The Atlanta, Georgia forecast for the next two days calls for sunny, hot and potentially unbearable conditions, with the temperatures creeping into the high 90s.
As such, given the sweltering, summer-like environment outside, it’s easy to forget the calendar has already turned to October … and that we’re imminently looking forward to NFL Week 5.
Before doing so, however, BATSBY Sports offers a fresh derivative of the always-popular ‘PPR Spectacular,’ a quarter-pole review of the fantasy season and 13-week lookahead with targets-driven running backs, wide receivers and tight ends in mind.
Just four weeks into the season, this campaign has already produced an exorbitant number of high-scoring games and staggering fantasy days, such as Lamar Jackson (324 yards passing, 5 TDs vs. Miami), Keenan Allen (13 catches, 183 yards, 2 TDs vs. Houston), Patrick Mahomes (443 yards passing, 4 TDs vs. Oakland), Mike Evans (8 catches, 190 yards, 3 TDs vs. N.Y. Giants), Nick Chubb (183 total yards, 3 TDs vs. Baltimore) and Austin Ekeler (154 total yards, 3 TDs vs. Indianapolis).
And that’s why we crave NFL gameday glory, fully knowing this action-packed, numbers-driven and high-stakes entertainment only occupies a short window of the annual sports calendar — unlike the silky-smooth, low-calorie Spiked Ice from Drake’s Organic Spirits (love the Drake!) … which can be enjoyed year-round.
PPR SPECTACULAR
WIDE RECEIVERS
TARGETS ACQUIRED
These 15 wideouts have posted at least three games of eight-plus targets to date:
FOUR GAMES — Cooper Kupp, Kenny Golladay
THREE GAMES — Keenan Allen, Michael Thomas, DeAndre Hopkins, Tyler Boyd, Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones, Christian Kirk, Davante Adams, Cole Beasley, John Brown, Courtland Sutton
THE ‘THANK GOD YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL’ CLUB
These eight hard-luck wideouts have managed to collect a minimum of 18 catches and 30 targets through four weeks … without finding the end zone.
Tyler Boyd: 27 catches, 38 targets, 282 yards
Robert Woods: 26 catches, 38 targets, 307 yards
Christian Kirk: 24 catches, 37 targets, 242 yards
Davante Adams: 25 catches, 36 targets, 378 yards
Cole Beasley: 24 catches, 36 targets, 246 yards
Allen Robinson: 24 catches, 34 targets, 280 yards
Jarvis Landry: 18 catches, 33 targets, 328 yards
Mohamed Sanu: 24 catches, 31 targets 239 yards
BEDROCKS OF CONSISTENCY
These eminently consistent wideouts have notched at least three outings of seven catches, 95 yards and/or one touchdown through four weeks:
FOUR GAMES — Cooper Kupp, Michael Thomas, Tyrell Williams
THREE GAMES — Keenan Allen, Julio Jones, T.Y. Hilton, DJ Chark, Terry McLaurin, Kenny Golladay, Chris Godwin, Tyler Lockett, Larry Fitzgerald, Sammy Watkins, Amari Cooper, D.J. Moore
THE ‘SILVER LINING’ SQUAD
This six-pack of enigmatic receivers represent ideal buy-low candidates after four weeks, especially if their fantasy owners haven’t been paying attention to the hidden goodness:
JuJu Smith-Schuster — Three games of 78-plus yards … still adjusting to new Steelers QB Mason Rudolph.
DeVante Parker — Averaging 3.5 catches, 5 targets, 63 yards, 0.5 TDs since Josh Rosen took over at quarterback.
Corey Davis — Caught five balls for 91 yards and one TD last week, after the defensive focus shifted to A.J. Brown.
Jamison Crowder — Collected 14 balls, 17 targets, 99 yards in Sam Darnold’s lone
Cole Beasley — Tallied nine targets and/or 83 yards in all four games with his new team (Bills).
Allen Robinson — Four games of at least seven targets, with only one true clunker in the bunch.
TOP 25 PPR WIDEOUTS: REST OF SEASON
- Julio Jones, Falcons
- DeAndre Hopkins, Texans
- Mike Evans, Buccaneers
- Amari Cooper, Cowboys
- Keenan Allen, Chargers
- Davante Adams, Packers
- Michael Thomas, Saints
- Cooper Kupp, Rams
- Kenny Golladay, Lions
- T.Y. Hilton, Colts
- Chris Godwin, Buccaneers
- Odell Beckham Jr., Browns
- Tyreek Hill, Chiefs
- Adam Thielen, Vikings
- Tyler Lockett, Seahawks
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers
- D.J. Moore, Panthers
- Sammy Watkins, Chiefs
- Tyrell Williams, Raiders
- Julian Edelman, Patriots
- Robert Woods, Rams
- Sterling Shepard, Giants
- Tyler Boyd, Bengals
- Larry Fitzgerald, Saints
- Alshon Jeffery, Eagles
**INJURY WATCH: A.J. Green, Bengals
**SURGING ROOKIE WATCH: Terry McLaurin, Redskins … DJ Chark, Jaguars … A.J. Brown, Titans
RUNNING BACKS
TARGETS ACQUIRED, PART II
These 18 tailbacks have averaged at least 4.5 targets through the first four weeks of action:
Christian McCaffrey, Panthers — 31 total targets
David Johnson, Cardinals — 28 total targets
Chris Thompson, Redskins — 28 total targets
Austin Ekeler, Chargers — 25
Tarik Cohen, Bears — 24
Alvin Kamara, Saints — 24
Le’Veon Bell, Jets — 23 (three games)
Leonard Fournette, Jaguars — 23
James Conner, Steelers — 21
Devonta Freeman, Falcons — 21
James White, Patriots — 21
Kenyan Drake, Dolphins — 20
Nick Chubb, Browns — 19
Royce Freeman, Broncos — 19
Phillip Lindsay, Broncos — 19
Saquon Barkley, Giants — 18 (three games)
Rex Burkhead, Patriots — 18
Dalvin Cook, Vikings — 18
A FEW WORDS ABOUT JAMES WHITE
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had an uncharacteristically poor game last week, accounting for zero touchdowns and only 150 yards passing (18 of 39) against the stout Bills defense.
However, that didn’t stop James White from enjoying a rock-solid PPR day, collecting eight catches, 10 targets and 57 yards.
Which brings us to this:
**Charting his last 22 games (including the playoffs), White has logged seven or more targets 14 times.
**During that same span, White rolled for five-plus catches, 70 yards and/or one touchdown on 17 different occasions.
**Citing his last 12 games played in October, dating back to 2016, Brown has notched nine outings of five-plus receptions (including 10 or more three times), nine games of seven-plus targets, six efforts of 50-plus receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.
In other words … make it a low-key, high-need priority to stealthily trade for White this week.
TOP 25 TAILBACKS: REST OF SEASON
- Christian McCaffrey, Panthers
- Alvin Kamara, Saints
- Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys
- Dalvin Cook, Vikings
- Nick Chubb, Browns
- David Johnson, Cardinals
- Todd Gurley, Rams
- Austin Ekeler, Chargers
- Mark Ingram, Ravens
- James Conner, Steelers
- Le’Veon Bell, Jets
- Melvin Gordon, Chargers
- James White, Patriots
- Damien Williams, Chiefs
- Marlon Mack, Colts
- Leonard Fournette, Jaguars
- Aaron Jones, Packers
- Derrick Henry, Titans
- Chris Carson, Seahawks
- Kerryon Johnson, Lions
- Joe Mixon, Bengals
- Phillip Lindsay, Broncos
- Josh Jacobs, Raiders
- Jordan Howard, Eagles
- Matt Breida, 49ers
**INJURY WATCH: Saquon Barkley, Giants (If you’re a lock for making the playoffs … make a bold trade play for Barkley, who would likely return to the lineup by Week 10)
TIGHT ENDS
TARGETS ACQUIRED, PART III
These eight tight ends have posted at least three games of six-plus targets to date:
FOUR GAMES — Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, Evan Engram, Darren Waller, Austin Hooper, Mark Andrews
THREE GAMES — Greg Olsen, Delanie Walker
ELITE-CLASS PRODUCTION
These seven tight ends have proffered at least three outings of five catches, 75 yards and/or one touchdown through four weeks:
FOUR GAMES — Travis Kelce, Darren Waller
THREE GAMES — Austin Hooper, Evan Engram, Zach Ertz, Mark Andrews, Will Dissly
TOP 20 TIGHT ENDS: REST OF SEASON
- Travis Kelce, Chiefs
- Zach Ertz, Eagles
- Mark Andrews, Ravens
- Darren Waller, Raiders
- George Kittle, 49ers
- Evan Engram, Giants
- Austin Hooper, Falcons
- Greg Olsen, Panthers
- Will Dissly, Seahawks
- Delanie Walker, Titans
- Eric Ebron, Colts
- T.J. Hockenson, Lions
- Jimmy Graham, Packers
- Gerald Everett, Rams
- Jordan Akins, Texans
- Chris Herndon, Jets
- Jason Witten, Cowboys
- James O’Shaughnessy, Jaguars
- Noah Fant, Broncos
- O.J. Howard, Buccaneers
**INJURY WATCH: David Njoku, Browns