As the Fantasy Spotlight shifts to October we officially say goodbye to Summer. The NFL is in full swing as we near the end of the first quarter of the season. Week three saw very impressive performances, most notably rookie quarterback Carson Wentz and the Philadelphia Eagles. Wentz looked like a veteran, leading the Eagles to a big victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In week three we put the spotlight on players like Todd Gurley (85 yards and two touchdowns) and Sam Bradford (now 2-0 as starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings). It’s now time to take a look at some things to watch in the week four edition of the Fantasy Spotlight.
Week Four Fantasy Spotlight: Things to Watch
Blake Bortles
It’s safe to say that Blake Bortles and the winless Jacksonville Jaguars have been a huge disappointment through the first three weeks. Bortles possesses a pedestrian quarterback rating of 75% and is tied for second most in the league with six interceptions. Many of those interceptions coming in crucial spots. The Fantasy Spotlight will be shining brightly on Bortles when the Jaguars open the week in London against the Indianapolis Colts. It is a must win game for Jacksonville. The Colts defense has allowed over 305 yards to opposing quarterbacks and a robust 25 points per game against. Fantasy players that drafted Bortles are expecting this to be his breakout game of 2016, and on paper, it should be.
Le’Veon Bell
He’s back! After serving a three-game suspension for missing multiple drug tests, the league’s most dynamic running back returns week four. Le’Veon Bell, one of the few pure three-down backs in the NFL rejoins a Pittsburgh Steelers team coming off their worst loss in 27 years. Bell last played a full 16 game slate in 2014, a season in which he put up very impressive numbers including 1,361 rushing yards and 83 receptions out of the backfield. Expect a heavy workload for Bell Sunday night against a Kansas City Chiefs defense allowing 123 yards per game to opposing running backs. The “juice” as Bell likes to refer to himself, will be loose Sunday.
Jordan Howard
Jordan Howard, the Chicago Bears rookie was extremely hot on the waiver wire this week. Jeremy Langford is out four-six weeks with an ankle injury, opening the door for Howard to take over the starting running back role. Howard looked very well last week against the Dallas Cowboys with 92 yards on 13 touches. Brian Hoyer will most likely be under center for the injured Jay Cutler which should lead to a heavy workload for Howard. If you were able to grab Howard off the waiver wire, unleash him immediately against the Detroit Lions this week. The Lions have allowed 114.7 yards per game to opposing running backs. If Howard produces, he won’t give up the starting role.
Terrelle Pryor
How about that performance last week from Terrelle Pryor? The former quarterback turned wide receiver was fantasy gold in week three. Pryor caught eight balls for 144 yards. He also completed three passes for 35 yards and ran four times for 21 yards and a touchdown. Hue Jackson and the Cleveland Browns have certainly found a role for Pryor. The question now becomes, was this a fluke? Or should we expect to see this again? Pryor and the Browns get a tasty matchup against the Washington Redskins and their 32nd ranked defense. If Pryor was available on the waiver wire week three, he most certainly is not week four. Pryor ranks seventh in the league with 31 targets through three weeks. Josh Gordon will be back for week five, but for this week Pryor is a must start.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans got embarrassed by the New England Patriots last week 27-0. Then word came down early this week that J.J. Watt was put on Injured Reserve. Obviously, a very tough week for Houston. The Texans sit atop the AFC South with a 2-1 record but there are some questions marks around them. Can they survive on defense without Watt? How will they rebound from the shutout loss to New England? This week the Texans return home to face a Tennessee Titans team averaging 14 points per game. Even without Watt, the Texans should be able to keep the Tennessee offense in check. If the Texans have ambitions of winning the division they need to defeat Tennessee. Look for Brock Osweiler, Lamar Miller, and DeAndre Hopkins to have big games this week.
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