NFL Week 5 Recap: Immediate fantasy football takeaways from Sunday’s games

• Dallas Goedert returns for Philadelphia: While the Eagles didn’t have most of their notable skill players, Goedert’s return gave Philadelphia’s offense a boost.

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Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Eagles adjust with three running backs down: Philadelphia lost both Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby last week, followed by Will Shipley in the first half of this week’s game.

Barkley has played 71.4% of snaps in the two games he was healthy, with Bigsby serving as the backup on early downs and at the goal line, while Shipley has been the backup on third downs and the primary two-minute drill back. In the two games Barkley left early, Bigsby served as the primary early-down and short-yardage back.

Last week, Barkley played just four snaps before leaving with a hamstring injury and was inactive for this game. Bigsby left late in last week’s game and is now on injured reserve, sidelining him for this game and at least three more. In response, the Eagles signed Dameon Pierce from their practice squad on Wednesday and Carson Steele from their practice squad on Friday, while leaving Jaydon Blue on the practice squad.

Shipley played the first nine snaps of the game across the opening two drives. On the third drive, Pierce took the first 11 snaps before Shipley closed out the possession with a rushing touchdown. Shipley suffered a foot injury on the first play of the fourth drive. He was initially listed as questionable to return but was ruled out early in the third quarter. That left Pierce as Philadelphia’s lead running back for the remainder of the game.

Unless we hear positive news on Barkley or Shipley, Pierce should be a popular waiver-wire target. The Eagles didn’t have much success running the ball this week, but they have a more favorable matchup next week against the Carolina Panthers.

The Eagles also adjust with two wide receivers down: DeVonta Smith missed his second straight game with a hamstring injury, while Hollywood Brown missed his third game with an ankle injury.

During the first two weeks of the season, Dontayvion Wicks was the Eagles’ X receiver, Smith was the Z and Makai Lemon was the slot receiver in 11 personnel. Darius Cooper backed up Wicks, while Brown backed up Smith and Lemon. Last week, Cooper took Smith’s spot as the Z receiver, while Elijah Moore emerged as the fourth receiver on the depth chart.

Moore got the start alongside Wicks, but the Eagles largely stuck with the same strategy as last week. Moore rotated in more often in the first half, cutting into the playing time of all three lead receivers. However, in the second half, Philadelphia stuck with the top three receivers on its depth chart.

The wide receiver rotation will be one to watch once Smith returns. Lemon has been the clear slot receiver, with Wicks, Smith and Cooper playing out wide. Wicks has played well for Philadelphia, but Cooper has arguably outplayed him. We could see the two rotate more frequently going forward, hurting both players’ fantasy value.

Dallas Goedert returns: The Eagles’ lead tight end missed the previous two weeks with a knee injury.

Goedert spent the first two weeks of the season as Philadelphia’s lead tight end, with Johnny Mundt joining him in 12 personnel and E.J. Jenkins serving as the third-string tight end. Grant Calcaterra and second-round rookie Eli Stowers have spent the season on injured reserve.

In Goedert’s absence, Philadelphia added Zach Ertz to the practice squad and elevated him for games. He played 28.8% of snaps over the past two weeks, with Mundt serving as the lead tight end. Although Goedert returned this week, Ertz was elevated for a third straight game, giving Philadelphia four tight ends. This was Ertz’s final permitted standard practice squad elevation.

Goedert was Philadelphia’s lead receiving tight end but rotated out more frequently than usual. This appeared to have more to do with Goedert’s health than Ertz being part of the rotation. For example, the Eagles opened the game in 12 personnel with Mundt and Jenkins. Ertz rotated in for only a few plays throughout the game, without a consistent situation in which he was on the field.

Goedert is safe to return to fantasy starting lineups, as his role will likely increase next week. As for Ertz, it wouldn’t be surprising if he remains on the practice squad next week rather than being signed to the 53-man roster, given his lack of a clear role or special teams value. This could have been Ertz’s last NFL game.

Bhayshul Tuten’s playing time keeps rising: Tuten’s early-down snap rate reached a career high this week.

The Jaguars started the season with Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. splitting early-down snaps, with Tuten holding a slight lead. Tuten played 54.8% of early-down snaps in Week 1, with that rate rising to the mid-60s in Weeks 2 and 3 and 71.1% last week. It climbed even higher this week, reaching 87.5%. That included Tuten playing each of the Jaguars’ first 13 offensive snaps. It was the first time this season he played 100% of snaps on the first two drives.

His box score reflected this: he set a career high with 22 carries and a season high with 22 receiving yards. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, but he was facing a strong Eagles run defense.

While Tuten’s utilization isn’t perfect, as he’s still splitting short-yardage and goal-line opportunities and LeQuint Allen continues to play in most clear passing situations, it’s becoming increasingly safe to put Tuten in fantasy starting lineups. He’s a fine buy-low candidate, as his fantasy production hasn’t caught up to his improved utilization.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Jaguars running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip) and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (thumb) were the healthiest they’ve been in weeks, as both were full participants in practice throughout the week.

• Travis Hunter ran a season-high five routes after not playing any offensive snaps last week.

• Jacksonville rookie wide receiver CJ Williams was inactive for the fourth straight game (coach’s decision).

• The Eagles waived quarterback Andy Dalton on Friday, leaving Tanner McKee as the backup to Jalen Hurts. Cole Payton was active for the first time as the third quarterback because Philadelphia’s six inactive players were all injured. Recently retired tackle Lane Johnson was also active for Philadelphia, even though he clearly wasn’t going to play.

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

The Bears are hurting at running back: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai both appeared on the injury report this week.

Swift was benched last week with a fumble and didn’t practice on Wednesday with a hip and knee injury. However, he practiced in a limited capacity Thursday and was a full participant Friday. Monangai also didn’t practice Wednesday with a thumb and toe injury, but he never practiced all week and was ultimately inactive. That moved Roschon Johnson up to second on the depth chart, while Xavier Scott was a practice squad call-up on Saturday to be third.

Swift spent most of the game rotating out less frequently than usual, despite his benching last week and the injury concerns. He played 40 of the first 56 snaps. The Bears lost in a blowout, and while they didn’t pull other starters, they did take Swift, with Johnson handling each of the last 13 snaps. This led Swift to end the game playing a little less than usual.

Swift only played an OK game, running nine times for 43 yards and a touchdown while catching four passes for 30 yards. He should be more effective as a runner once defenses have to worry more about the passing game again with Caleb Williams at quarterback. Swift should be a buy-low candidate after Week 5.

The Packers adjust their running back rotation: Chris Brooks landed on injured reserve with an ankle injury, forcing Green Bay to make a change.

Green Bay has utilized almost a perfect three-man rotation over the last three weeks, with Brooks playing 34.6% of snaps, MarShawn Lloyd occupying another 34.6% and Kaleb Johnson at 30%. Johnson held a slight lead on early downs, Brooks was the clear receiving back and Lloyd led in short-yardage and goal-line situations, but all three received notable snaps in all circumstances. With Brooks on injured reserve, Pierre Strong Jr. was signed off the Packers’ own practice squad.

Strong largely took Brooks’ role as the third-down and passing-down back. However, the Packers made an additional change, turning back into a two-man backfield, with Lloyd as the lead back. Before garbage time, Lloyd played 51.9% of snaps and Strong 48.1%. Johnson didn’t see his first offensive snaps until garbage time. He broke a 23-yard run, leading to more yards per carry than Lloyd.

While the Packers are still having trouble finding success in the run game, it will be a lot easier for Lloyd to have fantasy value without having to compete for carries with Johnson. The Packers have a nice stretch of upcoming games, and with more teams on bye weeks, Lloyd could be a borderline fantasy starter. On the flip side, Johnson can be dropped in leagues where he has been rostered.

Monitor Skyy Moore’s health: The Packers slot receiver suffered an ankle injury and was ruled out by halftime.

Christian Watson and Matthew Golden have been the Packers’ lead receivers all season. Jayden Reed has been the slot option over the last few seasons when healthy, but Reed is out for the season. This has left Moore as the team’s slot receiver.

On the first two drives, Moore played all 11 snaps out of 11 personnel. This left Bo Melton as Green Bay’s slot receiver for the rest of the game, even though he hasn’t typically played in the slot during his career.

The more the Packers need to go down the depth chart in the slot, the higher the target rate will be for their stars, including Watson, Golden and tight end Tucker Kraft. The three each tallied 5-to-6 receptions, with Watson and Golden both exceeding 120 yards.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams was inactive due to a hamstring injury, his third straight absence. He didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, was limited in practice Friday and was ruled questionable. He participated in some pregame warmups, suggesting he may be ready to play next week.

• Luther Burden III played a season-high 76.8% of snaps, but only because the Bears lost in a blowout and stayed in 11 personnel more frequently than usual. He only played 11.1% of snaps in 12 personnel, which was a season low for him.

• Kalif Raymond left the game in the fourth quarter with a lower body injury, but he was able to return for a few plays.

• Packers wide receiver Savion Williams returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday. He was limited all week, but wasn’t activated to the 53-man roster yet.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Miami Dolphins

Cincinnati adjusts its running back rotation: Samaje Perine led the Bengals in rushing attempts and yards.

Chase Brown has been excellent from a fantasy perspective at times, in part because he plays in one of the best offenses in the league, and in part because he dominates rushing volume while also being among the league leaders in receiving volume for running backs. However, he has never graded among the best running backs in the league, and has had occasional rough spots. Despite this, Cincinnati has rarely adjusted the personnel in the backfield. Perine has been the receiving back the last two years, while Tahj Brooks has been the third back, who only ever plays if one of the top two backs are injured.

Brown had a rough game last week, running nine times for 10 yards. He similarly had a difficult outing this week, running 13 times for 39 yards. He has gained just one first down over the last two weeks, and has no runs of 10 or more yards.

This led Perine to rotate in more often on early downs and short-yardage situations this week. The strategy appeared to be part of the plan from the start, with Perine totaling 11 snaps and six carries on first and second downs over the first five drives.

If this rotation continues, then Brown is still a fantasy starter, but his ceiling will be lower. There is a chance Brown steps up, and then his playing time will go back to normal. A similar phenomenon happened last season. However, there is also a chance Perine’s playing time increases even further after having a good game. Perine is worth adding off the waiver wire in case his role continues to expand.

Bengals survive injury scare at wide receiver: Earlier in the week, it seemed like Cincinnati would be without its top four wide receivers.

Ja’Marr Chase didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited Thursday, then upgraded to full Friday with a concussion. Tee Higgins didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, then upgraded to full Friday with groin and neck injuries. They were both ruled questionable but were ultimately active. Third receiver Andrei Iosivas remains on injured reserve, while fourth receiver Colbie Young missed back-to-back games due to a knee injury.

Chase’s playing time was normal in this one, while Higgins was rotated out a little more frequently than usual but only in 12 personnel, as he played 100% of 11 personnel snaps. It was Mitch Tinsley typically taking Higgins’ spot. In 11 personnel, Dohnte Meyers played 100% of snaps as the third receiver. This generally led to targets being more spread out than usual, including touchdowns by Tanner Hudson and Mike Gesicki. Erick All Jr. finished second on the team in receiving yards at 25.

Going forward, fantasy managers ideally don’t need to worry about the playing time of Chase and Higgins.

Dolphins turn to a three-man backfield rotation: Ollie Gordon II continues to lead the Dolphins’ backfield, but Miami appears to be open to change.

Since De’Von Achane landed on injured reserve, Gordon has been the running back by default. Jaylen Wright has been dealing with a foot injury and was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday. He was questionable for the game. The Dolphins waived running back Carlos Washington Jr. on Monday, signed him to the practice squad on Wednesday and activated him off the practice squad to be their third running back on Saturday. Miami also claimed Kaytron Allen off waivers from the Washington Commanders, but made him inactive for this game.

Gordon remained the primary running back on early downs with Wright as the backup, but Washington started to get somewhat involved during two-minute drills as well as third downs. Gordon played well as a runner with 18 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown, but no running back received a target.

While Gordon can remain in fantasy starting lineups for now, it’s possible that Wright starts to play better once his foot is better healed; it’s also possible Washington further takes on the passing-down role, and Allen may be active in the near future. Those who are rostering Gordon should be cautiously optimistic.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Bengals tight end Jack Endries was a healthy scratch after playing in their last game.

• The Dolphins waived third-string quarterback Brady Cook on Saturday. He will presumably sign to the practice squad on Monday.

• Dolphins wide receiver Caleb Douglas didn’t practice all week with an ankle injury. He was ruled out on Friday. Similar to the last two weeks, Chris Bell and Kevin Coleman Jr. have stayed on the field more frequently in 11 personnel, while Bell has been the main receiver in 12. Bell was held without a reception, while Coleman caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown.

• Dolphins backup tight end Will Kacmarek was spotted in the injury tent early in the game, and spent some time with trainers. While he was able to return to the game, Greg Dulcich played a slightly higher percentage of 11 personnel snaps in this game, likely because Kacmarek wasn’t 100%.

• Dolphins tight end Justin Joly didn’t practice on Thursday and Friday with a concussion and was ruled out.

Las Vegas Raiders @ New England Patriots

Raiders adjust with Ashton Jeanty not at 100%: Jeanty showed up on the injury report on Thursday with an ankle and foot injury, which limited his playing time.

Jeanty wasn’t able to practice at all on Friday, and Roman Hemby was a practice squad call-up just in case Jeanty couldn’t play. However, Jeanty was active, so Hemby was inactive.

Jeanty’s biggest drop in snaps occurred on third downs. He played 70.5% of those snaps over the first four weeks, and he was down to 27.3% in this game. Dylan Laube took over as the third-down back, but was also the primary backup on early downs. This was in part because the Raiders put in backups at the end of the game, with Laube taking those snaps.

While there has been hype around Washington for two months, largely tied to Jeanty’s health, if Jeanty misses time, it doesn’t seem like Washington would have a feature role in the same way Jeanty’s has had when he’s been healthy. The Raiders face the Buffalo Bills next week, and they’ve given up a lot of fantasy points to running backs, but it will be worth seeing how much Jeanty practices this week before fully trusting him.

The Raiders turn to a unique wide receiver rotation down two players: Jalen Nailor was inactive for this game due to a concussion.

The Raiders started the season with Nailor as their X receiver, Tre Tucker at Z and Jack Bech in the slot. Bech is currently on injured reserve, which meant Tucker was the only usual starter who was healthy.

Las Vegas made a unique decision to use one wide receiver with Tucker in 12 personnel, and a different two receivers in 11 personnel. Cody White was the other outside receiver in 12 personnel. Rookie Malik Benson took that role in 11 personnel, while Deven Thompkins, who was elevated off the practice squad, was the slot. The Raiders stuck with 12 personnel for most of the game, similar to last week. It wasn’t until garbage time that Las Vegas switched to using more 11 personnel.

It’s been difficult to rely on any Raiders wide receiver this season outside of Tucker, and that is going to be even more true now if the team continues this kind of assortment. Nailor wasn’t effective in the Raiders’ first four weeks, so it’s possible he will be joining this kind of rotation once he’s back.

Monitor TreVeyon Henderson’s health: Henderson suffered an ankle injury early in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Heading into the game, Rhamondre Stevenson was the injured back. He was limited in practice all week with a knee injury and was deemed questionable for the game. Over the first three drives, the playing time for the two games was relatively normal, with Stevenson playing 17 snaps to 12 by Henderson before the injury.

After the injury, Corey Kiner became the Patriots’ second back. Henderson took 75% of the snaps from the fourth to the 10th drive. Kiner closed out the game with a run and kneel-downs.

The Patriots have a favorable matchup next week against the New York Jets. If Henderson can’t play, we can expect Stevenson to see at least 70% of the offensive snaps, making him a must-start. Even if Henderson can suit up, next week should be a strong one for Stevenson.

Efton Chism III and Kyle Williams step up without Mack Hollins: The Patriots veteran receiver landed on injured reserve this week with a calf injury.

The Patriots started the season with A.J. Brown as their X receiver, Hollins and Doubs rotating at Z and DeMario Douglas playing in the slot in 11 personnel. Once Brown was placed on injured reserve, Hollins and Doubs became the two outside receivers. Last week, when Hollins went down with his injury, Chism took over for the end of the game and made the play of his career.

This week, Chism largely picked up where he left off in terms of playing time. However, Kyle Williams rotated in more often than usual in 11 personnel. Williams took advantage of his limited time, catching three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown. Chism still had a fine game himself, securing five passes for 57 yards.

Brown is eligible to return from injured reserve next week, which will again complicate the Patriots’ wide receiver rotation. Given how well Williams and Chism have played, it could be Romeo Doubs slipping down the depth chart. Doubs’ role was surprisingly low in Week 1 when everyone was healthy. Even these last three weeks, he only played 68% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps.

On paper, Doubs would be the No. 2 receiver with Brown back and Hollins out, and he played a season-high 82.7% of snaps, but he was the clear fourth option in this game in terms of targets. Doubs is someone that can be dropped in most fantasy leagues, given the likely rotation with the younger wide receivers going forward.

The Patriots’ tight end rotation: Rookie Eli Raridon has stepped up as the Patriots’ second tight end, and he could eventually become the No. 1 option at the position.

Raridon has missed most of two games due to injury, but his role has been consistent in the other three. He’s played 56.3% of the Patriots’ total snaps, with 49.5% in 11 personnel on early downs, 94.4% of two-tight end sets and 7.3% of 11 personnel on third downs. Hunter Henry has taken everything else.

While there has been no sign of a change in roles so far this season, Raridon has played well enough that it’s worth considering. Raridon caught five passes for 57 yards this week. He has averaged 2.02 yards per route run on the season compared to 1.46 by Henry.

While we can’t trust Raridon in his current role, if there is any tight end to pick up in hopes of a bigger role in the second half of the season, it appears to be Raridon. While Henry scored a touchdown this week, his route participation rate is down with this rotation with Raridon. If it changes even slightly, that could be the end of Henry having fantasy value this season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Raiders wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday. He was a full participant in practice all week, but wasn’t added to the 53-man roster.

• Las Vegas tight ends Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer were taken out in garbage time, which notably impacted their playing time. Their roles should return to normal in games where the Raiders aren’t blown out.

• First overall pick Fernando Mendoza received his first career offensive snaps in garbage time in this game, where he completed 6-of-8 passes for 48 yards.

• The Patriots placed running back Reggie Gilliam on injured reserve on Saturday with ankle and knee injuries. New England tight end Tanner Arkin was back in the lineup after being a healthy inactive last week, presumably because of Gilliam’s injury.

Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints

Monitor T.J. Hockenson’s health: The Vikings tight end suffered a concussion early in the game and didn’t return.

Minnesota started this season similar to other recent years, with a two-man tight end rotation with Hockenson as the primary receiving option and Josh Oliver as the main blocker. Oliver landed on injured reserve two weeks ago, leading to Gavin Bartholomew being the second tight end last week. Hockenson received a boost in snaps, making him a borderline fantasy starter. Ben Yurosek returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday and was activated Saturday, giving Minnesota three tight ends. 

It was good fortune for Minnesota that it had Yurosek, because the Vikings needed both tight ends this week. Hockenson played only two snaps. This left Batholomew playing in Hockenson’s usual role, and Yurosek occupying Oliver’s usual role.

Bartholomew had a decent game, catching five passes for 33 yards. This would usually make Bartholomew a waiver-wire target in deeper leagues, but Minnesota has its bye week next week. That gives Hockenson two weeks to recover, giving him a good chance of returning as the team’s lead receiving tight end for Week 7.

Vikings adjust without Jordan Addison: Minnesota hasn’t been at full strength at wide receiver for an entire game since Week 1.

In Week 1, Minnesota had Justin Jefferson and Addison as its top two receivers, with Jauan Jennings joining in 11 personnel. Jennings missed Week 2 for personal reasons, with Myles Price taking his spot.  Jefferson suffered an ankle injury early in Week 3, leading Jennings to step up in 12 personnel, with Tai Felton taking Jefferson’s place in 11 personnel. Jefferson was limited in practice all week, was questionable but ultimately played. However, a hamstring injury kept Addison out.

Jefferson played 88.7% of offensive snaps, with a 92.6% snap rate before garbage time, so his snap hare was relatively normal. Jennings continued to be a primary receiver in two- and three-receiver sets. Similar to the last two weeks, Felton was one of the three wideouts in three-receiver sets. Jefferson was also back to normal in the box score with six receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown, while Felton and Jennings have averaged less than 2 PPR points per game this season.

This leaves Jefferson and Addison, once he’s back, as the only wide receivers in Minnesota with fantasy value despite the high snap and route percentages by other players.

Alvin Kamara plays a limited role for the Saints: Kamara was limited in practice throughout the week with a back injury.

The Saints have used a three-man rotation at running back all season, with some combination of Travis Etienne Jr., Kamara and Kendre Miller rotating on early downs, while CJ Donaldson has handled the third-down snaps. Etienne is currently on injured reserve, leaving Kamara and Miller as the early-down backs.

Last week, Kamara had a clear lead in the early-down rotation, playing 45.7% of snaps on early downs to 32.6% by Miller, and holding an advantage in touches thanks to his receiving work. This week, Kamara barely played over the first three quarters, with five snaps compared to 13 each by Donaldson and Miller. The game was close in the fourth quarter, leading Kamara to play seven snaps relative to six by Donaldson and one by Miller.

Miller wasn’t all that effective as a rusher at 3.0 yards per carry, but Kamara wasn’t much better. Miller is worth picking up off the waiver wire in case Kamara’s injury lingers, and the injury reports this week should give us a good indication of how snaps might be distributed next week.

Noah Fant returns to the Saints: He missed last week due to an abdomen injury.

The Saints were back to full strength at tight end, with Juwan Johnson, Fant and Oscar Delp. Similar to other weeks, when all three have been healthy, Johnson and Fant split snaps in 11 personnel on early downs, Johnson was the primary tight end on third downs and Fant took one spot in 12 personnel while Johnson and Delp rotated in the other spot.

It’s unlikely that Fant holds fantasy value this season unless Johnson suffers an injury, but it’s possible that Fant and Delp’s health will impact Johnson’s fantasy value. In Weeks 1 and 4 with either Delp or Fant out, Johnson posted a 77% route participation rate and averaged 13.2 PPR points per game. In three games with all three tight ends healthy, Johnson has a 63.1% route participation rate. He still averaged 13.0 PPR points per game in those games, largely because he scored two touchdowns in Week 3, but he only caught four passes for 16 yards in this game.

It is going to be harder to trust Johnson in fantasy starting lineups going forward as long as Fant and Delp stay healthy.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Aaron Jones Sr. left the game briefly with a knee injury and was ruled questionable, but he was able to return. He played 87.3% of snaps, which was his highest snap rate in a game this season. Jordan Mason is eligible to return from injured reserve after the bye week, making now the time to sell high on Jones.

• The Vikings signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the practice squad on Wednesday. He was a practice squad call-up in case both of their top wide receivers were out, but with Jefferson playing, Beckham was ultimately inactive.

• The Vikings waived wide receiver Jeshaun Jones on Monday. He signed to the practice squad on Wednesday and was a practice squad call-up on Saturday.

• The Saints waived wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. on Saturday. New Orleans activated wide receiver Cedric Tillman from the practice squad for this game to be the new fifth wide receiver on the depth chart.

Cleveland Browns @ New York Jets

Tim Patrick makes his Jets debut: The Jets have slowly but surely lost most of their wide receivers due to injury, but this week, they got one back.

New York started the year with a clear top six wide receivers on the depth chart, but then Patrick started the year on injured reserve. Since then, Omar Cooper Jr. and Arian Smith have also landed on injured reserve, while Adonai Mitchell has missed three straight games due to a finger injury. Over the last two weeks, Garrett Wilson has been one starter, while Isaiah Williams became an every-situation wide receiver. Sterling Shepard was added to the practice squad mid-season and had been the third receiver.

Patrick returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday and was activated off injured reserve on Saturday. The Jets then waived wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett. Shepard was not called up from the practice squad this week.

New York had a simple wide receiver rotation, with Patrick playing in 11 and 12 personnel, while Williams returned to the slot role in 11 personnel only. The only time Patrick or Wilson were off the field was in 13 personnel. Wilson led the Jets in receiving with seven receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown, while Patrick was second with two receptions for 26 yards.

Patrick will likely lose his job once Mitchell is healthy, but he will be the top backup on the outside. Cooper is also eligible to return from injured reserve, and he may take the slot role back from Williams.

Monitor Kenyon Sadiq’s health: Sadiq suffered a concussion and didn’t return to the game.

Sadiq broke out in Week 3 with 23.5 fantasy points, in large part thanks to Mason Taylor missing time with a thumb injury. Sadiq didn’t record a catch last week, but his role in the Jets’ offense increased. This week, Taylor was a full participant in practice all week and back in the lineup.

This meant the Jets were back to a ridiculous four-man rotation at tight end, and it was like Sadiq’s Week 3 never happened. Taylor was the primary tight end in 11 personnel, and all four received notable time in 12 personnel. On the first seven drives, Taylor played 23 of a possible 46 snaps, while Sadiq played 13. Jeremy Ruckert also played 13, while Jelani Woods played 11. Sadiq only ran a route on eight of 27 pass plays.

After the concussion, Taylor was more consistently on the field, playing 18 of the final 24 snaps, including running a route on eight of the 10 pass plays. While it’s fine to hold on to Sadiq because he’s a first-round pick who could see more playing time in the second half of the season, no one should expect Sadiq to be in fantasy starting lineups anytime soon. Sadiq will need a significant increase in snaps before he can be trusted again.

Monitor the health of the Browns’ running backs: Quinshon Judkins was in a walking boot after the game, while Raheim Sanders left in the fourth quarter with a hip injury.

The Browns have spent all season with Judkins the clear lead back on early downs, while Sanders has been the primary back during two-minute drills and third downs. Dylan Sampson was expected to be the passing-down back, but he’s been on injured reserve. Jaleel McLaughlin has been the third back for Cleveland.

Cleveland spent the first three quarters following its usual rotation. In the fourth quarter, Sanders only managed two snaps before he was out for the game. Judkins appeared to be injured with 10 minutes left. He was able to walk off and returned, but didn’t play over the last four minutes. McLaughlin closed out the game for Cleveland.

The Browns’ backfield is likely one to avoid this week, as Cleveland plays the Ravens. Either one of the Browns’ backs could be healthy enough to play by next week, and Sampson is eligible to return from injured reserve. Even is McLaughlin is the only one standing next week, Jaret Patterson is on the practice squad, and he and McLaughlin could split time. It’s possible someone emerges by mid-week; until then, you can leave the Browns’ backs on the waiver wire.

Monitor KC Concepcion’s health: Concepcion suffered a head injury early in the game and was quickly ruled out.

In recent weeks, Denzel Boston and Concepcion have been the Browns’ clear lead wide receivers, with Jerry Jeudy a distant third option. Last week, Jeudy lost some time to Malachi Corley. Cleveland followed the same pattern this week, with Concepcion playing 11 of the first 12 snaps before exiting with injury. Jeudy played nine of 15 snaps over the first two drives, with Corley playing four.

After the injury, Jeudy’s and Corley’s rotation went from 11 personnel only to 11 and 12 personnel, allowing Jeudy to play much more than he has in recent weeks. Isaiah Bond took over as the slot receiver in 11 personnel. Bond ended up leading Cleveland in receiving, with three receptions for 74 yards.

If you’re in a deeper league, Bond would be the player to pick up off the waiver wire. He played a lot on the outside in the preseason, and there is a chance his role could expand next week if Concepcion misses time.

There is also a chance that Jeudy is traded sometime over the next few weeks. While it’s been Corley taking time from Jeudy, based on how well Bond played in this game, it could be Bond who becomes the Browns‘ third receiver over the rest of the season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Jets running back Breece Hall didn’t practice all week and missed his second straight game with a quadriceps injury. He was ruled out on Friday. Similar to last week, Braelon Allen completely dominated playing time, with Isaiah Davis occasionally mixing in.

• Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel returned to practice from injured reserve on Tuesday. He was a full participant in practice all week, but he wasn’t added to the 53-man roster.

• Browns tight end Carsen Ryan was limited on Thursday, downgraded to did not practice on Friday with a calf injury and was ruled out. This left Cleveland with only two active tight ends.

Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Keenan Allen returns for the Colts: Allen missed last week to a groin injury.

The Colts have dealt with several injuries at wide receiver this season. Alec Pierce is currently on injured reserve. Ashton Dulin didn’t practice all week with a hamstring injury and was ruled out on Friday. Darius Slayton was inactive due to a knee injury, his third straight absence since being signed. The Colts activated wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine from the practice squad to help with their wide receiver depth.

Indianapolis has generally settled into a rotation with Laquon Treadwell at X, Josh Downs at Z in 12 personnel and in the slot in 11 and Allen at Z in 11. In Week 3, it appeared Allen might be heading for a more fantasy-relevant role. He was the most frequent receiver in 11 personnel, and he started to butt into Downs’ playing time in 12 personnel. However, this week, Allen didn’t play at all in 13 personnel and only managed three of 22 snaps in 12 personnel.

Allen caught five passes for 45 yards, while Downs hauled in three for 47. This week, it was tight end Tyler Warren who led the Indianapolis passing game with seven receptions for 83 yards.

It will be difficult to trust Allen unless he starts seeing more playing time in 12 or 13 personnel.

The injury bug hits the Steelers‘ wide receiver room: Michael Pittman Jr. was placed on injured reserve this past week, while two wide receivers for Pittsburgh couldn’t finish this game.

Pittsburgh has used DK Metcalf and Pittman as its primary receivers, with Roman Wilson joining in 11 personnel when healthy. The Steelers put wide receiver Pittman Jr. on injured reserve on Saturday. The Steelers activated wide receiver Brandon Smith from the practice squad for this game on Saturday.

Rather than Wilson taking on a larger role without Pittman, Germie Bernard became the every-down receiver, filling Pittman’s place. Not only did Wilson not see a larger role, but he was also rotated out more frequently in 11 personnel. Wilson has made several big catches this season, but he was also benched two weeks ago after a drop. On the first three drives, Metcalf and Bernard each played 19 of 20 snaps, Wilson nine and Ben Skowronek five. However, Skowronek suffered a calf injury and missed the rest of the game.

This left Wilson on the field more consistently for the next two drives. He played 20 of 33 snaps over the first five possessions, but then he endured a hand injury and missed the rest of the game. This left Smith as the third wide receiver for the rest of the afternoon. Bernard had a big performance, catching six passes for 80 yards.

Regardless of the health of Wilson and Skowronek, Bernard should be among the top waiver-wire targets, as he should be a full-time starter for Pittsburgh over the next three weeks. If he plays well enough, he should keep a starting job over the rest of the season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Seth McGowan played over 25% of the Colts’ offensive snaps for the second straight week, cutting into Jonathan Taylor’s time. While Taylor leads all running backs in snap rate over the first five weeks, he does not rank among the top 10 running backs over the last two weeks.

• Colts running back DJ Giddens was active for the first time this season, giving Indianapolis three running backs.

• Colts tight end Will Mallory returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday due to his thumb injury. He was a full participant in practice all week, but the Colts didn’t add him to the 53-man roster.

• Pittsburgh running back Rico Dowdle sat out due to a toe injury, his third straight absence. He was limited in practice all week and was ruled questionable, but was ultimately inactive. The Steelers activated running back Lew Nichols from the practice squad to be the backup. Jaylen Warren dominated offensive snaps, similar to the last two weeks.

• Pittsburgh running back Eli Heidenreich was a healthy scratch, his third consecutive missed game.

• The injuries at wide receiver had no impact on the playing time of Pat Freiermuth. Pittsburgh has consistently used Darnell Washington more on early downs, Freiermuth more on third downs and the two together in 12 personnel. However, it did lead to a higher target rate, as the Steelers’ three slot receivers combined for no receptions. Freiermuth is worth more consideration going forward if Roman Wilson’s injury is serious.

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans

Monitor David Montgomery’s health: The Texans’ lead running back left with a groin injury and didn’t return.

The Texans have spent the season using a two-man rotation at running back between Montgomery and Woody Marks. During the first three weeks, Montgomery played the first two drives, Marks joined for the third possession and Houston rotated by series from there. Last week, Marks entered the game on the second drive rather than the third, and that continued this week.

Montgomery re-entered the game on the third possession, and that’s when he suffered his injury. Houston had Dare Ogunbowale as its third running back for this game, mostly for his special teams value. This left Marks as the feature back over the rest of the game. Marks took 47 of 48 snaps, only leaving the kneel down at the end of the game.

Marks is an obvious waiver-wire target this week, as more fantasy managers have dropped him than picked him up in recent weeks. Long term, Marks has been closing the gap on Montgomery, and this is an opportunity for him to take a lead. Short term, Montgomery could miss some time. The Texans will likely bring Jawhar Jordan up from the practice squad so Marks doesn’t play 100% of snaps, but we’ll likely see Marks in a feature role rather than the 50/50 split Houston has been doing.

The Texans trade for Marvin Harrison Jr.: Houston’s complicated wide receiver rotation will become even more complex after adding the former Arizona Cardinals receiver.

Houston has spent the last two years with Nico Collins as one of its outside receivers, two players rotating at the other outside slot and two options mixing in the slot. This year, Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson have rotated on the outside, while Jaylin Noel and Hutchinson have both taken snaps in the slot. Noel seemed to finally break out of that package last week, playing 86.5% of 11 personnel snaps, but this week, he was back down to 76.9%. With how much the Texans run 12 and 13 personnel ,his overall snap rate was down to 45.5%.

Now, the Cardinals add Harrison, who reunites with his college quarterback C.J. Stroud. They sent a second-round pick, which means Harrison will probably be second on the depth chart. Noel has played well enough in the slot that he will still have a rotational role there. However, we could see Hutchinson rotating in the slot with Noel, while Boutte mixes in at times with Harrison. Unless Harrison improves significantly, we should expect a rotation all season. Jayden Higgins was clearly outplaying Hutchinson last season, but failed to earn a full-time role. 

The addition of Harrison also clouds the long-term value of Higgins. Tank Dell returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday. He practiced on a limited basis and wasn’t activated. It’s unclear if there will still be a role in the offense for him once he’s able to play.

Going forward, Collins can be started as usual, and Harrison should be held on to in case this is the spark he needs to break out. But I wouldn’t count on it, or make it a priority to trade for him in fantasy leagues.

Tyjae Spears takes on a larger role: Spears led the backfield in snaps while catching nine passes for 28 yards.

Tony Pollard and Spears have been locked into the top two running back spots. As the season has progressed, Spears has started playing 100% of two-minute and third-down snaps, but his role on early downs has declined. Rookie Nicholas Singleton was slowly but surely getting involved on early downs, cutting into Spears’ playing time.

The Titans are one of the rare teams to roster five halfbacks, with Julius Chestnut and Michael Carter also on the team as backups. Despite this, Tennessee made Singleton and Carter healthy inactives, and called up Kalel Mullings from the practice squad to be its fourth running back. This left Spears as the clear early-down backup. He played 34.9% of the early-down snaps, his highest rate since Week 1, and he reached over 50% of snaps for the first time this season.

While Spears won’t have long-term value if he stays in this role, the Titans are now 0-5, and we are less than a month away from the trade deadline. It’s entirely possible that a team that needs a running back trades for Pollard. This could make Spears the lead running back over the rest of the season. While there is a chance Singleton could become the No. 1 back, that seems less probable now after he was inactive this week.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Both Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz left briefly in the second quarter due to injuries, but each was able to walk off the field and return to the game.

• Schultz played a season-low 51.5% of snaps. His role was the same, playing most of the 11 personnel snaps but only some of the 12 personnel snaps. But Houston played fewer 11 personnel than usual, leading to his decrease. His route participation rate was normal.

• Houston signed quarterback Mark Gronowski and wide receiver Bryce Oliver in the middle of the week, and waived both of them on Saturday.

• Texans tight end Marlin Klein was a healthy scratch, marking his second straight absence.

• Titans rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate played only 76.2% of offensive snaps. That included 82.7% of 11 personnel snaps after playing at least 91% of 11 personnel snaps in all other games.

• Titans tight end David Martin-Robinson was a full participant on Wednesday, downgraded to did not practice on Thursday and didn’t practice on Friday with a hamstring injury. He was ruled questionable on Friday but didn’t play. Tennessee tight end Kylen Granson was active in Martin-Robinson’s place as the team’s third tight end.

New York Giants @ Washington Commanders

Rachaad White returns for Washington: The Commanders’ receiving back missed last week due to a shoulder injury.

Washington has used a traditional two-man backfield to start the season, with Jacory Croskey-Merritt as the early-down back and White as the passing-down back. Kaytron Allen was the third back on the depth chart. Last week, in White’s absence, Washington brought back Austin Ekeler, the man who had White’s role in 2024 and early in 2025 before a season-ending injury. Washington also elevated Craig Reynolds from the practice squad. They both surpassed Allen on the depth chart, and Allen was subsequently released on Thursday. While Washington likely wanted Allen for the practice squad, the Miami Dolphins claimed him.

This week, Washington was largely back to its two-man rotation. Ekeler only played six snaps. They all came in normal early-down situations in the second quarter. This is good news for Croskey-Merritt and White, as Ekeler looked good last week, and it seemed like he could turn this into more of a three-man rotation. Croskey-Merritt had a great day on the ground, gaining 11 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. However, Croskey-Merritt didn’t garner a target, and he needs at least a little bit of receiving volume to trust him in fantasy starting lineups.

Washington adjusts while its veteran receivers are injured: Stefon Diggs was ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Terry McLaurin didn’t practice for most of the week with a hamstring.

The Commanders have used a ridiculous five-man rotation at wide receiver this season, with McLaurin, Diggs, Antonio Williams, Dyami Brown and Treylon Burks all playing between 38-60% of snaps this year. All of them have played between 43-67% of 11 personnel snaps, while the outside receivers, McLaurin, Brown and Burks, have been the primary receivers in 12 personnel.

McLaurin played 77.6% of snaps over the first three weeks, but he missed last week and could only play in a limited role this week. In terms of playing time, Burks and Williams were the central receivers. While Van Jefferson was a practice squad call-up, Washington largely stuck with a four-man rotation rather than the usual five.

Despite McLaurin’s injury, he still led the Commanders in receiving with four receptions for 62 yards. Williams and Burks combined for five receptions for 57 yards. Williams remains a potential waiver-wire target, but only for someone looking for a breakout in the second half of the season. In this rotation, it doesn’t appear Williams will have much fantasy value in the near-term.

Chig Okonkwo has his best game as a Commander: The former Tennessee Titan caught four passes for 60 yards and led the team in targets.

Okonkwo had excellent route participation numbers in Week 1, but only before suffering an injury that cost him Weeks 2 and 3. He returned in Week 4 but appeared to be limited because of the injury.

He was back this week and played 71% of the Commanders’ snaps. That included 81.4% of the early-down snaps out of 11 personnel, and all of the third-down snaps. He only played in three of 12 snaps in 12 personnel, which was a notable drop from Weeks 1 and 4. However, Washington ran 11 plays out of 13 personnel, and Okonkwo played 10 of those snaps.

While these weren’t perfect route-participation numbers due to the 12 personnel usage, it was still more playing time than he’s used to during his average game with Tennessee last season. While part of Okonkwo’s target rate was likely due to the Commanders’ injuries at wide receiver, this could also be a sign of things to come for Okonkwo in his first full healthy game with the team. He is among the tight ends to consider off the waiver wire.

Isaiah Likely takes on a larger role: Likely played over 70% of snaps for the second time this season.

Likely scored 27.8 PPR points in Week 1, but that play wasn’t sustainable in his role. He had a 67.6% route participation rate but mustered 34.8% targets per route. His fantasy value came back to earth over the following three weeks, with an average of 8.4 points per game.

Luckily, his route participation rate had improved, but he didn’t score as many touchdowns. His playing time in different personnel groupings also fluctuated. In Week 3, he played 75% of 11 personnel snaps on early downs, but last week, that fell below 50%. He similarly played 88.5% of 12 personnel snaps in Week 3, but that dropped to 62.5% last week.

This week, he played 62.2% of early-down snaps out of 11 personnel snaps, which was right at his season average. The good news is Likely was on the field more consistently in 12 personnel. He played in 39 of a possible 40 snaps out of 12 personnel. Typically, when a team plays a full five quarters, we’ll see players rotating out more frequently, so the fact that Likely played more was great to see for his fantasy value.

Likely caught 11 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. While we shouldn’t expect him to consistently score this many touchdowns, it remains safe to keep Likely in fantasy starting lineups.

Miscellaneous Notes

• New York running back Devin Singletary was a healthy inactive, his third straight absence.

• The Giants’ backfield rotation was similar to last week, with Cam Skattebo playing most of the early-down snaps and Najee Harris backing him up. Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr. split passing-down snaps.

• The Giants placed wide receiver Braxton Berrios on injured reserve on Wednesday. He is expected to miss the rest of the season. The Giants activated wide receiver Dalen Cambre from the practice squad for this game on Saturday. He joined Charlie Jones to be the backup wide receivers for this game.

• The Giants subsequently didn’t rotate their wide receivers as much this week, with Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney and Malachi Fields constantly playing in 11 personnel. Nabers played in 12, with Mooney and Fields both used at the other spot.

• New York tight end Thomas Fidone II was active this week after his fourth straight healthy scratch, giving the Giants four tight ends.

• Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels was back in the lineup after missing back-to-back games with a left elbow injury.

• Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols returned to practice from injured reserve on Wednesday. He was limited in practice all week and wasn’t activated to the 53-man roster.

• The Commanders placed wide receiver Jaylin Lane on injured reserve on Tuesday. Luke McCaffrey was active after spending most of the season as a healthy inactive, but he didn’t receive any snaps on offense.

Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers stick with a three-man running back rotation: Kimani Vidal may have emerged as the new top back on Los Angeles’ depth chart.

Omarion Hampton started the season playing 75% of early-down snaps, 18.8% of third-down snaps and 40% of snaps during two-minute drills, with Vidal and Keaton Mitchell taking the passing-down work. During Weeks 3 and 4, Hampton’s role dropped to 53.6% of early-down snaps, 13.6% of third-down snaps and 4.2% of snaps during two-minute drills. Vidal was slowly but surely getting more involved, while Mitchell was making some big plays.

This week, Hampton fell to 43.6% of early-down snaps and didn’t play any third-down or two-minute drill snaps. Hampton still ran the ball 14 times but gained just 33 yards. Vidal had eight carries, including a 42-yard touchdown run, but gained only 13 yards on his other seven attempts. Mitchell also struggled in the running game, finishing with six carries for 11 yards. Mitchell remains the team’s top receiving back, catching three passes for 18 yards this week.

The Chargers have a very difficult upcoming schedule, and their offensive line problems are unlikely to improve anytime soon. As long as Mitchell and Vidal continue taking the passing-down work, Hampton‘s role could decline further. Mitchell and Vidal are worth considering off the waiver wire in case their roles continue to expand. For now, it will be difficult to trust any of the three in fantasy starting lineups.

The Chargers play without nearly all their wide receivers: Four of the top five wide receivers on the depth chart didn’t play, and the fifth couldn’t finish the game.

Los Angeles started the season with Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston and Tre’ Harris as its top receivers, with Brenen Thompson, KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Derius Davis as the primary backups. Lambert-Smith has spent the season on injured reserve. Johnston (chest) and Thompson (quadriceps) were inactive, while McConkey (foot) was active but didn’t play. This left Harris and Davis as the top receivers, along with recent free-agent addition Marquez Valdes-Scantling and practice squad elevation Theo Wease Jr.

Los Angeles started the game with Harris and Valdes-Scantling as its primary receivers, with Wease playing ahead of Davis in 11 personnel. The Chargers tried to establish the run game, so Harris ran just 13 routes on his 30 offensive snaps. He suffered a hamstring injury while blocking when the ball carrier ran into the back of his leg and was unable to return. After the injury, Wease became an every-down receiver, while Davis began playing in 11 personnel.

This is a situation to avoid until some of the top receivers get healthier. Valdes-Scantling was an every-down receiver and led the wide receiver room in production, but he caught just two passes for 22 yards.

Charlie Kolar returns for Los Angeles: Kolar was back as the Chargers’ lead tight end.

Los Angeles started the season with Kolar as the primary tight end on early downs, David Njoku as the primary tight end on third downs and the two sharing the field in 12 personnel. Both suffered injuries in Week 2, allowing Oronde Gadsden to take over as the lead tight end. Kolar was limited in practice all week but was ready to play, while Njoku remains on injured reserve for at least one more week.

Kolar largely returned to his Week 1 role, although he played a little more frequently on third downs. Gadsden largely took on Njoku’s role, similar to what he’s done over the last two weeks. The Chargers had so many injuries at wide receiver that they used 12 personnel more often than not. They also ran three plays out of 13 personnel. Hayden Rucci was the clear third tight end on the depth chart, but he ended up scoring a touchdown.

Considering how many third-down snaps in 11 personnel Kolar took from Gadsden, it seems Gadsden hasn’t improved his standing with the coaching staff over the last few weeks. He didn’t record a catch in this game, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his role decreases significantly once Njoku returns.

Denver adjusts without Pat Bryant: Denver’s second-year receiver landed on injured reserve Friday.

Last season, Denver had Courtland Sutton as the clear top receiver, with four others constantly rotating in and out. This year, Jaylen Waddle and Bryant joined Sutton in the top tier of receivers, while others have rotated in sparingly.

In Bryant’s absence, Sutton played more than usual, logging 80.6% of snaps. Waddle, however, played a little less than usual, particularly in 12 personnel. Denver also used more 13 personnel than usual, a grouping in which Waddle typically hasn’t played. It was largely Troy Franklin who stepped up in Bryant’s place, playing 62.9% of snaps, only slightly less than Waddle. The Broncos signed wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey from their practice squad Friday. Humphrey and Marvin Mims Jr. served as the backup receivers.

The top three receivers were pretty even in receiving production, with all three catching two passes for 16-19 yards. Denver switched to Sean Payton as its offensive playcaller, and the Broncos wanted to run the ball more often. They ran more than they passed this week, hurting the fantasy value of all their receivers. It may be difficult to trust any of them in fantasy starting lineups if Payton sticks with this run-pass split.

Miscellaneous Notes

• The Chargers placed quarterback Trey Lance on injured reserve Saturday with a groin injury. DJ Uiagalelei is Los Angeles’ new backup quarterback.

• Chargers fullback and defensive lineman Scott Matlock returned to practice from injured reserve Monday and was activated Saturday.

• The Broncos‘ running back rotation still resembles last season. The one exception is that RJ Harvey took 100% of two-minute drill snaps, giving him more playing time than last year and Tyler Badie less. Harvey has played 76.9% of two-minute drill snaps this season.

Detroit Lions @ Arizona Cardinals

Jalen Brooks takes over for Marvin Harrison Jr.: The former first-round pick was a healthy inactive, and it was recently announced that he would be traded to the Houston Texans.

Arizona used a straightforward rotation over the first four weeks. Michael Wilson played in 11, 12 and 13 personnel, Harrison in 11 and 12 personnel and Kendrick Bourne in 11 personnel. Brooks played 13 snaps and Simi Fehoko played 12, with nearly half of their snaps coming in garbage time.

With Harrison inactive, fifth-round rookie Reggie Virgil was active for the first time in his career. Brooks largely took over as Arizona’s X receiver, catching two passes for 16 yards. Fehoko rotated in for Brooks at times on early downs, while Virgil saw significant playing time in garbage time.

Brooks will likely see the most playing time in the short term, but the Cardinals are currently 1-4, and they could slowly but surely shift to some of their younger players. If that happens, we could see Virgil take over as the X receiver at some point this season.

Jameson Williams scores twice for Detroit: Williams had a slow start to the season, but his fantasy value has been on the rise.

The Lions’ wide receiver rotation has been predictable this season. They’ve run 201 plays out of 11 personnel, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, Williams and Isaac TeSlaa have shared the field for 200 of them. Williams and St. Brown are almost always on the field in 12 personnel, with most of their breaks coming in 13 personnel.

Williams had a slow start to the season. His pre-snap usage hasn’t changed, and even his target rate has barely moved. The only difference is that he’s received more deep targets. After receiving three deep targets over the first three weeks, he’s received five over the last two. His average depth of target was between 11.8 and 14.2 yards over the first three weeks. It rose to 17.0 last week and 32.5 in this game.

He caught one of his deep targets for a 39-yard touchdown and added a 9-yard touchdown catch. Ideally, Williams can start making plays after the catch like he did last season, as he’s averaged just 1.1 yards after the catch per reception this year. Until then, he can still have value if he’s making long receptions.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Detroit tight end Tyler Conklin returned after two straight healthy scratches, reclaiming the third tight end job from Jackson Meeks, who was a healthy inactive.

• Lions backup wide receiver and special teams player Tom Kennedy suffered a knee injury on a special teams play and didn’t return. He has played just one offensive snap this season.

• Arizona continues to use the same running back rotation, with Jeremiyah Love as the primary back on early downs, Allgeier not far behind and Allgeier handling the passing-down role. Love remains the clear leader in touches, but neither back was effective in this matchup.

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

The 49ers‘ wide receiver injuries keep coming: Three of their five wide receivers left the game at some point with injuries.

San Francisco has Ricky Pearsall, De’Zhaun Stribling, Demarcus Robinson and Christian Kirk on injured reserve. KhaDarel Hodge ranked fifth among the team’s wide receivers in snaps this season, but he was recently released after suffering an injury. Mike Evans is their top receiver, but he was either limited in practice or unable to practice throughout the week due to a rib injury. That left the team with Deebo Samuel Sr., Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins and recently signed Brandin Cooks as their healthy receivers.

Evans played 84% of 11 personnel snaps in this game but was in a rotational role in 12 personnel. He briefly left the game with what looked like a neck injury late in the first half, but returned before halftime and finished the game. In the first half, Samuel and Cowing joined him in 11 personnel, while Watkins and Samuel were the primary receivers in 12 personnel.

Samuel suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter and wasn’t able to return, while Cowing suffered a knee injury but was able to return.

In the fourth quarter, Cooks led the 49ers’ wide receiver room in snaps, playing 14 of 19, including running a route on 10 of 11 passing plays. He also scored a touchdown. While Evans dominated the box score with seven receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown, it’s still worth adding Cooks off the waiver wire. Given Evans’ injuries, he could miss time sooner rather than later, which could make Cooks the top wide receiver on the depth chart, at least until some of these receivers are able to return.

Cooper Kupp returns to a full-time role: Kupp played 81% of snaps after averaging 60% over the first four weeks.

The Seahawks have Jaxon Smith-Njigba as their top receiver. Kupp was their second option last season, but it seemed like he would have significant competition this season. Rashid Shaheed had a full offseason to build more chemistry with Sam Darnold, while Tory Horton was coming back from injury.

Smith-Njigba, Kupp and Shaheed have all played at least 93% of snaps in 11 personnel this season, with Horton as the only other receiver to see playing time. However, Seattle uses 11 personnel less than half the time, as the Seahawks also like 12, 21 and 13 personnel. They often play with a lead, allowing them to use those other personnel groupings. If a wide receiver were to emerge, he would need to dominate snaps in 12 and 21 personnel, as Smith-Njigba takes a lot of the 13 personnel snaps.

Over the first four weeks, Kupp and Shaheed went back and forth in terms of who received more snaps, but neither receiver played more than 64% in a game. This week, Kupp took 86.2% of those snaps, playing 25 of 29, while Shaheed took the other four.

Shaheed still led the two in receiving yards, 23 to 15, with both catching two passes. Kupp is unlikely to be worth rostering in this role, but it is enough to potentially move on from Shaheed in fantasy leagues. His route participation rate has been 62% or lower in three straight games. While a wide receiver can have fantasy value with that low a route-participation rate, he needs to dominate targets per route, and Shaheed has only one game above 20% this season. He can be dropped in most leagues.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Christian McCaffrey has played at least 74% of snaps in three straight games after starting the season at 55% or lower in each of the first two. San Francisco also won its first two games by at least 20 points each, while its last three wins have been by 10 points or fewer.

• San Francisco fullback Kyle Juszczyk didn’t practice all week with a knee injury and was ruled out Friday. The 49ers elevated tight end Jack Stoll from the practice squad Saturday to fill in for Juszczyk.

• San Francisco running back Jordan James returned after a healthy scratch last week, giving the 49ers three running backs.

• George Kittle was dealing with an illness earlier in the day. This had no impact on his playing time but may have impacted his efficiency as a receiver.

• The Seahawks signed running back Robert Henry Jr. from Washington’s practice squad Tuesday. He was a healthy inactive.

• The Seahawks continued their running back rotation from last week, with Emmanuel Wilson as the early-down back and George Holani as the receiving back.

• Seattle running back Zach Charbonnet was limited in practice all week with a knee injury but remained on injured reserve.

• Seahawks wide receiver Irvin Charles returned to practice from injured reserve Wednesday. He was limited in practice all week but wasn’t activated to the 53-man roster.

Baltimore Ravens @ Atlanta Falcons

Ravens wide receiver room reaches some stability: Zay Flowers reached a season-high snap rate, while Chris Moore returned from injury.

Flowers has dealt with injuries all season. He played more than 50% of snaps for the first time this season last week but was still limited in practice throughout the week with a foot injury and was listed as questionable for this game. Despite that, he returned to a normal snap rate. Rashod Bateman joined him as a regular starter in 11 and 12 personnel after playing a limited role last week.

Moore also returned, but Devontez Walker played ahead of him in 11 personnel. Moore had been ahead of Walker earlier in the season, but that was likely because Walker began the year injured. Moore was fourth on the depth chart, seeing occasional snaps in 11 and 13 personnel.

With all four receivers healthy, Baltimore didn’t need to look further down the depth chart. LaJohntay Wester wasn’t needed on offense this week after playing significant snaps earlier in the season in place of Flowers. Elijah Sarratt, who saw some playing time on offense last week because of the various injuries, was back to being a healthy inactive, as he had been earlier in the season.

Flowers is the only one of the group worth rostering in fantasy leagues, but the improved health of the other receivers is generally good news for the rest of the Ravens’ offense going forward.

Baltimore adjusts without Durham Smythe: The Ravens’ run-blocking tight end suffered a torn Achilles and will miss the rest of the season.

Baltimore started the season with Mark Andrews as its lead tight end, while Smythe and Matt Hibner also played more than 40% of snaps. Andrews was the primary tight end in 11 personnel on third downs, but all three saw time in 11 personnel on early downs. They frequently rotated in 12 personnel and were the most common tight end combination in 13 personnel. Josh Cuevas had also played 45 snaps this season. After Smythe’s injury last week, it appeared the younger tight ends would take on larger roles going forward. Andrews had played more than 70% of snaps in each of the first two weeks but less than 60% in each of the last two.

This week, Andrews was back to being the clear lead tight end, playing more consistently in 11 and 12 personnel than usual. Baltimore elevated Nick Vannett from the practice squad, but Vannett didn’t see as much playing time as Smythe had, with Cuevas stepping up in 11 and 12 personnel. Part of Andrews’ increased playing time was due to Hibner suffering a hand injury in the first half, although he was able to return in the second half.

Andrews was a nonfactor in the passing game for the first 58 minutes, recording just one reception. He became much more involved in the final two minutes and overtime, finishing with four receptions for 28 yards. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Hibner and Cuevas cut further into Andrews’ playing time as the season progresses, especially in games where the Ravens have a lead.

The Falcons shift to more of a rotation at wide receiver: The Falcons started the season with a clear top three wide receivers. Now, it’s Drake London and everyone else.

London has been the clear top receiver for Atlanta this season. Over the first four weeks, London played at least 85% of snaps in 11, 12 and 13 personnel, with a 91.2% snap rate before garbage time. Jahan Dotson played at least 77% of snaps in 11 and 12 personnel as the team’s clear second wide receiver, while Olamide Zaccheaus played more than two-thirds of 11 personnel snaps. Chris Blair and Zachariah Branch have served as the backups.

The rotation in 12 and 13 personnel remained the same this week, but in 11 personnel, it was much closer to a 50-50 split across the board between Dotson, Zaccheaus, Blair and Branch. None of Atlanta’s wide receivers outside of London have had fantasy value this season, but there was some hope Dotson could emerge given his playing time. If the Falcons continue using this kind of rotation, it would effectively shut the door on Dotson’s fantasy value for the rest of the season.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Michael Penix Jr. suffered a rib injury after taking a big hit late in the fourth quarter. He left for one play, returned for the following play, but didn’t play for Atlanta in overtime. Tua Tagovailoa took over for the rest of the game. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand have been healthy inactives since Penix returned.

• Atlanta has used a two-man rotation between Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson, with roughly a 65-35 split each week. This week, however, the gap between the two was wider.

• Kyle Pitts Sr. has provided more fantasy value over the past two weeks, but his usage remains inconsistent from one week to the next. He’s ultimately played between 50% and 60% of offensive snaps each week. This week, he played more frequently in 12 personnel than usual but less frequently in 11 personnel. It will be difficult to trust him until his usage stabilizes and his route participation rate stays above 45% for two consecutive weeks.