Owners must adjust on the fly
Injuries and other surprises make strategy an ever-changing process
In Week 5, we will get a few fantasy stars back on active rosters, with the most anticipated being New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
As for Week 4, Le’Veon Bell returned with great effect, and Julio Jones provided further proof of why you should never, ever, bench your elite studs. We also saw some quarterback changes and a bit of depth chart confusion.
TIGHT ENDS RETURN
Tyler Eifert required ankle surgery in May and has not been seen since. He’s expected to make his debut this weekend at the Dallas Cowboys, and the Cincinnati Bengals’ difficulty in the red zone should be cured by someone who scored 13 touchdowns last year.
Zach Ertz opened the year with six catches for 58 yards in the Philadelphia Eagles’ tight end-friendly offense. But he suffered a rib injury in that game and will finally be back in time for the matchup with the Detroit Lions this weekend.
Lastly, Rob Gronkowski might have technically been back for two weeks, but he has recorded just one catch. With Brady back and the Cleveland Browns up next, it’s time to say hello to the real Gronk.
NOTICING A THEME HERE
Losing a quarterback causes the most disruption to any offense, and Week 4 forced three more to the sidelines. Both Super Bowl 50 teams saw their signal-callers leave for the locker room, and the 1-3 Arizona Cardinals were already digging a hole for themselves before they lost Carson Palmer. New to the box scores:
Derek Anderson, Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton left with a concussion, and he’s been battered every week. Newton has only missed two games in his five-year career. Anderson has been the backup in Carolina since 2011 but only started those two games Newton missed in 2014. Oddly enough, Anderson’s starts were at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 1) and then vs. the Bucs again (Week 15). And should Anderson start this weekend it will be against ... the ... Buccaneers (cue spooky music).
Paxton Lynch, Denver Broncos: After Trevor Siemian exited with a shoulder injury, the first-round pick took over. The Broncos jumped ahead of the Cowboys to draft Lynch 26th overall and be their quarterback of the future.
Sunday, Lynch completed 14 of 24 passes for 170 yards and one score with no turnovers. The Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons this weekend and then visit the San Diego Chargers, two very enticing matchups. Lynch looked sharp in his unexpected NFL debut against ... the ... Buccaneers.
Drew Stanton, Cardinals: Palmer was concussed in the loss to the Los Angeles Rams and is unlikely to play this week as the Cardinals visit the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night. That leaves Stanton in charge, though he has not started a game for the Cardinals since 2014.
He was a big step down from Palmer two years ago but at least will have a rushing offense to support him this time. Stanton had only one previous appearance this year — in Week 2 against ... the ... Buccaneers.
DEPTH CHART CHANGES
Recognizing the top wide receiver for each team is no longer simple.
Cole Beasley, Cowboys: Dez Bryant was out for Week 4 and could miss more time. But Beasley already has a team-high 23 catches for 279 yards. That’s a pace that would result in 92 receptions for the year.
Will Fuller, Houston Texans: The first-round pick has notched two 100-yard games, and his 19 catches and 323 yards lead the team. DeAndre Hopkins only has managed one game over the century mark and was held to one catch by the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. Fuller has gained 96 more yards than Hopkins. Fuller was drafted to help draw the defense from Hopkins. So far he’s also taken a bigger share of the receptions.
Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints: The second-round pick was the expected replacement for departed Marques Colston. While he is tied for the team lead with two receiving touchdowns, Thomas has caught 21 passes — three more than any other Saint.
Quincy Enunwa, New York Jets: Last year, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker combined for 189 catches, 2,529 yards and 26 touchdowns. Decker is out, and Marshall has struggled with foot and knee issues. Enunwa leads the team with 23 catches — seven more than Marshall in the same number of games.
Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders: Crabtree leads the team with four touchdowns (Amari Cooper has none), and his 26 catches are six more than Cooper has.
Jeremy Kerley, 49ers: The Niners entered the year with little more than Torrey Smith as a proven weapon. But through four games, the new offense has relied more on Kerley than any other receiver. The ex-Lion has a team-high 32 targets for 18 catches and 202 yards. That’s double the number of catches by Smith.
MOVING UP
While most coveted free agents from now on will be the product of an injury replacement or sudden promotion, there are still players progressing well enough to note.
WR Sammie Coates, Pittsburgh Steelers: Eli Rogers cannot stay healthy, and Antonio Brown needs support. Coates has yet to score but has been above 50 yards in every game and comes off a season-best six catches for 79 yards.
WR Terrance Williams, Cowboys: Williams is back after getting a timeout in Week 2 for losing a fumble in the seasonopening loss to the New York Giants. Williams disappeared last year without Tony Romo but is becoming a factor again with Dak Prescott at the helm. Williams caught four passes for 88 yards in Week 3 and then included a touchdown on his four receptions for 44 yards in a win against the 49ers.
RB Terrance West, Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens backfield has been something to avoid, but that might change. With Justin Forsett a healthy scratch, West ran for 113 yards and a score on 21 carries. He took all but three of the rushing attempts. While that was against the No. 32 defense vs. running backs, this week welcomes the Washington Redskins, who rank 28th.
WR Eddie Royal, Chicago Bears: He comes off a seven-catch, 111-yard performance with one score and leads Bears wideouts with two TDs. His 18 receptions are one fewer than leader Kevin White has. Alshon Jeffery is battling injuries, and White is still learning the NFL game. Royal not only carved out a role for himself, he also was Brian Hoyer’s favorite target.