Is Josh Dobbs the Real Deal? 🧐

That’s right: bye weeks are here, and they’re here to ruin your win streak.

What’s in store:

• Jonathan Taylor will return to practice this week 👀. As of right now, he’s trending towards playing his first game of 2023 as a Colt.

• Desmond Ridder is the starter in Week 5… 😒 The layer of dust on Drake London and Kyle Pitts will grow just a bit thicker this week.

• Tyler lays out his waiver wire battle plan to combat bye weeks! See who his favorite targets are heading into Week 5.

• Josh Dobbs is playing on another level recently… And he’s still on waivers in over 40% of leagues!

• Colts RB Jonathan Taylor to be activated from PUP, will practice tomorrow

  • The Colts have made it clear that they have no interest in trading Taylor at this point, and their actions and willingness to allow Taylor to sit out the first four weeks prove that. No matter how many times Taylor demands a trade, it’s unlikely to happen this season given the scenario outlined above, so fantasy managers should turn their heads to the Colts’ Week 5 matchup against the Titans. Zack Moss has filled in admirably and could serve as a potential handcuff in the event that Taylor would be injured, but the expectation should be that the Indy backfield is Taylor’s as soon as he steps on the field. The Colts have been solid on offense through four weeks without his services, so there’s a chance that his return could boost the offense’s value overall. It’s worth noting that QB Anthony Richardson has four rushing touchdowns through three stars – something that could figure to limit Taylor’s production, especially on the goal line.

• Bengals WR Tee Higgins says there’s a chance that he could suit up for Week 5 against the Cardinals

  • After missing the rest of the game against the Titans following his injury, there were questions about whether Higgins would be ready to go in Week 5 or even beyond. However, the injury appears to be minor enough that Higgins is considering a return in Week 5 to be very much in the realm of possibility. Even if he does play, he’s a risky start at best with the current state of the Bengals offense being down the toilet and halfway to the sewer, but his presence on the field would only stand to benefit Cincinnati in their attempt at turning things around on offense. His injury is to his ribs, and while fantasy managers should be optimistic that Higgins has a realistic shot to play in Week 5, it’s important to understand that he’s not out of the woods yet and that it would be a good idea to monitor his status throughout the week.

• Falcons QB Desmond Ridder expected to start Week 5 vs Texans according to HC Arthur Smith

  

• C.J. Stroud (QB - Houston Texans) - Stroud continued his terrific start to his career in Week 4, going for 320 total yards and 2 TDs to 0 INTs, bringing his season total to over 1,250 total yards, 6 TDs, 0 INTs, and a surprise top-10 rank among QBs in fantasy through the first four weeks. It may be a weak waiver wire week, but Stroud still looks like a potential league-changing fantasy option at QB, especially since he draws a fantastic schedule toward the end of the season with FIVE top-10 matchups in his final seven games - something that could elevate him to a potential league-winner.

• Jameson Williams (WR - Detroit Lions) - This is purely a 'swinging for the fences' play. Jameson Williams was a hyper-talented WR coming out of Alabama in the 2022 NFL Draft and was expected to miss a vast majority of the season due to a pre-existing injury, but that didn't keep Detroit from drafting him 12th overall. Once he did return last year, he clearly wasn't 100%, seeing very limited action, and only drawing 1 catch in 6 games (albeit it went for a 41-yard TD). Williams was suspended for the first 6 games of 2023 due to sports gambling issues but had his suspension reduced and is now set to return in Week 5. He's still wildly talented and has game-changing speed as a deep-ball threat, which Detroit is missing, but there is ZERO clarity on what his role will look like or how involved he will be. He could easily be a WR2 option if involved properly; he could easily be virtually worthless. If you're in need of a short-term lineup play, pass on Williams, but if you have the flexibility to stash a player, Williams could be a league-changer.

• Michael Wilson (WR - Arizona Cardinals) - Wilson was a definite sleeper by many (including me) this offseason in what was anticipated to be a really poor Cardinals' team playing from behind every game. While the latter part of that hasn't come to fruition, Wilson appears to be taking a step forward in terms of commanding a notable workload within the Cardinals' offense that should still be playing with a pass-friendly game script more often than not. He drew 7 catches (on 7 targets) for 76 yards and 2 TDs (26.1 points) against San Francisco after an 8.6-point performance in Week 2 and a 10.6-point performance in Week 3.

• Quentin Johnston (WR - Los Angeles Chargers) - It was a surprise to see Johnston draw just 3 targets (and 1 catch for 18 yards) in the first game without Mike Williams (out for the season). He may not have the upside we were hoping for or anticipating in the preseason, but it's difficult to envision Johnston not being heavily involved by the season's end. Chalk the poor Week 4 due to the Chargers' essentially not needing to throw the ball for the majority of the game as they led for over 50 minutes and were up multiple scores just minutes into the second quarter. He's a long-term investment that could pay massive dividends later in the season and into the fantasy playoffs.

• Terrace Marshall Jr. (WR - Carolina Panthers) - Here's a bit of a surprise: Terrace Marshall has led the Panthers' WR room in targets in 3 of 4 games, totaling 24 through the first four weeks of the season. That includes back-to-back weeks of massive involvement - drawing 8 targets (5 catches) in Week 3 and 10 targets (9 catches) in Week 4. The upside isn't there with the lackluster QB play with rookie Bryce Young, but the volume is fantastic. A stable WR3/4 floor on volume alone could make him a worthwhile waiver wire add but as Young becomes more comfortable and develops, that volume will transition into efficiency and production fast.

Remember coming into the season when we were talking about the Cardinals tanking for Caleb Williams before a game was even played? Yeah, me neither. Since his rough start to the year in Week 1 against the Commanders, Josh Dobbs has turned things around in the game log and on the field in a big way - and he’s more than just a spot starter that you claimed off the waivers.

Over the past 3 games, Dobbs is averaging 21.9 fantasy points per game, placing him as the QB7 overall in fantasy points per game from Weeks 2 to 4. He sits just behind some of the foremost rushing quarterbacks in the league (Richardson, Hurts, and Jackson) and is outscoring the likes of Joe Burrow (10.1 ppg), Trevor Lawrence (13.7 ppg), Tua Tagovailoa (18.9 ppg), and Patrick Mahomes (21.0 ppg).

What’s especially interesting about Dobbs is his ability to consistently produce in the ground game, which is giving him a huge edge as a fantasy quarterback in the first few games of the 2023 season. He’s rushed for over 40 yards in each of the past three games, tacking on what amounts to essentially an additional passing touchdown per game to his production on a weekly basis.