RADIO
As we look ahead to Week 4 of the 2018 NFL season, Dan Marcus examines both official and unofficial moves across wide receiver depth charts to help fantasy football owners make informed lineup decisions.
We're back for the Week 4 wide receiver depth chart analysis. While this isn't the sexiest article out there, it's important. For example, Tyler Boyd was a great play last week, and his snap counts in comparison to John Ross indicated that could be the case.
This week, some of the more interesting options based on emerging role and/or snap count are Devante Parker, Taywan Taylor, and Antonio Callaway. The same also suggests that Jakeem Grant and Calvin Ridley are solid fades. While both have showed explosiveness, they don't have a consistent enough tole to pop on a weekly basis.
This week, we'll break things down by depth chart changes based on injuries and transactions while also checking in on a few rookies. As always, if you have any comments, questions, etc., hit me up on Twitter @DanMarcus3.
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Injury Updates
Marquise Goodwin’s return to the field was overshadowed by the injury sustained by Jimmy Garoppolo, but Dante Pettis took a major hit as a result. His snap rate went dipped from 87% to 37%, making him worthless in fantasy regardless of quarterback.
DeVante Parker also made his season debut, greatly limiting the role of both Jakeem Grant and Albert Wilson. Parker saw the field on 75 percent of snaps, while both Grant and Wilson dipped to 22 and 20 percent respectively. Don’t be deceived by Grant’s two touchdown performance in Week 3, tough as that is.
Another season-debut took place in New Orleans, where Cameron Meredith made an immediate impact by hauling in a touchdown reception. That was his only catch of the game, but he was on the field for 43 percent of snaps. While the preseason speculation was that there was competition between Meredith and rookie Tre’Quan Smith, Austin Carr dipped in his snap count for the third consecutive week while Smith held steady.
After returning to the field in Week 2, Jermaine Kearse got his footing in Week 3 and found himself on the field for over half of the snaps. The loser was Robby Anderson, who has only 10 targets and 90 yards through three games. However, it is worth noting that Anderson was still on the field more than Kearse.
The injury to Anthony Miller will lock in Taylor Gabriel for a prominent role in the offense. He hasn’t produced much in the first three weeks, but has averaged seven targets in that span. Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Kevin White could also see an increased workload in the absence of Miller.
The Philadelphia receiving core was in core shambles, but may be closer to full strength in Week 4. Alshon Jeffery could be back -- an illness is currently clouding his status -- and Jordan Matthews immediately jumped onto the field for 40 percent of snaps in his first week back with the team. This depth chart is still murky.
Transactions
With Josh Gordon gone in Cleveland, Antonio Callaway has emerged as the top outside receiver in the Browns’ offense. Though Rashard Higgins outsnapped Callaway in Week 1, that has changed in Weeks 2 and 3. While both are on the field regularly, Callaway has 14 targets compared to Higgins’ 10.
With Rishard Matthews departing from Tennessee, Taywan Taylor should be on his way to a full slate of snaps. Tajae Sharpe could also benefit, but Taylor has moved ahead of Sharpe in recent weeks. While no receiving options have popped due to the Titans’ horrendous passing attack, if Marcus Mariota is able to regain form there could be plenty of volume for both Corey Davis and Taywan Taylor.
Rookies
There’s obvious reason for excitement about Calvin Ridley’s three touchdown game, but he has still yet to out snap Mohamed Sanu. This isn’t to suggest Sanu is the player to own, more just to say that Ridley isn’t a reliable starting option on a weekly basis yet.
D.J. Moore didn’t emerge in terms of targets in Week 3 -- he got only two -- but he outsnapped Jarius Wright for the first time. Devin Funchess is clearly the number one option, but Torrey Smith’s snap count also diminished. It may not be a Week 5 breakout (the Panthers are on bye this week) but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Moore take another step forward with another week to digest the playbook and build rapport with Cam Newton. On thing to note about this optimism is that if Greg Olsen can return after the bye, the enthusiasm for Moore will largely dissipate.
Similarly, James Washington hasn’t made much of an impact on the stat-sheet, but is clearly locked in as the Steelers’ third wide receiver. He isn’t likely to see large volume at any point due to the prolific performance of Juju Smith-Schuster to open the season, but is stashable in deeper leagues thanks to being attached to the offense in Pittsburgh.
Situations to Monitor
Just a few quick hitters here, because there is nothing actionable for now. In Oakland, Brandon LaFell and Martavis Bryant are both getting a considerable amount of snaps. Meanwhile, Jaron Brown outsnapped Brandon Marshall in Week 3, catching a touchdown in the process.
