The Panthers are one of the most generous run defenses and Kenyan
Drake is just the guy to take advantage of the situation. Carolina
has yielded a league-high seven rushing touchdowns and a second-worst
43.5 FPts/G to running backs. They allow 5.0 ypc and three backs
have cracked a 27-point total against them; Josh Jacobs, Leonard
Fournette and Austin Ekeler. Drake has been a bit of a disappointment
to start the year, but should make up for it this weekend.
Head Coach Dan Quinn is on thin ice and facing the 3-0 Green
Bay Packers isn’t a favorable way to get back to safety.
The Falcons defense can’t stop anyone, so the only option
for Atlanta is to keep the ball out of Aaron Rodgers’ hands.
Which means running the ball with Todd Gurley against a generous
Packers’ run defense allowing 35.8 FPts/G to running backs.
Gurley is coming off his best game, a modest 80 yards and a touchdown.
He isn’t the guy he once was, but in this situation, with
Julio Jones dealing with a hamstring issue and Russell Gage a
concussion, the offense is Calvin Ridley and Gurley. He should
see 20+ touches and could crack 100 yards for the first time this
season.
And now for the longshot of the day. Despite just a week to learn
the offense, Freeman is in a very good situation in Week 4. The
Rams rank in the middle of the pack against running backs. Meanwhile,
Dion Lewis has been horrible all season (1.8 ypc) as has Wayne
Gallman (1.8) as replacements for Saquon Barkley and it’s
why they brought Freeman to New York. Week 4 is the perfect chance
for him to become the Giants workhorse until Barkley returns next
season. In 2015, Freeman was the top-scoring back in all of fantasy
(21.4 FPts/G) and while older and a bit slower, he’s still
a viable fantasy option.
Sanders has been a solid option since missing Week 1 due to a
hamstring issue, but facing the best run defense in the league
in San Francisco, this is not the time to plug-and-play. The 49ers
are allowing just 15.4 FPts/G to running backs and one rushing
touchdown. And then there’s Head Coach Doug Pederson’s
propensity for falling in love with the passing game (he’s
from the Andy Reid School of Play Calling). The Eagles, despite
injuries to Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor and Dallas
Goedert have still thrown the ball 132 time and rushed it 79 times
(62.6%). The Eagles will fall behind in this one, Pederson will
once again forget his running game, and leave Sanders fantasy
owners out in the cold.
Ronald Jones is the starter and will get more touches than Leonard
Fournette or LeSean McCoy, but the rotation doesn’t allow Jones
to produce big fantasy values. Throw in the Chargers have yet
to yield a rushing touchdown to a back and rank fourth in fantasy
points allowed (19) and the odds of getting a good game out of
Jones are extremely long.
Myles Gaskin saw plenty of work in the win over Jacksonville
in Week 3, rushing the ball 22 times and seeing five targets.
He just didn’t do much with 27 touches (14.5 fantasy points).
Meanwhile, the way to move the ball against Seattle is through
the air, not on the ground. The Seahawks are last in passing yards
allowed (1,292) and second-best in rushing yards allowed (200).
If you are OC Chan Gailey, where are you going to attack?
