4-Eyed Observations: Week 4
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By: Jorge B. Edwards (@JorgeBEdwards)
Here are my “4-Eyed Observations” from this past weekend that might be of interest to you and for your fantasy teams going forward!
1) There is an interesting dynamic going on when Alvin Kamara is on the field with Mark Ingram. So much so I went back and looked at their production the past couple of weeks and noticed some interesting trends between the two.
Now compare those numbers to what Mark Ingram has done during that same time span:
Both Ingram and Kamara seem to be the only two running backs on the Saints’ roster that Sean Payton feels comfortable starting each week. Both of them have been given their opportunities to excel in this offense. With that said Kamara has actually been the more efficient rushing back and Ingram has been the more efficient pass-catching back. However, Kamara seems to be the more balanced back in this running game shown in both his rushing and receiving statistics. As his opportunities have increased so has his overall production which translates into more fantasy points for his fantasy managers. If you have a deep bench and/or are suffering from RB injuries I suggest taking a flier on Kamara if you haven’t already. He could be another rookie running back who makes a name for himself this season.
2) Lamar Miller. I wrote off Lamar Miller last week like an idiot. I say like an idiot because I totally lost sight of who he was playing; that being a divisional opponent. In one of my first columns on this site I ranked 16 running backs based on how they performed against their divisional opponents in 2016. Lamar Miller ranked 5th best. Be smarter than me and check out that column HERE for more running back fantasy tips that could help you during your season!
Look at how Lamar Miller performed against the Jaguars and Titans in 2016 and compare that to this year:
* = Only 1 game played
What does all this mean? Miller’s performance against divisional opponents on average this season has improved in the receiving category which has translated in more fantasy point production thus far. While it’s still early on Miller is shaping up to be more dominant against divisional opponents this year than compared to last year. While his production may tail off against non-divisional opponents it’s looking like Lamar Miller should always be a must start in divisional matchups.
3) Matt Ryan is becoming Matt Ryan again. No I don’t mean he’s becoming MVP Matt Ryan. I mean he’s becoming the Matt Ryan you picked up off waivers last year, the year before, and the year before that. By looking at the numbers below from this season you can clearly see the impact that losing Kyle Shanahan has made on Ryan:
While he has a favorable fantasy playoff schedule this year, click HERE to read why I think so, you first have to get your team to the fantasy playoffs. Maybe he’ll turn it around? Maybe he just needs time adjusting to his new offensive coordinator? Or maybe he is regressing and becoming the Matt Ryan that went undrafted last year. Only time will tell. In the meantime if you’re a Matt Ryan manager you should probably make him a matchup based QB and go get yourself a viable streaming option just in case.
4) Cory James is the new name to know in Oakland on defense. While Khalil Mack is tearing it up at defensive end, James has been doing just that at the linebacker position over the past couple of weeks:
Listed last week as one of my IDP Gems for week 4 James did not disappoint by following up his six solo tackle performance from week 3 to ten solo tackles in week 4. This just goes to show you how valuable he is to the Oakland defense as well as your starting LB or IDP position on your fantasy roster.
Now what’s this increase in production attributed to? An increase in snaps per game, that’s what:
Courtesy of Pro Football Reference you can see that James’ snap total has been going up the past couple of weeks compared to earlier in the season. If you haven’t pick him up already do so and start him right away!