We are now over a month into this NFL season! We must focus on the top takeaways now that we have film and statistics to study. No longer can we rest on our offseason takes of who will succeed and who will fail. We now have a reasonably large sample size of NFL football. The fantasy season will move quickly, and in a dynasty, it is essential to acquire players before they break out or unload players before they falter. We can lead our team to a fantasy football title by focusing on weekly top takeaways!
Rashaad Penny League Winner?
Penny lit up the fantasy world to end the 2021 season, but injuries and the drafting of Kenneth Walker in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft have led to question marks. After four weeks, Penny looks like a potential league-winner in a surprisingly potent Seattle Seahawks offense. This past Sunday, he gashed an indigent Lions defense to 17 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns. This total included an impressive 118 yards after contact.Â
One of the more promising things we see for Penny is the lack of Walker in this offense. Walker had only eight carries for a mundane 3.6 yards per attempt. This came on less than half of the snaps that Penny saw. Dynasty managers who drafted Walker at the top of their rookie draft are now pulling out their hair. The question with Penny was never talent; the man just can’t stay healthy. Now would be a good time to gauge the price on Walker in your league because there is a higher than 50% chance Penny will miss some time before the season ends.Â
Greg Dortch Relegated
Rondale Moore has returned for the Arizona Cardinals, and Dortch has a diminished role. His snaps were cut in half from Week Three to Week Four, and his targets went from ten to one. Things will only get worse as DeAndre Hopkins is slated to return within the next month when he is activated off of suspension. Dortch would have a role in this offense if more injuries were to occur. However, even if Moore were to find himself sidelined, we would only have a couple of productive weeks before Hopkins returns. The best managers can now hold and hope to move him after a big week unless they have shipped him off already.
Jeff Wilson Bellcow Usage
Wilson has taken the starting job in San Francisco and ran away with it. Quite literally, he has run away with it. He gave up only a single snap to recent active Tevin Coleman, and Jordan Mason didn’t even see the field in Sunday Night’s 49ers victory. The only other back on the field was fullback Kyle Juszczyk. For the time being, Jeff Wilson has this role locked down and can be a league-winner if he remains healthy.Â
Elijah Mitchell is not expected back anytime soon, and Jordan Mason appears to be an afterthought. Wilson could be an excellent buy if he currently sits on a rebuilder in your league, as they have no reason to roster the 27-year-old running back. Go reach out in your league and see if a second-rounder gets it done, you might be surprised at the answer.Â
Is Allen Robinson Droppable?
Many were typing Robinson as a league winner this past off-season. The man who has been productive with Blake Bortles and Gardner Minshew was now getting the best quarterback of his career on the best offense he has ever played in. Well, through four weeks, Robinson has seen 17 targets for nine receptions and 95 yards. All numbers that Cooper Kupp eclipsed this Sunday Night alone. Robinson has struggled to justify in your starting lineup and is now looking like the next Kenny Golladay.
Robinson cannot be dropped. He would have immense upside if Kupp were to miss anytime. But for the time being, he cannot be entered into your starting lineup. No stats justify starting him, but he is too valuable to be dropped entirely. Contenders must continue to hold, and rebuilders must wait for an injury in this offense to unload him.Â
Information is the most powerful tool any dynasty fantasy football manager possesses. If you can stay on top of the correct information more than your league-mates, you will come out on top. The NFC West is home to many key fantasy players. Be sure to check back with us, as we will be breaking down takeaways from every division this week. And be sure to come back next week, as we will be doing the same for all 18 weeks of the 2022 NFL season!
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I hope you enjoyed this piece in our Winning With Vegas series. For more content like this, follow me on Twitter @DanT_NFL. DMs are always open for any questions, comments, or craft beer recommendations!