One-Hit Wonders or Here to Stay? Analyzing Week 4 Breakout Players: D'Andre Swift, Jared Goff, Dontayvion Wicks, Pat Freiermuth and More

Another week of NFL regular season football has come and gone, which means it’s time to get back to our series on fantasy standouts from the previous week of play and then determining if they are here to stay or just a one-hit wonder. 

Here’s the story from last week. Check back soon for the panic meter story.

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Running Backs

D'Andre Swift and Jeremy McNichols are the two running backs I want to talk about today.

Swift was written off by a lot of people after a rough go of things in the first three weeks of the season. He bounced back in week 4, rushing for 93 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts and adding 72 receiving yards on seven grabs and targets.

The biggest takeaway from week 4 was that Swift played 16 more snaps then backup Roschon Johnson, and Swift untouched him 23-7.

While I don’t anticipate Swift delivering as many total yards, or even getting this many touches every week, I’d say he’s closer to “here to stay” than “a one-hit wonder.” As long as he holds the lead RB role in Chicago, he'll be in the starting conversation for every league.

McNichols did next to nothing in the first three weeks, but was more utilized in week 4 with Austin Ekeler out with a concussion. McNichols had 68 rushing yards and two scores on eight carries and a six-yard catch on his lone target.

McNichols’ fantasy value is tied to the availability of Ekeler, or Brian Robinson, but even if one of those two RBs is out for a game the rest of this season, I see McNichols’ week 4 performance as a one-hit wonder. Longer-term injuries to both backs would be the only way McNichols likely reaches his week 4 numbers again, and I’m not in the business of predicting injuries.

Wide Receivers

Dontayvion Wicks and Brian Thomas Jr. are two wide receivers I’m going to discuss today.

Wicks had a touchdown grab across the first three weeks, but was otherwise pretty invisible as a fantasy asset. He then erupted for 78 yards and two touchdowns on five receptions and 13 targets in week 4, which has made him a big-time waiver wire possibility.

Christian Watson was injured in the contest, opening up more snaps and targets for Wicks. With Jordan Love back, the Packers’ offense is definitely set up better for fantasy success, and with Watson out a week or more, Wicks could certainly continue to be targeted heavily.

I still see his week 4 showing as a one-week wonder though. The Packers aren’t going to throw 54 passes every game, and it’s unlikely Wicks gets double-digit targets with guys like Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs still there at receiver. I see Wicks as a solid starting option until Watson returns, but probably someone to avoid outside of deeper leagues.

Jacksonville has endured a rough start to the season, and it’s masked a pretty solid start to the rookie season for Thomas.

Thomas had nine targets in week 4, making six grabs for 86 yards and a touchdown. He’s second on the team with 26 targets so far, is tied for first with 17 receptions and leads the team with 275 receiving yards and two receiving scores. 

After back-to-back weeks of getting nine targets, and seeing his overall season numbers, I view Thomas as a player who is here to stay. His week 4 fantasy production might not happen every week, but he’s sure to be involved plenty, and that makes him a really solid flex starting option in standard leagues.

Thomas’ dynasty value is also rising in a hurry, so he’s a player to buy stock in now, before he potentially really takes off. 

Quarterbacks

Justin Fields and Jared Goff are the quarterbacks that make this week’s article.

Fields had his best fantasy showing of the season in week 4, but it was during a Steelers’ loss. The QB was 22-of-34 passing for 312 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, while rushing for 55 yards and two scores on 10 attempts. Fields fumbled twice, losing one of them.

Fields is a dual-threat QB, and that’s why so many fantasy owners like turning to him. But these kinds of performances are few and far between, and are definitely not how the Steelers’ offense wants to win games.

You can probably already guess that I’m going to say Fields was a one-hit wonder this week. I think it’s far more likely we see him average under 200 total yards per game, and with some turnovers offsetting his couple touchdowns, it doesn’t make Fields a very appealing fantasy asset.

Fields will remain on the start/sit line and be part of streaming articles probably every week, but there’s almost always going to be better options out there. 

Goff was perfect on Monday night, leading the Lions to 42 points. He completed all 18 of his passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching a touchdown pass on a trick play.

He obviously isn’t going to be perfect every game, or maybe ever again, but the Lions’ offense is stacked enough to expect more big fantasy games going forward, so I’d say Goff is here to stay. He’s been a part of QB start stories through the first month of play, and his most recent showing will put him on the right side of the start decision now, regardless of the matchup facing him.

If you got a chance to scoop up Goff on waivers, do it now. His fantasy value is on the rise and could really take off with another solid showing.

Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft and Pat Freiermuth are the two tight ends worth discussing this week. They were both part of the TE waiver wire story I put together as well.

Freiermuth had his best game of the season in week 4, catching five of his seven targets for 57 yards and a touchdown. 

Freiermuth is second on the team in targets through the first four weeks. He’s also second in receptions and yards. He had four targets in weeks 1-2 and five in week 3, so his connection with Fields could also be growing.

There’s a lot of things working in Freiermuth’s favor, and even though the team had to pass a bunch in week 4, I see him as a fantasy player that's here to stay instead of a one-week standout. The performance wasn’t anything too special anyways, but at a weak TE fantasy position, he stood out.

I think he’ll continue to be pretty involved offensively for the Steelers, and while he may not wow you with big numbers, he’s producing enough to start in most fantasy leagues.

Kraft was another Packer who stood out on Sunday. He had 53 yards and a touchdown on six catches and nine targets. Kraft did lose a fumble.

Kraft had either two or three targets in the first three games, and adding in that the Packers threw 50+ times, this looks like a one-week outlier. But because it wasn’t a crazy statistical game, I’m actually saying Kraft is here to stay.

Green Bay has a ton of pass catchers, which complicates things, but Kraft is playing way more than fellow tight end Luke Musgrave and could be a top-three option in the passing game with Watson out of the picture for a bit.

I view Kraft as more of a player to add and stash than start right away, but depending on your league setup, Kraft could immediately be thrown in your starting lineup. Don’t expect double-digit fantasy scores every week, but he could certainly be an average fantasy TE for you.