We are now over a month into this NFL season! We must focus on the top takeaways now that we have film and statistics to study. No longer can we rest on our offseason takes of who will succeed and who will fail. We now have a reasonably large sample size of NFL football. The fantasy season will move quickly, and in a dynasty, it is essential to acquire players before they break out or unload players before they falter. We can lead our team to a fantasy football title by focusing on weekly top takeaways!
Robbie Anderson Blown Gasket
Frustrations are mounting in Carolina, and they came to a head this past Sunday. Robbie Anderson got into an argument with the coaching staff and was sent off to the locker room. The very next day, he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals. This cannot be good for team morale, as the media rumors of a firesale have been non-stop since head coach Matt Rhule was fired.
The Panthers were forced to start PJ Walker this past week as quarterback Baker Mayfield was out with a foot injury, and the team still awaits the return of Sam Darnold for the first time this year. Things are not looking great in Carolina. Walker only completed ten passes for 60 yards. His Average Depth of Target was 0.5 yards. That is correct; one-half of a yard was how far his average throw was going. He was eventually pulled for Jacob Eason. The only hope for players like DJ Moore or Christian McCaffery is that the trade deadline is approaching, and Carolina might be looking to move them.
Kyle Pitts False Hope
Kyle Pitts has been an extreme disappointment for most in fantasy football in 2022. This past week we had a glimmer of hope for Pitts; he finally scored a touchdown! However, do not let the false hope of an endzone trip fool you; this season is still not good for Pitts. He was only on the field for 33 offensive snaps, barely over half. On top of that, only half of those snaps were during pass attempts. This led to a final stat line of three targets, three catches, 19 yards, and a score.
Pitts has been frustrating managers all season long after being deemed a top-ten fantasy asset over the summer. His lack of usage is severely handicapping his ability right now. The problem is not even him struggling; he just lacks a role in this offense. He is averaging only five targets a game. Unless things change, Pitts will be hard to justify in any starting lineup for the rest of the year.
Alvin Kamara Lone Survivor
The New Orleans Saints offense was decimated by injuries this past week. Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, and Jarvis Landry were all out for their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. That meant the offense would run through Alvin Kamara, which it did. Kamara had 19 carries for 99 yards and six catches for 25 yards. That is now back-to-back weeks where Kamara has seen an immense workload on the ground while also being very efficient through the air. The only thing missing is the touchdowns, which is good for us in fantasy football.
The time to go get Alvin Kamara is now. He is seeing near-elite usage in this offense, which should take a step forward once Jameis Winston returns. His managers might see the lack of fantasy points and want to move him. Once he finds the endzone, you can expect those prices to go up!
Chris Godwin Return To Form
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking far from Super Bowl form, but Chris Godwin looks just as elite as ever. In Sunday’s upset loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Godwin commanded 12 targets. Unfortunately, those 12 targets only produced six catches for 93 yards. There is something very off about this Tom Brady offense right now, as they are struggling to put points on the board. Something for dynasty managers to keep a close eye on.
Information is the most powerful tool any dynasty fantasy football manager possesses. If you can stay on top of the correct information more than your league-mates, you will come out on top. The NFC South has many key fantasy players in it. Be sure to check back with us, as we will be breaking down takeaways from every division this week. And be sure to come back next week, as we will be doing the same for all 18 weeks of the 2022 NFL season!
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I hope you enjoyed this piece in our Winning With Vegas series. For more content like this, follow me on Twitter @DanT_NFL. DMs are always open for any questions, comments, or craft beer recommendations!
