Make sure to tune into the Upper Hand Fantasy podcast later today, where we talk buys/sells and answer some of the most popular questions from within the community after a busy four weeks of football!

• Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa could potentially return from IR in Week 8 vs Cardinals, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter

  • It can’t be understated just how desperately the Dolphins need Tua to return under center after Monday night’s abomination of a performance at Hard Rock stadium. Miami is averaging just over 11 points per game through the first quarter of the season and has scored a combined 15 offensive points over the last two games without their starting quarterback. Of course, any team down their starting quarterback would be expected to have their struggles – however, the near-nonexistent production of Mike McDaniel’s offense over the past two games is a searing indictment on his ability to adjust to a different starter. With Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Warren, and De’Von Achane all relegated to fantasy football uselessness amid the current offensive crisis, Tua can’t get back soon enough to return them to their rightful places as every-week high-end starters. The good news: Tua is reportedly suffering no detrimental side effects from his concussion and hasn’t received any recommendations from medical professionals suggesting that he doesn’t return to action. That sets a potential return on the calendar three weeks from now in Week 8 against the Cardinals. Dolphins fantasy managers will certainly have that date circled as we wait anxiously for a savior for a Dolphins offense that’s been a fish out of water in Tua’s absence.

• Raiders WR Davante Adams has informed the team that he ‘prefers to be traded’ ahead of the league’s trade deadline

  • There’s been speculation about Davante Adams wanting out of Las Vegas since the Raiders allowed Derek Carr to walk two offseasons ago, and the idea of a potential trade for the star receiver seems to be picking up steam with the Raiders off to a rocky 1-3 start through four weeks this year. Bonsignore went on to report that the Raiders are ‘gauging interest’ around the league for Davante Adams via trade, and with multiple teams in need of a playmaker (think Chiefs!), it’s likely that we’ll hear plenty in the way of trade rumors in the coming weeks ahead of the Tuesday, November 5th deadline. Through three games, Adams has reeled in 18 of 27 of his targets for 209 yards and a touchdown and ranks as the overall WR36 in total points scored. With the quarterback situation in Vegas clearly not improving anytime soon or within this regular season, a move for Adams would be accepted with open arms in fantasy land. The Chiefs, Jets, and Steelers all make sense as potential landing spots, though all three destinations are speculative at this point. One thing is for sure: if Davante Adams is going to be anything more than a volatile WR2 in 2024, he’ll have to be wearing a different uniform by the time Thanksgiving is here.

• Cowboys could be ‘drifting away’ from the committee approach in their backfield moving forward, per the Athletic’s Saad Yousef

  • Regardless of who’s getting the touches in the Cowboys backfield – and whether or not those touches are part of a larger committee approach – the Dallas backfield is unlikely to produce a terribly fantasy-relevant starter in 2024. Through four weeks, a Cowboys running back has yet to be on the field for more than 50%% of the snaps in a game, while incumbent ‘starter’ Rico Dowdle has only handled <50% of the team rushing attempts once this year. That being said, Dowdle has seen increased usage over the past two weeks relative to the work he was seeing in Weeks 1 and 2, bumping up from 34% of the team’s carries to ~50% in Weeks 3 and 4. Of course, that’s nowhere near big enough a piece of the pie to be fantasy relevant on a consistent basis. If the Cowboys would increase Dowdle’s snaps to a healthier (but still underwhelming) 60-65%, we could entertain conversations about him being a potential weekly flex play. However, until that change is instituted, fantasy managers should remain leery of Cowboys running backs– especially considering that the team could spring Dalvin Cook on the backfield at any moment.

1. Kareem Hunt takes over for Carson Steele

   • It was a short leash for Steele, whose second fumble this season brought Hunt into the game. Hunt totaled 85 yards on 16 touches, and should be added on waivers. Samaje Perine seems to have a hold on the passing down role, but the early down role seems to be up for grabs at the moment.

2. JK Dobbins continues to hold onto larger role

   • After receiving only 50% of the rushing attempts in the first two games, Dobbins had 75% last week and then 70% this week. In better game scripts and matchups, Dobbins can have more games with better results than he’s had over the last two weeks. Dobbins also owns the passing down and goal line role, as well.

3. Bucky Irving the Usurper

   • Bucky Irving didn’t stop at just taking some carries away from Rachaad White, he’s moving in on the goal line role, too. They both had 10 carries on Sunday, but Irving had the goal line carries and shared 50% of goal line snaps with White - White previously had this role locked down. White ran only 4 more routes than Irving in Week 4, and his 58% of snaps is down from the 71% of snaps over the first three weeks.

4. Breece Hall continues to share work

   • Breece Hall still maintained a solid 69% of snaps for the Jets, but was inefficient on his 10 carries, while Braelon Allen only had 2 less carries. Early downs were relatively split, but most came in second half. While Hall didn’t come through in the conditions at MetLife, I wouldn’t make too much of the split. Hall is still getting almost all the receiving work, and will receive 20+ touches most weeks. Opportunity to buy.

5. Packers backfield moving to a split?

   • It’s possible Matt LaFleur is working towards more of the split backfields he’s deployed in the past, but we’d need to see more before making that determination. Josh Jacobs received only 53% of the RB carries on 61% of snaps on Sunday with Emanuel Wilson playing quite a bit. We saw a similar split last week, as well. For now, Jacobs should be treated like a high-end RB2 with Jordan Love back.

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