We have an entire calendar month finished up for the season, and it seems like potentially the mirk and mire that October can gather across the fall months may be mirrored in the NFL landscape. Tight Ends have become glorified tight ends, causing fantasy players to be perplexed by what their value is. Running backs from the first few rounds spare Saquon Barkley and sometimes Bijan Robinson has been metaphorical landmines. Two of your five best quarterbacks are retread zombies from the old days (I love you, Sam Darnold.). We can parse through the snap data and targets and try to find some gold left to be uncovered.
Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens
Final: BAL 35 – BUF 10
The Baltimore Ravens don’t care about the “haters.” Lamar Jackson has taken the team on his back, and ran them into the dominant top of the AFC, with his sidekick Derrick Henry in tow, running away from father time at an amazing clip. Justice Hill was a revelation in last week’s game, as he was seen and targeted on a hearty 30 percent rate of snaps. While this team awaits Keaton Mitchell‘s return, it may not matter anymore, unless they spell Henry’s rushing amount. This team’s snap count shows us that if Henry is healthy, he is going to be the main option. Mark Andrews is a legit offensive lineman and is being used to help push defenders away from Henry or unlock the speed game of Lamar. Unfortunately for Andrews owners, the way the Ravens are playing, they may see zero reason to change.
The Buffalo Bills’ game plan isn’t something I would try and gather TOO much from, as they aren’t usually knocked down in round one, woozy, and trying to regain consciousness for roughly three quarters. Josh Allen looked stunned at the game unfolding, and couldn’t find his targets, hurriedly trying to find someone open for a majority of the game. Some things that do seem entirely cemented in is that the offense is predicated on James Cook and Dalton Kincaid receiving the majority of the work in their offense. What is interesting to see is how much Khalil Shakir seems to be running away from the rest of the wide receivers. He’s growing trust with Josh Allen as the WR1 on that team.
Cleveland Browns @ Las Vegas Raiders
Final: LV 20, CLE 16
The Cleveland Browns have found difficulty in competing due to the sheer ineptitude of their starting quarterback. Jerome Ford found himself catching passes almost as much as he found himself rushing, and can still be a reliable and sneaky low-end RB2 while Nick Chubb recovers. Meanwhile, Amari Cooper had one of his few off games, unable to convert on half of his targets. He couldn’t break loose on his four receptions and has started to lose footing on the #1 wide receiver mantle, as Jerry Jeudy seems to have found some trust in Deshaun Watson. The only person who scored a touchdown for the Browns was expectedly…Blake Whiteheart? He saw targets on almost 15 percent of his snaps and caught all three of his targets, so maybe we found a secondary tight end option in waiting if David Njoku can’t stay healthy after coming back from his injury.
The Las Vegas Raiders are reaching a crossroads with their offense, as they have likely seen the last snap of Davante Adams on their squad, and the offense seems to be hamstrung. The Browns did not play a great game, and still ended up walking out of this game with the W. Speaking of Halloween-time, Zamir White has turned into a pumpkin. There aren’t many bright spots in this offense, but the one we can focus on is the rise of Tre Tucker in their offense. Tucker was starting to show signs in the final month of last year, but the rise of his value can be tied both to the Adams disappearance and his recent play.
Washington Commanders @ Arizona Cardinals
Final: WAS 42 – ARI 14
The Washington Commanders MAY be the most exciting NFL team to watch right now. Yes, I wrote that. I’m not under any sense of discomfort while writing it either. Jayden Daniels has made this team electric, and his ability to both rush at ease and pass incredibly well has unlocked the potential of Brian Robinson with it. There wasn’t much wrong to be said out of this offense, as Terry McLaurin has been revitalized to the tune of almost 1/5th of his snap share seeing targets. Robinson, as mentioned before, has unlocked the next level of his talent in only his sophomore year and will be potentially one of the best backs of the year. The Commanders were looking for a second receiving option to go behind McLaurin, and Scrabble superstar Olamide Zaccheaus may just be that guy, converting all 6 of his targets, and seeing a third of his snaps with targets.
Photos by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Aaron Polcare (@bearydoesgfx on X)