Fantasy Roundup: Week 4

Only about a month into NFL play, and for some, the season already feels like a loss. The Titans, Saints, and Jets all fall to 0-4. Meanwhile, the Ravens are falling short of their playoff hopes with a 1-3 record, and that’s not to mention all the teams that have suffered season-ending injuries to their star players. For full team rosters, see Week 0’s issue. 

First and Lowell (2-1) vs The Ball Courier (0-3): 125.86-136.2

Top performers: Dak Prescott (30.96) | Lions D/ST (20.0)

Underperformers: Ravens D/ST (-3.0) | Chris Olave (9.0)

Kirkland Cousins (1-2) vs Bring it Dome (2-1): 145.08-153.06

Top performers: Omarion Hampton (27.5) | Puka Nacua (36)

Underperformers: Jameson Williams (5.7) | T.J. Hockenson (7.6)

Pfirst Down (2-1) vs The Inn-Zone (2-1): 135.0-102.28

Top performers: Christian McCaffrey (26.1) | Bijan Robinson (28.1)

Underperformers: Trey McBride (12.2) | Derrick Henry (7.8)

Standout Games:

Chargers @ Giants: 18-21

The Chargers started the week as the favorites, entering with a 3-0 record against untested rookie Jaxson Dart; however, Justin Herbert failed to show up at MetLife Stadium as the Giants led the entire game. Despite Herbert throwing a terrible ratio of two interceptions to one touchdown, Omarion Hampton tried his best to help the Chargers in an unsuccessful comeback. On the first drive of his professional career, Dart, the rookie quarterback from Ole Miss, rushed for a touchdown. Two quarters later, Dart threw his first touchdown pass, a shovel to Theo Johnson. The downside of Sunday’s game for the Giants was an awful season-ending injury to receiver Malik Nabers as he tore his ACL; Nabers’ injury came on the same field as Odell Beckham Jr. (former Giant WR1), reigniting the debate about grass or turf fields.

Eagles @ Buccaneers: 31-25

In a battle of the undefeated, only one team could walk away with the victory. From the jump, the Eagles dominated, returning a blocked punt for a touchdown. At halftime, they kept the lead 24-6 as Tampa Bay could only score field goals. Despite poor outings from Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown, the Eagles continued to score throughout the third as the ball was shared throughout the receiving core. In the second half, Baker Mayfield began to wake up. The Buccaneer quarterback threw two touchdowns, closing the gap to one score at the end of the fourth, but an interception and a turnover on downs sealed the Eagles’ victory. Nick Sirianni’s coaching has held up even under pressure, with a suffocating defense constantly forcing Mayfield to play out of the pocket. Notably, Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka had great performances for Tampa Bay.

Jaguars @ 49ers: 26-21

After a successful showing with backup quarterback Mac Jones, Brock Purdy returned to the field with the 3-0 49ers. Still, the Jaguars’ defense competed, forcing a fumble at the San Francisco 48-yard line and before a touchdown run. This was quickly followed by an interception four plays later, leading to an 89-yard drive capped by a touchdown. Just like that, the 49ers were down by two scores. While Christian McCaffrey did his best to keep San Francisco in the game, the 49ers continued to turn the ball over with Purdy throwing another interception and fumbling the ball in their last drive. Though the quarterback threw for two touchdowns, claims that Purdy is just a “system quarterback” may be warranted. As for Jacksonville, Travis Etienne Jr. had a monster game, rushing for 124 yards on 19 carries. Trevor Lawrence continues to look average, but a win is a win.

Looking Ahead:

Next week will be the first week of goodbyes as Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, and Pittsburgh all get a break from the action. We’ll start with a battle in California as the 49ers travel to face the Rams, with Rams favored (LAR -6.5) to walk away victorious. Minnesota @ Cleveland (MIN -3.5) will host a battle of defenses as both are some of the best in the league. Conversely, New England @ Buffalo (BUF -7.5) will be a clash between two elite offenses against two subpar defenses. This divisional matchup will get to see Drake Maye and the Patriots attempt to silence Josh Allen’s Bills.

Watch out for Puka Nacua and Jonathan Taylor. Nacua had 170 yards on only 13 receptions and put up a touchdown. He faces off against the 49ers, who allowed three Jaguars players to have 40+ receiving yards this past week. Jonathan Taylor, who leads the league in yards and is tied for second in carries, faces off against the Raiders, who allow an average of 4.0 yards per carry.

For some games that won’t be the most exciting, you’d be excused for missing the Titans play the Cardinals. As a Tennessee native, it pains me to say this: the Titans are awful as is. There is no defending the team after they were shut out this week against the Texans. The Cardinals, despite being 2-2, are not much better; their two wins have been one-score games against the Saints and Panthers. The Lions-Bengals game is also looking like a beatdown as the defense of the Lions will likely destroy backup quarterback Jake Browning.

Tyler Dang ’28 (tylerdang@college.harvard.edu) is mourning the Titans’ season.