NFL Week 5 Fantasy Football Recap: Immediate takeaways from Sunday's games

• Gabriel Davis makes multiple big plays: Davis caught two deep passes for touchdowns in the first 21 minutes of the Bills game, a pleasant sight for any fantasy manager who stuck with him.

• Taysom Hill wins for the Saints: The tight end scored three touchdowns rushing and one passing to lead New Orleans to victory despite several injuries on offense.

• Browns and Chargers in the battle of the backs: Both Austin Ekeler and Nick Chubb gained over 100 yards and two touchdowns as the two battle it out to be the top running back in fantasy points this season.

PFF's fantasy football recap focuses on player usage and stats, breaking down all the vital information you need to achieve fantasy success in 2022.

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New York Giants @ Green Bay Packers

Saquon Barkley: 13 carries, 70 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions, 36 receiving yards
Randall Cobb: 7 receptions, 99 yards

Add Romeo Doubs: Doubs remained a starter for the Packers, and there are still clear signs he could be a star in later weeks.

- He caught three passes for 29 yards.
- He could have been on the end of another deep pass had it not been for illegal contact by the defender, and he had two other incomplete targets.
- Doubs didn’t receive quite as much playing time as last week, but the Packers typically ran the ball when he wasn’t on the field.
- He remains the team leader in routes, targets and receptions among the wide receivers this season.
- Christian Watson suffered a hamstring injury late in the third quarter and didn’t return. This allowed both Doubs and Cobb to see an increase in playing time.
- Doubs would become an even safer play if Watson missed significant time, but he is still someone worth adding even if Watson is fine.

Drop Robert Tonyan: The Packers haven’t changed how they use Tonyan all season, and he isn’t seeing enough playing time for managers trust him in fantasy leagues.

- He is the most likely Packers tight end to be on the field in one-tight end sets but the least likely of the four in two-tight end sets.
- Green Bay trusts all of its tight ends as receivers in some capacity. All four had at least one catch against the Giants.
- Marcedes Lewis is the one who saw a goal-line target, catching the Packers’ second touchdown while Tonyan wasn’t on the field.
- He caught a touchdown in Week 4, but he’s yet to gain over 40 receiving yards in his five games this season.

Monitor the Giants' health at wide receiver: The Giants didn’t have any of their top four wide receivers from this summer, leaving them very thin at the position.

- Sterling Shepard is out for the year, while Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay and Wan’Dale Robinson were all ruled out earlier in the week.
- Marcus Johnson went from the practice squad to the top of the Giants' depth chart. He played only one offensive snap in the four previous games.
- David Sills V had led the Giants’ wide receivers in offensive snaps over the first four weeks but seems to have fallen out of favor in the offense.
- He split time with Darius Slayton for the other outside receiver spot.
- The fact that Sills fell below Johnson makes it even more likely that Golladay and Toney can return to being full-time starters once they are healthy.
- Richie James remained the team's slot receiver but will likely lose his job to Robinson once he’s healthy.
- All of the players who were active should be left on the waiver wire, but one of Toney, Golladay or Robinson will likely be the team’s leading receiver for the rest of the season, and they all should be on rosters.

Monitor the health of Chris Myarick: The Giants tight end/fullback hybrid suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter but was able to return late in the game.

- The Giants have typically used Myarick and Daniel Bellinger in two-tight end sets, Bellinger in one-tight end sets on early downs and Tanner Hudson in one-tight end sets on third downs.
- This was true today prior to the Myarick injury.
- This led Hudson to see slightly more playing time in two-tight end sets, but the game script already shifted to the Giants using 11 personnel in that time.
- If the Myarick injury is more serious than expected, then rookie Austin Allen would probably be called up from the practice squad, with no increase in playing time for either Bellinger or Hudson.
- Bellinger may seem like a waiver wire target after scoring for the Giants, but it is very difficult for someone to be a fantasy starter at tight end when they aren’t playing on third downs.
- He would be a waiver wire target if he ever takes over those third-down snaps.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Buffalo Bills

Gabriel Davis: 3 receptions, 171 yards, 2 touchdowns
Stefon Diggs: 8 receptions, 102 yards, 1 touchdown

Add Jaylen Warren: The undrafted rookie played more offensive snaps than Najee Harris and gained more rushing yards.

- Warren played 22 snaps in the fourth quarter to three by Harris due to the game being out of reach, but Harris was the only Steelers starter taken out during the fourth quarter.
- Warren has outplayed Harris as a rusher this season.
- Warren has twice as many avoided tackles per carry, a higher first-down rate and a higher yards after contact per carry figure.
- He has four explosive runs this season compared to five for Harris despite having a quarter of the carries.
- There is a chance Warren can continue to take time from Harris based on how the two have played so far this season.

Monitor the Pat Freiermuth injury: Freiermuth left in the third quarter with a concussion and didn’t return.

- He’s been running a fewer-than-ideal number of routes this season, and that continued in the first half. He ran a route on only 12 of the 20 passes in the first half.
- Zach Gentry took over as the primary tight end over the rest of the game, but Connor Heyward also saw significant playing time in the fourth quarter.
- Neither Gentry nor Heyward should be waiver wire targets even if Freiermuth misses a game, as the two will likely split the pass routes.

Devin Singletary’s reduced role: Singletary dominated offensive snaps for Buffalo the past two weeks, but Buffalo used more of a committee this week.

- Singletary has played 76.4% of offensive snaps when games are tied or Buffalo is losing this season, compared to 51.4% of snaps when the team has a lead.
- Buffalo played two highly competitive games the past two weeks but dominated this week as well as the first two weeks of the season.
- The Bills have a relatively easy schedule for the rest of the season, so there could be several more games like this.
- This will give Buffalo a chance to get James Cook more involved, and there is a chance Cook could be used more in important situations going forward if the Bills start to trust him.
- Cook gained 31 yards on four carries and scored a touchdown.

Don’t add Khalil Shakir: Shakir caught three passes for 75 yards and a score but will likely see a reduced role as early as next week.

- He saw the playing time he did only because Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow all missed this game.
- McKenzie was the closest to playing, with two limited practices to end the week. There is a chance McKenzie will be back next week.
- Shakir will likely be active the next few weeks and have some role on offense, but it will be as a backup rather than a significant contributor.
- The Bills were also without Dawson Knox, which left them playing more snaps out of 11 personnel.
- Quintin Morris was the primary receiving tight end, but Buffalo split its tight end snaps more than usual.

Los Angeles Chargers @ Cleveland Browns

Austin Ekeler: 16 carries, 173 yards, 1 touchdown, 4 receptions, 26 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Nick Chubb: 17 carries, 134 yards, 2 touchdowns

Positive News for Austin Ekeler: Ekeler is up to five touchdowns over the past two weeks, and his usage took a step in the right direction this week, too.

- He played a majority of snaps on third-and-3 or longer for the first time all season.
- Sony Michel was largely phased out of the offense, receiving only two offensive snaps — both in short-yardage situations.
- Ekeler’s percentage of offensive snaps still hasn’t reached his typical games of 2021, but it is taking baby steps in the right direction.
- He could still be considered a sell-high candidate because he’s unlikely to have five touchdowns over two games again, but it’s becoming more likely he can live up to his first-round fantasy status despite the relatively meager playing time.

The return of Donald Parham: The Chargers tight end took the field again after last playing in Week 15 of 2021.

- Parham cut into the playing time of both Gerald Everett and Tre’ McKitty.
- Los Angeles used more two-tight end sets, running a season-high 20 snaps in 12 personnel compared to a season-low 39 snaps from 11 personnel.
- He was eased into action, as he didn’t get his normal amount of playing time. This could further cut into Everett’s and McKitty’s snaps.
- The three tight ends combined for one catch on five targets.
- Everett can be cut in leagues with lighter benches, assuming there is a better tight end option on your fantasy roster.

Add Donovan Peoples-Jones in deeper leagues: The Browns receiver caught four passes for 50 yards on seven targets.

- He’s been an unquestioned starter for Cleveland since the middle of last season.
- This was his third game of the year with seven or more targets and 50 or more receiving yards.
- He’s unlikely to be a fantasy starter over the next month, outside of deep leagues, when bye weeks hit.
- He could see a significant increase in his fantasy value when Deshaun Watson becomes the starter, having the potential to take the role Will Fuller V played in Houston.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars

• Dameon Pierce: 26 carries, 99 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions, 14 receiving yards
• Marvin Jones Jr.: 7 receptions, 104 yards

Sell high on Travis Etienne: The second-year back led the backfield in snaps and ran for 50 yards for the first time in his career, but it’s unlikely he can keep that up.

- His usage was identical to previous weeks. He played significant snaps on early downs but not a majority. James Robinson was the clear short-yardage back, while Etienne was the clear passing-down back.
- Jacksonville racked up a ridiculously high number of snaps in two-minute drills, something that is not consistent from one week to the next.
- The Jaguars’ schedule has been easier than average to this point and will continue to be easier than average the rest of the season, which should lead to more game scripts where Robinson remains the favorite back.

Add Zay Jones: Jones missed last week, but he returned to an eight-target game for Jacksonville.

- He caught only three of those passes for 12 yards.
- He’s been given at least eight targets in three of his four games this season.
- Marvin Jones might seem like a good waiver wire option after his 100-yard game, but his targets have been much less consistent this season. For example, he didn’t catch his only target last week.

Add Evan Engram: The Jaguars tight end has consistently been a high-volume, low-efficiency receiver this season.

- He’s among the top 10 receivers in both routes run and targets this season.
- He caught six passes for 69 yards against Houston, finishing second among the Jaguars’ receivers in receiving production.
- He should be an OK option at tight end during bye weeks. He can be a borderline starter the rest of the season due to his higher floor but is unlikely to reach top-eight status without better quality of play.

Monitor the Texans tight ends: Houston surprisingly cut veteran Pharaoh Brown earlier in the week, opening the door for other tight ends.

- O.J. Howard and Jordan Akins both saw receiving work, with Howard leading the team in snaps due to his role as a run-blocker.
- Akins put up the better numbers, with 22 yards on two receptions, while Howard didn’t catch his only target.
- Brevin Jordan has missed the past two games with an ankle injury, but he played 60% of offensive snaps in Week 1.
- Houston has a bye week next week, but he could be ready to play again after the bye.
- He was considered a sleeper before the season, with Brown being one of the main factors holding him back. Jordan could be a sneaky waiver wire target after the Brown release and a quiet day from the other tight ends.

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings

Dalvin Cook: 18 carries, 94 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 receptions, 27 receiving yards
Justin Jefferson: 12 receptions, 154 yards, 1 pass attempt, 1 completion, 23 passing yards

The return of David Montgomery: Montgomery missed last week but was not limited in his return.

- He ran the ball 12 times compared to just four for Khalil Herbert. He was fairly ineffective on his carries, gaining just 20 rushing yards but scoring a touchdown.
- He led the Bears in receptions (4) and receiving yards (62).
- Montgomery took all of the goal-line and two-minute snaps, but he split snaps on third downs.
- He can safely be put back into starting lineups.
- Herbert can be cut in leagues with shallow benches, but he will remain one of the better handcuff options at running back.

Sell high on Dalvin Cook: Cook put together an outstanding game, but Minnesota has quietly been shifting to a running back committee.

- Cook’s playing time has decreased in every game this season.
- Alexander Mattison was used more on third downs, in two-minute drills and during short-yardage situations.
- Mattison’s playing time was spread out over the entire game rather than being game script-dependent.
- Cook was on the injury report in Week 4 with a shoulder injury that held him out of one practice, but he’s been a full participant in the past five practices and didn’t show up at all on the injury report this past week.
- He will still be a fantasy starter the rest of the season as long as he’s healthy, but it will be hard for him to be in the top 10 if the Vikings keep using Mattison significantly.

Detroit Lions @ New England Patriots

Rhamondre Stevenson: 25 carries, 161 yards, 2 receptions, 14 receiving yards
Jakobi Meyers: 7 receptions, 111 yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor the Damien Harris injury: Harris suffered a hamstring injury in the first quarter and was ruled out by the start of the second half.

- The Patriots started the game with a similar running back rotation as last week, with Harris starting and Rhamondre Stevenson going second while also taking third downs.
- Stevenson took every snap over the rest of the game, as he was the only other active running back on the roster.
- He achieved career highs in both carries and rushing yards.
- In all likelihood, some combination of rookie Pierre Strong and practice squad veteran J.J. Taylor would be active and seeing some playing time if Harris misses time.
- Stevenson would still be a must-start in fantasy football even if he’s not playing 100% of offensive snaps. He would lead any kind of rotation and see more playing time than usual.

The return of Tyquan Thornton: The New England rookie wide receiver made his regular season debut after a pre-season injury landed him on injured reserve.

- Nelson Agholor started the game but oddly didn’t see another snap in the first quarter. Kendrick Bourne took all of the snaps in three-receiver sets for the rest of the quarter.
- Agholor played four snaps in the second quarter, suffered a hamstring injury and didn’t return.
- Thornton saw his first action of the game in the second quarter before the Agholor injury.
- The rookie played significantly in the second half, largely because the game was a blowout victory for New England.
- His snaps all came in place of DeVante Parker, so we can likely expect Parker to see some decline in playing time going forward.
- We are likely back to the point of Jakobi Meyers being the only wide receiver on this team to trust. He gained over 100 yards while everyone else was held to single digits.

Don’t add Hunter Henry: The veteran tight end had by far his best game of the season with Jonnu Smith out of the lineup.

- Henry played nearly every offensive snap and caught four passes for 54 yards.
- Smith was limited in practice late in the week and was doubtful as of Friday. There is a chance he misses more time due to his limited practice time this week.
- Expect this to become a rotation again once Smith is healthy, so his window of being a fantasy starter is limited.
- The Patriots play the Browns next week — a team that has been relatively good at preventing fantasy points to tight ends.

Monitor the health of the Lions: The Lions were not at 100% at running back or wide receiver, with the team’s bye week coming at a perfect time.

- Craig Reynolds took more of D’Andre Swift’s role this week, leaving Jamaal Williams limited on opportunities.
- Amon-Ra St. Brown played after missing last week but was on a clear pitch count. He played on less than one-third of the team’s offensive snaps but saw a target on 37.5% of his pass routes.
- D.J. Chark Jr. was also missing from the Lions’ lineup, as was backup Quintez Cephus.
- Josh Reynolds was the top wide receiver for Detroit, similar to last week, with Kalif Raymond and Tom Kennedy also seeing significant time.
- The Lions are on a bye week next, so chances are the offense will be back to normal in two weeks.

Seattle Seahawks @ New Orleans Saints

Taysom Hill: 9 carries, 112 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 pass attempt, 1 completion, 22 passing yards, 1 passing touchdown
Tyler Lockett: 5 receptions, 104 yards, 2 touchdowns

Monitor the health of Rashaad Penny: Penny suffered a fractured tibia and will likely need surgery.

- Penny’s playing time was already decreasing before the injury. Penny played a majority of third downs last week but lost that role back to DeeJay Dallas this week.
- Ken Walker was rotating in more this week on early downs compared to past weeks.
- Walker became the clear early down back after the injury.
- We can expect Walker to play close to 100% of the early-down snaps, and Dallas close to 100% of the third-down snaps and two-minute drill snaps, for as long as Penny is out.
- This makes Walker a fantasy starter as long as the Seahawks can be competitive.
- Seattle has one of the more difficult schedules remaining, which could make Walker a frustrating player for fantasy managers.

Monitor the health of the Saints’ receivers: Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry were both inactive, while Chris Olave left the game with a concussion.

- Marquez Callaway took over as one of the two outside receivers and Tre’Quan Smith played in the slot, similar to previous weeks.
- Olave was having a fine day prior to the injury, with four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown.
- Keith Kirkwood took over for Olave, seeing some time both in the slot and out wide.
- The top two or three receivers on the depth chart are at least worth considering when they are healthy, regardless of who is ready for Week 6.

Add Taysom Hill: Hill put up an incredible four-touchdown performance despite playing less than 30% of the Saints' offensive snaps.

- Hill started the week as TE19 despite playing in only three of four games.
- He was given the ball more this week due to all of the injuries New Orleans has faced due to injury.
- He’s consistently run a few times per game as long as he’s been healthy, so he will still be involved in the offense.
- A few carries by Hill a game is still better than several tight ends who may or may not see 3-to-5 targets a game.
- There is a chance the Saints keep Hill involved as a bigger part of the offense after his success in this game.
- He will be the ultimate boom-or-bust tight end, but only a few tight ends have similar ceilings.
- Hill has run only 14 routes this season and caught a pass for two yards. There is still a chance he gets more involved in the passing game.
- Hill has lined up 15 times in a traditional tight end spot, 12 times at wide receiver, 24 times at quarterback and six times in the backfield this season.
- All six of those backfield snaps occurred in this game.

Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets

Breece Hall: 18 carries, 97 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 receptions, 100 receiving yards
Raheem Mostert: 18 carries, 113 yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor the Teddy Bridgewater injury: Bridgewater left the game after one snap and is in concussion protocol.

- He stayed out of the game due to the new concussion protocols. On the bright side, he did pass the tests administered by doctors.
- This likely hurt the performance of the other Miami skill players.
- Skylar Thompson can be left on the waiver wire even if he has to start next week. If a veteran is starting, they can be a borderline fantasy starter both next week and going forward.

Monitor the health of Tyreek Hill: Hill didn’t play in the last nine minutes of the game after getting stepped on.

- He was questionable coming into the game with a quad injury.
- He was spotted in a walking boot after the game but said he is feeling fine.
- Trent Sherfield was his primary replacement and has been seeing significant playing time all season. He could be the Dolphins wide receiver to add if either Hill or Jaylen Waddle ever misses a game this season.

Start Raheem Mostert: Mostert remains Miami’s clear top running back and should be in starting lineups.

- He either led or dominated offensive snaps for the Dolphins in each situation.
- He tied his career high of 46 offensive snaps, a mark he hit for the first time last week.
- Chase Edmonds was basically benched after two drops in the first half. Edmonds played 25% of snaps in the first half but saw just one snap in the second half.
- Myles Gaskin didn’t play at all on offense in the first half but was the other back in the second half.
- Edmonds could very well regain his backup role, but it’s unlikely he sees as much playing time, as some would expect, without an injury.
- Edmonds can be dropped in leagues with deeper benches, but he remains the handcuff in Miami.

Sell high on Michael Carter: The Jets running back scored two touchdowns but continues to lose playing time to Breece Hall.

- His playing time declined for the third straight week with Hall taking over more of the backfield.
- Carter scored twice from the one-yard line, but Hall was also in on both of those plays.
- Hall has been on the field more than Carter when the Jets are within five yards of scoring.
- Chances are Hall will see a higher percentage of snaps as the season progresses. Carter is still a handcuff, but this will be the point of the season where his value is the highest, barring a Hall injury.

Drop Tyler Conklin: Conklin led all tight ends in offensive snaps through four weeks, but his ineffective play led to a decrease in playing time.

- C.J. Uzomah’s playing time has increased in every game he’s played after missing a lot of the summer with an injury.
- The Jets used a lot of two-tight end sets. Uzomah tended to play more on third downs, while Conklin played more on early downs.
- If anything, this is a situation that favors Uzomah going forward.
- Uzomah caught both of his targets for 12 yards, while Conklin was held without a catch.
- It’s unlikely either player will be a fantasy starter the rest of the season due to the quality of players they have at wide receiver and running back and the split in snaps.

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Leonard Fournette: 14 carries, 56 yards, 1 touchdown, 10 receptions, 83 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Olamide Zaccheaus: 2 receptions, 39 yards, 1 touchdown

The Falcons’ crowded backfield: The Falcons lost Cordarrelle Patterson to injured reserve and used a trio of young backs to replace him.

- Tyler Allgeier was the main back, seeing significant snaps on early downs, as well as in short-yardage and third-down situations.
- He was substituted out significantly for Caleb Huntley, who was primarily used on early downs.
- Avery Williams was mostly restricted to the two-minute drill. He has played the majority of two-minute drill snaps in every game this season in which Atlanta has had such snaps.
- Williams is the only two-minute drill specialist running back in the league.
- This backfield could get a lot more complicated as early as next week with Damien Williams eligible to return from injured reserve.
- Williams and Allgeier are the only two to consider off the waiver wire, and they would be valuable only if one can take a clear majority of snaps over the other.

The Falcons' odd passing game: The Falcons continue to limit their top receiving options in the pass game.

- Drake London ran a route on only 22 of the Falcons' 34 pass plays, and he saw a career low in percentage of offensive snaps.
- He ranked 21st among wide receivers in targets (31) over the first four weeks and added seven more against the Buccaneers.
- He sported an 83.0 PFF receiving grade coming into the game.
- London is the only rookie wide receiver with 30 or more targets and a receiving grade above 80.0 through the first four weeks of the season in the 17 years PFF has data for.
- The Falcons had also used Kyle Pitts questionably over the first four weeks. He missed this game with an injury.
- Parker Hesse and Anthony Firkser split the receiving snaps over the first half of the game, but hybrid quarterback/tight end Feleipe Franks was the primary receiving tight end in the second half. All three should be avoided, even if Pitts misses more time.

Sell high on Leonard Fournette: The Buccaneers running back scored two touchdowns but continued to lose playing time to Rachaad White.

- White started to see more playing time last week and started rotating in sooner this week. He split time with Fournette on the second offensive drive.
- The two were near even in offensive snaps over the first three quarters, but Tampa Bay primarily used Fournette in the fourth quarter while Atlanta began a comeback attempt.
- The Buccaneers have had one of the most difficult schedules to date, but it is the easiest over the rest of the season. That will give Tampa Bay plenty of chances to get White more involved.

Tennessee Titans @ Washington Commanders

Derrick Henry: 28 carries, 102 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 receptions, 30 receiving yards
Dyami Brown: 2 receptions, 105 yards, 2 touchdowns

The return of Brian Robinson Jr.: The rookie played in his first NFL game after suffering gunshot wounds just six weeks ago.

- Antonio Gibson was still the starter, but he ran the ball only three times for six yards.
- Robinson split early-down snaps almost perfectly with Gibson but was the primary player on run plays. He ran nine times for 22 yards.
- He was also the primary back in short-yardage situations.
- Robinson could be a fantasy starter against teams where Washington is the favorite or against teams with poor run defenses. He needs to be added in any league where he’s still available.
- Gibson should be left out of fantasy starting lineups going forward.
- J.D. McKissic saw slightly fewer snaps on early downs, which should remain true for the rest of the season.

Don’t add Dyami Brown: Brown caught two passes for 105 yards but was playing so much only because Jahan Dotson was out.

- Brown wasn’t even the full-time replacement for Dotson. Cam Sims saw more offensive snaps and ran more routes.
- Dotson will likely regain his starting job once he’s healthy.
- Tight end Logan Thomas was also out for Washington. John Bates and Cole Turner split offensive snaps in his absence. Both tight ends should also be avoided, as Thomas will be the starter again sooner rather than later.

The Titans without Treylon Burks: The rookie wide receiver landed on injured reserve, providing more opportunities for others on the depth chart.

- Both Robert Woods and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine saw a significantly higher percentage of offensive snaps than in previous weeks. Both stayed on the field in most situations.
- Woods can more safely be started in fantasy for as long as Burks is out.
- Kyle Philips and Cody Hollister split time in 11 personnel. There was a large trend of Philips being on the field on passing downs and Hollister on rushing plays.
- Philips still maintains a 27.1% targets per route run rate, which is among the top 10 for wide receivers. This makes him a waiver target in deep leagues if his playing time continues to increase.

San Francisco 49ers @ Carolina Panthers

Jeff Wilson Jr.: 17 carries, 120 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 reception, 12 receiving yards
Christian McCaffrey: 14 carries, 54 yards, 1 touchdown, 7 receptions, 50 receiving yards

The 49ers’ adjusted backfield: The 49ers had used backup halfbacks on just six snaps the previous two weeks, but that increased to 20 snaps in this game.

- Tevin Coleman has emerged as the backup in San Francisco, and he took roughly one-third of the snaps that would have typically gone to Jeff Wilson Jr.
- This was likely done because of how much the 49ers relied on the run game. Coleman was rotated in during the first quarter but saw more time as the game progressed.
- Wilson is still a relatively safe play in most matchups, but his ceiling is capped even further than it was before.

Monitor the health of Baker Mayfield: Mayfield was spotted in a walking boot after the game. He didn’t play on the Panthers’ last drive.

- Phillip Walker took over for the final drive and would likely be the starter if Mayfield misses time.
- Sam Darnold is eligible to return from injured reserve but is reportedly not close to returning.
- Mayfield had earned the lowest grade for quarterbacks over the first four weeks of the season (46.4).
- If the Panthers make a change at quarterback, that could have a positive impact on D.J. Moore and Robbie Anderson, among others.
- Moore has played all but 10 offensive snaps this season. Similarly, Anderson has missed 27 snaps — but most were run plays.
- Moore and Anderson both have targets per routes run under 20%, but those would likely go up with a new quarterback.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals

Marquise Brown: 8 receptions, 78 yards, 1 touchdown
Dallas Goedert: 8 receptions, 95 yards

Monitor the health of the Cardinals’ running backs: James Conner left the game with a ribs injury and didn’t play in the second half, while backup Darrel Williams suffered a knee injury.

- Conner played 24-of-38 snaps in the first half, dominating the rushing attempts while splitting passing opportunities.
- Eno Benjamin played eight snaps in the first half to six for Williams.
- Benjamin started the second half, with Williams playing only one snap in the half. He took every other snap in the half.
- Benjamin is worth a waiver wire addition in case either of the injuries is serious. He would be a fantasy starter next week if both players miss the game.

The return of A.J. Green: The Cardinals were the healthiest they’ve been at wide receiver all season, which meant Greg Dortch barely played.

- Rondale Moore still played more offensive snaps than Green in 12 personnel, with an eight-to-five lead.
- Moore returned to his usual role of slot receiver, while Green played the majority of snaps in 11 personnel out wide.
- When Green needed a break, it was Andre Baccellia taking his spot out wide, rather than Moore going out wide and Dortch playing in the slot like last week.
- Dortch can be safely dropped in all formats. This was also a good sign that Moore will remain third on the depth chart even when DeAndre Hopkins returns, and playing all the time in 11 personnel.
- Moore caught seven passes for 68 yards and ran the ball twice. He is a waiver wire target.
- Arizona cut backup tight end Maxx Williams this past week, which led to fewer two-tight end sets. This is also good news for Moore.

Buy low on A.J. Brown: Brown was held to three catches for 32 yards, his worst performance for the Eagles to date.

- He had caught at least five passes for at least 65 yards in every other game this season. He’s also seen at least six targets in every game.
- Philadelphia only gets its best players involved in the offense. Just five players were targeted in this game.
- Arizona had been one of the best teams at preventing fantasy points to wide receivers.
- The Eagles have the easiest schedule for wide receivers and one of the easiest schedules in general for the rest of the season.

Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams

Cooper Kupp: 7 receptions, 125 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 carry, 4 rushing yards
Tony Pollard: 8 carries, 86 yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor the Dalton Schultz injury: Schultz continued to deal with a knee injury, which greatly limited his playing time.

- He played six snaps in the first quarter, one on a third down in the second quarter and one on a three-tight end, short-yardage play in the third quarter.
- The fact that he was able to come back later in the game is a good sign his situation hasn’t gotten too much worse.
- He’s appeared on the injury report the past two weeks with the knee injury.
- It could be worth leaving him on the bench until he plays a full game and stops showing up on the injury report.

Consider Cutting Allen Robinson II: Robinson was held to under 25 receiving yards for the fourth time in five games with the Rams.

- His 10.6% targets per route run is the fourth-lowest rate this season for those with at least 100 routes run.
- The Rams started to rotate Robinson off the field more frequently.
- Los Angeles stayed in 11 personnel the entire game, so this was subbing him out to put another wide receiver in rather than a rotation based on personnel group.
- Second-year receiver Tutu Atwell played a career-high nine offensive snaps and ran eight routes after just 10 career routes in his other six games.
- Atwell made his first career catch, for 54 yards.
- Van Jefferson is currently on injured reserve and is expected to miss one more game. The Rams have a bye in Week 7, and Jefferson is expected to be back in Week 8.
- He will further complicate the Rams’ wide receiver situation and potentially cut further into Robinson’s playing time.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens

Mark Andrews: 8 receptions, 89 yards, 1 touchdown
Hayden Hurst: 6 receptions, 53 yards, 1 touchdown

Monitor the health of Tee Higgins: The Bengals wide receiver was limited to 10 offensive snaps early in the game but didn’t play after the first four drives.

- Higgins has been on the injury report each of the past four weeks with various injuries. Most recently, it’s been an ankle injury that left him limited each week and questionable to play.
- He played in 10 of the Bengals' first 13 offensive snaps and didn’t return to the game.
- He wasn’t targeted during those snaps.
- Mike Thomas took over in Higgins’ place. He caught one of two targets for 33 yards.
- Stanley Morgan Jr. also played a few snaps in Higgins’ place.
- The Bengals stayed in 11 personnel the entire time, so we never got to see if Tyler Boyd or Thomas would play in the base offense.

Add Hayden Hurst: Hurst had been limited in recent weeks due to injury but saw a more regular number of snaps, which helped him to a touchdown.

- Hurst saw a clear majority of offensive snaps and finished second on the team in targets.
- He ranks among the top four tight ends in routes run this season.
- He is one of just four tight ends with 20-plus catches, 150-plus yards and two-plus touchdowns on the season, joining Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce and Zach Ertz.
- The Bengals offense still hasn’t lived up to expectations yet this season. If it does, Hurst will see many more red-zone opportunities.

The Ravens without Justice Hill: J.K. Dobbins split playing time with Hill last week, 35 to 25, but Hill missed this week with a hamstring injury.

- Dobbins’ role and playing time remained roughly the same compared to last week, which isn’t a great sign for his ceiling.
- Kenyan Drake almost completely took Hill’s role and likely would again if Hill misses more playing time.
- Gus Edwards returned to practice earlier in the week and should be returning to the Ravens’ lineup sooner rather than later. His return will further complicate the backfield.
- Dobbins hasn’t been the primary third-down back this season when healthy. Ideally, he takes that role while Dobbins takes more of the early-down snaps.
- If Hill or Drake keeps playing in passing situations, this will be a three-man backfield to avoid in redraft.

Table Notes

Snaps include plays called back due to penalties, including offensive holding or defensive pass interference. The other three stats have these plays removed.
Targets may differ from official NFL sources. The most likely discrepancy would be from a clear thrown-away pass, where the NFL may give the target to the nearest receiver, while this data will not.
Carries are only on designed plays. Quarterback scrambles won’t count for the total number of carries in the game.