The 2024 NFL season continued to be highly intoxicated in Week 4. Quarterbacks who were picked late in drafts (or not at all) remained valuable assets, while many of the big names were duds once again. The wide receiver position, which was already chock full of injuries, saw another big name go down, and tight end continues to be a total guessing game.
With that said, here’s my Fabs’ Five Storylines from Week 4 that stood out the most. For all of the latest news and fantasy advice, be sure to check out Fantasy Dirt five days a week!
Anthony Richardson injured in win over Pittsburgh
As if it weren’t bad enough that Richardson had been, well, bad the last two weeks, he was forced out of Sunday’s game against the Steelers with a hip injury. Early reports suggest it’s not serious, but his fantasy managers are still having buyer’s remorse. He had failed to put up double-digit points in his previous two games, and now he could miss time. Maybe even more notable is the Colts receivers, Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, were better with backup Joe Flacco. If AR is forced to miss a game or two, Flacco will be a hot add.
Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold continue to produce
You know that old fantasy draft adage, “you can wait on a quarterback?” Well, that’s been the case early in the 2024 season. While high-end fantasy picks like Richardson and Patrick Mahomes are struggling, Mayfield and Darnold continue to torch the opposition, scoring 28.9 and 20.5 points, respectively, in Week 4. Mayfield has now scored 18-plus points three times, including two games with nearly 30 points, and he’s on pace for 34 touchdown passes. Darnold has been great too, scoring 19-plus points in three straight games. He’s on pace for 47 touchdown passes … he had just 63 in his first 66 games! Oddly, the latter is still a free agent in a lot of leagues, so check to see if Darnold is available.
Jayden Daniels is already a fantasy football superstar
Speaking of quarterbacks who were drafted late and are thriving in the stat sheets, I have to bring up Daniels. While he wasn’t as late a pick as Mayfield or Darnold, I myself was able to get him in the ninth or 10th rounds of some drafts. My favorite breakout candidate, the rookie has been phenomenal for the Commanders and fantasy managers. He completed 26 of 30 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown in a win over the Cardinals, while also adding 47 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In all, Daniels finished with 24 fantasy points. He has now scored at least 24 points in three of his first four games, during which time he’s averaged 23.4 points. Dare I say it … Daniels is already a must-start player.
Rashee Rice suffers knee injury against the Chargers
Rice entered this week as one of the elite wide receivers in fantasy football, but he suffered a knee injury early against Los Angeles and didn’t return. In a halftime interview with CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said “it’s not good” when asked about Rice’s knee. He’s just the latest in a long line of top-end wideouts who have missed time this year, a list that includes A.J. Brown, Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Deebo Samuel Sr., DeVonta Smith, Keenan Allen and Tee Higgins. When we also factor in the struggles of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle due to the loss of their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, all these bumps and bruises have made life tough for fantasy fans managing receivers.
Patrick Mahomes is done as a fantasy starter
I have been talking about this for a while now, dating back to last season, but Mahomes is no longer a reliable fantasy starter. After scoring a mere 13 points in a win over the Bolts, he’s now averaged 14.6 points this season. That’s down almost 10 full points compared to what he averaged just two years ago! And with Rice injured and Hollywood Brown out for the regular season, his weapons in the passing game are a heck of a lot worse. This might be good news for Xavier Worthy and Travis Kelce, but Mahomes’ arrow is pointing down.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fabs Five: Fantasy Quarterbacks Anthony Richardson, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold Headline Week 4 Storylines .
