Intro/Methodology
Every week, I’m going to break down an entire division, focusing on their play on the field that week. Specifically, I’ll go through each team and focus on their dynasty assets, especially anybody who suffered injuries or a massive value change. I won’t look at any player or team in too much detail. This article is more of a summary piece. I also included links to all my previous divisional nuggets articles at the bottom of the page. With that said, let’s jump right in!
Seahawks
Summary
The Seahawks had another outstanding performance to go to 4-0 on the season in a 31-23 victory over the Dolphins. There are no significant top-line stories from this one, although Chris Carson did participate in the game after being questionable all week with a knee injury. Carson left the game for concussion evaluation, but he didn’t have one, returning shortly. Teammate Carlos Hyde missed this game with a shoulder injury.
Quarterback
Russell Wilson had another solid game. He completed 24/34 passes for 360 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. At this point, Wilson is my dynasty QB5, behind Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Dak Prescott, and Kyler Murray but ahead of Deshaun Watson. He’s finally seeing the passing volume we’ve always wanted, making him a borderline first-round startup pick in superflex leagues.
Running Backs
As I mentioned above, Carson played in the game, and he led the way with 16 carries for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Carson also added three catches for 20 yards on four targets. The Seahawks have yet to extend Carson’s contract, and he’s a free agent at the end of the 2020 season. I expect Carson to remain in Seattle, although likely on a team-friendly deal. He could be a good buy target for contenders.
The Seahawks have a couple of backup running backs, none of whom impressed in relief of Carson. Hyde missed this game, but he’s been ineffective all year. Both DeeJay Dallas and Travis Homer had a few carries and targets, although neither will have a long-term role. Instead, keep an eye on Rashaad Penny, who’s eligible to return to practice in Week 7. I expect Penny to resume his complementary role to Carson this season, making him a sneaky dirt-cheap, buy-low target.
Receiving Weapons
D.K. Metcalf continues his ascension into becoming a high-end dynasty asset, recording four receptions for 106 yards. Metcalf comes in at 18th in my 1QB dynasty rankings, making him a solid second-round startup pick. If he’s the WR1 overall by the end of 2020, I wouldn’t be completely stunned.
Tyler Lockett had a down game with only two catches on four targets for 39 yards. However, I have no concerns with Lockett. All receivers have some off games, and Lockett is no exception. He remains a borderline WR1 for 2020, although he’s only 44th overall in my 1QB dynasty rankings.
I wouldn’t have any interest in anyone else from this passing game. Targets will funnel to Metcalf and Lockett, leaving only scraps for everyone else. Ignore David Moore’s three catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. You’ll never be able to trust him in your fantasy lineups. The same goes for the tight ends. As long as Greg Olsen and Will Dissly are both healthy, neither will have any fantasy value.
49ers
Summary
Well, this game was a complete mess for the 49ers. They lost 25-20 to the depleted Eagles, who had so many injuries on both sides of the ball. However, the 49ers had almost the same number of injuries, especially on defense.
As for fantasy-relevant players, there are just so many injury storylines from this contest. Starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo missed this game with a high ankle sprain, although I expect him to return for Week 5. Running backs Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman both failed to participate with knee injuries. The 49ers didn’t place Mostert on injured reserve, so the 49ers likely expect him to return in under three weeks. Therefore, I believe Mostert should have at least a chance to play in Week 5. However, Coleman is on injured reserve, and I think he’ll miss significant time. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see Coleman until late in the 2020 season, if at all.
Luckily, the 49ers also have some good injury news. They activated Deebo Samuel from injured reserve, and he played in this game. Also, tight end George Kittle returned to the lineup after missing two games, although Jordan Reed will miss multiple weeks with a high ankle injury.
Quarterback
Nick Mullens started the game in place of Garoppolo. He completed 18/26 passes for 200 yards, one touchdown, but two interceptions. Mullens also took four sacks for 28 yards. After Mullens’ second interception, which went for a pick-six, head coach Kyle Shanahan decided to replace Mullens with third-stringer C.J. Beathard.
Beathard played decently, completing 14/19 attempts for 138 yards. He played far better than Mullens, but he’s not a long-term dynasty asset. If Garoppolo can’t go in Week 5, I’m curious who Kyle Shanahan would use as his starter between Mullens and Beathard. We rarely enter a week with three potential starting quarterbacks, but that’s where the 49ers are right now.
Mullens was a popular superflex dynasty stash before this game. Some people thought he was a better quarterback than Garoppolo and could take over the 49ers’ starting job at some point. However, that possibility just went up in smoke. Mullens also probably ruined his chance to gain a starting job elsewhere, as he’s a restricted free agent after 2020. He lost all his superflex dynasty value in one night.
Running Backs
I believed the 49ers would employ a committee with Mostert and Coleman out, but they chose to make Jerick McKinnon into a featured back. McKinnon handled 92% of the running back snaps, compared to only 8% for Jeff Wilson Jr. Undrafted free agent JaMycal Hasty saw no snaps or touches.
With Mostert returning soon, Hasty is no longer worth a roster spot in most leagues. Wilson Jr. probably remains a hold, but I think it’s clear the 49ers don’t particularly like him either. Once Mostert comes back, Wilson Jr. will only see mop-up duty.
At this point, I believe McKinnon has stolen the backup running back job to Mostert from Coleman. Therefore, McKinnon should retain low-end RB3 value even once Mostert returns, and he’s a nice fill-in for dynasty contenders. I think Coleman blew his last chance this year, so he’s mostly worthless now.
Receiving Weapons
Of course, George Kittle is the main story here. He caught all 15 of his targets for a whopping 183 yards and a touchdown. Kittle is the unquestioned TE1 in dynasty leagues if anyone had any doubts. Both Mullens and Beathard hyper-targeted Kittle, and Garoppolo will likely do the same. There’s no stopping Kittle.
Outside of Kittle, the 49ers spread the ball around between Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Kendrick Bourne. Aiyuk flashed on a hurdling touchdown while Bourne led the team in targets. Samuel only saw three targets, but he caught all of them for 35 yards.
Unfortunately, I don’t expect any of the 49ers’ receiving weapons to present high-end upside as long as Kittle remains healthy. Samuel would be my top choice of the bunch, but he’s a high-end WR3 at best. Aiyuk will present WR4 value, and Bourne is just a stash. I think now is an excellent time to send some offers for Samuel as he returned healthy from his Jones fracture. His buy-low window could still be open.
Rams
Summary
This game was an ugly win for the Rams, as they only scored 17 points versus the lowly Giants. Running back Cam Akers missed this game with a rib injury, although he should return in Week 5. Outside of Akers, the Rams have a clean bill of health.
Quarterback
Jared Goff had a decent game, completing 25 of 32 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown. He wasn’t great for fantasy football, but he did enough to lead the Rams to a win. Hopefully, the Rams improve their passing numbers moving forward. I wouldn’t make any changes to Goff based on this one game.
Running Backs
With Akers out, Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown split the running back work. However, Brown led the backfield in carries, targets, and snaps, the exact opposite of what we expected going into this game. Henderson had eight carries for 22 yards and one reception for 16 yards, a far cry from his Week 2 and Week 3 performances.
It’s just so bizarre that Henderson had 20 carries in Week 3, but he only had eight in Week 4. Head coach Sean McVay will create his backfield committee no matter what. In Week 5, I won’t start a Rams’ running back with all three active.
For dynasty leagues, Brown is the ultimate JAG. He will never consolidate this backfield, and he’s only a depth piece. If anyone believes he’s worth more than that, sell him immediately and take whatever you can get.
Henderson is a talented player, and I believe he will earn touches throughout the season and long-term. Unfortunately, the Rams don’t want to use him as a workhorse, but he could be an excellent complement to Akers. Brown is a free agent after 2020, while Henderson remains under contract through 2022. At this point, Henderson is a hold while we wait to see Akers.
Speaking of Akers, I’m concerned about his long-term value also. Henderson will not go away when Akers returns. The Rams spent a third-round pick on Henderson and a second-rounder on Akers, so it’s not like Akers has a guaranteed starting role. Akers will never be an RB1, and he might even struggle to be a high-end RB2. His dynasty value is way too high, in my opinion, as he comes in at 55th overall in my 1QB dynasty rankings. If Akers comes back in Week 5 and looks healthy, I would quickly get rid of him.
Receiving Weapons
I have zero concerns with either Cooper Kupp or Robert Woods from this game. Both had seven targets and played a full complement of snaps. Just chalk it up to a lousy game and move on.
However, the Rams seem to have temporarily settled on Josh Reynolds as their WR3 over Van Jefferson. Reynolds played 53% of snaps compared to 5% for Jefferson while Reynolds caught three passes, and Jefferson caught none. I still think Jefferson is the Rams’ long-term WR3, but he’s a significant faller based on his usage.
Tight end Tyler Higbee played on 84% of snaps, and Gerald Everett participated in 58%. Higbee had three receptions on four targets for 21 yards while Everett had one reception for 10 yards. However, Everett scored a rushing touchdown, outproducing Higbee on the day.
Everett saw more than half the snaps for the first time in 2020, and his usage has ramped up each week. At this point, I believe the Rams have realized that Everett is a better player than either Reynolds or Jefferson. The Rams will employ 12 personnel more and more as 2020 continues. Everett is a free agent after 2020, and he won’t be back. However, if he displays his talent, he could easily sign as a starter elsewhere. I believe Everett is a talented player, and he’s only 26 years old.
Cardinals
Summary
The Cardinals’ offense looked anemic in their 31-21 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Both DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk were game-time decisions, but they both played and avoided any setbacks. Kenyan Drake had a minor injury scare near the end of the game, although he seems to be 100% going into Week 5.
Quarterback
Kyler Murray managed to throw 33 passes and complete 24 of them, but he only had 133 passing yards. He averaged 4.29 yards/attempt, which is a horrific statistic. Murray saved his fantasy day with three passing touchdowns and 78 rushing yards, but he didn’t play well. I’m not panicking over Murray just yet, but he’s no longer in the dynasty QB3 conversation. Murray is now definitely behind Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Dak Prescott. At this point, it’s a debate between Murray and Russell Wilson for QB4, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for siding with Wilson.
Running Backs
Drake is not going to be the workhorse that we all imagined. He had 13 carries for 35 yards, and he wasn’t targeted in the passing game. Drake maintained his typical 65% snap share, but Chase Edmonds saw all the receiving work.
There’s no way you can sell Drake in dynasty leagues, though. He remains an RB2 moving forward, but he’s already 26 years old. Unless you’re in a complete rebuild, hang onto Drake and hope he turns it around. The snaps and carries are there, and he’s simply not producing.
As for Edmonds, I wouldn’t get carried away. He hasn’t had more than six carries in any game, and he’s never exceeded 37% of snaps. Edmonds will not be the starter unless Drake suffers an injury, and Drake has missed zero games due to injury in his career. If you can sell Edmonds for a future second-round pick to the Drake owner, I love that move.
Receiving Weapons
I’m not making any significant takeaways from this game for the receiving weapons. Hopkins gutted it out and caught seven of nine targets for 41 yards. He’s a stud WR1, and nothing has changed from one down game.
Kirk caught three of five targets for 19 yards and a touchdown, although he was far behind Larry Fitzgerald in snap share. I think Kirk is beginning to lose his role to Andy Isabella, so Kirk remains a sell candidate for me. I don’t think Kirk is even the long-term WR2 on the Cardinals.
Even though I don’t believe in Kirk, I also have no confidence in Isabella. He’s a good flier but only because he’s far cheaper than Kirk. I think the Cardinals will bring in a real WR2 in 2021 once Fitzgerald retires, and neither Kirk nor Isabella will ever have much value.
The Cardinals don’t use tight ends in their offense, at least not the ones on their roster. Dan Arnold caught all four of his targets for 39 yards while Jordan Thomas caught a touchdown. Both players have zero dynasty value.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
Previous Divisional Nuggets Articles: NFC East (Week 2), AFC North (Week 3), AFC South (Week 4)
