Team-by-Team: Everything To Know Heading Into Week 4 (Episode 1028 with Evan Silva and Adam Levitan)
Adam Levitan and Evan Silva break down all 32 teams after Week 3, highlighting Brock Bowers' dominant return, Baker Mayfield's thumb injury wrecking the Bucs, Michael Penix's promising Falcons debut, and a wave of backfield/backup-QB chaos across the league. The central argument is that negative game scripts, injuries (especially PCL tears), and messy committee backfields are driving this season's fantasy outcomes more than raw talent alone.
# Establish The Run: Team-by-Team Week 4 Preview — Episode 1028
This episode is a 32-team sweep of Week 3's fallout, with Levitan and Silva flagging the injuries, usage shifts, and efficiency trends that should move redraft, dynasty, and DFS decisions into Week 4. The through-line is that talent evaluation keeps getting scrambled by injury luck (PCLs are treated as career-altering, ACLs increasingly as no big deal) and by teams routing volume to unexpected places — Kalief Raymond over Colston Loveland, Josh Downs over Michael Pittman, Jalen Warren over years of Steelers inertia.
The arguments
Brock Bowers' return instantly makes him a round-one redraft tight end. Silva notes the college pedigree (two-time Mackey winner) and rookie-record 112 catches make this look like his true talent level, not a blip, while Levitan points out Kubiak is deploying him as a de facto X-receiver (45 snaps out wide/slot, only 9 in-line). Both flag lingering Ashton Jeanty efficiency concerns (2.3–2.9 YPC in two of three games) even as his 20-plus touch workload stays safe.
The Buccaneers have arguably the league's worst backup quarterback situation, tanking every Tampa pass-catcher's value. Silva details Jalen Milton's underwhelming profile (Brugler's No. 18 QB, undrafted grade, 4.65 speed) and 0-for-3-with-a-pick debut; both hosts agree Egbuka will get droppable-caliber weeks and Bucky Irving's touchdown equity shrinks, though his 19-carry role stays intact.
Michael Penix's debut resets the Falcons passing hierarchy and effectively ends Kyle Pitts as a fantasy starter. Silva cites Drake London's 40% target share and the stark on/off splits (Pitts' target rate roughly doubles when London is off the field), while Evan independently states he already wrote Pitts off pre-game. Both agree Bijan Robinson's backup, Bijan Robinson himself looked dominant, and Brian Robinson is a must-roster handcuff given the線's improved run blocking.
Kyler Murray has looked uncomfortable in his small Vikings sample, raising real bust risk. Evan argues the 70-snap sample (11 in Week 1, a full game in Week 3) showed the same discomfort as his late Cardinals tenure, when Jacoby Brissett outplayed him; he floats Carson Wentz as next man up if it continues, while Levitan notes Justin Jefferson's absence (two routes before injury) muddies the read.
Devin Achane's season-ending ACL tear crashes the Dolphins backfield outlook, and neither host is confident in Ollie Gordon as a workhorse. Both had faded Achane pre-season and won't take a victory lap; Evan flags Jarquez Hunter's practice-squad presence and Jalen Wright's return as threats to any clean Gordon workload, calling it a "team-dependent" FFPC-relevant decision rather than a clear starter play.
Jacoby Brissett's pass-funnel role with the Cardinals is legitimately valuable in the short term. Evan correctly predicted the Cardinals team total over based on Brissett's willingness to drop back 50+ times; both credit Michael Wilson's continued target dominance (17 targets) and flag Jeremiah Love's usage surge (26 opportunities to Tyler Allgeier's 6) as a real changing of the guard.
Case Keenum's clean pocket and blowout win over Philadelphia complicate the Bears' QB timeline, and Kalief Raymond's emergence over Colston Loveland was unforeseen. Silva admits nobody projected a 21% target share for Raymond; both still see Loveland's route participation (77%) as evidence he's schemed away from, not incapable, while noting a dropped/overturned touchdown would have flipped the entire public narrative on him.
What it means for your roster
- Add/start Brock Bowers immediately in all formats; treat him as a locked-in top-3 tight end and consider him a round-one redraft asset going forward.
- Cut bait on Tampa Bay pass-catchers (Egbuka, Godwin) for the next 2-3 weeks while Jalen Milton starts; Ted Hurst is a deep dynasty/best-ball stash but not currently startable.
- Bench Kyle Pitts as a streaming/flex option; he's droppable in shallower leagues now that London's target monopoly is confirmed with Penix under center.
- Handcuff Brian Robinson Jr. everywhere, even in shallow leagues, given Atlanta's run-game efficiency and O-line play.
- Don't chase Ollie Gordon as a top-24 back; his workload is genuinely at risk from Jarquez Hunter and Jalen Wright, making him a bench stash rather than a plug-and-play starter.
- Sell high on Kyler Murray in dynasty/keeper leagues if possible; both hosts see real efficiency red flags independent of the Jefferson injury, with Carson Wentz as a real threat if it continues.
- Target Michael Wilson and Jeremiah Love on waivers/DFS — Brissett's pass-heavy, trailing game script sets up consistent volume for both.
“PCL, that's the only injury that matters.” — Evan Silva
Players in this episode
↓ Dealing with a hip/groin issue with conflicting reports on possible surgery; uncertain to play in Week 4.
↓ Tore his ACL and is done for the season, a huge loss for a talented player the hosts had faded coming into the year.
→ Left with an ankle sprain after two routes; MRI came back showing just a sprain and he's considered day-to-day, likely back by Week 5.
↑ Separated from Tyler Allgeier with 26 opportunities to Allgeier's 6, benefiting from trailing game script.
↑ Posted a 9-194-1 line with a 40% target share with Penix under center, drawing JSN-level target-share comparisons.
↑ Returned from PCL/knee issues and dominated with 10 catches for 116 yards and a TD on a 39% target share, being used like a WR1.
↓ Aggravated a hamstring injury during the Raiders loss and will miss time, opening committee work for Kamara and Kendre Miller.
→ Running 77% of routes but only seeing a handful of targets as the offense funnels first reads to Kalif Raymond and Luther Burden instead.
↑ Dominant regardless of matchup with Stafford, posting big lines across three straight games even without Nacua on the field.
↑ Dominated the backfield with 19 of 23 carries and 23 total opportunities, validating the hosts' preseason fade of Jonathan Brooks.
↓ Only 63% of routes run and a 7.6% target share; hosts say he is no longer a fantasy starter with London and Penix dominating usage.
↓ Dislocated his thumb and is expected to miss at least three weeks, throwing the Bucs offense into disarray.
↓ Played just 15 routes on 32 dropbacks in a blowout, continuing a 53% catch rate trend since 2025; hosts speculate the Jaguars could revisit trade talks.
↑ Looks better than before his Achilles tear and has returned to being one of the best three tight ends in the NFL.
↓ Looked uncomfortable again in a good matchup vs Tampa Bay, raising real concern that Carson Wentz could take over if it continues.
→ Acquired via trade for a fifth-round pick; hosts expect Jameis Winston to keep starting until the Giants lose a couple more games, then McCarthy takes over.
↑ Made an impressive season debut off his third ACL tear, throwing for 256 yards and elevating the whole offense in a blowout win over Green Bay.
↑ Filled in for injured Caleb Williams and was the least-pressured QB in Week 3, leading a blowout win over Philadelphia; expected to start again.
↓ Undrafted rookie backup went 0-for-3 with a pick in relief of Mayfield; hosts called it one of the worst backup QB situations in the NFL.