"Why shouldn't they eat? They played hard, they did their best, move on."
The fictional(ish) Red Sox fans were fuming. Months and dollars invested into a months-long season looked to be going down the drain as the team fell to 0-3 against a Yankees franchise that had dominated them. Sitting at a bar post-game, the fans were stunned as the players dined in a cheerful mood following the loss. It was when philosopher Ben Wrightman leveled with his fellow fans.
Explaining fandom to someone who is not a natural fan is difficult. Fever Pitch, the documentary detailing the Red Sox's triumph after a 0-3 deficit, does it as well as any other film. We attempt to be rational humans, but sports splits us in multiple directions. Baseball and basketball fans are lucky during the season; due to the volume and frequency of games, losses can be cast aside with the next day's results.
But football fans, we stew. We get one game a week. In college football, one game in October can define an entire season. In the NFL, there are limited opportunities to position for playoff seeding. So when your favorite team looks listless for the third week in a row, you get angry.
Something is broken in Buffalo. Either the team has not recovered from the euphoria of a dominant performance against the Dolphins in Week 4. Or losing Tre White and Matt Milano to season-ending injuries has gutted the player leadership. Or is Josh Allen bowing to pressure to do too much and does not have a voice in his ear to pull him back? Or is the team simply tired of coach Sean McDermott's messaging? But something needs to be fixed, and it does not seem the team has the answers.
So what do we do as fans? What do you do when that elusive title window seems to be slipping from your fingers?
Perspective is all we have. After two decades of wandering, it feels good to have a franchise quarterback. It feels good to be angry about sitting one game back in the division as we head towards November. But it is hard. Very hard.
Focus on what you can control. It is an important mantra. And it is the crux of fandom. We have no control over our team's outcome. As much as we want to believe our lucky jersey or our particular spot on the couch leads to good results, we are all just passengers. We are all humans doing our best.
Let them eat.
Now for the Roundup.
Blind Resume
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 14 | 12 | 91 |
| B | 12 | 6 | 66 |
| C | 19 | 13 | 102 |
| D | 15 | 11 | 88 |
PPR is a funny game. Games that may otherwise be disappointing six fantasy points can turn into borderline WR1 weeks on volume. Several receivers are showcasing themselves as high-volume producers. Can you place this production?
Deep Dynasty Watch List
Identifying players rostered in less than 50% of Sleeper dynasty leagues.
- RB Royce Freeman (47% Sleeper rostered) / RB Darrell Henderson (62% Sleeper rostered), LA Rams - The Rams opted for a committee approach to replace Kyren Williams. With 20 touches to Freeman's 12, Henderson saw more work and got the goal-line opportunity, which he converted. A safe expectation is likely a 65 / 35 split in favor of Henderson. Zach Evans' lack of involvement is a big disappointment in dynasty leagues.
- WR Jake Bobo, Seattle (29% Sleeper rostered) - With DK Metcalf out, we got a picture of the Seattle offense, absent one of their top two options. Jaxon Smith-Njigba saw increased involvement and scored, but Bobo is the interesting takeaway. He led all receivers in snaps and nearly equaled Smith-Njigba's involvement, scoring. Bobo could be the skeleton key between the two tight end sets Seattle has been running and the three-receiver sets offensive coordinator Shane Waldron ran as a Rams coach.
- RB Pierre Strong, Cleveland (45% Sleeper rostered) - Jerome Ford was coming in strong but left this game with an injury. Strong has looked good in limited opportunities and lands firmly on the radar if Ford is forced to miss time. Kareem Hunt likely takes the lead in the backfield, but Kevin Stefanski's affection for committee backfields is well known. Both can emerge as fantasy plays in the flex or RB2 conversation.
- WR Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay (38% Sleeper rostered) - The Packers receivers were decimated against Denver, with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Luke Musgrave all picking up varying degrees of injury. Wicks was emerging without Watson in the lineup in Weeks 2 and 3, topping 40 yards each game. If the injuries force the Packers to explore other options, he is a stash.
- TE Donald Parham (37% Sleeper rostered) / TE Stone Smartt (0% Sleeper rostered), Los Angeles Chargers (37% Sleeper rostered) - Gerald Everett left this week with an injury and did not return. Parham has shown himself as a redzone target, but Smartt may be the more intriguing long-term play. A converted college wide receiver, Smartt brings athleticism and natural receiving ability to the position. The Chargers are comfortable maintaining a tight end rotation.
- WR Cedric Wilson, Miami (7% Sleeper rostered) - Wilson was the primary beneficiary, with Jaylen Waddle leaving the lineup for a large chunk of the game. Waddle's situation needs to be monitored. Wilson played well, making an excellent play on a ball downfield and seeing involvement in a failed trick play. Wilson is a desperation play, but Miami's offense has shown the ceiling worth rostering players who see involvement in deep leagues.
- WR Tyler Scott, Chicago (44% Sleeper rostered) - Scott nearly equaled Darnell Mooney in snap share and equaled him in opportunities. The Bears played a very ball-controlled game, leading throughout. Scott saw involvement in the run game, and his role continues to grow. He has locked up the third receiver role in Chicago and, with Mooney a free agent following the season, has an opportunity to grow.
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