Welcome to Week 4 of Dr. Fantasy’s weekly bold predictions! Let me tell you, Week 4 was a rough one. I have done this series for two years now, and Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season was by far my worst. I only nailed one prediction and got eight of them completely wrong. It’s going to take me a few weeks to recover from that nightmare. If you haven’t seen my weekly series in previous seasons, I will offer 10 bold predictions each week. As the year progresses, I will be tracking my wins/losses on these predictions by placing them into three distinct categories: nailed it, close but no cigar, and nope, nowhere close. If you want to check that out, please see my results at the bottom. Drop your bold comments in the comments, and let me know if you think any of my predictions may be just a bit too bold.
Embed from Getty Images- David Long finishes as a top-15 LB. What, IDPs? Adding an IDP space or five is quickly becoming popular in fantasy circles, so I will be including a few IDP bold predictions. Even if you don’t know much about IDPs, streaming and understanding these positions may be your competitive advantage. If you are looking for more information on IDPs, follow our show’s IDP Twitter @CoverZeroGF2 and check out our YouTube episodes. David Long is coming off a week against the Raiders where he played 100% of the snaps, and has a nice matchup against the Colts this week. Last week, the Colts allowed two double-digit tacklers, and as a team who is turning over the ball at a high rate as well as running at a high rate, offers a nice floor/upside combination for LBs.
- Breece Hall has his first top-10 finish. For the first time during his young career, Breece Hall led the Jets’ backfield in snaps in Week 3. Hall currently has the 5th most yards per opportunity and has shown flashes of why he is an elite talent. The Steelers have allowed the 9th most fantasy points to RBs, making this a nice spot for Hall’s rookie breakout performance.
- Nick Chubb has his lowest point total of the year. You would think that as a Georgia Bulldogs fan, I wouldn’t have a 2nd negative bold prediction for Chubb in 2022. The last time I predicted a down game, he finished as RB 1 for the week. Here I am to be wrong again.
- Brandin Cooks wakes up with a top-15 performance. Brandin Cooks has been a disappointment during the first three weeks, but Week 4 is a new week. Look for the Texans to be chasing the Chargers and for Cooks to expose their suspect secondary.
- Russell Wilson finishes as a top-8 QB. Isn’t it crazy that three weeks into the season, this is bold? Many in the fantasy community, including myself, were clamoring for a Russ top-5 finish kind of season, but those days are long gone. I was encouraged by how the Broncos were moving the ball towards the end of their game with the 49ers, so I am looking for the momentum to continue against a porous Raiders secondary.
- Robert Tonyan finishes as a top-8 TE. Tonyan had 7 targets in Week 3, and I like his matchup. The Patriots have shut down opposing WRs during the early going, but struggle to defend TEs. I expect the Patriots secondary to shut down the young Packers receivers which will give more opportunity to Tonyan.
- Xavier McKinney finishes as a top-10 DB. Going against a Bears offense that has been extremely fantasy friendly for DBs, expect McKinney to have a big game. McKinney has been consistent to start the year but is yet to have that big-time game.
- Tyler Higbee finishes with his lowest point total. In other words, a complete dud. Higbee has been a consistent target for the Rams to start the year, but this week will be a stinker. The 49ers’ athletic linebacking core will shut down Higbee and force some of the other secondary targets for the Rams to make plays.
- D.K. Metcalf finishes as a top-5 WR. Almost every week, I throw in a “top-5” prediction, and very rarely do I hit. Although I need to catch up in the “nailed it” category this week, I have to take a shot. To put it lightly, the Lions’ secondary has not been good. Metcalf takes advantage with some big plays and helps me build some momentum.
- Trevor Lawrence has his signature game and his second top-5 finish. I promised myself I wouldn’t go crazy with another top-5 prediction, but I can’t help myself. The Eagles will try to shut down the run game and make Trevor Lawrence win the game for the Jags. Although I love Trevor Lawrence, we still have not seen him put the team on his back to win a game. In a game where the Jags can prove they are a playoff team, I expect Lawrence to come out and remind everyone why he is a generational talent.
That’s it, folks, see you next week! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @drfantasysports and check out our IDP show’s new handle @CoverZeroGF2.
Nailed It: The Packers and Bucs were one of the lowest scoring games of the week, and that’s all I nailed last week…
Close, but no cigar: I said CeeDee would be a top-5 guy and he was 8, I am counting that as close enough!
Not even close: Cody Barton wasn’t great, Treylon Burks did not break out, Carson Wentz stunk, Josh Allen (DL) had a terrible game, Aiyuk was only okay, Hunter Henry continued to struggle, Miles Sanders and Kyler Murray stunk.
Season Stats:
Nailed It: 9
Close, but no cigar: 2
Not even close: 18
Void: 1
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