In a season filled with big moments and breakout performances, Week 4 gave us plenty to talk about. Mike Evans solidified his place in Buccaneers' history, breaking Tampa Bay's all-time leading scorer record in a display of dominance.
Meanwhile, Justin Jefferson left fans in awe with yet another gravity-defying catch, reminding everyone why he's one of the league's most electrifying players. The Packers' Jordan Love made his return, showing flashes of brilliance that hint at a promising future in Green Bay. And D'Andre Swift dazzled on the ground and as a receiver with a performance that will have fantasy managers rushing him back into their lineups.
The Fantasy Life staff was thrilled to discuss these storylines and more as Week 4's action continues.
Mike Evans proved he’s still an alpha WR
Ho-ly sh*t!
Do you realize that Mike Evans (97 TDs) is about to cross the threshold of 100 career TD receptions this year? Not only is he about to reach that gnarly milestone, but in Week 4, Evans also made history in Tampa as the franchise's all-time leading scorer. #JustAlphaThings
Look, Evans hasn't finished a season without 1,000+ receiving yards since … oh right. NEVER. In fact, he's caught so many TDs in his career that Evans has finished top 10 or better for receiving TDs in six out of his 10 NFL seasons. That's over half of his NFL career. And four of those top-10 receiving TD finishes occurred in the last five years:
- 2014: 1,051 yds, 12 TDs (tied 4th)
- 2015: 1,206 yds, 3 TDs
- 2016: 1,321 yds, 12 TDs (tied 2nd)
- 2017: 1,001 yds, 5 TDs
- 2018: 1,524 yds, 8 TDs
- 2019: 1,157 yds, 8 TDs (tied 9th)
- 2020: 1,006 yds, 13 TDs (4th)
- 2021: 1,035 yds, 14 TDs (2nd)
- 2022: 1,124 yds, 6 TDs
- 2023: 1,255 yds, 13 TDs (tied 1st)
Sure, Evans has had a pair of "dud" weeks this season, but he will always have the potential to put up near triple-digit yardage and a couple of TDs in any matchup. So, yeah, Mike Evans is a grown-ass man. And he IS an alpha WR, baby!
–cooterdoodle
Is Jordan Love back?
Yes, and the good news is that Green Bay's defense doesn't look much different than last season, so the Vikings' game (where Green Bay gets behind early and into back-and-forth shootouts) may be the norm moving forward.
Going back to last season (when Green Bay's defense ranked 23rd in EPA per play on defense), Jordan Love has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in six of his last nine regular-season games (when he's started and finished).
He's also attached to a burgeoning No. 1 receiver in Jayden Reed, who is giving Tyreek Hill vibes and came into Week 4 leading the league in target separation (3.07).
Week 4 may not have been Love's most efficient performance (and he won't throw 50+ times every week), but with how explosive this Green Bay offense can be, there will be more multiple-TD games ahead. Just like last year, I'd expect Love to post a lot of top-10 finishes the rest of the year and be a consistent fantasy starter as the season advances.
–Geoff Ulrich
Are you trusting D’Andre Swift as a fantasy starter?
I am in a few leagues where D’Andre Swift was dropped after last week’s performance, and I picked him up everywhere. I am surprised that fantasy owners gave up on him so soon, but I don’t trust him every week. He rushed for 5.8 yards per carry this week against the Rams, but in Weeks 1, 2, and 3, he ran for 3.0, 1.3, and 1.5 yards per carry, respectively. Without much of a passing threat and a poor offensive line, he hasn’t found much room to run. Coming into Week 4, the Rams were ranked 30th in rush yards against per game and 29th in pass yards given up, so the matchup greatly benefited Swift.
Before coming to Chicago, Swift never averaged less than 4.1 yards per carry, so the talent is there. But his only truly impressive season-long performance was with Philadelphia in 2023, when he rushed for over 1,000 yards. In Detroit, he never seemed to live up to his potential. Today’s game against Los Angeles offered a good look at Swift’s ceiling (26 HalfPPR points), but his floor hovers at around 5.00 points, making it hard to trust him as a fantasy starter.
– Jess Bryant
Is Baker Mayfield now an every-week starter?
Here’s where we are on Baker Mayfield after four weeks:
Week 1: 289 yards, 4 TDs, fantasy points 29.66 = QB2
Week 2: 184 yards, 1 TD, 34 rush yards and 1 TD, 19.80 fantasy points = QB5
Week 3: 163 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 9.52 fantasy points = QB27
Week 4: 347 yards, 2 TD, 10 rush yards, 1 TD, 28.88 fantasy points = QB3 (so far)
Mayfield is off to as good a start as possible, setting aside any thoughts that he was just a product of Dave Canales’ offense. He’s taken advantage of great matchups against Washington, Detroit, and Philadelphia, but that’s just him getting the job done. With Evans and Chris Godwin giving him one of the top duos in the NFL, Mayfield has landed in every-week starter status. Look for him to solidify that with NFC South matchups in three of his next four games.
-Jorge Martin
How great is this Justin Jefferson catch?
Which one? After having a 14-yard TD pass hit him in the bread basket to put the Vikings up 28-0, Justin Jefferson later made one of those awe-inspiring, fully outstretched toe dances that only he (and maybe a short list of others) can—a massive play in solidifying Minnesota's 31-29 victory.
Jefferson has rewarded fantasy managers who took him with the 8th overall pick in drafts coming into the season. It turns out the worry that Sam Darnold would bring Jefferson down was unwarranted, and the opposite has happened. Darnold has ensured Jefferson is still one of the most important players in fantasy football, especially considering how many other first-round players have suffered injuries. With a 31% target share coming into this week—8 targets in 28 passes in Week 4 is right at 29%—the elite usage is there. His closing to the season also includes four home games in the season's final five weeks. Get ready for more displays of his jaw-dropping greatness.
– Jorge Martin
Are you starting Justin Fields ROS?
I started Justin Fields this week, but it was an easy call against the Colts, who, coming into Week 4 had given up the second-most yards per game. Many fantasy managers who have Fields likely also have another high-end QB. His legs offer huge upside, though, and now that we’re seeing him pass more proficiently—this was his second career 300-yard passing game—his floor is more protected. I’m starting him over Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy, and other pocket passers. If I have Fields and Jayden Daniels or even Kyler Murray, I’m still probably considering matchups. But, if he’s on the waiver wire after this week, get him, and most weeks he’s a fantasy starter.
Mike Tomlin called his gameplay “sloppy” after the loss to Indianapolis, but I’m not sure that’s a fair assessment, and he’s done enough to hold on to the starting QB job. He held the ball too long on occasion and took four sacks, but he ended with 31.98 fantasy points, a 104 passer rating, and added 55 yards on the ground in Week 4. It’s not as if the Steelers are paying Russell Wilson a lot to sit on the bench, so the opportunity to develop a much younger, long-term quarterback in Fields is the most logical option for Pittsburgh.
-Jess Bryant
Sam Darnold has multiple TDs in every game. Seriously?
Full disclosure, I'm a UCLA fan, but I'm thrilled for Darnold to get to show his wares playing for one of the top-notch offensive playcallers and alongside one of the best WRs in the game. In fact, with a good running game and O-line, plus a Top-10 defense, he may be in the perfect ecosystem for him.
Darnold is not just pitching it to Jefferson. He also welcomed Jordan Addison back to the fold with a 29-yard scoring pass in the receiver's return from a two-game injury absence. The Vikings QB is really playing well, though anointing him a set-it-and-forget-it starter is complicated by next week's opponent, the Jets. While a trip to London next week will save Darnold from facing his former fanbase, the Jets defense was No. 2 in the league coming into Week 3, allowing a paltry 8.3 fantasy points/game to QBs. Then Sauce Gardner and Co. held Bo Nix to 60 passing yards and 6.7 fantasy points.
Darnold may be a sit in his "revenge game," but after the Week 6 bye, he has four pass-friendly matchups against the Lions, Rams, Colts, and Jaguars. He's at the very least a starter those weeks.
-Jorge Martin
