Fantasy football managers are often forced to make difficult decisions after a disappointing Sunday. That said, not every bad box score deserves a dramatic reaction. The challenge for managers is identifying which poor performances are merely bumps in the road and which ones represent a meaningful change in opportunity. In these four cases, there are enough reasons to remain patient rather than making impulsive roster decisions.
D'Andre Swift, CHI
D'Andre Swift's Week 4 performance was certainly frustrating. Still, there are reasons fantasy football managers should resist the temptation to completely abandon him. Swift carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards and caught both of his targets for 16 yards in Chicago's 23-12 win over the Jets. He also lost a fumble, which created an additional concern because Swift spent some time on the sidelines afterward.
It remains unclear whether Swift was benched because of the turnover or was dealing with an injury. He got up slowly after the play and appeared to favor his knee. That adds another layer of uncertainty to his situation. The biggest development, however, was Kyle Monangai's performance. Monangai ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Still, one game shouldn't erase Swift's role. The Bears have continued to use him. His involvement in the passing game provides an important path to fantasy production even when his rushing efficiency isn't particularly impressive. Swift should be viewed as a low-end RB2 moving forward.
Garrett Wilson, NYJ
Garrett Wilson's Week 4 numbers look ugly. The biggest problem, though, was arguably the Jets' entire passing offense rather than Wilson himself. Wilson caught three of four targets for 27 yards in New York's 23-12 loss to Chicago. The Jets struggled to generate any consistent offensive momentum, finishing with only 119 passing yards. Much of that passing production came from a 58-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams. That left little opportunity for Wilson to accumulate his usual volume.
Through four games, Wilson has caught 24 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns. That body of work provides considerably more evidence about his fantasy football value than one game.
The situation should also improve simply through opportunity. Wilson remains one of the primary receiving options in New York's offense. Managers shouldn't treat a three-catch performance as evidence that his role has disappeared. Wilson enters Week 5 as a low-end WR1/high-end WR2 for a home matchup against Cleveland.
Bucky Irving, TB
Bucky Irving also had a disappointing afternoon, but his workload remains encouraging. Irving carried the ball 16 times for 61 yards in Tampa Bay's 17-14 loss to Green Bay. He wasn't targeted in the passing game. That limited his opportunities to build a stronger fantasy total.
He also dealt with a glute injury throughout the week, although the injury didn't appear to significantly affect him during the game. The bigger frustration came from watching fellow Tampa Bay running backs Kenny Gainwell and Sean Tucker find the end zone while Irving remained scoreless.
Article Continues BelowStill, Irving has accumulated 241 rushing yards and one touchdown through four games. He remains on the RB2 radar heading into Week 5 against Dallas.
Kyler Murray, MIN
Kyler Murray presents the most complicated situation of the group. Murray completed 27-of-37 passes for 247 yards in Minnesota's 15-10 victory over Miami. He took care of the football and helped the Vikings secure the win. However, he didn't throw a touchdown and wasn't able to generate the kind of fantasy football production managers were hoping for.
The concern is understandable, particularly if Justin Jefferson's ankle injury forces him to miss additional time. Jefferson's presence gives Murray a significantly more dangerous weapon in the passing game. Losing him could make it harder for Murray to produce consistent fantasy numbers.
Still, Murray's Week 4 performance wasn't disastrous from a real-football perspective. For fantasy purposes, however, expectations should be tempered. If Jefferson remains sidelined, Murray's ceiling could take a meaningful hit. That makes him a more difficult option to trust in standard leagues.
Don't Overreact Yet
Swift, Wilson, Irving, and Murray all produced disappointing fantasy football numbers in Week 4. However, their situations aren't identical. Swift still has meaningful usage. Wilson's struggles were tied heavily to New York's passing offense. Irving continues to receive carries. Murray's outlook depends heavily on Jefferson's availability.
Fantasy managers shouldn't ignore warning signs, but they also shouldn't make permanent decisions based on one Sunday. Volume, role, health, and matchup remain more important indicators than a single bad box score.