Week 4 Instant Reactions: Fantasy football the only winner as Cowboys and Packers deliver 2nd-highest scoring tie game in NFL history

Fantasy football analyst Ray Garvin shares his thoughts on Week 4’s most noteworthy action.

Cowboys and Packers deliver 40-40 Sunday night thriller

This game had all the makings of a Packers rout in the first quarter. Jordan Love came out hot with 131 passing yards and a touchdown while the Cowboys managed just 15 yards through the air. Dallas was missing CeeDee Lamb and two starting offensive linemen, and after a sluggish opening stretch, it looked like Green Bay might run away with it.

Instead, the game turned into a fight. By the time overtime ended, it was locked in as the second-highest scoring tie in NFL history.

Dak Prescott found his rhythm after the slow start and finished with one of his best fantasy outings of the young season. He had 319 passing yards and three touchdowns. George Pickens, filling the WR1 spot left by Lamb, stepped into the role and delivered in a massive way. Pickens had 8 catches, 134 yards and 2 touchdowns, making him the WR2 on the week. Tight end Jake Ferguson stayed reliable with 7 grabs for 40 yards and a score, good for TE3, while Javonte Williams got true bell cow usage with 20 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown plus three receptions for 15 more yards.

For fantasy managers invested in Dallas, it was a reminder that this offense still has ceiling weeks even without its top star.

Josh Jacobs was the engine for Green Bay, and he looked like the elite back managers drafted him to be. He piled up 26 touches, 157 total yards and two rushing scores — finishing as the RB2 for Week 4 heading into Monday Night Football. He was also the Packers’ most productive receiver on a per-play basis, catching 4 passes for 71 yards. Romeo Doubs however, stole the headlines though with a hat trick, scoring three times on just six receptions for 58 yards. While touchdowns aren’t predictable, Doubs has carved out a red-zone role that keeps him firmly on the weekly radar.

Rookie Matthew Golden didn’t quite have the breakout many, including myself, were expecting, finishing with five for 58, but he’s shown flashes and the ability to get deep.

The bigger issue here is trust. A quarter into the season, it doesn’t feel like Love has a true primary wide receiver, which makes the secondary options hard to bank on week in and out. Golden feels more like a flex flier or a better-for-best-ball piece than a consistent weekly starter right now. Tucker Kraft, on the other hand, continued his steady usage with five for 56.

The game ended in fitting chaos. In overtime, Dak looked like he might cap the comeback with a rushing score, but Micah Parsons back in Dallas in Packers’ green delivered a crucial sack that stalled the drive and helped force the 40-40 finish.

Neither side walked away with a win, but fantasy managers did. Between Jacobs, Pickens, Doubs, Prescott and Ferguson, this matchup produced top-three positional finishes across the board.

Instant reaction: Pickens is making his case as a weekly star, and Doubs’ three touchdowns can’t be ignored. The Cowboys and Packers may have tied, but fantasy football won the night.

Ashton Jeanty has arrived

My bold prediction for the week was that this was a get-right game for Ashton Jeanty … and get right he did! Going into Sunday Night Football, Jeanty is RB1 in half-PPR points with 32.5, putting up 23 offensive touches and 3 touchdowns.

He was outstanding. He broke tackles, juked defenders and ripped off a 64-yard touchdown run, flashing every bit of the explosiveness we saw coming out of Boise State. He looked every bit like a top-10 pick. Jeanty carried the rock 21 times for 138 yards at 6.6 yards a clip and chipped in two receptions that both went for touchdowns. Geno Smith completed only 14 passes but Jeanty made his count.

He got his juice back. He got his mojo back. If you read the bold predictions piece, I told you this was coming. This was the get-right spot and Jeanty delivered with three touchdowns in Week 4.

Rejoice. Ashton Jeanty season is upon us.

Instant reaction: All the panic is gone. Locked, loaded, star RB. Ashton Jeanty is the man.

Woody Marks arrived, too

Woody Marks breakout week is here. The Texans leaned on their rookie back in a get-right spot against Tennessee and he rewarded them with the type of dual-threat performance that makes fantasy managers perk up. Marks handled 17 carries for 69 yards and punched in a rushing touchdown. But it wasn’t just the ground game — he added four catches for 50 yards and a score through the air, finishing second on the team in receiving behind Nico Collins. I’ve been telling y’all about Marks all summer and now four weeks in, it’s clear he’s the one in this backfield with real juice.

Instant reaction: Woody Marks is looking like a plug-and-play RB2 with upside moving forward.

Eagles win — but you probably lost

The Eagles won again but the same fantasy football issues showed up. The passing attack was flat-out non-existent. Jalen Hurts threw for 130 yards on 24 attempts and while he did have two passing touchdowns, both went to Dallas Goedert. Goedert also led the team in receiving with four catches for 37 yards. The second-leading receiver? Saquon Barkley with four for 31.

DeVonta Smith gave you two catches for 29 and A.J. Brown gave you two for 7. A week after I told y’all to sit your Eagles, this was the week I really should’ve doubled down, because the receivers once again did nothing.

It’s frustrating. Philly is winning games in spite of the passing attack but this is going to be volatile all season. If you want to move on from Brown because you don’t want to deal with the inconsistency, trade him. If not, you just live and lose with Hurts’ arm. Today, if you started your Eagles, you likely lost your matchup.

Instant reaction: This passing game is matchup dependent and volatile. Start them and pray.

Xavier Worthy returns and doesn’t miss a beat

Coming out of Week 4 the big takeaway for Kansas City is Xavier Worthy. After injuring his shoulder on the very first drive of Week 1, we just hadn’t seen him. It’s been frustrating because fantasy managers have been counting on him but he just hasn’t been available.

That changed on Sunday.

Worthy looked healthy and explosive, leading the Chiefs in targets with eight and finishing with 83 receiving yards while also adding 38 more on the ground. Most importantly, he made it through the game without setbacks. With Rashee Rice set to return in a couple weeks, this offense is only going to get stronger and Worthy is positioned to keep climbing.

If you held him through the injury, you’re feeling good right now. And I told y’all Tyquan Thornton would score again. His role pulled back with Worthy back in the lineup but he still found the end zone.

Instant reaction: Xavier Worthy is locked and loaded as a fantasy starter moving forward after a great Week 4.

Rookies lead Giants to an upset

There’s a lot to unpack from the Giants’ 21-18 upset win over the Chargers. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart got the start and if you rolled him out as a sleeper QB he paid off with two total touchdowns and 54 rushing yards. It was rough through the air — just 111 yards on 20 attempts, five sacks and constant pressure behind a shaky offensive line. To make matters worse, New York lost Malik Nabers, a devastating blow for fantasy. There isn’t a clear wide receiver replacement you want to chase right now.

What was encouraging, however, was Cam Skattebo’s usage. He handled 27 touches — 25 carries and two catches — the most of any running back going into Sunday night. That’s bell-cow usage even if it only translated to 12 half-PPR points (RB18 on the week).

Instant reaction: Dart is rocky but his rushing upside keeps him in streamer talks while Skattebo is a locked-and-loaded starting RB moving forward.

James Cook continues to beat regression allegations

James Cook has been flat-out dominant to start the season. Through Week 4 he leads all running backs in half-PPR scoring at 21.2 points per game with 85 total points. That’s good for RB1 overall production. People had concerns about Cook coming into the year after the holdout and contract talks, wondering if he could really be trusted as one of the league’s top backs.

All he’s done since is silence that noise.

In Week 4 Cook kept it rolling, finishing as RB9 heading into Sunday night with 22 carries for 117 yards and three catches for 18 more. He’s doing it on the ground. He’s doing it through the air. Most importantly, Buffalo clearly trusts him as their bell cow.

Instant reaction: Stop sleeping on James Cook. He’s proving himself as one of the best backs in the NFL and in fantasy football — period.

Kenneth Gainwell delivers eye-opening overseas performance

It was an early game in Dublin but we can’t overlook what Kenneth Gainwell just did. With Jaylen Warren ruled out, there were questions about how Pittsburgh would deploy its backs. Kaleb Johnson got some work but Gainwell owned this backfield. He led the team in receptions with six, paced the ground game with 19 carries for 99 yards and scored two touchdowns in a tough, gotta-have-it win. Gainwell was nothing short of dominant.

Going into Sunday night, Gainwell sits at RB2 in half-PPR scoring with 28.4 points on 25 touches. If Warren misses more time, Gainwell is locked in. But even when Warren returns it’s hard to see the Steelers putting this genie back in the bottle. They needed another back and Gainwell just showed he can be the guy.

Instant reaction: Make sure Kenneth Gainwell isn’t on waivers. He’s earned a role moving forward with or without Jaylen Warren in the lineup.

Travis Etienne Jr. is the value RB of the year so far

If you drafted Travis Etienne Jr. early this offseason, you’re feeling great right now. There was plenty of buzz about Bhayshul Tuten flashing in camp but it’s been all Etienne for Jacksonville thus far. He was magnificent again in Week 4 with 19 carries for 124 yards, adding three catches for 42 yards. Heading into Sunday night, he sits as RB11 with 19 half-PPR points on the week.

This Jaguars offense still isn’t built to support multiple elite wideouts. Trevor Lawrence threw for just 174 yards. Brenton Strange led with six catches for 45 yards, Brian Thomas Jr. chipped in 49 and Travis Hunter had 42. But the story is Etienne. He is the engine of this offense, the explosive playmaker who carries the load when Jacksonville needs it.

Instant reaction: Travis Etienne Jr. is a star RB and the heartbeat of the Jaguars offense.

Are we finally seeing cracks in Derrick Henry’s armor?

Has the king lost his crown? Back-to-back weeks now, Derrick Henry has not been good. In Week 3, he gave you 10 half-PPR points, good for RB22. In Week 4, he sits at RB34 with just 6.8 half-PPR points going into Sunday night.

That’s concerning.

The Ravens are 1-3 for the first time under Lamar Jackson and the offense looks stuck. Henry hasn’t been able to get going and the usage just hasn’t translated into production. I’m not saying it’s over but for the first time in a long time, you have to ask if the king has lost his crown.

Instant reaction: I’m on high alert with this Ravens offense. Concern is real with Derrick Henry.

Week 4 Instant Reactions: Fantasy football the only winner as Cowboys and Packers deliver 2nd-highest scoring tie game in NFL history

Tags: