Photo: USA Today Sports

Not for long. A phrase that has callously come to represent the "next man up" nature of a sport filled with injuries. But it goes much further.

At 5-0, the 49ers were the toast of football. Not for long. The team has lost three straight, what looked like a dominant defense struggled to contain Joe Burrow and the Bengals, and the team is facing questions about Brock Purdy's future for the first time.

A 1-4, the Vikings were finished. Not for long. The team has weathered losing Justin Jefferson to win three consecutive games. But now the team faces another hurdle as Kirk Cousins' Achilles injury likely ends his season. The team has winnable games, and the low end of playoff qualification in the NFC could dip to keep the team in the chase.

At 1-4 and without Aaron Rodgers, the Jets season was over. Not for long. Three straight wins, including a victory over the Eagles, have the team still in the hunt. The defense has lived up to expectations, and playmakers Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson can keep the team in games. The team has winnable games against the Raiders, Texans, and Commanders still on tap, and if they keep their head above water at their current pace, they could get Aaron Rodgers back and be a dangerous playoff contender.

The AFC playoff race is very tight, with only the Patriots sitting more than one win back from the sixth seed. The NFC playoff race will be a survival of the fittest to claim the final playoff spot. The 4-4 Vikings currently occupy it but just lost Cousins. The Saints are the only other team at .500.

Your fantasy standings can flip just as fast. Austin Ekeler is back, CeeDee Lamb is heating up after a slow start, Jahan Dotson is showing signs of life, while Trey McBride and Dalton Kincaid look primed to deepen the pool of tight end contributors.

The concept of windows in a season is so important.

It is likely active dynasty leagues are already seeing significant movement in terms of rebuilding or contending. With prospects like Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. topping the draft and a talent cliff between picks 2, 3, and 4 the current consensus, it is likely teams can not change course dramatically to get into the running to grab one of those top players.

So what to do if you are sitting in the middle?

Be very cautious about giving up future assets to attempt to contend. The price of veteran contributors will go down as trade deadlines are near, or player production slowing can still shift competitive direction at this point. Assess why you may not be at the top of your league. Is it players like Ekeler, Lamb, or Jaylen Waddle who started slow but have shown difference-making potential in the past? Or did you get by on players like Kyren Williams and Kirk Cousins, who are now gone for varying lengths of time?

If you assess your roster as capable of winning your league, look for short-term producers like Adam Thielen or David Montgomery to round out sharp corners. The step right now is to make it into the playoffs, where anything can happen. On the same token, if you are a strong contender and a team starts a firesale, do not sit back and allow your league mates to strengthen their rosters. Either drive the price up or play offense to block those moves and layer in depth for the weeks ahead.

Your current position may not last long.

It is time for the Roundup.

Blind Resume

The NFL decided to honor Halloween by offering up some surprising and bizarre stat lines. Fantasy zombies or just plain odd things happened this week. Can you place this production?

Deep Dynasty Watch List

Identifying players rostered in less than 50% of Sleeper dynasty leagues.

• QB Jaren Hall, Minnesota (16% Sleeper rostered) - Kirk Cousins' injury is heartbreaking. Cousins' contract and the team direction of the Vikings could indicate he has played his last game for the franchise, and an Achilles injury at this point could prevent him from having a straightforward starting quarterback job in 2024. Kevin O'Connell was noncommittal on Hall moving forward in the postgame. The Vikings are firmly back in the playoff picture, and their three-game win streak ties for the second-longest in the league. The team has a winnable stretch of games, featuring the Falcons (with quarterback issues of their own), Broncos, Bears, and Raiders as four of their next five games. Hall is intriguing and is a must-add in deep Superflex formats. He plays an efficient game but can stretch the ball downfield. He pairs that with athleticism that can showcase as a rushing floor. The type of player who comes out of nowhere and sneaks into the early to mid-QB2 conversation if given the opportunity.
• QB Taylor Heinicke, Atlanta (31% Sleeper rostered) - Desmond Ridder was tested for a concussion, cleared, but did not return. It could be a case of Arthur Smith seeing his team down multiple scores and not wanting to put his young quarterback back on the field. Or it could be a convenient excuse to flip to the veteran as the team is in a playoff push. Turnovers had emerged as a severe issue for Ridder over the last two weeks, with three each against the Commanders and Buccaneers, and he lost a fumble early in this game. Heinicke can run a bit, but his primary task is likely to play efficient, mistake-free football. Over the last month, the Falcons have made significant strides towards resembling a functional NFL offense involving all their weapons, with Drake London the primary beneficiary. He could be facing injury issues of his own, however, and his replacement would simply be spreading the ball around to players like Scotty Miller and KhaDarrel Hodge.
• TE Daniel Bellinger, New York Giants (39% Sleeper rostered) - I am not sure I am recommending a Giants pass catcher after their six-catch, seven-yard performance in Week 8, and this will be the only time I mention Tommy Devito, but Darren Waller left with a hamstring that could cost him multiple weeks. Bellinger has showcased himself as a plus blocker capable of catching what comes his way. He should likely vault into a near-every-down role. Lawrence Cager could be the very deep play here. Cager is a converted wide receiver who possesses some of the athleticism to function similarly to Waller.
• WR Jamison Crowder, Washington (5% Sleeper rostered) - Curtis Samuel came into this week with an injury and picked up a second in this game. Crowder was the primary beneficiary over Dyami Brown and Byron Pringle, playing more snaps and seeing seven targets, converting one for a touchdown. Crowder fits as a more natural replacement for Samuel, excelling in more short and intermediate routes, while Brown profiles more as a Terry McLaurin backup who works better downfield. The Commanders have shown the ability to accumulate high volume passing days, with 50 attempts this week. This addition is a deep league move and significantly better in bestball formats, but one to watch.
• QB Carson Wentz, Unemployed (11% Sleeper rostered) - The clock is ticking on Wentz getting back into the league, and he has likely held off for the right opportunity over accepting a clear backup role. The Vikings could be that opportunity. There is little overlap between the Vikings staff and Wentz, and learning a system this late is a difficult ask, but Wentz's high-end is a more comfortable starter than Nick Mullens. This time is the point of the season to stash Wentz and see if anything progresses in the next couple of weeks.
• WR Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas (57% Sleeper rostered) - The timing here could be better as many waiver runs happen after Tuesday's trade deadline, but Renfrow is a name to watch on the move. Tre Tucker is growing in the Raiders offense, and there have been persistent rumors Renfrow could move. He can be a strong contributor in PPR formats, where he finished as WR10 in 2021.
• WR Andrei Iosivas, Cincinnati (18% Sleeper rostered) - Iosivas is still running as the fifth receiver in Cincinnati, but he scored his second touchdown early against the 49ers. With a developmental player, you want to see impact flashes, which Iosivas has shown this year. He is available in too many leagues and is the type who can flash in spurts down the stretch and see a dramatic offseason value spike off roster movement, especially if the team moves on from Tee Higgins.