2023 Fantasy Football Week 4 Hot Takes: Joe Burrow Is Not OK
It’s Week Four so of course it’s time for the NFL to start getting weird. Even before 1 PM, we had confusion as to who was actually starting at quarterback for multiple teams and a cartoon football game in London. Then the games actually kicked off and all hell broke loose. As always, we’re here with a couple of takeaways from the weekend action to try to help make sense of it all. Here are five hot takes for you fresh off the presses!
Bill Belichick Is On The Hotseat
The Patriots have a huge problem here. They have a legendary and revered coach that would be incredibly difficult to fire. But that might be what they need to do - not to win more games, but to lose them. Bill Belichick is a good enough coach that he can win games vs. rookie QBs and backup QBs which is all he has done as of late (as Chad Graff points out, his last three wins have come against Colt McCoy, Teddy Bridgewater/Skyler Thompson, and Zach Wilson). That’s not helping anyone. This team honestly needs to tank and tank hard to get a shot at a potential franchise QB like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye because it’s become fairly clear that Mac Jones just isn’t it. And that just might not in Bill Belichick’s DNA.
De’Von Achane Is No Fluke
One game can be a fluke. Jonas Gray once had four touchdowns in a game against the Colts then was released a few games later. So there was always the possibility that the four touchdown game for Achane in Week Three against the Denver Broncos was an anomaly. Achane came out fairly quickly this week to show that is not the case as he ran for over 100 yards and two scores while also catching three of five targets.
Plus, this was in a game where the Dolphins offense struggled in a 48-20 loss to the Bills. With his explosive speed, Achane doesn’t need every carry to deliver devastating results and he’s looking like a guy that needs to be in your lineup every week.
C.J. Stroud Is A Franchise Quarterback
I know it’s early but I have personally seen enough. The Texans as a whole might not be ready to compete for a championship right now but I believe they have found the guy that’s going to lead them when that time comes. The stats back it up through four games as Stroud has thrown for 1,212 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions with a quarterback rating of 100.6. And the film backs it up with seemingly effortless throws like this touchdown pass to Nico Collins from yesterday’s game. Texans fans have to be feeling pretty good about their second overall pick.
The Broncos Defense Is Historically Bad
And that’s true no matter how you look at it. They have failed the eye test every step of the way. They are obviously getting crushed in the box score - I mean, they let up 70 points last week. Statistically, it’s not much better as quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks now have started the games completing their first SIXTEEN passes. Plus, the advanced metrics, like DVOA, suggest they have had the worst four-game start of any defense ever. I’m not sure if the return of safety Justin Simmons is going to turn all that around so this is a team we should be targeting in DFS on a weekly basis.
Joe Burrow Is Not Okay
Derrick Henry threw a touchdown pass yesterday. Devin Singletary threw a touchdown pass yesterday. Joe Burrow did not. And, if you are a Bengals fan, you almost have to HOPE that it’s the calf injury that is causing him to struggle. Because it’s an even worse problem if it’s not. Outside of Week Two, he has struggled to get the ball to Tee Higgins in any meaningful way. And Ja’Marr Chase told reporters that he is always open, so clearly, he thinks the quarterback should be sending the ball his way. The problem now is that the team is 1-3 so the idea of letting Burrow take a week off to rest up is likely out the window at this point. They can’t afford to lose too many more games.
Player News
Amon-Ra St. Brown told reporters that he underwent a “cleanup surgery in his knee” this offseason and that he will be ready for the start of training camp in July.
There is more to be learned on this issue, but it stands to reason that the cleanup procedure is linked to the right knee injury he suffered while filling in on punt return duties against the Colts in Week 12. St. Brown was listed as questionable for the Lions’ Week 13, Thanksgiving game against the Bears, but did suit up for the occasion, catching 5-of-7 targets for 73 yards. St. Brown is known for playing through injuries, and doing so effectively, so fantasy managers should not be overly concerned. As long as he makes a full recovery and is indeed on the field by training camp, he should again deliver season-long WR1 results.
Colts coach Shane Steichen said Anthony Richardson suffered a shoulder injury and will not participate in minicamp next week.
Richardson aggravated the AC joint in his throwing shoulder, which he had surgery on in 2023. Per Steichen, he won’t undergo surgery at this time. Steichen said he expects Richardson back “at some point” in training camp. It’s a nightmare scenario for the young passer. On top of the obvious risk that the injury becomes a long-term issue, Richardson missing crucial reps in the offseason will put him behind the eight ball to win the starting job. All signs have pointed to his competition with Daniel Jones being a legitimate one and now the latter will get more time to win over the coaches. Jones has to be considered the favorite to start Week 1 at this point, making Richardson undraftable in most fantasy formats.
FOX NFL’s Jordan Schultz reports it “remains to be seen” if Terry McLaurin will attend mandatory minicamp.
Per Schultz, McLaurin is “frustrated with the lack of progress on a long-term deal.” McLaurin originally showed up at voluntary OTAs but abruptly left, putting his discontent with the situation on full display. He is now entering a contract year and little progress has been made on getting him a new deal. Coming off a 13-touchdown season that saw him form an instant connection with rookie passer Jayden Daniels, McLaurin has more than earned an extension of some kind. Whether the Commanders can meet his demands is up in the air. Deebo Samuel will get more work with Daniels for as long as McLaurin remains away from the team, giving him a chance at usurping McLaurin as the team’s top receiving option. Likely facing some amount of touchdown regression already, McLaurin is becoming an increasingly risky fantasy pick.
Lions coach Dan Campbell named Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Jameson Williams as players who have stood out this spring.
Campbell giving props to his starters is nothing new. The Williams drumbeat has been marching onward all offseason and has no end in sight. Jahmyr Gibbs is one of the most electric backs in the NFL. It’s no suprise he’s standing out in padless practices. The most interesting name of the bunch, outside of a handful of defenders Campebll also shouted out, is LaPorta. The third-year tight end took a step back in 2024, going from 86 receptions for 889 yards as a rookie to 60 grabs for 726 yards and three fewer touchdowns. LaPorta got a slow start to the year and was then hampered by ankle and shoulder injuries. After making noise in early offseason practices, it’s safe to assume this is the healthiest he has been since his rookie season. Even if LaPorta’s target volume is capped by the surrounding talent in Detroit, his involvement as a red zone weapon alone keeps him in the middle of the TE1 mix.
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said the team is in the “introductory stage” of extending Lamar Jackson.
Speaking on the BMore Baseball Podcast, DeCosta mentioned that he met with Jackson in person last week. DeCosta, however, didn’t make it sound like a deal was getting done anytime soon. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract with the Ravens in 2023. He is under contract through 2027, so DeCosta doesn’t have to rush the extension. With the price of elite quarterback play skyrocketing, the two-time MVP is rightfully eying a raise. That may not come this offseason, but the Ravens aren’t going to let Jackson hit free agency when the time comes. They placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson last time his contract was set to expire and he publicly requested a trade. Even though an extension was eventually reached, DeCosta flew dangerously close to the sun while trying to get the most affordable deal. He described those negotiations as arduous and it’s hard to imagine him not getting ahead of the situation this time around.
Ravens signed WR Rashod Bateman to a three-year, $36.8 million contract extension.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $20 million in guarantees. The former first-round pick hasn’t lived up to the hype of being the No. 27 overall selection, but he finally found his stride in 2024. Bateman caught 45 passes for 756 yards and nine touchdowns. His yardage and touchdown totals were easily career-highs. Bateman has settled in as a splash play specialist and a high-volume option in the red zone. His five red zone touchdowns tied Isaiah Likely for second on the team behind only Mark Andrews. Bateman is a frustrating fantasy option on a week-to-week basis, but the extension could signal more involvement for him in 2025, especially with Mark Andrews on the decline. Bateman will be a boom/bust WR5 for the upcoming fantasy season.