Much of what will be discussed below is a continuation of Jerry Donabedian's work from this week's Box Score Breakdown, the most thorough NFL weekly recap article around. The idea here is to pick out some of the most important developments from Week 4 and do a deep dive to see what they might mean for Week 5 and beyond.
1. Xavier Worthy led the Chiefs in both receiving and rushing yards from scrimmage in his return from a shoulder injury in Week 4.
- Key Stat: Worthy recorded 129 air yards in Week 4.
It's hard to imagine Worthy's return going much better than what we saw in Week 4 against the Ravens. Despite playing only 59 percent of snaps, he led the receiving corps with 10 opportunities (eight targets, two carries), four more than JuJu Smith-Schuster. He also saw his targets in the most efficient way possible. Half of his eight targets came in the short area of the field, including one in the red zone, and he also made one catch in the intermediate area of the field. There was a lack of connection deep between him and Patrick Mahomes, something we saw a lot of in 2024, but the Chiefs manufactured touches to give Worthy a safe fantasy floor.
The return of Rashee Rice could change things, but there are two reasons I remain optimistic about Worthy's outlook. The first is that he clearly operated as Mahomes' favorite target, racking up 129 air yards with only two other Chiefs surpassing 40. Tyquan Thornton was already phased out of the offense (34 percent snap rate, two targets) and Hollywood Brown should be next, as he's been terribly inefficient since his surprise performance in Week 1.
Even once Rice returns, that would consolidate targets around Rice, Worthy, Smith-Schuster and the over-the-hill Travis Kelce. Worthy can remain a fantasy force in that scenario. That isn't to mention Worthy's usage in the run game. The Chiefs' running backs have been abysmal, and it could be a position they address before the trade deadline. If not, Worthy showed the ability to work as an extension of the run game as a short-area target in Week 4. In the long term, he can continue to operate in the short and deep areas of the field — the most efficient areas for fantasy production — with Rice dominating the intermediate range.
2. Woody Marks saw 21 touches to Nick Chubb's 15 in Week 4.
- Key Stats: Marks earned 59 percent of the running back opportunity share in Week 4.
In a week where Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton delivered huge performances, Woody Marks also turned in a likely a sustainable breakout in Week 4. He had 22 touches (17 carries, five targets) to Nick Chubb's 15. While that's hardly a workhorse share, it stands out in stark contrast to Marks' past usage, as he had previously handled no more than eight opportunities in his first three games as a pro.
Marks also converted on his chance, logging long rushes of 18, 15 and nine yards, while also looking explosive as a pass catcher (20 and 12 yard receptions). That's all without pointing out that he scored twice to bury the Titans and finally giving a flat Texans offense some life.
Coach DeMeco Ryans said Monday that he's excited to see how much more Marks can handle. That is obviously a positive, but it is also a reminder that Marks is relatively small (5-foot-10, 207) to be a true workhorse. Chubb likely will remain involved in the offense, but Marks has the looks of being the lead back until/if Joe Mixon (foot) returns.
3. Ladd McConkey is operating as the Chargers' third receiver.
- Key Stats: McConkey earned a 14.6 percent targets per route share in Week 4.
It might be time to panic on McConkey. Quentin Johnston not only blew him away on the stat sheet in Week 4, as he has all season, but also in his peripheral stats. Johnston had a target per route run rate of 32.5 percent to McConkey's 14.6 percent, and the air yards were a similar blowout of 146-46. For the season, Johnston has doubled McConkey in air yards share and is out-pacing him by six percentage points in traditional target share (25-19). The alternative way to read this is that Johnston is emerging as a reliable fantasy wide receiver.
Even more concerning is that Keenan Allen is also out-performing McConkey, in the box score and in terms of opportunity. Allen is out-performing McConkey by six percentage points in air yards share, 10 percentage points in target per route run share and five percentage points in traditional target share.
As a quick bonus observation in L.A., it may be time to add Oronde Gadsden in deep keeper or dynasty leagues. He approached a 50 percent snap and route-run rate in Week 4 in the absence of Will Dissly, and his primary calling card is as a pass catcher.
4. Kenneth Gainwell served as a more efficient Jaylen Warren.
- Key Stats: Gainwell had a 78 percent opportunity share and recorded 32 rush yards over expectation in Week 4.
Jaylen Warren (knee) was a surprise inactive in Week 4, definitely leaving West Coast fantasy managers in a tough spot with the Steelers early morning kickoff in Dublin. Word after the game is that his knee didn't feel right during warmups, another indication that he was close to playing and ultimately just on the wrong side of questionable. With the Steelers heading into a Week 5 bye, Gainwell's big Week 4 performance (19-99-2 on the ground, 6-35 as a receiver) could be for naught.
But it's worth considering that Gainwell is the better back. Perhaps the Pittsburgh offensive line suddenly found its form to open up better running lanes for Gainwell relative to what Warren had in Weeks 1-3, but there are a few stats to consider before dismissing a potential shift in usage in the Steelers' backfield. First, Gainwell picked up 32 yards over expected in Week 4, while Warren had recorded -16 from Weeks 1-3. Next, Gainwell logged the highest rushing total for an individual Steelers' back since Week 8 of the 2024 season (Najee Harris, 114 yards vs. LV). Finally, Gainwell's 19 rush attempts are more than Warren has ever posted in a game in his career (though that's cherry-picking a bit as Warren did have 18 carries Week 3 against New England).
5. Chris Godwin returned to a full-time role in Tampa Bay's offense.
- Key Stats: Godwin earned a target on 25 percent of his routes and also had 152 air yards.
Godwin's return from injury was a mixed bag. His final line was ugly, only converting 10 targets into 26 yards. However, all the peripherals were there, including an 81 percent snap rate, a route share of 88 percent and significant air-yard and target shares.
In his Box Score Breakdown, Jerry raised concern that Godwin could just be in for a down year as he recovers from a serious injury, and that's certainly a realistic possibility. For now, it's clear that the Buccaneers and Baker Mayfield still believe in Godwin as a key to the offense, so I'd interpret this as a positive return for him.
6. Isaiah Bond earned five targets after Cedric Tillman left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury.
- Key Stats: Bond had a 67 percent snap rate after Cedric Tillman departed in Week 4.
The Browns haven't been an offense to mine for fantasy value, as the Titans are arguably the only team with a worse overall environment for skill-position players. The unit is starting to be re-imagined, however, with Quinshon Judkins taking over as the workhorse back and becoming a viable fantasy running back.
The unfortunate hamstring injury to Tillman could serve to do the same for the receiving corps. Jerry Jeudy remains the priority through the air, but Bond appears ready to step up as the second option. He'll be a boom-or-bust fantasy option both due to the offensive environment and based on his usage deep down the field (79 air yards, 13.3 aDOT in Week 4), but Dillon Gabriel has to be on the verge of taking over under center. It will be interesting to see who emerges around him as potential building blocks for the future of this offense, with Bond looking like a primary option.
7. Darius Slayton had a 92 percent snap rate after the departure of Malik Nabers in the second quarter.
- Key Stats: Slayton had 66 air yards in Week 4.
Nabers' season-ending knee injury is a big disappointment all around. One of the most talented wide receivers in the game is out for the season, the Giants' miss out on a chance to evaluate their potential franchise QB-WR connection and and it leaves the team very thin at wide receiver.
Unsurprisingly, Wan'Dale Robinson was on the field for 100 percent of snaps following the injury, but Darius Slayton was at an impressive 92 percent snap rate. He also dominated the valuable fantasy opportunity, tallying 66 air yards with the next closest being Theo Johnson (37) and Daniel Bellinger (10). We're going to see a lot of Cam Skattebo and Jaxson Dart on the ground and short-area targets, but on the occasions Dart pushes the ball down the field, Slayton likely will be the top target.
8. Stefon Diggs finally dominated opportunity among the New England receiving corps.
- Key Stats: Diggs earned a 38.8 percent target per route run rate and 64.4 percent air yard share in Week 4.
It had been a slow start in New England for Diggs, but there was a significant turnaround in Week 4. He accounted for 64 percent of the team's air yards, more than the total of his combined air yards share in his first three games with the Patriots (16.9, 25.4, and 5.7 percent, respectively). Admittedly, those numbers are a bit skewed considering Drake Maye attempted only 17 passes in a blowout win, but this was the clearest signal that the Patriots want to prioritize Diggs in the offense.
This is meant to be a stats-based article, but coach Mike Vrabel had an interesting interaction on the Greg Hill Show on WEEI during an interview Monday. He was confronted by the fact that Diggs estimated that he was roughly 50 percent comfortable in the offense after Sunday's win. Vrabel bristled at the notion and said that Diggs needs to study the offense more. That could lend some insight into Diggs' slow start, but it also indicates that Vrabel has high expectations for Diggs and anticipates him being a key member of this offense. Don't expect Diggs to return to production levels when he was paired with Josh Allen, but he looks to be trending in the right direction.
9. James Cook is a workhorse running back.
- Key Stat: Cook was on the field for 74 percent of offensive snaps and logged 22 carries in Week 4.
Cook was a popular fade in the preseason due to the potential for him to experience touchdown regression. So far, he's made up for any such regression with career-high volume. In the simplest terms, he has at least 13 carries in every game this season, at least 19 carries in three of four games and more than 20 carries in two games.
Entering the season, he had only three games with at least 20 rushes in a game, and he had only five games with at least 19 attempts on the ground. Put another way, 40 percent of his career games with at least 20 carries have come in the first four weeks of the season as well as 37.5 percent of his games with at least 19 carries.
A lot of the Buffalo skill-position players are frustrating due to a timeshare or heavy rotation, but Cook has graduated from that to be arguably the team's most impactful fantasy player when taking into account position.
10. RJ Harvey earned a split in the Denver backfield.
- Key Stat: Harvey earned 18 touches to J.K. Dobbins' 17.
Dobbins turned in a strong performance of his own and logged the first 100-yard rushing effort by a back in Sean Peyton's tenure as head coach in Denver, so this isn't necessarily a bad thing for him for the time being. However, Peyton said postgame that he wanted to give his two backs alternating series rather than by specific playcall to allow them to get into a better rhythm.
In addition to Dobbins' fine performance, Harvey went from a previous high of seven touches to 18. This looks to be a less extreme version of the situation in Houston, with Harvey ascending and Dobbins on a slight decline.
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