Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Dallas’ offense was abysmal and even worse than expected without Dak Prescott. Cooper Rush lost as many fumbles (2.0) as he got yards per attempt. It was the fewest passing yards in a game with at least 20 attempts since 2015. Rush finished with a completion percentage over expectation (-13.5) in the eighth percentile despite an average depth of target of just 6.4 yards (18th percentile). CeeDee Lamb’s 10 targets resulted in 21 scoreless yards, including losing a touchdown in the sun.
Trey Lance entered late in the third quarter and wasn’t any better while taking two sacks and getting picked off on six pass attempts. The Cowboys managed a meager 2.6 yards per play and totaled 146 during another embarrassing home loss. Dallas finished with 32 net passing yards! Lamb’s volume should remain, and he was able to maintain fantasy value in the past with Rush, but managers will be debating starting him after Sunday’s scary performance. It’s ugly in Dallas with Prescott likely out for the season, and four of the Cowboys’ next six games are island ones.
Jalen Hurts only attempted 20 passes thanks to turnovers and the lopsided score, yet he produced four TDs before resting for most of the fourth quarter. Hurts won in Dallas for the first time in his career, and he now has eight rushing touchdowns over his last four games. Saquon Barkley’s day wasn’t bigger thanks to Hurts stealing two short TD runs and hurting his arm in the second quarter. Barkley was able to return, but he lost a bunch of snaps to Will Shipley and Kenneth Gainwell while tending to the injury.
Fantasy managers hoping for more Eagles production were hurt by the Cowboys never pushing back during Philadelphia’s first win in Dallas since 2017.
• It’s not just the Dallas offense. The Cowboys have allowed an NFL record 201 points over their last five home games. Dallas has committed 10 turnovers and scored zero touchdowns over its last two home games. The Cowboys entered Sunday allowing more points per drive than any team other than the Panthers and only got worse this week.
San Francisco 49ers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Brock Purdy was fantastic, throwing for 353 yards (9.8 YPA) and leading a late game-winning drive. Purdy’s anticipatory throw to Christian McCaffrey in the fourth quarter was one of the best of the day, but his extended play (8.4 seconds!) before finding George Kittle for a score might’ve been even better. Purdy is averaging nearly as many rushing yards (25.2) as Josh Allen (26.1) this season, and he’ll continue to benefit from San Francisco getting healthier on offense.
• McCaffrey saw 20 opportunities during his first action of the season, while Jordan Mason and Isaac Guerendo combined for two. San Francisco’s staff hinted that CMC may go back to being a workhorse immediately and went through with it even in Tampa Bay’s heat. CMC returns to a locked-in top three weekly fantasy back for as long as health cooperates.
• Ricky Pearsall caught his first career touchdown, but Jauan Jennings easily led the team with 11 targets during his first game playing X receiver. Jennings will be Brandon Aiyuk’s replacement moving forward, and he’s available in 40% of Yahoo leagues. Jennings entered Sunday ranked eighth in fantasy points per route run this season and fourth in Passer Rating when targeted, and he’s set to see far more volume down the stretch.
• The 49ers muffed a punt and missed three field goals during Jake Moody’s return, as special teams continues to be a major problem for San Francisco.
• Baker Mayfield got just 4.0 YPA but made a terrific play to extend the game late in the fourth quarter. Mayfield lost left tackle Tristan Wirfs in the first half after already missing Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans could return after Tampa Bay’s upcoming bye.
• Bucky Irving and Rachaad White were both top 10 fantasy backs this week while splitting 33 opportunities.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Washington Commanders
• George Pickens pulled down a nice touchdown. He’s been a WR1 with Russell Wilson.
• Mike Williams’ lone target resulted in the game-winning touchdown catch.
• Najee Harris scored a TD, but he’ll continue to lose more work to a now-healthy Jaylen Warren. Although Warren lost a fumble at the one-yard line in the fourth quarter.
• The Steelers dropped a perfectly executed fake punt.
• Jayden Daniels had his worst game as a pro, getting just 5.9 YPA and finishing with a CPOE (-12.7) in the ninth percentile. Daniels missed a possible 97-yard touchdown to Luke McCaffrey in the fourth quarter and also lost three one-yard touchdown runs to his running backs.
• Austin Ekeler punched in Washington’s first two goal-line scores, with Jeremy McNichols completing the third. Ekeler is a top-20 RB when Brian Robinson Jr. sits.
• Terry McLaurin made a terrific catch over Joey Porter Jr., but Dyami Brown committed a bad drop in the end zone.
• The Commanders were a perfect 11-for-11 on fourth downs this season before falling a few feet short on their 12th attempt — a close play that required a review and effectively ended the game.
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints
• Alvin Kamara saw another 23 opportunities, but he was stuffed at the goal line on back-to-back plays and dropped a potential 56-yard touchdown while wide-open late in the game.
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling had three catches for 109 yards and two touchdowns by halftime. He wasn’t targeted afterward and isn’t a waiver wire priority despite the Randy Moss-like eruption.
• Taysom Hill had an 88-yard touchdown catch turn into a 34-yard reception thanks to a holding penalty thrown extremely late during the opening drive. Hill was also stopped on fourth-and-short inside the 10.
• Bijan Robinson punched in a fourth-and-goal score after Tyler Allgeier was stuffed on three straight plays from the one. Robinson would later score another touchdown during his longest run of the season. Robinson is fantasy’s RB1 this week for the first time in his career (entering Sunday night’s game).
• Drake London led Atlanta with 12 targets while playing through a hip injury. He had an awesome one-handed catch during the opening drive.
New York Jets @ Arizona Cardinals
• Kyler Murray got 11.1 YPA and ran in two touchdowns, as his up-and-down season continued. Murray finished as a top-five fantasy QB (likely on many fantasy benches) for the fourth time this season after finishing as QB30 (out of 30 teams) last week. Murray’s average depth of target (4.2 yards) was in the fourth percentile, but he was highly accurate and found Marvin Harrison Jr. for a score. Murray’s fantasy day could’ve been even bigger, but he only needed 24 pass attempts in the blowout win.
• James Conner had a season-high 80 receiving yards but tallied just two more carries (12) than Trey Benson. Conner remains Arizona’s lead back, but Benson would quickly become a top-20 RB if Conner were to go down. Conner usually misses a few games each season, and Benson is available in more than 80% of Yahoo leagues.
• Trey McBride was targeted in the end zone but once again failed to score. He’s up to an NFL-high 65 targets without a receiving TD this season.
• Arizona entered leading just 28% of its snaps this season — which ranked 20th in the NFL and was lowest among winning teams (h/t LordReebs) — but dominated throughout Sunday’s game.
• The Cardinals defense is playing much better, having allowed zero touchdowns over their last three home games. But Aaron Rodgers struggled, getting an anemic 4.3 YPA — his lowest in a game since 2019. This isn’t the way he planned on going out, but the Jets might pack it in soon (if that didn’t happen already Sunday).
• Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams combined for 72 scoreless yards on 19 targets. Breece Hall got 5.2 YPC but lost 41% of the carries to Braelon Allen (3.9 YPC). The Jets defense has been one of the worst in the league since firing Robert Saleh. Yikes.
Tennessee Titans @ Los Angeles Chargers
• Justin Herbert got 9.1 YPA, but volume was an issue after Los Angeles had been pass-heavy recently. Herbert had half as many rush attempts (nine) as passes Sunday, and his first TD run of the season saved his fantasy day. Herbert has just one interception all year and owns the longest active streak without being picked.
• J.K. Dobbins lost goal-line scores to Herbert and Hassan Haskins and 10 carries to the returning Gus Edwards. Dobbins still saw a healthy 18 opportunities, but who gets the goal-line work here will be key to fantasy.
• Will Levis took seven sacks but had arguably his best game of the season during his return to action. Levis threw two TDs, got 7.6 YPA and finished with a +11.1 CPOE. He also didn’t throw a pick for the first time all year against a Chargers defense allowing the fewest points per game in nearly 20 years.
• Calvin Ridley continued to see strong usage with Levis back at QB, getting a 39.1% target share. He also pulled down two touchdowns, with the second coming in garbage time but counting all the same to fantasy managers. It’s especially encouraging given the tough opponent. Ridley looks like a real fantasy difference-maker down the stretch.
• Tyjae Spears saw 10 opportunities during his return compared to 13 for Tony Pollard. Tennessee’s staff went through with their stated desire to lessen Pollard’s workload.
Buffalo Bills @ Indianapolis Colts
• Josh Allen didn’t throw a touchdown but countered with 50 rushing yards and a nice TD run. Allen made big plays downfield despite missing Keon Coleman and Amari Cooper (and Dalton Kincaid left injured).
• Kincaid left in the second quarter with a knee injury. He started the second half but ultimately exited for good. Allen missed a wide-open Kincaid for a 28-yard touchdown earlier in the first quarter, continuing a frustrating theme; Kincaid entered with the most uncatchable targets among all tight ends this season.
• Jonathan Taylor had 100+ rushing yards midway through the second quarter but did little else afterward thanks to erratic quarterback play. Taylor isn’t seeing any added receiving boost from Joe Flacco either.
• Making his first home start this season, Flacco was awful yet again. He threw a pick-six during his first pass of the game and then another interception during Indy’s second drive. Flacco took a sack on fourth down, lost a fumble, threw another near pick-six and was lucky he didn’t finish with five interceptions. His total EPA (-11.9) was in the ninth percentile. Flacco has made the Colts’ decision to bench Anthony Richardson look increasingly worse. But completion percentage!
• In Flacco’s defense, Josh Downs dropped a sure easy touchdown in the first quarter.
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
• Patrick Mahomes’ average depth of target (4.6 yards) was in the fourth percentile, as he continues to throw less downfield than any QB in the league. Kareem Hunt benefitted from it Sunday though, racking up 10 targets.
• Travis Kelce caught a touchdown on fourth-and-goal, but Mahomes sailed a throw to him wide open in the end zone during a later third-and-goal with six minutes left in the game.
• Xavier Worthy was open for a 50-yard touchdown, but Mahomes’ errant throw resulted in Worthy injuring his shoulder instead.
• Bo Nix had 160 yards (8.0 YPA) and two TDs at halftime. Steve Spagnuolo’s defense stiffened afterward, but it was an encouraging bounce-back performance from Denver’s rookie QB. Nix’s CPOE (+14.1) was in the 93rd percentile.
• Javonte Williams saw just one carry and was seemingly benched for Audric Estimé, who was given 14 rush attempts. Estimé dealt with fumbling issues earlier this season, but he also had a long third quarter run nullified by penalty Sunday. Sean Payton’s backs are always helpful in fantasy, so Estimé becomes a must-add. He’s available in 97% of Yahoo leagues.
• The Broncos were attempting a 35-yard field goal to win in Kansas City for the first time since 2016, but Mahomes’ Magic helped block the short attempt to keep the Chiefs undefeated.
New York Giants @ Carolina Panthers (Germany)
• Chuba Hubbard forced seven missed tackles in the first half and had a career-high in rushing yards (137) with 20 minutes left to play. He saw a whopping 34 opportunities with Jonathon Brooks still inactive, finishing as this week’s RB2. Hubbard lost a fumble but otherwise carried a Carolina offense that managed just 5.0 YPA.
• Ja’Tavion Sanders wasn’t nearly as involved this week during a game with limited pass attempts (25), but the rookie can play. He caught a touchdown and is a tight end to have stashed in dynasty leagues.
• Bryce Young wasn’t very good, but he limited turnovers and sacks and won consecutive starts for the first time in his career.
• Tyrone Tracy Jr. overcame an anemic New York passing attack and had a nice 32-yard touchdown run in the second half. Tracy Jr. lost a fumble during the first snap of overtime and ultimately left the field in tears, but the rookie’s future is extremely bright.
• Malik Nabers returned after another concussion scare suffered during an early fourth-quarter catch, but his fantasy managers have had enough of Daniel Jones.
Minnesota Vikings @ Jacksonville Jaguars
• Sam Darnold was picked off three times, each one targeting Justin Jefferson in the end zone. Darnold benefitted from dropped picks and had a fourth interception nullified by penalty in the third quarter against a Jacksonville defense that entered with two INTs all season. Darnold refused to check down to a seemingly always-open Aaron Jones against a Jaguars defense susceptible to receiving backs. Darnold suffered a hand injury during a tackle attempt after one of his picks but was able to play through it. Darnold was a massive fantasy disappointment, failing to lead Minnesota to any touchdowns versus a Jacksonville defense that entered allowing the second most fantasy points to quarterbacks.
• Aaron Jones took a shot to the chest midway through the third quarter, and he was carted to the locker room. Jones was able to return for the final two drives, but missed snaps and Darnold’s dud cost him fantasy production.
• The Vikings ran 39 more plays than the Jaguars, the highest play differential in a game over the last two seasons.
• Mac Jones was a big downgrade in a game Jacksonville possessed the ball for 17 minutes.
• Tank Bigsby took a backseat to Travis Etienne Jr., who saw 12-of-14 RB opportunities. Etienne had a goal-line touchdown overturned in the first quarter, only to watch Jones punch in the score instead.
New England Patriots @ Chicago Bears
• Caleb Williams got 4.0 YPA, produced just three points and took nine sacks. Chicago’s offensive line is devastated by injuries, but this isn’t good. Williams had played better at home this season, and New England entered with just 16 sacks on the season. It marked the first time the Bears have allowed six sacks in back-to-back games since 1993 (15 over the last two weeks!). Williams’ CPOE (-8.3) was in the 18th percentile, and he’s now gotten 4.9 YPA with zero touchdowns over the last three weeks during a stretch in which improvement was expected. Williams has been an utter disaster when not facing a pass defense ranked bottom-two in DVOA this season, and it’s destroying all Bears’ fantasy values.
• D’Andre Swift’s dramatic win/loss splits in production continued during the defeat when Chicago continued to be the league’s only team that hasn’t scored first in a game this season.
At least the Bears have the toughest remaining schedule in the league.
• Drake Maye got 7.4 YPA (+5.2 CPOE) and had the other team’s sideline questioning whether they made the right draft pick at No. 1. Maye entered with the league’s second-highest scramble rate among quarterbacks, which puts him firmly on the fantasy radar in better matchups.
Stay tuned for SNF analysis …