Have we already made it through a quarter of the fantasy football season? It sure doesn’t feel like it, but after the two Monday night games are played, we will officially be heading into Week 5. Some of us are riding high, while others are feeling low, but there are still so many ups and downs to go through together this fantasy season.
Whether you’re on the cusp of a 4-0 record or staring down an 0-4 start, we never want to stop learning or adapting, and it’s more crucial than ever to ingest what we saw on the field this past weekend and apply it to our teams moving forward.
Here is what we learned in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season:
Rookie RBs Beginning Takeover
The chatter around the water cooler the first few weeks of the NFL season revolved around the disappointing start for the vaunted 2025 rookie RB class. Ashton Jeanty, Omarion Hampton, TreVeyon Henderson, and company got out of the gates slow. But that tends to happen with rookies – talent wins out eventually. The Ballers mentioned Jeanty as a favorite buy-low candidate, and hopefully you listened before this weekend’s three-TD explosion. Hampton took 100% ownership of the Chargers’ backfield, receiving all the RB touches. Henderson scored on Sunday, and Quinshon Judkins and Cam Skattebo both saw 20-plus rushing opportunities. There is a track record of offensive rookies needing some time to get acclimated in the pros, with the second half of the season being the time they really shine. Hopefully you stayed patient with the rookie RBs you drafted, all except for one…
Kaleb KO’d
“Stop trying to make fetch happen,” Regina George says to Gretchen Wieners in one of the most quoted lines in the 2004 movie Mean Girls. I’m reminded of that line whenever I see someone sticking to their guns when it comes to Kaleb Johnson. Even Jason, who loved Johnson coming into the season, has backed off as we get more and more evidence that Johnson is not going to be as heavily involved in the Steelers’ offense as we had hoped. Jaylen Warren got a contract extension before the start of the season, and Kenneth Gainwell was named the RB2 to start the season. With Warren a late scratch in Sunday’s game in Ireland, Gainwell got the start, the goal line work, the TDs, and Johnson only saw seven opportunities (six carries and one target). If Johnson can’t get in the game when Warren is out, he’s not going to get significant playing time at all this season.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Woody Making His Mark
Corny pun aside, I felt that Houston rookie RB Woody Marks deserved his own space in this week’s column, because he wasn’t as highly touted as the other RBs in the 2025 draft class, but he’s starting to be just as impactful. Questions surrounding the health of Joe Mixon and age concerns for Nick Chubb made Marks an intriguing player to keep an eye on early in the season, and it seems that he’s starting to establish himself as an important piece of Houston’s offense. Marks got more carries than Chubb for the first time this season (17 compared to 13) and scored twice, including once in the air. Chances are the backfield remains more of a split in the short term, but Marks could continue to carve out a bigger piece of the offense as the season progresses.
Titans Moving on from Ridley?
This entire section could be dedicated to the dismal Titans offense as a whole, but instead, I wanted to focus on Calvin Ridley, because he has been horrendous for fantasy. His highest finish through four weeks was the WR57 in Week 2 with just three catches for 57 yards. Ridley hasn’t been a role model of consistency since returning in 2023 from his two-year hiatus, but at the very least, he has had a handful of spike weeks that could benefit your fantasy team. That’s not the case this season. Even more alarming — Ridley was third on the team in WR snap counts, playing just 27 snaps on Sunday, behind both Elic Ayomanor and Tyler Lockett. Ridley has to remain on benches until we see something different, but I fear that may never come.
Fluctuating Falcons
A week after showing concern for Michael Penix and the Atlanta offense as a whole, the Falcons’ second-year QB led his team to a win over the Commanders on Sunday and provided a ton of fantasy value for himself and his pass-catchers. Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts all finished in the top 6 in fantasy points at their respective positions this week (with two games left on Monday night), and Penix himself finished as a top-10 QB. It’s starting to feel like this is a team that will show flashes of greatness but be plagued by inconsistency. For fantasy purposes, Robinson and London are always in lineups, but there will be some down weeks. Pitts should be rostered, and Penix is a viable QB2 in SuperFlex formats.
It’s Miller Time
Kendre Miller finally has a head coach who believes in him, and it shows on the field. Injuries and clashes with coaches have dampened Miller’s outlook since entering the league in 2023, but he’s finally on a positive path. Still only 23 years old, Miller has seen his snap counts go up each week, from 15% of snaps in Week 1 to 31% of snaps in Week 4. It’s still not a gigantic number, but those snap rates could continue to rise if he plays like he did on Sunday against Buffalo. Miller showcased his explosiveness and tackle-breaking ability, highlighted on an 18-yard TD run in the first quarter. Alvin Kamara is still the main RB in New Orleans and will continue to get the receiving opportunities, but Miller has worked his way to becoming a valuable insurance back in case Kamara were to get hurt.
What to Make of the Giants Moving Forward
This is not something we were hoping for, but we have to adjust with Malik Nabers‘ season-ending injury. So what did we learn after Nabers left the game on Sunday? We learned that Wan’Dale Robinson will continue to be a target hog, even with Jaxson Dart under center. Robinson totaled a 30.8% target share after Nabers left, compared to 15.4% for Darius Slayton. Even more intriguing, however, is the 30.8% target share TE Theo Johnson saw. Johnson tied with Robinson for a team-high five targets and caught a TD pass. Johnson has been a sleeper TE candidate for some time now, and the injury to Nabers could open the door for a more expanded role in the offense moving forward. Robinson should be a top-tier weekly flex candidate, and Johnson could be added for those in need of TE assistance.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Concern for Kyren?
Kyren Williams saw just 59% of the rushing share on Sunday, ceding nine carries to Blake Corum. It’s the first time he has had less than 60% in over a year. Williams is also not on his typical TD pace, scoring just one rushing TD through the first four weeks (he also has a receiving TD). Corum has also seen his snap count go up each week. I’m not overly concerned, however. Rams head coach Sean McVay is trying to keep Williams fresh for the second half of the season and a playoff run, but his history suggests he likes having a bell cow back. Williams has still put up decent fantasy numbers, including an RB9 finish in Week 3. He feels like a good trade target right now, especially if the Williams manager in your league is frustrated.
Down on Brown
Rostering A.J. Brown this season has added a few extra loops and corkscrews to the typical fantasy rollercoaster we ride. We know what he can do on the football field, and we were reminded of that in Week 3 when the Eagles had to keep up the pace offensively. But in Week 4, the Eagles again put up a ton of points, 31 total, and Brown had just two catches. That’s the same amount of receptions as his teammate John Metchie had, who played just five snaps. Following the game, Brown posted a not-so cryptic message on social media that keeps adding fuel to the fire that Brown isn’t content in Philly. My alarm is officially going off for Brown, and I’m looking to trade him on his name if he’s on my roster.
A Bit of a Ladd
Another WR selected in the second round of fantasy drafts that is raising alarm bells is Ladd McConkey. Last year’s WR12, McConkey’s best finish this year is WR25 in Week 1. He had just one catch in Sunday’s game against the Giants, a game in which the Chargers were playing from behind. What’s more, he seems to have fallen to the WR3 on his own team behind Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston. To be fair, McConkey took some time to get going last year, but like we said earlier about rookie RBs, it takes time to get accustomed to the pro level. We knew Allen’s return would make an impact, but figured McConkey would still be the first-read target for Justin Herbert. The involvement of Quge is what has really thrown things for a loop in Los Angeles. You can’t cut McConkey, but starting him right now feels risky. Still, fantasy managers who drafted him might not have better options. Hang tight with the second-year WR and hope things turn around.
from Fantasy Footballers Podcast https://ift.tt/DVdtaAN
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