It is never too late for a new beginning. The NFL always reminds us that fresh starts happen every week. As we close the first quarter of the fantasy regular season, Week 4 provided a shakeup from the status quo of the first three weeks.
Micah Parsons' new surroundings were the biggest story coming in. The game of the week did not fail to deliver, even if the relatively new overtime rules disappointed. The Packers and Cowboys' 40-40 tie in a barnburner, combined with the Vikings' loss to the Steelers in the first game held in Dublin, Ireland, reset the NFC North race. The Week 1 hand-wringing in Detroit about Ben Johnson's departure proved short-sighted as the Lions sit alone in first. Johnson is off to his own fresh start, breathing confidence into the Bears franchise and his young quarterback, Caleb Williams. Meanwhile, the Lions lead the NFL in points.
The Giants have new life. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made his debut, teaming with fellow rookie running back Cam Skattebo, and the Giants ended the Chargers' undefeated season and earned their first win. The team leaned on both rookies for a physical rushing attack in the win, with reports before the game indicating that the offense would be modeled after rookie Josh Allen. Dart ran ten times for 59 yards while Skattebo added 25 for 79. We know what running quarterbacks can do for fantasy football. The win did not come without cost; the Giants lost star receiver Malik Nabers for the season with an ACL injury. Still, with the winless Saints on deck, the Giants have to feel the season is salvageable.
The Chargers' loss was the Chiefs' gain. At 1-2, facing off against the 1-2 Baltimore Ravens, we knew someone would have a shocking 1-3 record. The return of receiver Xavier Worthy served as a catalyst, as the Chiefs now sit just one game behind the Chargers and control their own destiny in the AFC West. The 1-3 Ravens now look up at the 3-1 Steelers, with their new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, as the Ravens face new questions about their own leader, Lamar Jackson's hamstring injury.
The AFC South race received a reset on the West Coast. The Colts' red-hot 3-0 start ended as the Rams defense slowed down an offense few had stopped. Meanwhile, the Jaguars and new coach Liam Coen pulled an emotional upset over the 49ers, ending with a terse post-game confrontation with 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, who accused the Jaguars of stealing signs.
The NFC South division race opened back up. The Buccaneers fell just short of four straight fourth-quarter comebacks by Baker Mayfield in losing to the Eagles. Meanwhile, the Falcons came off a shocking performance against Carolina to ease concerns about quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who fed all three of Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts Sr. in a massive offensive day. Not everything changes, though. Carolina and New Orleans are still bad.
The NFC West was the final division to get a shakeup. Seattle kicked the week off, looking dominant on Thursday Night before holding off a Cardinals comeback, spurred by Marvin Harrison Jr. looking like he was turning a page. The Seahawks, 49ers, and Rams all sit tied at 3-1.
Time to dive deep into the entire week.
Thank you, Nathan Jahnke. I rewatch every game in compiling this article, but without Nathan's ability to deliver consistent breakdowns following the games, this article would be much more difficult.
And now, The Roundup.
Blind Resume
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 8 | 110 | 1 |
| B | 6 | 101 | 0 |
| C | 8 | 98 | 1 |
| D | 5 | 83 | 0 |
| E | 4 | 69 | 1 |
| F | 8 | 134 | 2 |
With injuries to CeeDee Lamb, Malik Nabers, and Ja'Marr Chase working through the lack of Joe Burrow, the top of the fantasy receiver leaderboard looks different. A group of receivers seeking a fresh start in 2025 delivered huge weeks.
Can you name them all?
Stats Of The Week
Josh Allen, Buffalo - 2 Passing Touchdowns, 1 Rushing Touchdown
Allen had his 45th career game of 1+ passing touchdown and 1+ rushing touchdown. That tied Cam Newton for the most in NFL history.
Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City - 250 Passing Touchdowns
Mahomes passed Aaron Rodgers to become the fastest to 250 career touchdown passes, hitting the mark in his 116th game. Rodgers did it in 121 games. The four-touchdown performance was Mahomes' best game of the season as he looked much more comfortable with Xavier Worthy returning to the lineup. He's at a 7-to-1touchdown to interception ratio, a dramatic improvement over his double-digit touchdown seasons in each of the last four years.
Puka Nacua, LA Rams - 13 Receptions, 170 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown
Nacua joins Cooper Kupp and Michael Thomas as the only players with at least 42 receptions through the first four games of a season. All three had exactly 42. Thomas's start resulted in the NFL record of 149 receptions, while Kupp came up just short of topping Thomas, with 145.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta - 75 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 4 Receptions, 106 Receiving Yards
Robinson and Harmon Wages (Week 12, 1969) are the only Falcons backs with games of 75+ rushing yards, 1+ rushing touchdown, and 100+ receiving yards. Tony Pollard (Week 11, 2022) was the last player to accomplish these thresholds. It was the 82nd time a player hit those thresholds.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta - 314 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 18 Receptions, 270 Receiving Yards - 1 Receiving Touchdown
The complete list of players with 300+ rushing yards and 270+ receiving yards through the first four games of a season: Robinson, Marshall Faulk (2001), and Matt Forte (2011). Pretty good.
Ashton Jeanty, Chicago - 138 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown, 2 Receptions, 17 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving Touchdowns
We can safely put the "Is Jeanty a bust?" conversation to bed. Jeanty became the 9th player with 130+ rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Oddly enough, four of those nine were rookies: Jeanty, De'Von Achane, Kareem Hunt, and Eric Dickerson.
James Cook, Buffalo - 117 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown
Cook is the 33rd player in NFL history with 400+ rushing yards and 5+ rushing touchdowns in the first four games of a season. O.J. Simpson is the only other back for the Bills. Josh Jacobs' consecutive rushing touchdown streak was broken in Week 3, but Cook has a streak of his own, now up to 8 consecutive regular-season games.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco - 49 Rushing Yards, 6 Receptions, 92 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown
McCaffrey failed to hit 50-50 for the first time in 2025, though he continued a hot start. He's the fourth back in history with 30+ receptions and 300+ receiving yards through the first four games.
Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville - 124 Rushing Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown
Lost on the way to the Hive Mind demanding the Bhayshul Tuten takeover is the fact that Etienne is off to one of the best starts in Jaguars history. Only Leonard Fournette (2019) had more rushing yards than Etienne's 394 through the first four games.
Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh - 99 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing Touchdowns, 6 Receptions, 35 Receiving Yards
Gainwell is the ninth Steeler with 90+ rush yards, 2+ touchdowns, and 5+ receptions. Tightening the filter to six receptions and 30+ receiving yards, and the list is just four: with Le'Veon Bell, DeAngelo Williams, and Franco Harris joining Gainwell.
