Depth Chart Watch: Fallout From Week 4

The bye weeks are upon us, and you know what that means. I can write this column slightly faster than usual! Woo! Oh, and the time of fantasy shenanigans is of course nigh. In the RotoWire best-ball league, I own Marcus Mariota and Andrew Luck, and there are no pickups in best-ball. Zero points from the QB position, alright! If I had to guess, Luck won't miss another game. But the one he missed will, of course, have been on Mariota's bye week. Anyway, that's this week's entry in news about my fantasy teams that no one cares about. Now let's talk depth charts.

Arizona RB: With Andre Ellington (knee) probably unable to take on much of a workload in Week 4, the Cardinals decided to hold him out for one more game, and Chris Johnson again delivered credible results in his absence, rolling up 94 total yards. David Johnson ended up outscoring him for fantasy purposes, though, supplementing his modest three rushes for 18 yards with four receptions for 63, including a touchdown (though it took 10 targets for him to catch those four balls, and he lost a fumble). Even when Ellington returns next week in Detroit, it might be David's role that gets reduced far more than that of Chris.

Arizona WR: It was nice to see Michael Floyd show up to play, as he had his most noticeable performance of the year Sunday, catching five of seven targets for 59 yards. That still left him as a clear third fiddle behind Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown, who actually tied with the aforementioned pass-catching Johnson for the team lead in targets with 10.

Atlanta RB: Okay, so, in the last two weeks, with Tevin Coleman (ribs) out, Devonta Freeman has rolled up 342 total yards and six (six!) touchdowns. And they haven't been cheap goal-line touches, either. Against the Texans this week, Freeman scored on rushes of 16, 23 and six yards. Up big, the Falcons pulled their starters, so even though Terron Ward ended up leading the team in carries (19) and rush yards (72), he's not really a person of fantasy interest, particularly with Coleman's return on the horizon. Even when he's back though, how can Coleman serve as anything but the backup after all this?

Baltimore WR: Steve Smith suffered four fractures in his back in Thursday's game (ouch) which left Kamar Aiken as the focal point of a Baltimore passing attack that didn't make a lot of progress after Smith's injury. Aiken did roll up 77 yards and a score, and it seems like he's a guy to scoop up with Smith already ruled out for Week 5. Breshad Perriman is out indefinitely after having his knee scoped, and you don't want Marlon Brown or Michael Campanaro, but keep an eye on rookie Darren Waller. He's considered a project, but is a big target at 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, and he's got good speed, too.

Baltimore TE: Crockett Gillmore (calf) didn't play Thursday, but it didn't do Maxx Williams a ton of good as the rookie had just two catches for 17 yards. Fellow tight end Nick Boyle drew just as many targets (four), reeling in three of them for 12 whole yards. Even when Gillmore's on the field, there's not much to see here.

Buffalo RB: LeSean McCoy (hamstring) didn't play in Week 4, and reportedly won't play until he feels 100 percent. Hey, he gets paid the same either way, right? So we all jumped headlong onto the Karlos Williams bandwagon, but Williams managed to rush 18 times for only 40 yards, though he rescued his fantasy line with 30 more yards and a touchdown through the air. It seems rather likely that McCoy will sit another week to heal up, so Williams will get some more run.

Buffalo WR: With Sammy Watkins (calf) sitting out Sunday, TE Charles Clay (13 targets) was the biggest beneficiary, as Percy Harvin caught only three of his eight targets for a miserable 26 yards, while Chris Hogan (43 yards) and Robert Woods (33 yards, fumble) saw only five targets each. Watkins' struggles with injuries have been a real shame, as he's a supreme talent when he's not falling apart. His status for next week remains uncertain.

Carolina RB: The Panthers rolled over the Buccaneers on Sunday, so don't get too excited about seeing Cameron Artis-Payne carry almost as much as Jonathan Stewart. The veteran may have only had two more carries than the rook, but Stewart remains a clear starter and he doubled Artis-Payne's modest yardage total.

Carolina WR: Ted Ginn had another one of those games that makes you scratch your head Sunday, as he was targeted just three times and caught just two passes for 18 yards, but they were both touchdowns. Brenton Bersin ended up leading the Carolina wideout corps in catches, targets and yardage, but that only added up to four for 54 on a fairly quiet statistical day for Cam Newton.

Chicago QB: Jay Cutler got back much sooner than expected, missing just one week with his hamstring injury, and he led the Bears to a comeback win over Oakland. It wasn't always pretty, but it worked. He should be good to go moving forward. If you were desperate enough at QB to own Jimmy Clausen, I'm sorry.

Chicago WR: Alshon Jeffery (hamstring) couldn't get back as quickly as Cutler, but then again, he does have to run a bit more. Marquess Wilson and Eddie Royal were heavily targeted in his absence, with Wilson delivering 80 yards on six catches and Royal catching seven for 54 and a score. Jeffery's been practicing on a limited basis, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him return to his top-dog role next week in Kansas City.

Cincinnati RB: While Giovani Bernard once more owned the rushing load in Week 4, Hill scored touchdowns on a full third of his nine carries, though Gio grabbed one too. Hill scored all three of his from inside the 10. Curiously, the only Cincy back targeted in the passing game was Rex Burkhead, who caught his only look for 27 yards.

Cleveland TE: For the second consecutive week, Josh McCown made Gary Barnidge a fantasy factor, as Barnidge caught all six of his targets for 75 yards and a touchdown. If you need TE help, here's a guy who's still on a lot of waiver wires.

Dallas RB: Things broke out surprisingly evenly in Week 4 here, as Joseph Randle's ineffectual running (2.4 YPC on 11 carries, but he did punch in a one-yard touchdown) opened the door for Darren McFadden to run the ball 10 times, though he wasn't much better. Lance Dunbar got just three carries, but nearly outgained the both of them put together by ripping off 54 yards, but he may have ACL and MCL tears that could end his season. That means we'll probably see more of Randle and McFadden alike in passing situations.

Denver RB: Another disappointing day for C.J. Anderson was made worse by a Ronnie Hillman explosion. While each back carried a modest 11 times, Hillman turned his into 103 yards and a touchdown (mostly thanks to a 72-yarder in the second quarter), while Anderson gained just 43 yards, though he did add a 27-yard catch. With Anderson clearly still slowed by his toe injury, things could start trending Hillman's way more and more.

Green Bay WR: With Davante Adams (ankle) unable to go Sunday after getting hurt last Monday night, James Jones stepped into the No. 2 role and led the Pack in Week 4 receiving yardage (98). Randall Cobb, meanwhile, had a mouse-quiet day, gaining only 44 yards on five catches (eight targets). Ty Montgomery wasn't much use out of the No. 3 role, picking up just 15 yards on three receptions.

Houston QB: Ryan Mallett was yanked from Sunday's game in favor of Brian Hoyer, who threw for 232 yards and two touchdowns in relief. That probably means Hoyer will again become the starter here.

Houston RB: Arian Foster showed a lot of rust in his first game back from a groin injury Sunday, collecting only 10 yards on eight carries while adding 25 yards through the air and losing a fumble. He only got about half the work, as Alfred Blue and Chris Polk saw nine carries put together, and Polk was able to punch in a one-yard touchdown. With a short turnaround to Thursday's game against the Colts, keep expectations moderated for Foster 'til Week 6 in Jacksonville.

Indianapolis QB: Perhaps Andrew Luck's shoulder injury is to blame for his early struggles. The Colts are hoping that's the case, as they sat him for Week 4 against the Jags, with Matt Hasselbeck filling in surprisingly competently (30-for-47, 282 yards and a score). Luck is planning to play Thursday against Houston.

Jacksonville WR: Allen Hurns blew it up in Week 4 with Allen Robinson getting smothered by Vontae Davis, as Hurns reeled in 11 of his team-leading 15 targets for 116 yards and a score. Robinson still managed 80 yards of his own, though. There are pretty much no other fantasy-relevant wideouts here at this point.

Miami WR: The Jets smothered the Miami passing game Sunday in London, with Jarvis Landry managing just four catches on 12 targets and Greg Jennings snagging just three of seven for 15 yards. Kenny Stills, though, escaped for five catches on eight targets for 81 and a score, by far his best game as a Dolphin so far, and worth noting. Jennings is awful right now, and more of his targets should start going Stills' way.

Minnesota WR: Out of nowhere, 2015 fifth-round pick Stefon Diggs was a huge part of the Vikings' plans on Sunday, his first NFL game. With Charles Johnson (ribs) out and Jarius Wright (hand) limited, Diggs tied Mike Wallace for the team lead in targets with 10, and he caught six of those for a team-leading 87 yards. For his part, Wallace had his best game as a Viking so far, catching eight balls for 83 yards and a score. Adam Thielen even produced in the No. 3 role, catching six out of eight targets for 70 yards. Monitor the injury situations here.

New Orleans QB: Drew Brees (shoulder) got back in the saddle Sunday and did Drew Brees stuff (33-for-41, 359 yards and two touchdowns). Yeah, he's back.

New Orleans RB: While we got our normal share of Mark Ingram, with a backup complement of Khiry Robinson, C.J. Spiller grabbed the headlines in Week 4 by exploding for an 80-yard catch-and-run to lift the Saints in overtime. Of course, he still carried the ball just twice and had only 19 yards on four catches prior to that game-ending play. It's worth noting that Ingram again saw a lot of use in the pass game with seven targets, and he already has more receiving yards this year than he had last year.

New Orleans WR: Willie Snead was again second in targets among wideouts Sunday, and he secured all six balls sent his way to lead New Orleans wideouts with 89 yards. Brandin Cooks was a disappointment, catching just four of his team-leading eight targets for 25 yards, and Marques Colston was basically used exclusively on short stuff.

New York Giants RB: Andre Williams again saw a slightly bigger share of this split in Week 4, but produced a quiet 35 yards on his 11 rushes; Rashad Jennings produced three more yards on two fewer carries, and a 51-yard receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter made his fantasy day. Shane Vereen, meanwhile, went oddly unutilized in the passing game (no targets), and he only carried five times for 21. Maybe Jennings is emerging to some small degree from this group, but it mostly looks like a mutual destruction of fantasy value, with all these guys basically TD-dependent options.

New York Giants WR: Victor Cruz had a setback last week with his calf injury and is now out indefinitely, but it wasn't Odell Beckham or even really Rueben Randle (though he caught a touchdown to go with his modest 31-yard output) who benefited from his absence Sunday. No, it was the ex-Cowboy Dwayne Harris who led the wideouts with five catches on six targets for 51 yards and a score. Beckham had an unusually bad day, catching just five of his 12 looks for 38 yards.

New York Jets RB: Chris Ivory (quad) stepped back into his full-time role Sunday, toting the ball 29 yards for 166 yards and a touchdown. Bilal Powell ended up departing this one with a groin injury, leaving Zac Stacy as the backup. He caught a couple passes and punched in a late touchdown, but isn't of much note fantasy-wise right now.

New York Jets WR: With Eric Decker (knee) came back to the Jets in London, and though they didn't use him on an every-snap basis, he still managed four catches for 46 yards and a score. Devin Smith was targeted one more time (six) than Decker, and though he caught just two of those, the blame for that goes to Ryan Fitzpatrick's bad throws, not Smith's catching ability. Unquestioned top dog Brandon Marshall also bounced back after last year's lowlight, racking up 128 yards on seven grabs.

Philadelphia RB: DeMarco Murray (hamstring) got back on the field, and… the Eagles lost again. At least Murray was better than before, gaining 36 yards on his eight carries. Ryan Mathews carried five times of his own, gaining all of 20 yards and losing a fumble, while Darren Sproles wasn't even effective in the pass game, failing to reel in any of his three targets. This was supposed to be a three-headed monster of a backfield, but instead it's a three-headed chipmunk.

Pittsburgh QB: Michael Vick did credible work in his first start as a Steeler. He didn't turn the ball over while throwing efficiently (if unimpressively) for 124 yards and a score Thursday. He also took off running nine times for 33 yards. Can't pin the loss on him. Blame Josh Scobee's two missed field goals. Ben Roethlisberger is unlikely to return 'til Week 10 against Cleveland, so Vick's going to get some run here, and he'll have Martavis Bryant back next week.

San Diego WR: Steve Johnson hurt his hamstring Sunday, while Malcon Floyd sustained a concussion. The result wasn't a raft of targets for Keenan Allen, though. He had a solid game, but nothing crazy, with 72 yards and a score. Instead, Dontrelle Inman was the beneficiary, as he ended up leading the Chargers with 88 receiving yards on three catches. There's some fantasy intrigue to be found here.

Seattle RB: Marshawn Lynch (hamstring) will miss his first game since 2011 on Monday night, leaving promising undrafted rookie Thomas Rawls to head the Seattle backfield, with Fred Jackson serving in a complementary role.

St. Louis RB: Todd Gurley has arrived. One week after a slow initial entry, Gurley busted out 146 yards on 19 carries as the primary back for St. Louis, and he even caught a couple passes for 15 yards. He should be a lineup fixture from here on out.

St. Louis WR: Supposedly, Brian Quick was active for the first time this year Sunday, but you can't tell that from the box score, where he made no appearances. Tavon Austin enjoyed the vast majority of the looks in the passing game, delivering one of those wholly unpredictable blowups he's become known for with 116 total yards and two receiving scores. He entered this week's action with 99 total yards and a rushing touchdown through three games. While Austin will probably be a popular pickup, I don't recommend you go nuts here, though I'd rather own him than Kenny Britt or Stedman Bailey.

Tampa Bay RB: Who's got two thumbs and benched Doug Martin for his one good game of the year? This guy. Martin finally looked like a new man in Week 4, rushing 20 times for 106 yards and a score, plus five catches for 37 more yards against the normally stout Carolina D that was apparently too busy intercepting Jameis Winston to stop the run. Charles Sims scored a touchdown of his own through the air (where he tied Martin with five targets), but rushed the ball only six times.

Tampa Bay WR: Vincent Jackson woke up Sunday, taking advantage of a season-high 15 targets to rack up 10 catches for 147 yards and his second touchdown of the year, more than doubling his output from the previous three games. Mike Evans? Still sleeping. He was targeted eight times, but caught just three for 32 yards. Not much to see from Louis Murphy either.

Washington RB: While this was a bad game for the Washington running game as a whole, it was extra bad for Matt Jones, who gained only 11 yards on seven carries and ended up being marginalized in favor of Alfred Morris and even Chris Thompson, who both roundly outproduced him. Thompson is becoming intriguing for deep leagues, while Morris looks like he may have retaken the role of primary ball carrier.

Washington WR: Jamison Crowder was this team's top receiver Sunday, both in targets (12!) and yards (a modest 65). Crowder looks like a legit receiver who should continue having a role when DeSean Jackson (hamstring) is back, though it's unclear just when that will be. Pierre Garcon managed to collect 55 yards and a touchdown on seven catches, so he benefited from having another pass-catching threat on the field. Ryan Grant saw his highest load of the year (seven targets) but managed a pretty modest five catches for 45 yards.

Washington TE: Jordan Reed was concussed late in Sunday's game, leaving the 'Skins with the unappetizing options of Derek Carrier and Anthony McCoy at tight end.