Fantasy Football Week 4: Complete Monday Night Preview
So how has everyone fared so far in Week 4 when it comes to your fantasy team?
It’s safe to say that some of the NFL’s big names were off this past week. There was no Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson, no Marshawn Lynch or Giovani Bernard, no A.J. Green or Percy Harvin and no Julius Thomas or Jordan Cameron.
Somehow we all survived…maybe?
Still, there’s one more game to be played this week, and for those of you with either New England Patriots or Kansas City Chiefs on your roster, we are here to give you a helping hand.
Starting Quarterbacks
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New England Patriots: Tom Brady
Whatever the reason, we are not seeing the eye-popping numbers from the three-time Super Bowl champion that we have gotten used to in recent years.
In his last 19 regular-season games, Brady has thrown 28 touchdown passes (11 interceptions). From 2010-2012, he threw for 34, 39 and 36 scores, respectively.
Is he overdue for a really big outing? Stay tuned.
Fantasy Prediction: 27-of-34, 273 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 carries, 4 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith
One season after setting single-season career marks for passing yards (3,313) and touchdown passes (23), the first overall pick in the 2005 draft has been off to a rocky start, as have the Chiefs as a team.
While Smith has completed 62.7 percent of his throws, he’s totaled just as many touchdown passes as turnovers (four) and been sacked 11 times in three outings.
And while Smith sometimes makes for a convenient target, the 10-year veteran signal-caller hasn’t gotten much support from the rest of the offense due to numerous reasons.
Fantasy Prediction: 18-of-26, 215 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 carries, 33 yards, 0 TD
Running Backs
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New England Patriots Starter: Stevan Ridley
New England’s ground attack has yet to get untracked this season, namely because the team’s offensive line isn’t up to par.
After being ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in rushing each of the previous two seasons, the Patriots running game was a mere 22nd in the league entering Week 4.
Ridley leads the club with 176 yards (one touchdown) on the ground on 52 carries. More importantly, he hasn’t fumbled in 55 touches in 2014.
Fantasy Prediction: 18 carries, 91 yards, 0 TD; 1 reception, 5 yards, 0 TD
New England Patriots Backup: Shane Vereen
Always effective when called upon, Vereen ranks second on the team with 96 yards rushing and one touchdown. He has also caught nine passes for 52 yards, the third-best total on the Patriots this season.
Against the Kansas City defense, look for Vereen to try and test the coverage skills of Chiefs outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.
Fantasy Prediction: 8 carries, 33 yards, 0 TD; 4 receptions, 43 yards, 1 TD
Kansas City Chiefs Starter: Jamaal Charles
We haven’t seen much of the NFL’s touchdown leader from 2013, who reached the end zone 19 times in 15 games last season.
Charles is expected to be ready for this tilt. He’s totaled 23 yards both as a runner (nine attempts) and a pass-catcher (five receptions) before getting injured in the Week 2 loss at Denver.
The Pro Bowl performer figures to make up for lost time on Monday night.
Fantasy Prediction: 23 carries, 122 yards, 1 TD; 3 receptions, 22 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs Backup: Knile Davis
We saw our share of Davis as a rookie, totaling 242 yards on the ground and scoring four touchdowns last season.
This year, the 2013 third-round pick leads the team with 214 yards rushing on 55 carries and reached the end zone three times. Unlike Charles, Davis is not really a big factor when it comes to the passing game.
Fantasy Prediction: 8 carries, 40 yards, 0 TD; 2 receptions, 14 yards, 0 TD
Wide Receivers
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New England Patriots: Julian Edelman
The former seventh-round pick continues to pile up catches but not necessarily a lot of yards or scores.
Edelman leads the Patriots with 22 catches for 260 yards and a score this season.
Dating back to 2013, the six-year pro has totaled 127 receptions for 1,316 yards (10.4 average) and seven touchdowns.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 receptions, 71 yards, 0 TD
New England Patriots: Danny Amendola
He’s totaled just three catches for 16 yards in three games this season. Even more disappointing is the fact that Amendola has been targeted just once in each of his last outings and doesn’t have a reception in either contest.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 55 yards, 0 TD
New England Patriots: Aaron Dobson
It’s hard to catch a pass when you’re not playing, and Dobson has been active twice in three weeks this season. Last year, the second-year performer totaled 37 receptions for 519 yards and four touchdowns in a dozen outings.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 48 yards, 0 TD
New England Patriots: Kenbrell Thompkins
It’s worth noting that five of Thompkins’ six catches this season came in Week 1. The former undrafted free agent caught one pass for 16 yards in last week’s win over the Oakland Raiders after being inactive the previous Sunday.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 22 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs: Dwayne Bowe
After serving a one-game suspension on opening weekend, the former Pro Bowler has totaled three receptions in each of his last two games. It’s just a matter of time before he gets back into the flow of the offense but Monday night, he could be seeing a lot of Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis.
Fantasy Prediction: 6 receptions, 89 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs: Donnie Avery
With Bowe out one game and the team lacking depth at wideout, Avery currently leads the team with 12 receptions. But the veteran performer has totaled just 110 yards on those grabs and has not scored a touchdown.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 41 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs: A.J. Jenkins
The one-time first-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers hasn’t done much since he arrived in Kansas City via trade last year. With the Chiefs in 2013, Jenkins caught eight passes for 130 yards.
In three seasons and 22 contests, the former University of Illinois product has totaled 11 catches for 146 yards and zero touchdowns. Ouch.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 12 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs: Frankie Hammond
He caught one pass for 22 yards in the season opener vs. the Tennessee Titans and hasn’t been targeted sinse. Hammond is listed ahead of Junior Hemingway on the depth chart, but the latter has totaled four catches for 39 yards.
Fantasy Prediction: 0 receptions
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Tight Ends
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New England Patriots Starter: Rob Gronkowski
His nose for the end zone remains amazing. Gronkowski is second on the team with 11 receptions, good for 116 yards and two scores.
The two-time Pro Bowler has played in 53 regular-season games in just over four seasons and has caught 44 touchdown passes, plus he's been credited with one rushing touchdown.
Fantasy Prediction: 5 receptions, 39 yards, 1 TD
New England Patriots Backup: Michael Hoomanawanui
He’s got more letters in both his first and last names than receptions and yards this season. Hoomanawanui has been targeted once in three games and has caught one pass for six yards. Third-stringer Tim Wright is more of a pass-catcher, but he has just four grabs this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 0 receptions
Kansas City Chiefs Starter: Anthony Fasano
Bill Belichick is more than familiar with Fasano, who began his career with the Miami Dolphins before signing with the Chiefs in 2013. Fasano ranks third on the team with eight catches for 91 yards and a score this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 7 yards, 0 TD
Kansas City Chiefs Backup: Travis Kelce
He ranks second on the team with 10 receptions, good for 166 yards and one touchdown. It will be interesting to see how much of a factor both he and Fasano are in this matchup.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 30 yards, 0 TD
Defense/Special Teams
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New England Patriots Defense/Special Teams
Not surprisingly, Belichick’s team knows how to play opportunistic football. Entering Week 4, the Patriots were tied for the NFL lead with eight takeaways, including six interceptions.
New England’s pass rush has totaled seven sacks in three games, led by linebacker Dont’a Hightower and defensive end Chandler Jones with two sacks apiece. Kansas City has allowed 11 sacks in three games in 2014.
Fantasy Prediction: 16 points allowed, 5 sacks, 0 INT, 2 FF
Kansas City Chiefs Defense/Special Teams
It's not exactly an ideal matchup for the Chiefs, who have yet to force a turnover this season. This was a team that totaled 36 takeaways one year ago.
Still, the Kansas City pass rush can get it done. The team has totaled nine sacks in three games, four of those coming in last Sunday’s win at Miami.
Fantasy Prediction: 20 points allowed, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 0 FF
Best Sleeper Adds
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A couple of these performers may not be on your team and could be worth adding on Monday morning or afternoon. Sometimes a little last-minute shopping can be beneficial.
1. Shane Vereen, Running Back, New England Patriots (Owned in 97.3 percent of ESPN leagues)
It’s an obvious choice and as the numbers indicate, most owners have Vereen on their roster. If you’re looking for a quick fix for only one week, the four-year pro could have a big night as a pass-catcher against Bob Sutton’s defensive unit.
2. Kenbrell Thompkins, Wide Receiver, New England Patriots (Owned in 1.0 percent of ESPN leagues)
After being targeted 10 times and catching five passes for 37 yards in the season-opening loss to the Miami Dolphins, Thompkins was inactive in Week 2 and caught just one pass last week vs. the Oakland Raiders. Still, he could be a nice addition if you are shorthanded this week.
3. Travis Kelce, Tight End, Kansas City Chiefs (Owned in 36.7 percent of ESPN leagues)
The up-and-coming performer has been targeted 15 times and has caught 10 passes for 166 yards and a score. It will be interesting to see what New England Patriots defender draws the coverage assignment. But also don’t be surprised if this is a very run-heavy night by Andy Reid and Co.
Injury Report
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Here is a look at the latest injury report regarding the Patriots and Chiefs, focusing on key performers (courtesy of NFL.com).
New England Patriots | ||
Player | Status | |
Rob Gronkowski | TE | Probable |
Dan Connolly | G | Probable |
Jamie Collins | LB | Probable |
Alfonzo Dennard | CB | Probable |
The Patriots are a pretty healthy bunch, with the only real question being how long Gronkowski stays on the field.
Kansas City Chiefs | ||
Player | Status | |
Eric Berry | CB | Out |
Jamaal Charles | RB | Probable |
Vance Walker | DE | Probable |
Tamba Hali | LB | Probable |
Sean Smith | CB | Probable |
Berry will miss his second-straight game, and despite sitting out last week’s contest with the Miami Dolphins, he ranks second on the team with 15 tackles. Hali and Walker have combined for three of the team’s nine sacks this season.
Start or Sit
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We know who the stars are when it comes to this contest. But is there a pivotal player or two who may be on your roster whom you can’t decide whether to start or not? Here’s a little help.
RB Shane Vereen (Patriots): Teammate Stevan Ridley is the main man in the backfield in terms of carries. But this week, Vereen should see plenty of passes his way against Kansas City’s linebackers.
Verdict: Start
TE Tim Wright (Patriots): We are still waiting for the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end, acquired in the Logan Mankins trade, to make a splash. In three games, Wright has been targeted just five times and has caught four passes for 35 yards.
Verdict: Sit
QB Alex Smith (Chiefs): Is this the week that the veteran quarterback comes up big? While Smith could play well, it would be a surprise if he put up big numbers against an improving New England defense.
Verdict: Sit
RB Knile Davis (Chiefs): Yes, Jamaal Charles is back for this matchup, but at least this week, don’t be surprised if Reid eases his workhorse back into the game plan slowly, and Davis gets some carries. But it’s not a choice made with confidence.
Verdict: Start
Some statistical support provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com. Depth chart info provided by Ourlads.
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