RADIO
Unexpected fantasy football performances and waiver wire sleepers and trade targets for Week 5 (2023). Will these NFL players sustain their Week 4 success?
Offense, offense, offense. If you’re like most NFL fans and you enjoy high-scoring, heart-pounding, jaw-dropping NFL action, then hopefully you didn’t miss Week 4. We’re only four weeks into the season, but in terms of overall entertainment, this one is going to be hard to beat.
With many close games and large point totals, there were some huge fantasy performances. While many of them were from star players and established names, there were a few sprinkled in from some unexpected performers.
Now that expectations are high, let’s hope that the upcoming Week 5 can be close to as entertaining as Week 4. With that intro out of the way, let’s get into some notable Unexpected Boom Performers from an entertaining Week 4.
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Surprise Fantasy Football Performances
Jaleel McLaughlin, Denver Broncos
During a wild comeback in the Windy City, the Denver Broncos were able to claim their first win of the season over the Chicago Bears. The comeback itself can be attributed to Denver’s offense adjusting, Chicago’s awful lead management, and some offensive contributions from unexpected sources within the Broncos’ offense.
One of those unexpected sources was their undrafted rookie running back, Jaleel McLaughlin. McLaughlin is a back out of Youngstown State and the NCAA’s all-time leading rusher. With that kind of established pedigree, it’s easy to understand the potential he’s shown up to this point in the season.
Against the Bears, McLaughlin had seven carries for 72 yards along with three receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown. Those stats resulted in 17.9 half-PPR points, the eighth-highest scoring output by a running back in Week 4.
This was a great game for the rookie, and he may hold some value in the near future. Denver’s starting running back, Javonte Williams, suffered a hip injury during Week 4. While the injury isn’t expected to be a big deal, McLaughlin might see more work due to Williams’ health in the short term. Consider him a speculative add heading into Week 5.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears
On the other side of the Broncos’ huge comeback was the Bears choking a huge lead. While that was a depressing development to witness for Bears fans, the team had to get out to that lead somehow.
While the Broncos’ defense was making quarterback Justin Fields look like the second coming of Patrick Mahomes, some Chicago skill position players acted as beneficiaries. One of the players who benefited the most was tight end Cole Kmet.
Kmet has had a few strong outings in the past with Fields at quarterback, and in Week 4, he had his first of the season. Against the Broncos, the former second-rounder caught seven-of-nine targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns along with one carry for one yard. That output resulted in 24.1 half-PPR points, making Kmet the highest-scoring tight end on the week.
This was a great outing by the fourth-year pro, but I don’t know if it’s a good indicator of what’s to come. Up to this point in the season, the Broncos have looked like a historically bad defense, and the Bears took advantage for most of the game. We’ll see if he can continue this success against the Washington Commanders in Week 5 but try to not get your hopes up.
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals have been one of the more surprising teams so far this season. They haven’t done much in the win column, but they put up a tough fight against any team they face. Against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4, the Cardinals held on for a lot longer than most would’ve expected them to, and a lot of their success can be attributed to some great performances from their receivers.
One of those receivers was third-round rookie Michael Wilson. Wilson was a name many had listed as a sleeper in the offseason, but he shifted into purgatory after not doing much to start the season. Now that he had his breakout performance against a top defense in the league, I’m sure he now has the public’s attention.
Against the 49ers, Wilson caught all seven of his targets for 76 yards and two touchdowns. His statistical output resulted in 23.1 half-PPR points, making him the WR7 on the week.
While the Cardinals aren’t the most awe-inspiring offense in the league, Wilson has the potential to be a strong add off waivers. Going off against one of the best defenses in the NFL should definitely help his value, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him build upon this as the season rolls on.
Curtis Samuel, Washington Commanders
When the Commanders were slated to take on the Philadelphia Eagles this week, barely anybody gave them a chance. Not only did they take them the distance, they took them to overtime and had a chance at closing out the game.
There were many solid performances on Washington’s offensive side that kept them in this game, but Curtis Samuel’s was probably the most unexpected. The seventh-year veteran has had his fair share of strong outings in the past, but it was surprising to see him emerge considering the other names in this offense.
Against the Eagles, Samuel caught seven-of-eight targets for 51 yards along with one carry for one yard and a touchdown. Those stats resulted in 14.7 half-PPR points, making him the WR11 in a more top-heavy fantasy week.
Samuel is an interesting player to monitor on waivers. Not only did he have a strong outing in Week 4, but his Week 5 matchup should have streamers licking their chops as the Commanders will face the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. With an advantageous matchup on the menu, Samuel could have another involved outing next week.
Braxton Berrios, Miami Dolphins
After the Miami Dolphins had a 70-point thrashing of the Broncos in Week 3, they were bound to come back to Earth against the Buffalo Bills in Week 4. They did just that as Buffalo put them in place with a 48-20 beatdown.
Although Miami was demolished, there were some solid performers that emerged from the rubble. One of those was from wide receiver Braxton Berrios. With two hypercars in their receiver corps in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, it was quite a surprise to see the former New York Jet perform better than both.
Against the Bills, Berrios caught all six of his targets for 43 yards and a touchdown along with one carry for 11 yards. His solid stats resulted in 14.4 half-PPR points, making him the WR12 on the week.
Now, just because a guy has a decent fantasy day, it doesn’t mean he should be considered on waivers the week after. That’s the case with Braxton Berrios. There are almost certainly better options on your waivers this week, so it’d be best to focus your attention elsewhere rather than chasing points.
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