Fantasy Footnotes: Gurley breaks out; Another hat trick for Freeman; Foster disappoints
Every gameday during the regular season, theScore's fantasy editors recap the most important news and notes from around the league.
So that's why the St. Louis Rams spent a top-ten draft pick on Todd Gurley.
In his second game, the rookie runner showed why he's widely considered to be a future superstar, overcoming a slow start to post 146 yards on 19 carries.
With the game on the line, the Rams gave the ball to Gurley on nearly every play. They made the right decision.
Gurley slashed through the Arizona Cardinals' defense with ease, making defenders miss with quick cuts and dragging tacklers for a few extra yards on several plays.
Gurley's day could have been even better, as he passed up what looked like an easy touchdown with seconds remaining in the fourth quarter because he knew his team could run out the clock and seal the win if he allowed himself to be tackled.
Fantasy owners who snagged Gurley with a mid-round pick are about to reap the rewards. He's a locked-in RB1 moving forward.
Freeman posts 2nd straight 3-TD game
Devonta Freeman is the first player with seven rushing touchdowns in the first four weeks of a season since LaDainian Tomlinson did it in 2005.
And he was dropped in many fantasy leagues.
Really, you couldn't blame many of the owners who cut bait. Through two weeks, rookie Tevin Coleman looked like the running back to own on the Falcons.
Then Coleman suffered a rib injury and everything changed.
Freeman rushed for 141 yards and three touchdowns in a breakout performance last week, then he proved it wasn't a fluke with another three-touchdown outburst Sunday.
Coleman is expected back soon, and he should eat into Freeman's carries a little, but the Falcons would have to be crazy to move away from what's working.
Right now, that's Freeman. And lots of him.
Foster disappoints in return
Arian Foster is back. That's the good news.
The bad news for his owners is that Foster looked like decidedly less than the dynamic player he typically is when healthy.
Foster touched the ball 11 times in his return from groin surgery, totaling 10 yards rushing and 25 yards receiving with a fumble.
After the game, Foster told reporters he knows he didn't play well.
While he's right, the game flow contributed to his poor numbers. The Texans played catch-up for most of the game, never allowing Foster to get into a rhythm and grind out yards.
Better days are ahead for Foster as he shakes off his rust, but the Texans don't look like a very good team and opportunities for Foster to carry the ball with a lead could be few and far between.
Owners who spent a mid-round pick in hopes Foster would return to RB1 value may not get what they hoped for, but at the very least they should have a serviceable RB2.
Notable Fantasy Lines
Philip Rivers, QB, Chargers
358 yards passing, 3 TDs
A vintage performance.
Sam Bradford, QB, Eagles
270 yards passing, 3 TDs, 14 yards rushing
There's the Bradford many fantasy analysts predicted we would see.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
224 yards passing, TD, 33 yards rushing
By Rodgers' standards, this counts as a subpar performance.
Peyton Manning, QB, Broncos
213 yards passing, TD, 2 INTs
The days of four- and five-touchdown games are in the past.
Devonta Freeman, RB, Falcons
68 yards rushing, 81 yards receiving, 3 TDs
That's back-to-back three-touchdown games for Freeman. He could be this year's breakout fantasy star.
Jeremy Hill, RB, Bengals
40 yards rushing, 3 TDs, 2-PT
Both Hill and backup Giovani Bernard had productive fantasy days.
Duke Johnson, RB, Browns
31 yards rushing, 85 yards receiving, TD
He's surpassed Isaiah Crowell as the Browns runner to own.
Latavius Murray, RB, Raiders
49 yards rushing, 12 yards receiving, FUM
Murray seemed to be benched for fumbling.
Chris Ivory, RB, Jets
166 yards rushing, TD
Ivory was active but didn't touch the ball last week. He was a workhorse Sunday, carrying the ball for a career high 166 yards on 29 attempts.
Tavon Austin, WR, Rams
20 yards rushing, 96 yards receiving, 2 TDs
Is this the long-awaited breakout? Or is it yet another tease?
Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Giants
38 yards receiving
Beckham dropped a would-be touchdown and had a spectacular catch ruled out of bounds.
Julio Jones, WR, Falcons
38 yards receiving
The Falcons got up big on the strength of their running game and didn't need to ask much of Jones.
Rishard Matthews, WR, Dolphins
16 yards receiving
A popular waiver wire add after two touchdowns in Week 3, Matthews turned in a dud.
Andre Johnson, WR, Colts
0 catches
It's probably over for Johnson.
Injury Ward
Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins
Reed was evaluated for a concussion after taking a big hit. He has a long history with concussions and it wouldn't be surprising to see him miss several games.
Stevie Johnson, WR, Chargers
Johnson left with a strained hamstring and didn't return. He could be sidelined for a few weeks.
Waiver Wire Targets
Kirk Cousins, QB, Redskins
If you're still searching for an answer at quarterback, Cousins is worth a look.
Duke Johnson, RB, Browns
If he was dropped in your league, make acquiring him a top priority - especially in PPR leagues.
Ronnie Hillman, RB, Broncos
His role keeps getting bigger as C.J. Anderson struggles, but Hillman has never succeeded in a featured role. Temper your expectations.
Allen Hurns, WR, Jaguars
Touchdowns in back-to-back weeks and 116 yards against the Colts gets him noticed, but Hurns could be benefiting from defenses keying on Allen Robinson.
Tavon Austin, WR, Rams
Owning Austin is a roller coaster, but the highs seem to be more frequent lately.
Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Panthers
He's getting consistent targets with Kelvin Benjamin on IR and he's been surprisingly productive with them.
Martavis Bryant, WR, Steelers
He's back from suspension in Week 5.
Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers
Also back from suspension in Week 5.