Eventually, we may get through a week of football without a major injury to an elite player, but that will have to wait for one more week. This past Sunday, Rashee Rice left the contest against the Chargers with what is feared to be a torn ACL. There has yet to be any confirmation, but even if he avoided a season-ending injury, Rice is set to miss multiple weeks. Other players like Jonathan Taylor and Bijan Robinson got banged up and remain questionable. But among all the destruction are some interesting stats that may surprise you. Here are ten surprising stats through four weeks that will hopefully take your mind off of your fantasy woes if your lineup has been hit by the brutal start to the season.
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Jayden Daniels (QB)
*No . 1 fantasy QB
Coming into the season there was growing consensus that Jayden Daniels could end up being the best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft Class. But I’m not sure anyone could have predicted he’d be this good this fast. Through four weeks Daniels has scored 25+ fantasy points in three of four games and is currently the overall QB1. He is getting it done through the air and on the ground. Not only does Daniels boast the first-ever two-game streak of an 85% completion rate by a QB, but he has also had 46 rushing attempts and four rushing touchdowns. This dual-threat ability makes him an elite fantasy option, especially in four-point per passing touchdown leagues. He may not be able to keep up the pace, but the fact that he’s improved every week makes it hard to bet against him.
Geno Smith (QB)
*Most passing yards in the league
If I had asked you to predict which quarterback would be leading the league in passing yards after four weeks who would you have chosen? Josh Allen? Patrick Mahomes? Maybe Jared Goff? Wrong, wrong, and wrong. It’s Geno Smith. After a 2024 debut where he threw for under 200 yards, Smith has averaged 337 yards over the last three weeks and has been a top-eight quarterback in three of four contests. Some of this can be attributed to volume. Smith has averaged over 44 attempts over the last three weeks. He has also spread the ball around to his bevy of pass-catchers. The upcoming schedule is tough, but if Smith continues to air it out he should be a top 12 option going forward.
Derrick Henry (RB)
*Most rushing yards in the league
It looks like the “Derrick Henry is washed” crowd, of which I was not a part, may have been a bit premature in their prediction. Through the first four weeks of the season, Henry has the most rushing yards (480) of any running back. His 80 attempts and 6.0 yards per carry are also tied for second in the league among running backs with at least 50 rushing attempts, with only Jordan Mason handling more carries and J.K. Dobbins averaging more yards per carry. With two straight weeks of 30+ fantasy points, Henry should be able to keep things rolling over the next few weeks as he faces three defenses in the bottom third against running backs.
Bijan Robinson (RB)
*Barely a top 20 running back in PPR formats
If you own Bijan Robinson it has not been pretty through the first four weeks. Robinson has not finished any better than RB15 in any game this season. While he does have 18+ touches in three games, it has not led to the elite-level production you were hoping for when you drafted him. All of this has amounted to him being the RB20 in PPR formats. To make matters worse, Robinson is nursing a hamstring injury which could lead to more work for Tyler Allgeier even if Robinson can go Thursday night. The one caveat to all this is that the run defenses he’s faced so far are solid. He now hits a five-game stretch against teams that are mid-range or worse against the run, so better days could be just around the corner for Robinson.
De’Von Achane (RB)
*Most receiving yards among running backs
If you were judging De’Von Achane by the last two weeks you would probably be surprised to hear that he leads all running backs in receiving yards. Still, he was so efficient over the first two weeks, before Tua Tagovailoa got hurt, that he has maintained his status as the best pass catcher at the running back position. But it’s hard to be encouraged by what we’ve seen recently out of the Dolphins. Unless they fix their QB problem or Tagovailoa returns, it will be hard to trust anyone on the Dolphins, no matter how talented the players may be. It’s likely that you still have to start Achane, but you’re not going to feel good about it.
Nico Collins (WR)
*Most receiving yards in the league by 100 yards
Nico Collins has been nothing short of incredible to start the season. With 43 targets through his first four games, Collins has accumulated more receiving yards than any other pass catcher in the league. There were concerns about the skill players in Houston because no one knew what the offense would look like with the additions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon. But Collins has been C.J. Stroud’s favorite target to this point and I don’t see that changing any time soon. He is a locked and loaded WR1 for the rest of the season.
Diontae Johnson (WR)
*Most redzone targets among wide receivers
Every so often you see a stat that seems like it can’t be true so you check it and re-check it, only to find that it is, in fact, real. That is how I feel about Diontae Johnson of the Carolina Panthers leading all wide receivers in redzone targets this season with seven. He is also leading all wide receivers with six endzone targets. This is truly remarkable since he only had 12 total targets over the first two weeks of the season. But the switch from Bryce Young to Andy Dalton has been great for Johnson. Over the last two weeks, he’s had 27 targets, leading to 205 yards and two touchdowns. As long as Dalton is his quarterback, Johnson should be in your lineup.
Tutu Atwell (WR)
*The only Rams wide receiver in the top 24 at the position
After four weeks, Tutu Atwell is the only Rams wide receiver in the top 24 at the position. Not Puka Nacua. Not Cooper Kupp. Not even Demarcus Robinson. Tutu Atwell. Of course, both the absence of the more elite options as well as Atwell’s inclusion can be explained by both Nacua and Kupp being out due to injuries they suffered early in the season. But at this moment in time, it seems that Atwell is the safest wide receiver to own in Los Angeles, unless you want to bet on the upside of rookie Jordan Whittington. When Nacua and/or Kupp return, then Atwell will no longer be fantasy-relevant, but for now, he’s a good depth piece that can be used as a flex or a bye-week replacement.
Mark Andrews (TE)
*Barely a top 40 tight end in PPR formats
This one is truly confusing. Over the last two weeks, if Mark Andrews was in your lineup it was just as good as having him on your bench because he failed to record a single fantasy point in either game. On top of that, his snap count was under 50% in both games. The true believers are holding on to the idea that eventually Mark Andrews will turn it around because he’s still one of the most talented tight ends in the league. But this is not an Andrews problem. The addition of Derrick Henry has limited the number of opportunities for Andrews. I can’t imagine that won’t continue as long as it continues to be successful.
George Kittle (TE)
*Most points per game in all formats
George Kittle has been one of the few consistent players at tight end when he’s been on the field. Unfortunately, he has found it difficult to stay healthy. Two weeks ago Kittle missed a game due to a hamstring injury and now he is questionable for Week 5 because of an injury to his ribs. But when he’s played he’s finished no worse than TE10 and has been inside the top five at the position twice. This has led to the most fantasy points per game among all tight ends. As long as he’s on the field, Kittle may be one of the few must-start tight ends left.
