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Monday Morning NFL Recap - Week 4 Surprises, Busts & Laughers

To be honest, I'm not really sure what happened this weekend.  Watching the games this week, I gave it 50-50 odds I somehow drove through some sort of weird sci-fi dimensional portal when I wasn't looking and ended up on Htrae or something and I just can't cope right now.  The Rams are winning the NFC West?  The Panthers are 1-3?  The Bills shut out the Patriots at home?  Blake Bortles was the best quarterback in the country?

(I'll pause for a second for Falcons and Steelers fans to realize the Jags played in England.  Can't really blame them for not knowing that, though, considering it was an extra-early Jaguars game which means statistically the only people who watched it on TV were the direct family members of the players.)

It got so weird today that I was seriously expecting backward language from the next person I spoke to, but then Antonio Brown was flagged and fined for a taunting penalty after scoring and I realized that the natural order was fine.  Sometimes crazy things happen in the NFL, but as they say, "birds fly, fish swim, and the stick up Roger Goodell's ass fines players for no good reason."

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So now that I've got my feet back under me, let's dive into the results of Week 4.

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

 

It's Monday Morning... What Just Happened

 

The Winners:

  • Julio Jones and Matt RyanFunny story - I've got a friend who asked me for draft advice this year.  Said he was picking fourth.  I told him "Julio dude."  I am truly eloquent in text messages.  His response: "F*ck Julio," and he proceeded to draft Odell Beckham Jr.  He played against Julio this week.  I laughed.  For those who don't know, Julio Jones had 300 yards receiving on 12 catches, with a touchdown for good measure.  Matt Ryan also went supernova, passing for 500 yards and 4 TDs, and they did it all against the feared Panthers' defense.
  • Russell WilsonWilson rebounded nicely after a rough start to the season, posting 300 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.  Unfortunately for fantasy players, those passes went to C.J. Spiller, Christine Michael, and Tanner McAvoy, who I thought for a second was the guy who plays Professor Xavier nowadays.  For a brief moment, a glorious vision of mutant football sprung forth in my mind's eye, as Colossus rumbled down the field until getting blasted to the ground by one of Cyclops' optic blasts.  Sadly, though, I was misinformed, and mutant football will exist only as an increasingly battered script proposal that the NFL keeps sending back to me with a restraining order attached.  Which I feel is unfair, considering they actually made the movie Draft Day.
  • Jordan ReedAny time the game of "tight end roulette" ends with two touchdowns, you've had a good game.  Also, any time I get to use the phrase "tight end roulette," I snicker like a teenager.  I make no apologies for this.  You know what you've gotten into.  God, I can't wait for Jake Butt to get drafted.
  • Michael CrabtreeCrabtree had a monster game for the 3-1 Raiders, netting 88 yards and 3 touchdowns.  Naturally, I traded him away for Eric Decker in week 1.
  • Ben RoethlisbergerRoethlisberger may have put up a flaming wreck last week, but he made up for it in spades.  Throwing for 300 yards and 5 touchdown passes, Roethlisberger and the Steelers cruised to a 43-14 rout of the Chiefs that was never really that close.  The return of Le'Veon Bell proved to be a huge boon to the Steelers' offense, which will be sorely needed when Brown gets himself ejected by saying something mean-ish in the general vicinity of a referee one of these weeks.
  • Ezekiel ElliottZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKE.  The rookie leads the NFL in rushing yards through 4 weeks after putting up 138 yards rushing and a touchdown.  I'd hate to say "I told you so" to all the people who told me stupid shit like "Darren McFadden will get most of the Cowboys' carries and also Zeke isn't that good" but I'm also lying, so haha I told you so.

The Losers:

  • London: Poor England.  We force the Jaguars on them annually like a five-year-old running up to his mommy and saying "look, I drew a professional football team," but mostly it's just hideous uncoordinated colors blotching up and down the page and the mom is thinking "ugh, it's just Jaguars, it doesn't look anything like a football team," and she has to stick it on the fridge anyway.  This seems mean considering the Jaguars won, but the Colts are one ambitious Van Helsing wannabe away from losing their franchise QB for good and being permanently 2-14, so we've got to keep some perspective here.
  • The NFC West: You let the Rams take the division lead.  Have you SEEN the Rams?  They have an offensive line so bad they let the 49ers hold Todd Gurley to 47 yards, and he had 52 yards after contact in that game.  That is legitimately mind-blowing, and somehow that unit is leading the NFC West.  Seriously.  Case Keenum is winning this division.  If I were a neutral fan, I'd see this and be furious.  However, I'm an Angeleno, so I'm seeing this and being all like "suck it, everyone who thinks we didn't deserve our team back."
  • Ryan Fitzpatrick again, because it's just too easy: I mean, at least it was the Seahawks this time.  The Legion of Boom.  Kansas City has a pretty decent secondary when it's not being lit up by the Steelers, but they don't have a fun name and a Campbell's commercial.  It makes sense for quarterbacks to have bad games against them.  But the fact that Fitzpatrick played two decent secondaries in a row and averaged 4.5 picks per game bodes ill for the Jets' playoff hopes.  And their fans' not dying of alcohol poisoning hopes.
  • The Patriots: Which is extra satisfying, considering the fact that in the last week I've heard the statement "We get the best quarterback in history back next week" three fucking times and it turns out that while the natural human response to smugness that concentrated is "savage beatings," those are actually against the law.  So the week's been frustrating.

All in all, it was a pretty good week of football, despite its identity-crisis-inspiring beginning.  Be sure to enjoy your victories this week.  Go out and celebrate that hard-earned fantasy win.  I suggest a nice dinner, accompanied by the adult beverage of your choosing.  Just make sure it's not TOO nice, cause you don't want Roger Goodell mailing you a penalty flag for "excessive quality of food and beverage consumption."

That fine is killer.

 




REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

CFB

DJ Lagway Looking to Rebound at Baylor
CFB

Josh Hoover Tasked With Leading Indiana Back to the Playoffs
CFB

Braylon Staley the Next 1,000-Yard Tennessee Receiver?
Jalen Tolbert

Does Jalen Tolbert Have Short-Term Dynasty Appeal?
CFB

Ahmad Hardy's Return Timeline Remains Unclear
Travis Etienne Jr.

Is Travis Etienne Jr. Still a Dynasty RB1 Following Change of Scenery?
Breece Hall

Extension Solidifies His Dynasty Outlook
Devin Singletary

Faces a Difficult Path to Relevance
Jordan Whittington

Does Jordan Whittington Have Any Dynasty Value Left?
Caleb Williams

Bears Want Caleb Williams to "Do Less"
Xavier Worthy

Has Xavier Worthy Become a Post-Hype Dynasty Sleeper?
DeMario Douglas

A Playing-Time Blockage Could Make DeMario Douglas a Dynasty Drop Candidate
Elijah Sarratt

Can Elijah Sarratt Emerge From the Middle Rounds of Dynasty Rookie Drafts?
Antonio Williams

a Borderline First-Round Pick in Dynasty Rookie Drafts
Joe Flacco

a Low-Cost Dynasty Handcuff with Immense Upside
Evan Mobley

Finishes Season-Ending Loss With 15 Points
James Harden

Wants to Stay in Cleveland
Donovan Mitchell

Remains Committed to Cavaliers
Mikal Bridges

Cools Off in Game 4 Against Cavaliers
OG Anunoby

Active on Both Ends in Blowout Win
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads Knicks in Scoring During Series-Clincher
Jalen Brunson

Named Eastern Conference Finals MVP
Ivan Demidov

Contributes an Assist in Losing Effort
Lane Hutson

Records Power-Play Goal in Game 3 Loss
Frederik Andersen

Enjoys Another Easy Night at the Office in Game 3
Shayne Gostisbehere

Scores First Postseason Goal
Taylor Hall

Ends Four-Game Goal Drought
Andrei Svechnikov

Scores Game 3 Winner in Overtime
Gage Jump

Athletics to Promote Top Pitching Prospect Gage Jump to Major Leagues
Dont'e Thornton Jr.

Falling Out of Favor Already in Dynasty Formats?
Roman Wilson

Worth Holding in Dynasty Leagues After Offseason Additions?
Luke McCaffrey

a Cut Candidate in Dynasty Leagues
Roman Hemby

Does Roman Hemby Have a Chance to Make Raiders Roster?
NFL

Eric McAlister Worth Drafting in Rookie-Only Dynasty Leagues?
Caleb Lohner

Impresses Sean Payton During Offseason Program
Tatsuya Imai

Two Relievers Combine to No-Hit the Rangers on Monday
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder is Ruled Out for Game 4 on Monday
Michael Porter Jr.

Nets Could Trade Michael Porter Jr.
Ajay Mitchell

is Ruled Out for Game 5
Jalen Williams

is Tagged as Questionable for Game 5
Valeri Nichushkin

Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin Uncertain for Game 4
Oliver Kapanen

Sitting as Healthy Scratch Monday
Max Domi

Out Indefinitely Due to Offseason Surgery Complications
Tanner Koziol

a Long-Shot Dynasty Tight End?
Dylan Cease

Heading to Injured List With Hamstring Injury
Kevin Coleman Jr.

in the Right Place for Opportunities
Josh Cameron

has Long-Term YAC Upside in Liam Coen's Offense
Rashee Rice

Chiefs Have No Plans to Sign Rashee Rice to Long-Term Extension
Daniel Suarez

Wins at Charlotte in Rain-Shortened Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell

Finishes as the Runner-Up in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte
Denny Hamlin

Falls Short of Winning and Places Third at Charlotte
Tyler Reddick

Places Fourth After Leading Laps at Charlotte
Kyle Larson

Strong and Consistent Day Ends in Fifth at Charlotte
Devon Toews

Logs Two Assists In Game 3 Defeat
Brett Howden

Nets 10th Postseason Goal
Mitchell Marner

Delivers Two Assists in Comeback Victory
Mark Stone

Returns With Multi-Point Effort
Valeri Nichushkin

Exits Early Sunday
Nathan MacKinnon

Hurt in Game 3 Loss
Isaiah Hartenstein

Provides Steady Production in Defeat
Chet Holmgren

Has a Quiet Offensive Night on Sunday
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Held Under 20 Points in Game 4
Stephon Castle

Hands Out Six Assists in Game 4 Win
Devin Vassell

Tallies 13 Points in Game 4 Win
De'Aaron Fox

Records Double-Double as Spurs Even Series
Victor Wembanyama

Sets Tone Early as Spurs Force a Pivotal Game 5
Jamal Murray

Earns First Career All-NBA Selection
Kevin Durant

Becomes First Player to Make All-NBA Team With Five Franchises
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Victor Wembanyama Lead All-NBA First Team
Taylor Hall

Enjoying Life in Carolina
Mark Stone

Returns to Action Sunday
Cale Makar

Rejoins Avalanche Lineup Sunday
Dylan Cease

Removed From Sunday's Start With Hamstring Discomfort
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Exits Sunday's Game Early with Elbow Contusion
MLB

Reds-Cardinals Game Postponed on Sunday
Edward Cabrera

Cubs Place Edward Cabrera on the 15-Day Injured List
Denny Hamlin

the Favorite to Win at Charlotte
Tyler Reddick

on Pole for Coca-Cola 600
Christopher Bell

Could Break Out of Slump
Kyle Larson

May have A Solid Day at Charlotte
Ryan Blaney

Is A DFS Risk for Charlotte Lineups
William Byron

Could have A Great DFS Performance at Charlotte
Chase Briscoe

Is A Solid Tournament Option for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ty Gibbs

May not be Worth his Salary for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Chris Buescher

May be a Sneaky Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Has Favorable Upside for Charlotte DFS Lineups
Ross Chastain

Is A Strong Addition for DFS Lineups at Charlotte
Austin Dillon

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Austin Dillon for Charlotte DFS Lineups?
Chase Elliott

Should Be Strong at Charlotte
Carson Hocevar

Confident for Coca-Cola 600
Corey Heim

a Chalk DFS Pick at Charlotte
Michael McDowell

Is Michael McDowell A Tournament Option for Charlotte Lineups?
Phillip Danault

Extends Point Streak to Three Games
Josh Anderson

Nets Two Goals in Painful Loss
Jalen Chatfield

Delivers Two Assists in Crucial Win
MLB

Orioles-Tigers Game Postponed on Saturday
MLB

Rays-Yankees Postponed on Saturday
Mickey Moniak

Heads to Injured List With Ankle Sprain
Jackson Merrill

has Sore Ribs, Expected to Avoid Injured List
CFB

Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele Looking to Take Sophomore Leap
CFB

Jadan Baugh Primed to Lead Florida Offense in 2026
CFB

LSU Hires Ed Orgeron As Special Assistant
CFB

North Carolina and South Carolina Cancel Home-And-Home Series
CFB

Confidence High in Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor
MLB

Reds-Cardinals Game Postponed on Friday
Trevor Story

has Hernia Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-10 Weeks
Roman Anthony

Dealing With Sprained Ligament in his Finger
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Exits Early, X-Rays Come Back Negative
Robby Snelling

Will Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Jackson Merrill

Tweaks his Back on Wednesday, Pulled Early
CFB

Lincoln Riley Believes USC is Ready for Playoff Run
CFB

Notre Dame-Stanford Rivalry Renewed Through 2028
CFB

Ahmad Hardy Says He's "Back to the Road to Success"
CFB

Texas Tech Graduate Judge Recuses Himself from Brendan Sorsby Case
CFB

UCLA Tackle Jordan Davis Officially Eligible for 2026 Season
CFB

Bret Bielema Supports Significant College Football Playoff Expansion
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