Joe’s Week 4 Notes & Observations

You are going to notice that a lot of my notes and observations are heavy on identifying trends throughout the first four weeks of the season. I mentioned on the Week 4 podcast that the waiver wire will have fewer names as the season progresses, which is certainly the case this week.

Here are my notes and observations from Week 4:

Power 5 Notes

Wake Forest RB Cade Carney missed another game and freshman RB Kenneth Walker looked good again. Walker carried the ball 13 times for 94 yards in a 24-18 win over UNC. Walker’s emergence isn’t good for Carney’s owners. WR Scotty Washington has caught 5 TDs in four games. WR Sage Surratt has three 100-yard games and has caught a TD pass in each of the team’s first four games.
So much for my Zack Moss pick in 2019, or at least for another few weeks. A shoulder injury could keep in on the sidelines for a month. Devin Brumfield will get most off the carries in the Utes’ backfield with Devonta’e Henry-Cole behind him.
I know USC spreads it around in the passing game, and Tyler Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown are capable of big numbers, but Michael Pittman is their best fantasy receiver.
Boston College RB AJ Dillon has back-to-back 150-yard rushing games and has scored in every game this season.
Syracuse WR Trishton Jackson had his second 2-TD game of the season against Western Michigan.
No running back is emerging at Iowa State, but WR Tarique Milton has posted back-to-back 140-yard games.
Indiana TE Peyton Hendershot has now scored in three straight games and has at least 4 catches and 43 yards in every game this year. RB Stevie Scott has scored a rushing TD in three of four games this year.
Michigan State RB Elijah Collins has carried the ball at least 17 times in three straight games and has scored in back-to-back games.
Northwestern RB Isaiah Bowser returned from injury and ran for 39 yards on 13 carries against Michigan Sttae. Teammate Drake Anderson carried the ball 17 times for 91 yards and a TD. Anderson has 232 rushing yards over the previous two games.
Tennessee WR Jauan Jennings had seven catches for 73 yards against Florida. He has at least 73 yards in three of four games and has scored in three of four.
Florida RB Lamical Perine rushed for a season high 62 yards against Tennessee and has scored in all four games this year.
Joe Burrow and the LSU passing game are certainly getting a lot of attention, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire is getting it done in the backfield, scoring in every game this season.
Vanderbilt WR Kalija Lipscomb caught his first TD of the year against LSU.
Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa has accounted for at least 4 TDs in every game this season. RB Najee Harris and WR Henry Ruggs have scored in three consecutive games.
Fantasy owners were wise benching Cal RB Chris Brown, who left last week’s game with an injury. Brown only had eight carries at Ole Miss, while teammate Marcel Dancy had twelve carries.
After rallying the Ole Miss offense late in the fourth quarter, I wonder if John Rhys Plumlee will get more playing time over Matt Corral. I still expect Corral to start next week at Alabama, but this could be something to monitor.
Louisville WR Chatarius Atwell has caught a TD pass in three straight games.
Florida State quarterback James Blackman left Saturday’s game with a knee injury. We should get an update soon. Alex Hornibrook completed 15-of-20 passes for 255 yards and 2 TDs in relief. WR Keyshawn Helton has caught a TD pass in three of four games this year. RB Cam Akers has three 100-yard rushing games and has scored in every game this season.
Last week, I was concerned about UNC freshman RB Javonte Williams losing playing time to Michael Carter after his early fumble at Wake Forest, but Williams carried the ball 16 times for 94 yards against Appalachian State, while Carter only had 8 rushing attempts. QB Sam Howell has thrown at least 2 TD passes in every game this season.
Pitt WR Maurice Ffrench has caught at least 6 passes in every game this season.
Ohio State QB Justin Fields has accounted for at least 4 TDs in every game this season and RB JK Dobbins has scored a rushing TD in every game. WRs KJ Hill and Chris Olave have scored in three of four games.
Auburn WR Seth Williams returned from injury and caught 4 passes for 47 yards and a TD against Texas A&M. RB JaTarvious Whitlow scored for the third consecutive week.
So. It seems as if Texas A&M will split the carries between Isaiah Spiller and Jacob Kibodi. If that is the case, I would probably move off of Spiller.
TCU WR Jalen Reagor only had 2 catches for 2 yards against SMU. He was missed on a few downfield opportunities, and they need to find ways to get him some high-percentage touches. RB Darius Anderson has rushed for at least 160 yards and 2 TDs in back-to-back games.
Washington WR Aaron Fuller has scored in three of four games this year. RB Richard Newton has scored in three of four games and has become a better fantasy asset than teammate Salvon Ahmed, who missed Saturday’s game against BYU with an injury. QB Jacob Eason has thrown at least 3 TD passes in three of four games.
BYU RB Ty’Son Williams left Saturday’s game against Washington with an apparent knee injury. Until we know more, it seems as if Emmanuel Esukpa is the next-best option in the Cougars’ backfield. Esupka had nine carries for 49 yards and a TD this past weekend.
Miami RB DeeJay Dallas has scored in three of four games.
After a bad Week 1, South Carolina WR Bryan Edwards has posted two 100-yard receiving games and has scored in two of the last three.
Missouri RB Larry Rountree did not score for the first time this season, but still finished with 88 rushing yards on 23 carries.
Kentucky WR Lynn Bowden has caught at least seven passes in three straight games. Asim Rose had 105 rushing yards compared to Kavosiey Smoke’s 25, but Smoke did score at Mississippi State.
Mississippi State QB Garrett Shrader ran for 125 yards against Kentucky and was 17-of-22 for 180 yards. Kylin Hill scored three rushing TDs and has carried the ball at least 24 times in three of four games.
West Virginia RB Kennedy McKoy only has 151 rushing yards in four games, but has scored three TDs in the past two games. Receiver Sam James has caught at least five passes in all four games, but has averaged 7.0 yards per catch or less in three of four games.
Kansas QB Carter Stanley has thrown 3 TDs passes in back-to-back games. WR Andrew Parchment had his third 100-yard receiving game of the year and has caught 2 TD passes in consecutive games. RB Pooka Williams has at least 17 touches in all three games in which he has played.
NC State RB Ricky Person had 20 touches on Saturday against Ball State. I would not add him right now, but I would put him on the watchlist for future weeks. In fact, I don’t really like any NC State players because it seems like fantasy owners will have to live with inconsistency.
Virginia WR Joe Reed has caught a TD pass in three consecutive games. QB Bryce Perkins has only accounted for more than 2 TDs in a game one time in this year. RB Wayne Tualapapa has scored at least one TD in all three games in which he has played this year.
I don’t think Oregon RB TravisDye was hurt. My warning has always been not to trust rotation against the Montana’s of the CFB world. Verdell had 24 carries against Stanford. TE Jacob Breeland and WR Jaylon Redd have scored in three straight games.
Clemson’s dominance is prohibiting players like RB Travis Etienne from putting up edit fantasy numbers right now. However, WR Tee Higgins has had three double-digit fantasy outings, even in non-PPR formats. Justyn Ross was held out of Saturday’s game against Charlotte with a hip injury.
Arkansas RB Rakeem Boyd has rushed for at least 90 yards in there of four games. Freshman WR Trey Knox has caught at least six passes for 80 yards in three straight games.
Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard has carried the ball at least 26 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns against all three of the Cowboys’ FBS opponents. QB Spencer Sanders has only accounted for 3 TDs over the past two games.
Texas WR Devin Duvernay leads the nation with 39 receptions. He has caught at least 9 passes in three of four games. QB Sam Ehlinger has thrown at least 3 TD passes in all four games and has thrown 4 TD passes in three of four games.
Since his return from a hip injury, Illinois RB Reggie Corbin has rushed for at least 130 yards in back-to-back games and has now scored in all three games in which he has played.
Over the past three weeks, Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez has thrown at least 2 TD passes in every game and has at lest 10 fantasy points as a rusher. For the first time this season, WR Wan’Dale Robinson looked comfortable in the offense. He accounted for 3 TDs in Saturday’s win at Illinois. WR JD Spielman had his biggest game of the 2019 season, but has only found the end zone one time in four gamess. RB Dedrick Mills has scored a rushing TD in three of four games.
Notre Dame Cole Kmet returned from injury and led the Irish in receiving against Georgia (9-108-1). I think Kmet is worth starting in a WR slot moving forward. I had high hopes for him in the preseason, and with a struggling run game, he could get a ton of targets. WR Chase Claypool has caught a TD pass in back-to-back games.
Georgia WR Larry Cager led the Bulldogs in receiving against Notre Dame, catching 5 passes for 82 yards and a TD. Cager has now scored in back-to-back games.
Last night against Arizona State, Colorado lost WR lavish Shenault and RB Jaren Mangham to injuries. However, Alex Fontenot carried the load at running back (25-89-1) and Tony Brown was dominant in the passing game (9-150-3). Shenault’s injury did not seem serious, as he was walking on the sideline, but an early update would be beneficial for his fantasy owners.
Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin only has one 100-yard rushing game through four weeks, but he has scored in every game this season. WR Brandon Aiyuk has at least 98 receiving in three of four games and has topped the 120-yard mark twice.
I do think that UCLA caught lightning in a bottle, but Demetric Felton is really electric with the ball in his hands. Now that Josh Kelley has returned, he won’t get a lot of carries, but he should be considered in Flex positions moving forward given the right matchup.
It feels like a long time since a Mike Leach offense has had a clear No. 1 WR, but Easop Winston looks like that guy. Unfortunately, it was Winston’s fumble that put UCLA in a position to steal a win at Washington State. WR Travell Harris has scored in three of four games.

Group 5 Notes

Houston QB D’Eriq King has rushed for at least 90 yards in three of four games and has accounted for 3 TDs in each of the Cougars’ last four games. How about this tidbit? I have a source that informed me Houston HC Dana Holgorsen and an assistant coach got into a fight at the team hotel after their loss to Tulane. Houston has a problem.
Tulane QB Justin McMillan has rushed for a TD in three of four games.
Boise State RB Robert Mahone has been banged up and hasn’t rushed for 100 yards since the opener, but he did score 2 TDs in Friday’s win over Air Force.
Western Michigan RB LeVante Bellamy has rushed for at least 165 yards and two touchdowns in each of the Broncos’ last two games. TE Giovanni Ricci has caught TD pass in three of four games.
UL Monroe RB Josh Johnson has now scored in all three of the Warhawks’ games. TE Josh Pederson has caught a TD pass in back-to-back games.
Army RB Connor Slomka has scored in back-to-back games.
Coastal Carolina RB. CJ Marable has rushed for 100 yards in three straight games and has scored in every game this season.
Louisiana RB Elijah Mitchell has scored at least 2 TDs in back-to-back games and has scored in every game this season. RB Trey Ragas has also scored in every game this season.
Ohio RB Ja’Vahri Portis ran for 35 yards and 2 TDs against Louisiana, but Juilan Ross and O’Shaan Allison did not play.
Troy WR Kaylon Gaiger has at least 5 receptions in every game this season. RB DK Billingsley carried the ball 22 times for 100 yards and a TD in the Trojans’ 35-7 win at Akron.
Eastern Michigan QB Mike Glass has thrown at least 3 TD passes in three of four games this season.
Appalachian State RB Darryntron Evans has run for 3 TDs in back-to-back games and has scored in all three of the Mountaineers’ games. WR Corey Sutton made his return and caught seven passes for 58 yards against North Carolina.
UCF RB Adrian Killins and WR Gabriel Davis have scored in three of four games this season. QB Dillon Gabriel has thrown for at least 330 yards in the past two games.
Bowling Green RB Andrew Clair looks recovered from his slight injury. He led the Falcons with 14 rushing attempts against Kent State, but I don’t feel there is much fantasy potential in the Bowling Green offense.
Kent State WR Isaiah McKoy had scored in three straight games before Saturday’s matchup against Bowling Green. Against the Falcons, he finished with five catches for 52 yards.
If there was one takeaway for me from SMU’s win at TCU, it was that RB Xavier Jones is a more valuable fantasy asset than I thought. SMU, Memphis, and UCF are the best teams in the AAC.
Tulsa RB Shamari Brooks has scored in three straight games and WR Keylon Stokes has finished with at least 90 receiving yards and a TD in back-to-back games.
We have to move off the Wyoming running game until we get separation in the backfield. Xazavian Valladay is still nursing an ankle injury and Trey Smith, last week’s leading rusher, only had five carries against Tulsa. Even QB Sean Chambers was pulled in the second half before being reinserted.
South Alabama’s offense has been so bad this season that Kawan baker’s fantasy value has taken a big hit.
I was glad to see that patience paid off with UAB RB Spencer Brown, who I recommended starting this weekend. I started Brown myself and was glad to see him find the end zone twice against South Alabama.
Temple WR Jadan Blue has at least 80 yards receiving in all three games this year. WR Isaiah Wright is only averaging 8.4 yards per catch, but he has at least five receptions and a TD in all three of the Owls’ games.
Buffalo RB Jaret Patterson give his owners a confidence boost as the Bulls head into conference play. Against Temple, Patterson ran for 133 yards and 2 TDs in a 38-22 win. Teammate Kevin Marks has rushed for at least 60 yards in all four games.
Central Michigan took Miami to the wire, and if RB Jonathan Ward’s injury keeps him out for a while, Kobe Lewis should be a good replacement now that the Chippewas are heading into conference play. WR Kalil Pimpleton has caught at least seven passes in three of four games.
New Mexico State WR Tony Nicholson has caught at least seven passes in three off four games and scored 2 TDs in Saturday’s 55-52 loss at New Mexico. Nicholson should be considered as a waiver addition in PPR leagues now that the Aggies’ schedule is a little easier.
New Mexico RB Ahmari Davis had his second 100-yard rushing game of the season against New Mexico State. Davis should be given waiver consideration, but he will definitely be a matchup starter long term.
I think everyone should now move off of East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers. Five total TDs in four games is all you need to know. Considering his potential and preseason ranking, Ahlers has been one of the bigger disappointments through four weeks.
Liberty WR Antonio Gandy-Golden has three 100-yard receiving games this year. In the past two games, he has 12 receptions for 355 yards and 4 TDs.
Another week and another big stat line for an unowned FAU WR. In the Owls’ 42-7 win over Wagner, Deangelo Antoine caught 11 poses for 1273 yards and 4 TDs. WR John Mitchell followed up his 124-yard game in Week 3 with a 71-yard performance on Saturday.
Ball State RB Caleb Huntley has scored a rushing TD in three of four games.
Arkansas State QB Logan Bonner has thrown 4 TD passes in both of the Red Wolves home games this year.
Georgia State QB Dan Ellington has accounted for at least 3 TDs in three of four games. WR Cornelius MNcCoy has caught a TD pass in there of four games. WR Sam Pinckney has caught at least 7 passes for 80 yards and a TD in two of the past three games.
Texas State RB Caleb Twyfor had 27 carries for 137 yards against Georgia State. Twyford has WR eligibility on Fantrax.
Charlotte RB Benny LeMay was held to a season-low 81 rushing yards at Clemson, but he has at least 113 rushing yards in the 49ers’ other three games.
San Jose State WR Tre Walker made his season debut against Arkansas and caught 12 passes for 161 yards. I would not expect this numbers every week, but now that Walker is back, he should get waiver wire consideration.
North Texas RB Tre Siggers has the RB1 spot nailed down. He carried the ball 14 times for 143 yards and 2 TDs against UTSA.
Fresno State’s game against Sacramento State came at a good time for fantasy owners of RB Ronnie Rivers, but it was teammate Josh Hokit who found the end zone three times.
Toledo QB Mitch Guadagni only completed six passes in the Rockets’ 41-35 win at Colorado. RB Bryant Koback accounted for 236 yards of offense and scored 4 TDs.
Colorado State RB Marvin Kinsey is the nation’s second-leading rusher with 556 yards, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. WR Warren Jackson has caught at least 7 passes and scored a TD in three of four games. WR Dante Wright failed to reach the end zone for the first time this year, but he has at least 70 receiving yards in every game.
San Diego State RB Juwan Washington was rested another game and Chance Bell led the Aztecs in rushing against Utah State. WR Kobe Smith has caught at least seven passes for 100 yards and a TD in two of the last three games.
Playing against one of the better run defense in the FBS, Utah Staate RB Jaylen Warren accounted for 114 yards of total offense and a TD. WR Siaosi Mariner has at least 70 yards receiving in every game this season.
Hawaii WR Jared Smart scored his first TD of the 2019 season in the team’s 35-16 win against Central Arkansas. Smart has caught at least 6 passes in every game this season.