Saquon Barkley blew up for a season-high 199 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, finishing as this week’s top fantasy back. He broke multiple tackles and had a highlight play after the catch in which he hurdled a defender while backward. Barkley also lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, but he’s now totaled 497 yards over the last three weeks. His target rate has dropped with A.J. Brown in the lineup this season, but Barkley set a season-high with 40 receiving yards Sunday when Brown left with a knee injury. Barkley is clearly the No. 1 fantasy player right now.
Jalen Hurts finished as a top-five QB for the third week in a row, and he’s up to a career-high 8.3 YPA this season. DeVonta Smith was quiet until two long catches in the fourth quarter after Brown departed, including a terrific one-handed touchdown grab. Smith’s fantasy value would see a significant boost should Brown miss time.
Trevor Lawrence predictably struggled with limited weapons and Brian Thomas Jr. playing through an injury. Two short rushing touchdowns saved Lawrence’s fantasy day, and he nearly led Jacksonville to a wild second-half comeback before throwing a horrific interception on first down from the 13-yard line with 1:42 left.
Travis Etienne Jr. started but was given just three carries, and his drop caused Lawrence’s first pick. Tank Bigsby remains incredibly game-script dependent, and Jacksonville fell down 22-0 on Sunday. He’s playing through an injury and has just five targets over eight games. Evan Engram didn’t record his first catch until midway through the third quarter, and he was held in check in a tough matchup. But he led the team with 10 targets, was tackled at the one-yard line in the third quarter and remains a fantasy must-start with Christian Kirk out.
• Jahan Dotson also made a circus catch in a game filled with highlight-worthy plays.
• The Jaguars have an NFL-high six losses by five points or fewer this season. No team had more than three entering this week.
• The Eagles scored their first points in the first quarter this season thanks to a short field after recovering a fumble during a punt return.
• De’Von Achane ran in a short score and set career-highs in catches (eight), target share (30%) and route participation (87%). It was a dream matchup against a Buffalo defense that’s the worst in the league against receiving backs, but Achane has officially become Miami’s No. 2 receiver. He’s the No. 1 fantasy RB during games with Tua Tagovailoa this season despite losing multiple goal-line TDs. Achane looks like a top-five RB moving forward even while splitting rushing work.
• Tyreek Hill has historically been slowed by Buffalo since joining Miami, and big games are coming soon. Tagovailoa underthrew him on a third-quarter 27-yard catch that might’ve gone for a score. Tagovailoa’s aDOT (5.2 yards) was in the seventh percentile.
• Jaylen Waddle caught a touchdown, but he also got banged up (again), saw just two targets and finished with negative receiving yards thanks to comically losing 23 yards on the game’s final play.
• Tagovailoa fell to 1-8 versus the Bills during his career, and Miami is 1-9 against winning teams since last season.
• Josh Allen threw three scores and had a nice 21-yard TD run nullified by a second consecutive Bills’ holding penalty. Allen has a career-low turnover rate this year, but he’s also averaging his fewest rushing yards per game. Allen’s aDOT (3.6 yards) was in the second percentile Sunday.
• Keon Coleman’s drop turned into an interception inside the 10-yard line in the second quarter, and he’d later leave the game with a wrist injury. He took a hard hit late that drew a penalty.
• James Cook had a quiet game, but it was encouraging he saw back-to-back carries inside the six-yard line in the third quarter.
• In a tough matchup for Buffalo’s wideouts, Ray Davis led the Bills in receiving yards, with most of them coming on one TD catch.
• Tyler Bass hit a game-winning 61-yard field goal.
• Bijan Robinson was given 13 touches on Atlanta’s first 19 plays, and he’d finish matching his season high with 26 opportunities. Robinson lost a short score to Tyler Allgeier, but he continues to impress while seeing strong usage. He’ll be an even bigger part of Atlanta’s passing game if Drake London misses time.
• London pulled down his career-high sixth TD catch early in the game but suffered a hip injury on the play that would force him to exit for good.
• Darnell Mooney benefitted from London’s early departure, seeing a season-high 38% target share. He leads the NFL in 20-yard catches and pulled down a TD on fourth down Sunday.
• Kyle Pitts saw just one target despite the early loss of London. His big fantasy game last week also came with a season-low route rate (47%), but the utter lack of targets was still a surprise (although Kirk Cousins attempted only 24 passes).
• Dak Prescott managed just 5.5 YPA before leaving in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury (he also cut his hand). He took three sacks against an Atlanta defense that entered with an NFL-low six on the season. Prescott’s 22-yard rush in the second quarter was Dallas’ longest run of the year — and nearly matched his previous season total. Prescott entered already having attempted 12 more tight-window throws than his previous career high for an entire season, as the Cowboys offense looks broken. And now Prescott is injured.
• Cooper Rush finished with a CPOE (-15.3) in the sixth percentile, yet Trey Lance remains behind him.
• Rico Dowdle made a juggling touchdown catch.
• CeeDee Lamb nearly had a 31-yard TD from Rush but couldn’t pull it down. He was clearly dealing with shoulder pain throughout Sunday’s game.
• Joe Burrow completed his first 15 passes and tied his career high with five TD passes. Cincinnati’s offense had been noticeably worse without Tee Higgins on the field this season, but it helped that the team could gameplan without him this week.
• Chase Brown played a full-time role with Zack Moss out, and it resulted in a top-five RB performance this week. Brown was a workhorse in college, and he was able to handle 32 touches Sunday. Trayveon Williams entered during some goal-line situations, but he didn’t record a single touch. Brown caught a nice touchdown, and he was averaging 15.8 opportunities over his previous five games even with Moss. Brown’s fantasy arrow is unquestionably shooting up, but his upcoming schedule isn’t favorable (@Bal, @LAC, Bye, Pit).
• Backup tight ends Drew Sample, Tanner Hudson and Erick All Jr. combined for five targets before Mike Gesicki saw his first Sunday, but he’d have a big game afterward. Gesicki caught two second-half touchdowns, and his 47-yarder came after the Raiders jumped offsides when Cincinnati was punting. Gesicki was also just out of bounds on a 26-yard TD grab earlier in the game and made an awesome leaping catch downfield in the first half. Gesicki has been a TE1 in games without Tee Higgins this season, and he was easily fantasy’s No. 1 tight end this week, scoring 10+ more points than No. 2.
• Trey Hendrickson had four sacks and now leads the NFL with 11 on the season.
• The Raiders entered with a historically bad EPA/rush and suffered multiple offensive line injuries Sunday.
• Brock Bowers’ TD catch came from Desmond Ridder in garbage time, but he finished as a top-three TE this week in an offense that got just 3.7 yards per play.
• Jakobi Meyers saw another 11 targets and looks like a WR2 with Davante Adams gone.
• Lamar Jackson got 14.7 YPA with three TD passes. He also threw for the most yards (208) Denver has allowed in any half this season. The lopsided score (Baltimore had 31 points with 10 minutes remaining in the third quarter) limited Jackson to just 19 passes, but he was a top-five QB this week again anyway.
• Derrick Henry is on pace to score 25 touchdowns this season. He recorded the third-most broken tackles Sunday in any game this year despite resting the final eight minutes. Henry also became just the eighth player with 100 career rushing touchdowns.
• Zay Flowers had 111 yards and two touchdowns by halftime. He was the WR2 this week despite seeing just six targets.
• Bo Nix struggled badly in a tougher setup. He missed a wide-open Courtland Sutton in the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play in the fourth quarter and also missed a wide-open Troy Franklin on fourth down that would’ve been a 33-yard touchdown. Nix did catch a touchdown from Sutton on a fourth-and-goal Philly special.
• Justin Herbert had 250 passing yards and two touchdowns in the first half. He wouldn’t do much afterward with Cleveland offering no pushback, but it’s highly encouraging how pass-heavy Los Angeles has been over the last month.
• J.K. Dobbins had four carries for five yards deep into the first half but two touchdowns and a big run on L.A.’s final drive led to a top-10 RB week. It was the first game Dobbins reached 4.0 YPC since Week 2.
• Josh Palmer caught a touchdown on 3rd-and-21, while Quentin Johnston pulled down a 66-yard score.
• Jameis Winston struggled mightily; he’s lucky a fourth interception was dropped against a secondary missing Kristian Fulton. He threw a garbage-time touchdown late that required a terrific catch by Cedric Tillman. Winston tossed a pick-six during the 100th interception of his career.
• Tillman nearly had a second TD earlier but took a hard hit in the end zone. He’s seen a 35% air yards share and is averaging 22.2 fantasy points in three games without Amari Cooper. Tillman is a must-start in fantasy leagues as long as Winston is QB.
• Jayden Daniels only attempted 22 passes, but he got 9.5 YPA and finished with a CPOE (+11.9) in the 90th percentile. It’s encouraging he continues to run while playing through his rib injury. Daniels is the first rookie QB ever to sweep the Giants.
• Austin Ekeler split work, but he scored a goal-line TD and was stopped at the one-yard line during a different drive.
• Terry McLaurin saw just two targets in the first half (three total) but pulled down both for touchdowns.
• Washington is a perfect 11-for-11 on fourth downs this season.
• Daniel Jones had zero passing yards and a lost fumble at halftime. In fairness, he also tied for the team lead with 50 rushing yards and threw his first TD pass at home since the 2022 season. He’d later add an angry TD run while somehow finishing as a top-five fantasy QB against a Commanders defense that entered allowing the lowest EPA/dropback since Week 4.
• Malik Nabers had zero catches on just one target in the first half but saw 10 afterward.
• Theo Johnson had a tough day with three drops but scored the first touchdown of his career late in the game. He finished as a top-five TE this week.
• Good luck drafting Tyrone Tracy Jr. before me next year.
• Puka Nacua was ejected for throwing a punch in the second quarter, but Matthew Stafford found DeMarcus Robinson for a one-handed game-winning touchdown in overtime. Robinson caught two scores Sunday, benefitting from Nacua’s early exit.
• Kyren Williams had just 15 rushing yards at halftime and failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 11 games.
• Seattle’s offense had been struggling without DK Metcalf, but Geno Smith threw three TDs and finished as the QB3 this week. All three touchdown passes came during the final minute of halves, and Smith tossed three interceptions to different rookies (twice in the red zone), including a 103-yard pick-six. Smith also took seven sacks and fumbled during an outing only fantasy managers could love.
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba erupted for 180 yards and three scores, finishing as the WR1 during easily the best game of his career. Smith-Njigba entered No. 79 in yards per route run this season, and he was facing a Rams defense that entered allowing the fewest fantasy points to the slot, where JSN had run 86% of his routes. Smith-Njigba had a drop lead to a pick, but he also had two long catches in the second half nullified by penalties. JSN simply looked like a different player Sunday, showing yards after the catch ability while also making plays downfield.
• Alvin Kamara lost a rushing score to Taysom Hill but saw a whopping 38 opportunities. He showed patience like vintage Le’Veon Bell while racking up 215 yards from scrimmage. Kamara lost a goal-line carry to a penalty but surpassed Marshall Faulk for the most RB receptions over the first eight seasons of a career. It’s remarkable to see that much volume while playing through a broken hand and ribs.
• Kamara was needed more after New Orleans lost Chris Olave to a scary concussion on a first-quarter play that drew an unsportsmanlike penalty. Olave has suffered multiple concussions throughout his career, so he may need some time off.
• Derek Carr became the first QB in NFL history to lose to 31 different teams.
• Bryce Young continued to show improvement and should continue to start for Carolina. His lone interception came on a terrific defensive play. Young improved to 3-17 in his career with the improbable win.
• Ja’Tavion Sanders made some real nice catches and deserves this kind of usage even after Tommy Tremble returns.
• Jalen Coker was just out of bounds on a would-be second-quarter touchdown catch, while Xavier Legette scored on the next play.
• Chuba Hubbard scored twice and was a top-10 RB in a favorable matchup. Jonathon Brooks is unlikely to take over Hubbard’s role when/if he returns at this point.
• James Conner broke 100 rushing yards but saw three teammates run in touchdowns while he was tackled at the one. He lost snaps while banged up at times, but Conner leads the league in broken tackles since last season.
• Trey McBride scored his first touchdown of the year, and it came on a run. He still leads the league in targets (60) without a receiving TD this season. Kyler Murray missed a wide-open McBride in the end zone on one play, and the tight end was tackled inside the three during another. More touchdowns are coming.
• There was an unexpected hailstorm in the second quarter, and it took 10 minutes to close the roof.
• Caleb Williams had a strong performance in London, but he’s now getting 5.7 YPA with a 2:4 TD:INT ratio over four official road games. He’s taken a whopping 20 sacks over those four contests, and the Bears have lost 18 straight road games on Sundays.
• Tony Pollard handled 31 touches after not practicing all week, while Calvin Ridley has seen a whopping 46% air yards share in two games without DeAndre Hopkins. Ridley’s fantasy managers hope Mason Rudolph remains the starter.
• Drake Maye committed three turnovers, including a bad pick to end the game in overtime. But he also ran for a team-high 95 yards while his running backs managed 15 yards on 11 carries. Maye also made a miraculous touchdown throw as time expired to go into overtime. New England’s future is in good hands.
• Rhamondre Stevenson got 1.6 YPC but finished as a top-10 RB this week anyway thanks to two short touchdowns.
• Jared Goff completed his first 10 passes for the fourth game this season despite windy and rainy conditions Sunday. There were also wind gusts during Goff’s first game outdoors this year. Goff’s 74.9 completion percentage would be the best in NFL history, but volume once again limited his fantasy production. Goff is averaging just 21 pass attempts over his last six games.
• Jordan Love struggled playing through his groin injury, but he suffered from multiple drops. Emmanuel Wilson and Dontayvion Wicks’ drops both would’ve been touchdowns. But Jayden Reed pulled down multiple nice catches throughout the game, and Love threw an ugly pick-six late in the first half. Hopefully, Green Bay’s upcoming bye gets him healthier.
• Sam Darnold tossed three touchdowns but also committed three turnovers, including a lost fumble that was returned for a score. Darnold’s 34 pass attempts were a season high.
• Joe Flacco was awful while replacing Anthony Richardson, posting a CPOE (-10.5) in the 13th percentile and a total EPA (-16.3) in the fourth percentile. Flacco had two turnovers and didn’t produce a touchdown against a fading Minnesota defense that ranked 21st in EPA/pass over the last month. The Vikings had yielded 12 touchdown passes over their previous four contests, but the Colts averaged their lowest EPA/play in any game this season Sunday night. Josh Downs and company didn’t see the expected boost from Flacco, while Jonathan Taylor also had his lowest success rate of the year. It’s possible Indianapolis made a mistake benching its 22-year-old quarterback to move this spread one point.
