Every week in the NFL is its own story – full of surprises, both positive and negative – and fantasy football managers will have to decide what to believe and what not to believe going forward. Maybe we can help. If any of these thoughts come true…don’t be surprised.

Don’t be surprised if… Jalen Hurts runs for more TDs than he throws

Okay, that may seem strange, but check the numbers. Fantasy managers shouldn’t care How star players collect their fantasy points, that’s all they do. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen hurts enters Week 9 with the sixth-most PPR points at the position, but he ranks third in PPR points per game, behind only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Buffalo’s Josh Allen. Should it matter that Hurts has just one more passing touchdown (8) than rushing scores (7)? It’s certainly a unique situation that fantasy managers shouldn’t complain about.

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Eric Karabell expects a great fantasy season for Jalen Hurts

Eric Karabell explains why Jalen Hurts is set for a huge fantasy season in his future.

Hurts entered Week 5 with 17 PPR points in just one of four games, riddled with seven turnovers and obvious inefficiency. Since the start of last season, no quarterback has matched him in turnovers. Hurts averaged 33 pass attempts in the first four games, with notable errors in judgment each week. The Eagles had to solve that.

Since then, the Eagles have won three straight games (albeit none against winning teams) and Hurts has notably not committed any turnovers, in part because the team has adjusted its role and lowered its risk. Hurts has attempted just 59 passes in three weeks (20 per week), just two more than RB Saquon Barkley’s rushing attempts, and overall these have been safer passes. The only passing touchdown on Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati was a beautiful 45-yard rainbow to WR DeVonta Smith – one with little chance of being picked off.

Additionally, Hurts has scored five rushing touchdowns over the past two games, four of which came during the Eagles’ near-lock, tush push rugby scrums. These plays remain as effective as in previous seasons, even when the defense knows it is coming.

Baltimore’s Jackson remains the top fantasy scorer through eight weeks and is a leading MVP candidate, but Hurts has a good chance to finish second in fantasy points if he continues to take extra care of the football and get short, rushing scores. Philadelphia’s schedule is one of the most favorable in the last two months (starting with Week 9 against the Jaguars) and includes five more NFC East battles and a “give me” in Week 14 against the Panthers.

If Hurts finishes with between 15 and 20 passing touchdowns and the same number of rushing scores, that would be quite a historic achievement.

Don’t be surprised if… Kareem Hunt retains his starting role

Kansas City Chiefs RB Kareem Hunt enters Week 9 averaging 16.2 PPR points over his four games – a mark surpassed by only 10 running backs this season. Injured Chief Isiah Pacheco is (just) not one of them. Pacheco averaged 16.0 PPR points in his two games, breaking his left leg late in Week 2. He underwent surgery and at the time, the Chiefs remained hopeful that Pacheco would play again sometime in November.

Well, November is just around the corner and the Chiefs would certainly welcome back their original running back… but would they simply push Hunt aside in the process? Fantasy managers may want to proceed cautiously when trading Hunt, as if he will be a safe RB2 option for the rest of the regular season. But again, if the cost is low, go for it. Really, Hunt has been a stunning RB1 option thus far.

The undefeated Chiefs, who want to play in February, can also afford to be extra patient with Pacheco. Hunt, who remains available in more than 10% of ESPN standard leagues, has 21-plus rushing attempts in each of the past three games and has scored four rushing touchdowns in that span. He doesn’t see much in the passing game, but his overall volume remains high. By comparison, Pacheco has had 21 rushing attempts in just one of his 33 career games, though he tends to catch more passes.

Still, coach Andy Reid essentially replaced Pacheco’s high usage with Hunt (who is older and not nearly as efficient) and the Chiefs continue to win their games. That’s not the case because QB Patrick Mahomes, tied with Derek Carr at QB22 with 14.4 PPR points per game, is piling up the numbers.

Look for Hunt, assuming he stays healthy, to continue in a top usage role, and perhaps we’ll see Pacheco again by Thanksgiving. Even if he returns, this could be a timeshare, with Hunt potentially taking on the early work.

Don’t be surprised if… Kirk Cousins ​​frustrates fantasy managers

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Field Yates calls out Kirk Cousins ​​for fantasy play against Bucs

Field Yates breaks down Falcons QB Kirk Cousins’ impressive games against the Buccaneers this season.

The good news for Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk cousins is that he has his new team in first place in the NFC South, and he has scored the 12th most PPR points at his position, averaging 15.6 PPR points per game. The bad news is that the Falcons won’t play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again this season, and fantasy managers have some reason to be concerned.

In two games against Tampa Bay, Cousins ​​has 785 passing yards (392.5 per game), eight touchdown passes (four in each game), one interception and 63 PPR points. Cousins ​​was the top-scoring fantasy QB in Week 5, and he ranked third this past week. Great numbers!

In his six other games, not all of which were against top defenses (Panthers, Seahawks, etc.), Cousins ​​has only 1,321 passing yards (220 per game), six touchdown passes, six interceptions and he is averaging 10.3 PPR . points per match. In fact, Cousins ​​was one of the lowest-scoring fantasy QBs in five of the eight weeks, finishing in single digits three times. The Falcons are 3-3 when not facing Tampa Bay. None of this is predictive, of course, but it could be concerning.

The Falcons host the Cowboys (sixth-easiest defense to rack up QB fantasy points against) in Week 9, but the Broncos, Saints, Chargers and Vikings all remain on schedule — and they’re all in the top 10 in terms of preventing QB fantasy points. We expected Cousins ​​to need time to work on a new offense while still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, but November has arrived. There are no more Buccaneers matchups to enjoy. This is an important week to determine the future value of Cousins, and perhaps WR Drake London as well.

Don’t be surprised if… the Rams boast the best WR duo in the NFL

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What can fantasy managers expect from Matthew Stafford?

Stephania Bell examines Matthew Stafford’s upcoming schedule and the opportunities he presents to fantasy managers.

Yes, things are certainly changing quickly in the NFL. A week ago, Rams WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp each had injury asterisks next to their names and the duo had played just three games together this season. Fantasy managers were hopeful, but hardly convinced of its value. At that point, there were four WR teammate duos in our top 20 in the rest of the season rankings (Bengals, Eagles, Jets, Texans), but injuries affected them too, just like the Buccaneers. Plus, Tua Tagovailoa came back, so maybe the Dolphins are in play too.

That was last week. Then, Nacua and Kupp both returned for last Thursday’s game against the defending Vikings and combined for 34.2 PPR points — each moving into WR1 territory in our final rankings for the remainder of the season. Is this fair? We may be concerned about future injuries, but on the other hand, Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins missed Week 8, Eagles AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith are compromised, and we’re hoping Texans star Nico Collins returns soon from his hamstring injury. The Jets recently traded for Davante Adams, but – shockingly – are underutilizing him.

Remember, Nacua finished fourth among all wide receivers in PPR points last season, averaging 17.6 per game. Kupp battled more injuries but averaged 13.7 PPR points, still a top-20 mark. QB Matthew Stafford was certainly relevant to fantasy managers. A week ago, the Rams offense was RB Kyren Williams … and little else. Now it is perhaps the most dangerous foul in sports.