EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEach week in the NFL is its own story -- full of surprises, both positive and negative -- and fantasy football managers must decide what to believe and what not to believe moving forward. Perhaps we can help. If any of these thoughts come true ... don't be surprised!NOTE: All mention of fantasy points is for PPR formats, unless otherwise mentioned.Don't be surprised if ... Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers finishes among the top 12 QB optionsWe must give credit to Rodgers for averaging 20.6 fantasy points over the past four games and throwing 11 touchdown passes in that span. The season numbers for the 42-year-old Rodgers may be a bit misleading, since he scored only 3.98 points in Week 2 against the New England Patriots. He is completing only 61.4% of his passes overall, which would be his worst figure since 2015. Five interceptions in six games? That's not normal, either. Still, only 13 quarterbacks boast more fantasy points this season!Fantasy managers have some legitimate complaints about the Steelers, starting with what is an annoying running back timeshare (just let Jaylen Warren have the touches!). And many cannot forgive the wasted draft pick on offseason acquisition Michael Pittman Jr. But Rodgers is overachieving, based on recent seasons. His last season among the top 10 fantasy QB scorers came in 2021 with the Green Bay Packers. He was league MVP. Rodgers was the No. 13 QB the following season.There are negatives here: Rodgers is about as immobile as possible, with only 17 rushing yards, and nobody has lost more yards via sacks. He has a pedestrian 47.0 QBR that ranks 22nd, and he is averaging only 6.4 yards per attempt.However, there are positives: Rodgers is throwing a lot. He is on pace for 660 pass attempts, which would be a career high by 50 attempts. Other than 2023, when he was injured five minutes into the season, Rodgers has been durable. He plays every game. Some of the current top 15 QBs in fantasy points per game are not durable (Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels) or could lose their role to younger players (Kirk Cousins, Jacoby Brissett).Who needs Pittman? Rookie Germie Bernard is the new top target and is working well with DK Metcalf, even while averaging only 9.5 yards per catch (same as Courtland Sutton, ew) and ranking 47th in yards after the catch. Sure, we would like more connections down the field, but the volume is there. Rodgers boasts running backs, wide receivers and tight ends to target, and the schedule (including this week against the New Orleans Saints in Paris) isn't terribly challenging. It's all working well enough that Rodgers should be rostered in more leagues.Don't be surprised if ... New York Giants RB Cam Skattebo gets every chance to bounce back this weekend -- and he doesSkattebo did not record his fifth fumble of the season in Sunday's loss to the Saints because the team didn't give him a chance to do so. Skattebo wasn't benched, per se, but rather punished for his overtime fumble in the tie against the Washington Commanders in Week 5. He played six snaps and recorded nary a touch in Week 6, while Tyrone Tracy Jr., who we have seen is not a great player, scored a pair of touchdowns.New coach John Harbaugh made his point on Skattebo. Good for him. Watch Skattebo run over myriad Houston Texans defenders for at least 60 total yards and a touchdown this week.Nobody is saying the physical Skattebo is a perfect player. He runs with reckless abandon and invites defensive punishment, and sometimes it hurts the offense. Skattebo's rookie season ended prematurely due to an ankle injury, and it would be optimistic to project him to maintain full health for all the games this season. Still, he's better than Tracy, Devin Singletary and the ghost of Najee Harris, who lasted five games before being released. Skattebo scored seven touchdowns in eight games last season, and he catches passes, too. He is among the top-10 most-dropped running backs this week. It's a mistake.Don't be surprised if ... Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison is still a top-30 WR this seasonIt's not too late for Addison, the other Vikings WR who suffered greatly from the underperformance of the team's quarterbacks last season. It wasn't solely Justin Jefferson, you know. (And yet, everyone suddenly seems to love that current Giants quarterback who torpedoed these WRs and Minnesota's 2025 season. Hmmm.) Addison was a WR2 during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, his first in the NFL. Last year, of course, he was not.Addison missed Week 5 with a hamstring injury, then enjoyed a bye in Week 6 to heal up, and now he is set to statistically take off in a tantalizing home game against the Indianapolis Colts. Nobody is saying Addison is Jefferson, but he is rostered in only 71.9% of leagues, which seems like a misprint. Addison scored 20 touchdowns over his first two seasons. Kyler Murray is capable enough to return him to such heights. You know what to do.More players to keep an eye onTexans WR Tank Dell probably isn't going to have a major fantasy outing this weekend against the Giants, since he hasn't played in an NFL game in nearly two years thanks to a devastating left knee injury. However, Dell, a third-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, mattered during his first two seasons. He averaged 15.1 yards per catch as a rookie and scored seven touchdowns. The Texans utilized him for 20 rushing attempts in his first 25 games, too. Don't expect big touches this week, but the Texans are on bye in Week 8 and then, well, who knows? Dell is rostered in 29.7% of ESPN standard leagues. I think we may be recommending him over the overrated Marvin Harrison Jr. by Thanksgiving.Perhaps San Francisco 49ers WR Mike Evans plays against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, perhaps not. Regardless, if you have the room, look at Christian Kirk over Brandin Cooks. Yes, they are 49ers now. Kirk (calf) hasn't debuted for the team yet, but he practiced Wednesday, and he has a golden opportunity to catch Brock Purdy passes. Kirk was averaging 14 yards per reception for the 2024 Jacksonville Jaguars before breaking his collarbone (in other words, not a knee/leg injury), and while his 2025 regular season with the Texans was disappointing, he caught eight passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in the wild-card victory over the Steelers (that was nine months ago). Purdy doesn't want to throw 12 times in the direction of Christian McCaffrey. He wants to throw downfield.
