Tue Sep 30th 2025

Week Four Dynasty Takes

Week Four Dynasty Takes

Rookie Running Back Week!

• After a very slow start to the season, the much hyped rookie running back class broke out this week, with almost all of them scoring touchdowns and having great games. This was the week of the rookie running back. Ashton Jeanty finally broke out with a three-touchdown game. Omarion Hampton scored a touchdown again this week and had his first 100-yard game. TreVeyon Henderson saw the endzone on a goal-line carry.  Quinshon Judkins scored for the second week in a row and caught four passes this week. Cam Skattebo touched the ball 27 times and scored a two-point conversion. Woody Marks scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air. Even Brashard Smith got in the action with seven touches for Kansas City. The much-hyped rookie class of running backs made a statement on Sunday, proving they were not overrated. In my favorite dynasty league, I went into rebuild mode last year and had a ton of draft picks.  I drafted Jeanty, Judkins, and Skattebo, and all three were in my starting lineup this week; they will be every-week starters in my lineup for years to come. All their dynasty managers would say the same. What a week for rookie running backs!

Right and Wrong

• Right on Travis Etienne
  • Throughout the offseason, I predicted that Etienne would keep the starting job and have a bounce-back season. I believed it, but even I did not expect him to play as well as he has. He's a top-ten running back this season and shows no sign of slowing down. Bhayshul Tuten is sharing the backfield with him, but most every NFL backfield is shared. Etienne makes the most of his touches. He's averaging a ridiculous 6.1 yards per carry. I traded for him last week to pick up my only share. I wish I had been more aggressive in trading for him before the bounce back was evident to everyone.
• Wrong on Kendre Miller
  • Other dynasty managers ranked Miller much higher than I did in his rookie class, so he was always drafted before I would be willing to draft him. I looked right, based on his first two years when he was either injured or in the doghouse with the coaching staff all the time. Then, when the Saints drafted one of my favorite sleeper backs, Devin Neal, I fully expected him to not only become the RB-2 behind Kamara but also to become the future starting running back for the Saints. After watching Miller this week, however, I must admit I was wrong. Miller looked great against Buffalo, and I was shocked at how many snaps and carries he got. He had 31% of the snaps this week and had 11 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. The Saints' new coaching staff likes him, and his role will increase this season and perhaps become a leading back after Kamara is traded or he ages out.

Injury Report

• Malik Nabers
  • The saddest news of the day was Naber's ACL tear. It was clear what happened by the way he went down and how he responded afterward. Losing Nabors is devastating for dynasty teams. He can't be replaced. Dynasty managers, such as myself, in one league need to trade for a wide receiver to have any hopes of making up for their loss. Darius Slayton becomes a more interesting player for the rest of the season in deep leagues, as he will step into the Nabers role. One Nabers manager in my league posted in the group chat, "Welp." That sums it up. Losing Nabers could very well take away the championship hopes of any competitive team that had him on their roster. He's too awesome a player to trade, too, making this a complicated situation for dynasty managers. I feel the pain.
• Lamar Jackson
  • It was hard to tell whether Lamar was pulled for safety reasons after the Chiefs built a commanding lead over the Ravens or if he was really injured. If it turns out he was really injured and will miss time, that will severely affect the entire offense and all the Ravens' every-week starters in dynasty lineups. Here's to hoping it's nothing serious!

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Stock Up

Kyle Pitts

• Everyone's most hated player is having a fantastic season. Dynasty managers had high hopes for Pitts when they drafted him, but he has been a bust for years, especially last year, when it seemed his dynasty value could not drop any further. He's a big part of the Falcons' offense this year, averaging six targets per game.  Last season, he had just four games with six or more targets, despite playing in all 17 games.  Best of all, he scored a touchdown this week, something he has rarely done in his career. He's scored just nine touchdowns in four years as a pro. I predict he will score almost as many this season if the Falcons continue to use him as heavily as they have to start the season. What a surprise for dynasty managers who have kept their faith in him. His dynasty value is on the rise for the first time in his four-year career. 

Tyquan Thornton

• Talk about a reclamation project! Managers who believed the training camp hype that he would earn a role with the Chiefs and picked him up off the waiver wire this offseason have been rewarded. All he does is catch touchdowns. For the third game in a row, he and Patrick Mahomes connected for a touchdown. While his dynasty stock is on the rise, managers must note that his snap-count dropped significantly since Worthy returned. He went from a 75% share to just 34% on Sunday, but he did catch a touchdown. The Chiefs use Xavier Worthy between the 20s more than they do in the red zone. In the red zone, they clearly prefer Thornton's size. After a 49-yard touchdown in week two, his last two have been red-zone touchdowns of 5 and 11 yards. Thornton is not a reliable starter in dynasty lineups, but it is wild to think that he's relevant again after failing in New England, after they drafted him in the second round. 

Spencer Rattler

• I expected Tyler Shough to win the starting job in the preseason, and I was wrong. Then I expected Rattler to struggle and get replaced by Shough early in the season, and I was wrong again. Rattler has impressed, keeping the Saints competitive in three of their first four games. He's only turned the ball over once, something I thought he would do every week. While he hasn't compiled impressive stats, it's clear that he understands the offense and can move the ball down the field, making it his job to lose. I placed my bets on Shough in a couple of leagues, including the Scott Fish Bowl, but it's clear that Rattler was the right choice. I no longer think he's in danger of losing his job.

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Stock Down

Brian Thomas Jr.

• I finally have to do it. I have to move BTJ down my dynasty rankings. He and Trevor Lawrence cannot get on the same page, no matter how hard they try. It's not for lack of trying. He's averaging eight targets per game, but he's only averaging three receptions per game. I'm not sure if he doesn't understand the new offense or what, but he looks like he's forgotten how to play the game. I thought that Coach Coen would revolutionize the passing game with BTJ and Travis Hunter, but instead, it is the Jaguars' defense and running game that win them games. As long as they win, they'll continue to do what they have been doing. Managers who bought the dip and traded for BTJ after week one now have big questions about their trades, given the four-game sample size. 

Geno Smith

• Smith is a complete roller coaster ride. He scored 21 points in week one, five in week two, 29 in week three, and 11 in week four. For the second time this season, he threw three interceptions in a game. On the season, he has one more interception (7) than he has touchdowns (6). I started him in a superflex league this week, thinking Chicago's terrible defense would make for a great day passing. Instead, he lays an egg at home and costs his team the game. There is no one of note behind him, so he won't lose the starting job, but maybe when Kenny Pickett gets healthy, they will give him a chance.  If he continues to give away games, they have to try something. The worst part of his up-and-down play is that he makes all of his pass catchers less reliable week to week, too. It was another down week for Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers, and dynasty managers need their production in their lineups.

T.J. Hockenson

• Hockenson was once firmly in the second tier of dynasty tight end rankings, but his lack of production this season has moved him to the long list of third-tier unreliable tight ends. He's scored 3, 2, and 6 points in three of his four games this year. The Vikings quarterback room is part of the problem, too, but they fed Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison the ball this week, so it's not just about the quarterback play. He began to resemble his dominant self towards the end of last season. His production increased after he received more reps following this surgery. I thought he would hit the ground running this season, but he's taken a step back instead, as has the Vikings' offense as a whole. I'm worried about Hockenson. He's no longer a reliable starter for dynasty managers. 

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Young Guns

Jaxson Dart

• Dart could not have had a better start to his NFL career after leading the Giants to an upset win in his first start. He scored a rushing touchdown on his first drive and continued to run the ball often, as I knew he could. The Giants called several running plays for him, so they were not just scrambles. He only completed 13 passes on his 20 attempts, but one was for a touchdown. The best part of his day was the way coach Daboll celebrated with him after the win. There's no going back to Russell Wilson now. Dart is the future starter for the Giants and will lead the team for a decade or more. He'll become the best quarterback in this meager rookie class ahead of Cam Ward, who has looked bad in his first four starts, minus a couple of ridiculous plays. I am thrilled that I drafted Dart in four of my nine leagues and look forward to seeing how he improves. He was an instant start in my superflex leagues and is a trustworthy quarterback to stream in one-quarterback leagues, given his rushing ability. If only he could have played his rookie season with Malik Nabers!

Drake Maye

• Speaking of rushing ability, Maye used his legs again this week to get in the end zone, though he only rushed for 11 yards. This week, he led the Patriots to a win with efficient passing, completing 14 of 17 passes and throwing two touchdowns. He ended the day with a passer rating of 155.6, his best outing of the year. He could have done more, but the Patriots took the foot off the gas after building a commanding lead against the hapless Panthers. He's scored 29, 23, and 25 points the last three weeks, making him a reliable starter after a modest 18-point game in week one. In my original Freek league, which is currently a one-quarterback league but transitioning to super flex in 2027, I have Maye and Justin Herbert. I'm 4-0 in the league, but I've started the wrong quarterback every week. It's frustrating, but a good problem to have. My future is bright with Maye on that team. I just wish I had more than one share of him.

Xavier Worthy

• Worthy was on a pitch count in his first game back from injury, but when he was on the field, the Chiefs wisely fed him the ball. Clearly, they were not worried about him reinjuring his shoulder since they gave him two rushes and targeted him five times. This week, he led the Chiefs in rushing yards and receiving yards, even though he played just 59% of the snaps. Worthy is electric, and his play-making ability brought the Chiefs' offense back to life after a terrible start to the season. He's one of a kind with his speed and downfield ability. Take away the game when he was injured, and he has averaged 17.7 fantasy points per game over the last seven games when the Chiefs finally figured out how to use him. I started Worthy in one league this week, but chose not to in another. I no longer need to take a wait-and-see approach. He'll be a starter in both leagues each week from here on out. 

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Old-Man Strength

D.K. Metcalf

• It feels like it's been a long time since dynasty managers have seen the galloping beast of a receiver that Metcalf used to be early in his Seattle days, but he looked like his old self on Sunday in Ireland. Aaron Rodgers hit him over the middle on a slant, and he took it 80 yards to the house. A man that big should not be able to run that fast. It's good to know he still has it in him. Metcalf has his first 100-yard receiving day since week four of last year. He's been a consistent redzone weapon for Rodgers this year and has scored a touchdown in three of four games now, but this time, they got Metcalf in space and let him rack up yards. Hopefully, this game and this big play will cause the Steelers to give him more YAC opportunities in the games to come. 

Stefon Diggs

• Diggs had his first 100-yard game since week six of the 2023 season when he was with the Buffalo Bills. The Patriots need someone to emerge as their top wide receiver, and Diggs may have answered that call. He's not even a year past his ACL surgery, but he looked like his old self again. He was targeted deep, too, averaging 16.9 yards per catch. He'll never be what he was at his peak in Buffalo, but he could become the leading receiver in the Patriots' offense, which is improving as Drake Maye gets better. They just need someone to be reliable and become Maye's top target. Thus far, that's been Hunter Henry, but this week Diggs was his top target, and he looked great. I'd want to see him do it one or two more times before making him a starter in most dynasty lineups, but if he becomes the WR-1 in New England, he will be trustworthy and valuable again.

Michael Pittman

• Pittman scored again this week, giving him one touchdown catch in three of his four games with Daniel Jones. This week, he soaked up the targets, too, as the Colts tried to come back against the stout Rams defense. He had a modest day, were it not for the touchdown with 41 yards on five receptions, but the ten targets are what I noticed most. The Colts' passing game runs through him and Tyler Warren, not Josh Downs. Pittman leads the team in targets with 29, while Warren has 27, and Downs has 19. He has a competent quarterback again, and his production and dynasty value have increased significantly as a result. Pittman is back on the map as a starter in dynasty leagues, and he's helping teams win games with his predictable target share and consistent touchdowns.  

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Waiver Watch

Isaiah Bond

• Cedric Tillman's injury gave Bond a more significant role in week four. He ended up leading the team in receiving yards, too. He was a top prospect until he got into legal trouble just before the NFL draft, causing him to go undrafted. After his case was dismissed, the Browns were quick to sign him, and he's already earned a starting role. He had the second-highest snap count among the Cleveland receivers, playing on 55% of the snaps after playing 65% last week. It's a permanent role that will increase while Tillman is injured.  He's the top player to add this week and one worth spending significant FAAB resources on to pick him up.

Zavier Scott

• Many savvy managers already added Scott to their rosters after Aaron Jones was injured, but he's still available in many of my leagues. He was the Vikings' passing-downs back on Sunday and played a lot since the Vikings were playing from behind for most of the game. He was targeted eight times and had six receptions. He played receiver in college, so he's an excellent receiving back. He's definitely worth adding this week in deep PPR leagues.

Tommy Tremble and Mitchell Evans

• Ja'Tavion Sanders did not play this week after being injured last week, and Tremble and Evans played well, filling in for him. Tremble played 75% of the snaps compared to Evans's 54%, but both were involved in the passing game as Carolina played from behind all day. I'd only consider adding either of them in the deepest of leagues or in tight-end premium leagues. They won't be involved in the offense when Sanders returns, but they will be until he does.

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Dynasty Trades

The first four of these trades occurred in a league where several teams had decided to tank. One team made several trades before the season started, acquiring several young players and draft picks. Suddenly, after week three, more teams decided to throw in the towel and trade veterans for picks and younger players. I've never seen so many teams (four in this ten-team league) appear ready to rebuild at once, especially in a ten-team league. Here's what became of those trades last week, leaving the six teams likely to make the playoffs with stacked rosters. It will be a shoot-out to end the season for sure!

Derrick Henry and Keenan Allen <=======> 2026 4th round pick and 2027 1st round pick

• I'll start with a trade I accepted in this league. The team that decided to rebuild offered me Henry and Allen for a future 4th-round pick and a 1st-round pick. I won the Super Bowl in this league two years ago and lost in the Super Bowl last year. Although my team is struggling and ranked 1-2 this year, my roster remains a top-tier one. I decided to double down on team-old and add a few more old men to my league, even if I had to mortgage my future, having already given up my 2026 first-round pick for Davante Adams and now my 2027 first-round pick for Henry and Allen. Of course, I like my side of the deal, or I would not have accepted it. The other manager could have received more than a first and fourth for Henry and Allen. They will become instant starters in my lineup for the rest of the season in a league with two starting running backs, three starting wide receivers, and three flex positions. I am loaded at every position except running back, so Henry was the selling point in this trade to keep me competitive. I felt poised for another Super Bowl run after the trade. That is, until the following trades were made to beef up the lineups of my competitors.

Trey Benson, DeVonta Smith, and  2026 2nd round pick <=======> James Cook, Jordan Addison

• While I thought I got the best in my trade, this trade is even better. The competing team added Cook and Addison and only had to give away Benson, Smith, and a second-round pick. It's right to assume that they got a future starter back for Cook, but Cook's dynasty value is far higher than Benson's, even after James Conner's injury. The other part of the trade was Addison for Smith, and I'd rather have Addison in Dynasty over Smith. So, competitive or rebuilding or not, I would rather have Cook and Addison in this trade, even with the second-round pick added to it. I wish I could have waited for a trade like this. I'd rather have Cook and Addison than Henry and Allen, and I gave up a first-round pick in my trade compared to a second in this one. Grr!  My competitor just got a lot better!

Jauan Jennings <=======> Two 2026 3rd round picks

• This trade is more modest than the others, but a competitive team in need of a starting wide receiver (when healthy) made a great trade with a rebuilding team to strengthen its team for a modest price of two third-round picks. I like what both teams did here and see it as a fair trade. A second-round pick would be better than two-thirds, so I would rather the rebuilding team fight for a second-round pick. However, two-thirds gives the manager a chance to take two flyers on players while he's rebuilding.

Drake Maye, Breece Hall, Zay Flowers, and Kyle Monangai <=======> Rashee Rice, Blake Corum, Isaac TeSlaa, and a 2026 1st and 3rd round pick

• In a super rare nine-player trade, two teams at the bottom of the league made a massive trade for future considerations, or in the case of one manager, a chance to fight back into the playoff picture this year. A team that was 0-3 strengthened its roster by adding Maye as a streamable quarterback in a one-quarterback league, a future full-time starter, and a starting running back in Hall, as well as a wide receiver in Flowers. He made his starting lineup much deeper and stronger for this year and the future. A 1-3 team committed to rebuilding added a future starter in Rice, as well as two possible future starters in Corum and TeSlaa. I like Corum's chances of helping his team in the future more than TeSlaa's, as fun as he has been this year. The 1st and 3rd round picks will add to his rebuilding efforts. I like this trade for both teams. The verdict on this trade comes down to Hall's ability to hold off Braedon Allen and remain the starter for the Jets. If he does not, he could become a starter elsewhere; however, time will tell for Hall and this trade. It's a rare trade with so many players involved and between two teams at the bottom of the standings.

C.J. Stroud <=======> 2026 2nd round pick

• In a one-quarterback league, just before kickoff last Sunday, a team with only Bryce Young at quarterback after the Joe Burrow injury gave up a second-round pick for C.J. Stroud. He had to do something since he could not continue the rest of the season with Young as his only quarterback. A savvy manager (and the dad of the other manager) worked out a deal to give up a depth-piece quarterback to get a fair draft pick in return. It's a fair trade in my eyes, even though Stroud will continue to struggle this season and often produce less than Young this season. At least he has two young quarterbacks going forward, but they will just be depth behind Burrow.  The manager who added a second-round pick will be pleased to have it and will not miss Stroud, as he already has Lamar Jackson, Bo Nix, and Geno Smith in this one-quarterback league.

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