Good Surprises, Bad Surprises from Fantasy Football Week 4

What is going on in this 2014 NFL season? I can't remember an opening first four weeks being as crazy as this, and fantasy football owners have been feeling every high and low.

This article series has been an especially interesting one to write thus far, as the surprises just keep rolling in week after week.

Let's get right to this week's good and bad fantasy surprises and discuss the future of these players. 

Good Surprises

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

Raise your hand if you thought Manning's time as a relevant fantasy quarterback was over. Now that we all have our hands in the air, let's put them back down and take a minute to digest his Thursday night performance.

Manning had been brutal through the first three weeks of the season, but he looked like his old self on Thursday night against Washington.

He threw for 300 yards and four touchdowns, while only giving up one interception. This doesn't make him an instant fantasy starter now, but at least it's something. 

Larry Donnell, TE, New York Giants

Let's also give it up for the surprise of the 2014 fantasy football season who was on the receiving end of three of Manning's touchdowns against Washington.

Donnell dominated in the red zone, with receptions of five, six, and six yards again for scores. He finished with eight targets, seven catches and 57 yards on top of the scores.

He's a legitimate TE1, which is pretty incredible given that he started the season as a complete unknown. 

Steve Smith, WR, Baltimore Ravens

I bet if you asked Smith, he would not say this should be seen as a surprise. But even though he was out for revenge on his former team, the Carolina Panthers, his Week 4 performance was downright shocking.

Carolina has a great defense, Baltimore has a mediocre offense, and Smith is supposed to be fading at 35 years old. But that wasn't the case Sunday afternoon.

Smith caught seven passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns, getting a lucky tipped ball and taking it for one of the scores. But fantasy points are points however they're scored, and Smith's owners cashed in this week.

Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Asiata and McKinnon were a dynamic duo on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, getting a near 50-50 split on carries and producing healthily.

A rookie from Georgia Southern, McKinnon carried much of the load with 135 yards on 18 carries. But Asiata was able to find the end zone three times, on top of 78 rushing yards.

This might be the best combined game from these two running backs, but if Adrian Peterson remains out, then they're both viable fantasy options moving forwards.

Bad Surprises

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

LeSean McCoy, RB, Philadelphia Eagles

I guess you can hit the panic button now, McCoy owners (which I am also, unfortunately). It's never a good thing to make it on this section of the article two weeks in a row, and it's especially bad when you're a supposed top performer like McCoy.

The offensive line is a disaster in Philadelphia, although they'll get a boost when Lane Johnson returns next week. But Darren Sproles is also taking a lot of screens and targets away from McCoy.

He had 10 carries for 17 yards against San Francisco, with zero catches or touchdowns. It's insanely frustrating, and there isn't much owners can do right now but hope that he turns things around when Johnson gets back.

Cordarrelle Patterson, Minnesota Vikings

Remember when Patterson was supposed to be a breakout star this season? After a monster Week 1 performance, Patterson has virtually disappeared.

For as good as Asiata and McKinnon were on Sunday, that's how disappointing Patterson was. He finished with just two catches for 22 yards on four targets.

The Vikings were scoring points too, and it's surprising to see so much production without anything from Patterson. Those rushing numbers he got in Week 1 (three attempts, 102 yards, one TD) have been absent since then as well.

Patterson makes for a good buy-low option right now, although he might be hit-or-miss this season.

Antonio Gates, TE, San Diego Chargers

It seemed like the stars were aligning for Gates in Week 4, as he started off the season pretty hot and was poised to face an abysmal Jacksonville Jaguars defense.

But while his team raged on to score 33 points, Gates was entirely left in the dust. The 34-year-old tight end was targeted a mere five times, and couldn't do much with it.

He caught three of those targets, gaining 30 yards and failing to reach the end zone. It's a surprising disappointment, but is also a good reminder that outside of the top few tight ends, nobody is a sure thing week to week.