taylor “feels positive” about Higgins’ outlook.
- CeeDee Lamb is also listed questionable to play with a groin injury this week. Yesterday, Lamb “said he was fine”, according to Calvin Watkins of Dallas Morning News.
- For Miami, Tyreek Hill (quad) and Jaylen Waddle (groin) are both listed questionable. Head coach Mike McDaniel said the team is ”hopeful” Hill will be able to play on Sunday. Waddle has been able to play through his groin injury in previous weeks and he feels likely to play again in Week 5.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) was able to get in a limited practice session today for the first time since suffering his injury in Week 3. He is officially questionable to play this weekend, while D’Andre Swift (shoulder/ankle) remains out for Detroit.
- Keenan Allen (hamstring) remains out for the Chargers.
WEEK 5 HEADLINES
- Jonathan Taylor (ankle) is uncertain to play on Thursday night. Phillip Lindsay, Nyheim Hines and Deon Jackson would fill in should Taylor be inactive.
- The Giants’ top two quarterbacks are dealing with injuries. Davis Webb is QB3.
- Teddy Bridgewater gets his first start of the season in relief of Tua Tagovailoa (concussion)
- Is Breece Hall here to stay as an RB1?
- The Kenny Pickett era is underway in Pittsburgh
- Injuries abound in Detroit/New England
Colts at Broncos, Thursday 8:15 PM ET
The Colts may be without Jonathan Taylor, who suffered a “low” ankle sprain in Week 4 and faces a short turnaround with Indianapolis playing on Thursday this week. Should Taylor be unable to go, it would likely be Phillip Lindsay and Deon Jackson picking up the early down work with Nyheim Hines sprinkled in.
Tight ends have now accounted for four of Matt Ryan’s touchdown passes on the season, with Mo Alie-Cox and rookie Jelani Woods reeling in two apiece. Cox tied Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce last week for the team lead in targets and he makes sense as a “take a peak” play in Deep Roster Formats (meaning if he plays well, you have a piece to build around and if he doesn’t and your team falls behind, you can swap lower upside cards into the rest of the lineup).
Week 4 could have gone better for the Broncos. Not only did they hand the Raiders – a divisional rival – their first win of the season, but they also lost star running back Javonte Williams for the rest of the season to a significant knee injury. Melvin Gordon seemed to be limited last week with a neck injury, but he should operate as the lead back moving forward assuming health. Mike Boone will help fill in touches and the team also signed Latavius Murray.
Jerry Jeudy has been disappointing overall, but he hit a 20 percent target share for the first time this season in Week 4. The floor prices of his cards are down sharply from the summer and he’s approaching buy territory for me, especially with Denver playing on a Showdown slate this week. Courtland Sutton has been the alpha in this offense all season, but he is appropriately priced up.
One final note to file away: rookie tight end Greg Dulcich (hamstring) has been targeting a Week 5 return since heading to IR before the season, and with Albert Okwuegbunam limited to a single snap in Week 4, Dulcich may have relevance right away assuming he is indeed activated before the game.
Best Buy: Jerry Jeudy ($8, $36, $334, $1,500, $5,999)
Giants at Packers, Sunday 9:30 AM ET
The Giants head to London to take on the Packers in a game that is Showdown eligible in Reignmakers. New York limps into the game with multiple key injuries on offense, starting at quarterback, where Daniel Jones is currently “day-to-day” with an ankle injury. Jones was forced from the game last Sunday, but then returned to action after backup QB Tyrod Taylor was knocked out of action with a concussion. At wide receiver, the team has lost Sterling Shepard (knee) for the season while the return timelines for Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) remain unclear. The only thing that seems certain at this point for the Giants is that Saquon Barkley is going to continue getting the ball.
The Packers needed overtime to defeat a Bailey Zappe-led Patriots team at home in Week 4, but they had perhaps their strongest offensive performance of the season so far. Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs have settled in as the team’s top two receivers, with each accounting for a 25 percent target share in Week 4. In the backfield, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon combined for 183 yards on the ground. There are strong options up and down the roster for Green Bay, but Aaron Rodgers is my favorite buy for this week. Rodgers is designated a SuperStar in Reignmakers, but as the only SuperStar on the Sunday morning Showdown slate, it’s a moot point this week. He’s currently the 18th-most expensive quarterback on the market.
Best Buy: Aaron Rodgers ($12, $48, $460, $2,000, $14,999)
Dolphins at Jets, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
The big story in Miami is the status of Tua Tagovailoa following his scary injury in Week 4. Tua has been diagnosed with a concussion and he has already been ruled out for Week 5. Teddy Bridgewater will get his first start of the season in Week 5 after throwing for 193 yards in relief of Tua last week.
Jaylen Waddle underperformed in Week 4, but he was also questionable with a groin injury leading into the game. On 10 days’ rest, Waddle should be closer to full health this week, though we will still have to see how Waddle performs with Bridgewater under center. In the backfield, Raheem Mostert may have finally established himself as the lead back after setting season highs in rush attempts (15) and snap share (72 percent).
The Jets’ youth movement was on full display in their Week 4 win over the Steelers. In Zach Wilson’s first start of the season, he threw for a touchdown and caught another as a receiver, while Breece Hall staked his claim on the backfield, accounting for season highs in rushing share (59 percent) and snap share (66 percent).
Corey Davis was Wilson’s favorite target on the day, though rookie Garrett Wilson trailed Davis by only one target. Elijah Moore has continued his disappointing 2022 campaign, finishing fifth in targets in Week 4. Moore has now posted a 12 percent target share in three-of-four Jets games this season.
Best Buy: Breece Hall ($6.69, $35, $290, $1,289, N/A)
Texans at Jaguars, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
Last week, Trevor Lawrence was held under 200 passing yards for the first time this season as Jacksonville was defeated by Philadelphia. Lawrence & Co. should get things back on track as touchdown favorites at home against Houston in Week 5. The problem in Week 4 for Jacksonville was a lower volume of plays on offense – the Jaguars entered the week averaging 72.3 offensive plays per game, but only mustered 47 against Philadelphia. In a more favorable offensive environment this weekend, I’d expect Jacksonville to regress back to their season average here. Against the Eagles, Travis Etienne out-snapped and out-targeted James Robinson while matching Robinson in carries as the backfield split in Jacksonville remains one to watch.
The Texans gave the Chargers a run for their money in Week 4 but ultimately continued their winless streak to begin the season. The big story here was rookie Dameon Pierce, who accounted for 100 percent of Houston’s rushing production, punctuated by a 75-yard touchdown run. Rostering running backs on bad teams can be a risky proposition, but Pierce certainly looks the part through four games. Brandin Cooks continues to lead the team in targets, but his target share has now fallen in every week of the season. That trend is concerning, but he still feels like a buy at his current prices.
Best Buy: Brandin Cooks ($3.75, $27, $348, $1,099, N/A)
Steelers at Bills, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
The Kenny Pickett era began in Week 4 for Pittsburgh after the rookie relieved starter Mitch Trubisky to begin the second half against the Jets. Pickett has already been declared QB1 for Week 5 by head coach Mike Tomlin. The rookie’s debut was a mixed bag, as he threw three interceptions, but also rushed for two touchdowns. George Pickens was the main beneficiary of the QB switch, turning eight targets into a 6-102-0 receiving line. Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool combined for only 11 yards and Najee Harris had a bland 74 scoreless yards on the ground.
Pittsburgh enters Week 5 as 9.5-point dogs to Buffalo and you’d assume the game script would favor the Steelers airing things out next Sunday. I’m willing to speculate throughout the Steelers offense, but I’m most interested in betting on a bounceback performance for Johnson, who had exceeded a 30 percent target share in each of the first three games before last week’s dud.
The Bills got back in the winning column in Week 4 against the Ravens in a game where offensive production was muted by weather and field conditions. I’m not reading too much into Josh Allen’s season-low 213 passing yards, although it may be time to sound the alarm on Gabe Davis, who has failed to get anything going since Week 1. To be fair, Davis has been questionable to play in each of the last three weeks with an ankle injury and it would be a positive sign to see him log a full practice session this week. Davis is not the only Bill who has been affected by an injury, unfortunately. Isaiah McKenzie left Week 4 with a head injury and Jamison Crowder has been placed on IR with a broken ankle. Should McKenzie miss time, rookie Khalil Shakir would become interesting. In the backfield, Devin Singletary logged a season high in rushing share (44 percent) while maintaining his involvement in the passing game (five targets).
Best Buy: Diontae Johnson ($4.25, $24.60, $369, $1,477, $5,910)
Chargers at Browns, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
The Chargers and Browns will clash in a Week 5 contest that opens the week with the third highest total (48.5) and Cleveland listed as a 3-point home dog. Amari Cooper disappointed last week with only nine yards receiving on four targets, while David Njoku led the way with 73 yards. Cooper had posted target shares of 37 percent and 35 percent heading into Week 4 and he’s probably a little underpriced in the Reignmakers Marketplace given his role. Nick Chubb continues to see a smaller workload than we’d expect from a typical workhorse back, but his efficiency and red zone usage leave him squarely in the RB1 conversation.
Another week of recovery seemed to do wonders for Justin Herbert, who struggled to a season-low 55.6 percent completion percentage in Week 3 following his rib fracture in Week 2. It was a different story in Week 4, as Herbert was able to complete 27-of-39 passes for a season-high 340 passing yards. Herbert even ran the ball four times (though those attempts went for negative yardage). I think we are still seeing an injury discount in the Reignmakers Marketplace, as Herbert is listed as the 14th-most expensive quarterback at the time of writing. It seems like only a matter of time before that corrects.
Mike Williams had a big week against the Texans with 120 receiving yards, and Keenan Allen’s (hamstring) return timeline remains unclear. Josh Palmer may be banged up too – he played a season-low 56 percent snap share in Week 4 and was seen getting his ankle taped during the game. I like the idea of buying Mike Williams here and holding through Week 6 when the Chargers will be Showdown-eligible with a Monday Night game against Denver.
Best Buy: Justin Herbert ($12.75, $40, $557, $2,450, $14,000)
Titans at Commanders, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
After starting the season with consecutive 300+ passing yard performances, Carson Wentz has now thrown for 211 and 170 yards in Weeks 3 and 4. Last week, rookie Jahan Dotson was the only receiver to post a usable fantasy week (3-43-1), but he left the game early with a hamstring injury that may keep him out of the lineup in Week 5. The usage continues to be there for Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin, but they’ll need Wentz to play better in order to re-enter the fantasy discussion. Antonio Gibson once again failed to impress on the ground, and Brian Robinson has a chance to make his debut in Week 5.
Last week, the Titans generated nearly as many yards rushing (127) and passing (137), and Tennessee will likely be content to lean on the rushing game yet again in Week 5 as a 2.5-point favorite, especially as the team prepares to be without Treylon Burks (toe). Derrick Henry has been surprisingly productive in the receiving game over the past two weeks, with 91 yards on 11 targets over the timeframe. As long as Henry remains active as a pass-catcher, his upside is as high as anyone.
Best Buy: Derrick Henry ($9.26, $24, $45, $499, $1,700)
Bears at Vikings, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
Now back stateside after a last-minute victory over the Saints in London, the Vikings are currently one touchdown favorites against the Bears in Week 5. Last week the receiving production came pretty much as expected, with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen accounting for 22 of Kirk Cousins’ 38 pass attempts and Dalvin Cook garnering a season-high 80 percent rushing share. Outside of Jefferson, the Vikings as a team feel underpriced in the Reignmakers Marketplace, particularly Cook who sets up favorably should the game script play out as the oddsmakers expect with Minnesota playing from ahead.
The Bears continued their struggles in the passing game last week, with Justin Fields throwing for only 174 scoreless yards. Want to know how bad things have been for Fields this season? Those 174 yards were actually a season high for the second-year QB. Darnell Mooney had a nice game with 94 yards, but it’s hard to recommend any passing game options for Chicago right now. Khalil Herbert totaled 101 scrimmage yards last week and he’ll remain in play as long as David Montgomery (ankle) is out of the lineup. Head coach Matt Eberflus had called Montgomery “day-to-day” last week.
Best Buy: Dalvin Cook ($7, $38, $399, $1,724, $8,499)
Falcons at Buccaneers, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
The Falcons beat the Browns 23-20 in Week 4 despite a disastrous performance from the passing game. Marcus Mariota was limited to only 139 passing yards with an interception and no receiver had more than two catches or 55 yards. Even more troubling was Kyle Pitts’ usage, as the tight end phenom was out-snapped by Parker Hesse 48-34. Hesse is known as a blocking tight end and the usage was likely gameplan specific, but there’s no way to feel good about rostering Pitts right now. Drake London, on the other hand, still commanded a 39 percent target share while hitting his season average snap share of 80 percent.
At running back, Cordarrelle Patterson left last week’s game and has been subsequently placed on IR with a knee injury. That opened the door for rookie Tyler Allgeier to rack up 84 rushing yards on only 10 carries, though it was Caleb Huntley who got into the endzone for Atlanta. As long as Patterson and Damien Williams (ribs) remain sidelined, the workload should be there for Allgeier, but the prices of his cards in the marketplace have already increased.
The Bucs are finally close to full strength after getting back Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Julio Jones last week. Both Evans and Godwin played their normal complements of snaps, while the team seemed to take a more cautious approach with Julio Jones, who was on the field only 28 percent of the time. That playing time came at the expense of Russell Gage, Cameron Brate and Scotty Miller, who all saw their snap shares decline sharply in Week 4.
Last week, Tampa Bay abandoned the running game, rushing the ball only six total times. Even more concerning for Leonard Fournette holders was that those six carries were split 50/50 between Fournette and rookie Rachaad White (who scored his first touchdown). It will be worth monitoring whether this was a one-week blip or the beginning of a trend for Fournette, who has been a volume-based RB1 over the past two seasons.
Best Buy: Chris Godwin ($5, $30, $344, $1,700, N/A)
Lions at Patriots, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
The Lions and Patriots are both fairly depleted entering Week 5. The Patriots finished Week 4 with their third-string quarterback (Bailey Zappe) under center while their top receiving option, Jakobi Meyers, missed his second straight game. To make matters worse, Jonnu Smith left last week’s game with a leg injury.
It’s hard to predict who will be under center for the Patriots in Week 5 at this point. Mac Jones is dealing with a high-ankle sprain, an injury that typically sidelines a player for multiple weeks, but the Patriots refused to rule out Jones until Friday of last week. Pending an official update from the team, I am considering Jones doubtful for this week’s contest. Backup Brian Hoyer suffered a head injury in Week 4 and his Week 5 availability will depend on whether or not he can clear the concussion protocol in time. That would leave either Zappe or Garrett Gilbert – who New England signed from its practice squad on Monday – in line to start this weekend. Against any other team, we could probably write off New England completely this week, but Detroit’s defense has been very generous to opposing offenses throughout the season and whichever Patriots players ultimately end up being active could have fantasy relevance. Regardless of who is under center, it seems likely that New England will once again lean on its run game with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson leading the way.
As for the Lions, this is a team we want to target every week in fantasy. The problem is that it’s tough to know which players will be on the field at this juncture. It seems likely that D’Andre Swift (shoulder) will miss his second straight game, as the team hinted last week that they would like to keep Swift sidelined through their Week 6 bye. Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) was unable to practice at all last week and his Week 5 status is unknown, while DJ Chark (ankle) was ruled out in Week 4 despite getting in a limited practice session on Friday.
Best Buy: Rhamondre Stevenson ($4.25, $22.50, $215, $799, $11,999)
Seahawks at Saints, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
After Seattle’s Week 4 fantasy bonanza, the Seahawks should fall back to earth in Week 5 against the Saints in a game with a mediocre 43-point game total. With that being said, it’s hard to argue with Geno Smith’s recent production following two consecutive 320+ passing yard performances. The wide receiver duo of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett have combined for over half of Geno’s targets this year, and both pass catchers still feel a little undervalued in the Reignmakers Marketplace. In the backfield, Rashaad Penny parlayed a season-high 17 carries into a 17-151-2 rushing line, although Penny’s rushing share (52 percent) was actually his second-lowest of the season as the team works rookie Kenny Walker into the offense.
Injuries at key positions proved too much for the Saints to overcome in Week 4 against the Vikings, and we’ll need to once again keep a close eye on practice reports coming out of New Orleans leading up to Week 5. Alvin Kamara (ribs) seemed to have a chance of playing last week, but he was ruled out shortly before the game after giving it a go in pregame warmups. Kamara has been limited in practice throughout the past two weeks and it would be nice to see him get in a full session this week. Neither Jameis Winston (back) nor Michael Thomas (toe) seemed particularly close to playing last week as neither player was able to practice in any capacity. With so much uncertainty, it’s hard to know where to go in this offense outside of rookie Chris Olave until we have more insight into the injury picture.
Best Buy: DK Metcalf ($5.90, $28, $320, $1,895, $8,000)
Eagles at Cardinals, Sunday 1:00 PM ET
The Eagles continued their undefeated start to the season by controlling the ball against the Jaguars in Week 4, out-snapping their opponent 82-47 on offense. A heavy ground attack resulted in Jalen Hurts registering only 204 passing yards, with most of that volume going to AJ Brown and Dallas Goedert. DeVonta Smith disappointed with only 17 yards, but I’m buying back in against the Cardinals. Miles Sanders has become a true workhorse back, out-carrying Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon 27-7 last week in Boston Scott’s absence. The market has remained a little gun-shy on Sanders, but it feels like that window won’t stay open for much longer.
The Cardinals will need more than the 207 passing yards they put up in Week 4 if they want to hang with the Eagles this weekend. So far, Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz have been the only reliable options in the passing game for Arizona. Rondale Moore made his season debut last week but was held to only seven total yards while DeAndre Hopkins’ return date remains a couple of games away. When Hopkins does return, I’d expect a market correction on Brown, making him a tough buy in the short term.
Ertz is not the most exciting option, but he’s probably undervalued in the marketplace, given the added utility given to tight ends in Deep Roster contests. James Conner is also still a value against his season-long projections, but he has been pretty bad through the first four weeks. I do like the idea of buying Kyler this week, ahead of Hopkins’ return. According to Statmuse, Murray has averaged around five more fantasy points per game when Hopkins is in the lineup.
Best Buy: Kyler Murray ($15, $65, $739, $2,900, $17,000)
49ers at Panthers, Sunday 4:05 PM ET
For the Panthers, there weren’t many positives to takeaway from last week’s 26-16 loss to the Cardinals beyond Christian McCaffrey’s performance. CMC was very questionable leading into the game with a thigh injury, but he looked no worse for the wear, compiling 108 total yards with a receiving touchdown. Like Justin Herbert, McCaffrey feels like another case where the market has been slow to respond to injury optimism. Beyond CMC, I won’t blame you for writing off the rest of the Panthers’ offense. DJ Moore has an upside in theory, but he has now failed to exceed 50 receiving yards in all four games this season (though he did hit 50 on the nose in Week 4).
The 49ers treated Jeff Wilson like a bell cow back in Week 4, funneling 18 of a total 22 rushing attempts Wilson’s way en route to 74 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. San Francisco did add Tevin Coleman to the active roster before the game, but Coleman logged only a single snap. I don’t love Wilson as a long-term buy in Reignmakers with Eli Mitchell due back sometime next month, but he’s a great week-to-week option.
George Kittle has exceeded a 90 percent snap share in both games since making his season debut but has logged only 52 total yards on nine targets. I don’t hate the idea of buying Kittle here, but the Panthers are unlikely to push the 49ers in this game and it seems likely to me that we will see another low-volume passing attack from San Francisco. Collectors seem to have dumped both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk following the Monday Night Showdown slate, as both receivers are currently underpriced according to Lucky Trader’s Price Estimates.
Best Buy: Deebo Samuel ($9.50, $50, $450, $2,500, N/A)
Cowboys at Rams, Sunday 4:25 PM ET
It sounds like Dak Prescott (thumb) is going to need at least one more week of recovery, which means it will be Cooper Rush under center once again for the Cowboys in Week 5. Rush has been solid if unspectacular through three starts, posting a 4-0 TD:INT ratio on relatively low passing volume. Rush has been able to keep CeeDee Lamb’s production afloat – Lamb currently ranks #16 on the year in receiving yardage with 288 yards, including 184 over the past two weeks. I still like the idea of buying Lamb with Dak’s return on the horizon, particularly with a Showdown slate on tap in Week 6 (@PHI on Sunday Night Football). Ezekiel Elliott set a season high in rush share last week at 66 percent while Dallas was able to sit on Washington for most of the game, but a tougher opponent in Week 5 may open the door back up for Tony Pollard.
For all the offseason talk about Allen Robinson becoming the Rams’ new WR2, tight end Tyler Higbee is the player who has actually filled that role on the field for Los Angeles through four games. Last week, Higbee commanded a massive 14 targets and he has now been held below nine targets in only one of four games this season. Higbee currently looks like one of the better tight end options in Deep Roster formats due to his combination of reasonable price tag and fantasy upside. At running back, Cam Akers out-carried Darrell Henderson for the third consecutive game, though neither back has been useful in fantasy yet.
Best Buy: Tyler Higbee ($4, $20, $175, $699, N/A)
Bengals at Ravens, Sunday 8:20 PM ET
The Sunday night Showdown slate will feature an AFC North clash between two 2-2 teams. For the Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase took a back seat to Tee Higgins (7-124-1) in Week 4 on a season-low target share (19 percent), but against Baltimore’s burnable secondary, all Cincinnati receiving options are looking like strong plays. Tight end Hayden Hurst has been ceding snaps to Mitchell Wilcox over the past two weeks, with the Week 4 snap count just 36-32 in Hurst’s favor. Joe Mixon hit season highs in snap share (83 percent) and rush share (80 percent) while also catching four passes. Given all the carnage at the running back position so far this season, Mixon is as safe a bet as any for RB1 production in a given week.
The Ravens were held to 144 passing yards and 20 points in last week’s loss to Buffalo, a game that was affected by the remnants of Hurricane Ian. I’m willing to write off the poor passing performance due to game conditions, but it will be worth keeping an eye on Rashod Bateman’s status throughout the week. Against Buffalo, Bateman was limited to a 44 percent snap share due to a foot injury he sustained in the second half. Head coach John Harbaugh has called Bateman “day-to-day” with the injury. Should Bateman be forced to miss any time, Demarcus Robinson would gain some viability on the Sunday Night Showdown slate and Devin Duvernay would likely serve as the WR1. Whether or not Bateman is active in Week 5, expect Mark Andrews to improve on his 18 percent target share against the Bills.
JK Dobbins posted his first boom week of the season after missing the first two weeks of the season with a knee injury. Dobbins’ 39 percent rushing share last Sunday could even tick up in Week 5 if Justice Hill (leg) misses time with an injury he sustained last Sunday. Kenyan Drake has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks, but he would likely be added to the gameday roster in the event Hill is unable to go, barring a surprise return by Gus Edwards (knee).
Best Buy: Ja’Marr Chase ($12, $30, $688, $3,500, $19,000)
Raiders at Chiefs, Monday 8:15 PM ET
The Raiders were able to get their first win of the season last week, but they face a tall task in Week 5 as touchdown dogs at Kansas City. Davante Adams accounted for over half of Derek Carr’s passing yard last week and Mack Hollins fell back to Earth following his 158-yard explosion in Week 3. Hunter Renfrow has now missed two games in a row with a concussion and his practice status will be worth monitoring throughout the week. Should Renfrow be able to return, he has an attractive price tag and I’d be an interested buyer.
Offseason rumors of a timeshare backfield in Las Vegas continue to look overblown, as no back other than Josh Jacobs has logged more than three carries in any game this year for the Raiders. Jacobs had a career day in Week 4, piling up 175 total yards with two touchdowns.
The Chiefs have still yet to produce meaningful fantasy production from the wide receiver position this season, though JuJu Smith-Schuster has now logged a 24 percent target share in back-to-back games. I’m probably going back to the well here while prices remain reasonable. In Week 4, Clyde Edwards-Helaire posted season highs across the board in rushing share, total carries and snap share en route to his 94-yard, two-touchdown performance while rookie receiver Skyy Moore set highs in target share and snap share. Two players trending in the wrong direction for Kansas City are Jerick McKinnon, who was out-touched by Isiah Pacheco 12-3 last week, and Mecole Hardman, who set season lows in playing time and target share.
Best Buy: JuJu Smith Schuster ($4.50, $24, $238, $1,199, $4,999)
That's All!
Be sure to check our Lucky Trader’s Player Card Estimate and Contest EV tools throughout the week, then head over to the Reignmakers Marketplace to start building your teams!