Man, Week 4 was wild, but nothing shook things up quite like what went down in Chicago. Kyle Monangai just went off for 30 carries, 150 total yards, and two huge touchdowns, racking up a massive 27.5 fantasy points. All while D’Andre Swift fumbled the ball, sending him straight to the bench. It felt like a changing of the guard, and for good reason: this was Swift’s second lost fumble this season, and Monangai took that opportunity to show out with a massive workload.
Monangai Takes Over, Swift Fumbles Away His Snaps
You can’t ignore the numbers from that Chicago backfield. Monangai was an absolute workhorse, hauling in 30 carries and a catch for 150 total yards and two scores. Swift, meanwhile, barely broke double digits in carries with 15, adding two receptions for 74 total yards, but crucially, zero touchdowns. That fumble? Yeah, it was a killer. The dude went to the bench, and Monangai stepped up big time.
Now, to be fair, the Bears offense was on the field practically all day. They ran a TON of plays because the Jets couldn’t convert a single third down, going 0-for-7, and only managed seven first downs to Chicago’s 34. Coach Ben Johnson was straight-up grinding New York to a pulp. But even with two turnovers keeping the score from getting totally out of hand, Monangai still ate. Look, Monangai has had these kinds of performances before, but with Swift fumbling twice already this season, Monangai is clearly making a bid to take over that backfield. Swift will probably still be involved, but his role? It’s trending down, big time. Keep an eye on Monangai’s thumb injury going into Week 5, but if he’s healthy, he’s looking like a solid RB3/FLEX with RB1/2 upside. Swift is a risky FLEX play right now, no doubt.
Pats Backfield Is a Seesaw, Texans’ Monty Is Busting
Speaking of wild, how about the Patriots’ comeback win over the Bills? That was nuts. But their running back situation is still a total seesaw, week-to-week. Remember when TreVeyon Henderson shined in Week 2? Then both backs did nada in Week 3. Now in Week 4, things shifted back to Rhamondre Stevenson.
Stevenson led the way in touches and yards with 13 carries, 3 receptions, 74 total yards, and a score, netting 16.9 fantasy points. Henderson had 14 carries for 42 yards, but didn’t catch either of his two targets and couldn’t find the end zone, even though he was involved in the red area. Stevenson is clearly the guy in the passing game. If Henderson doesn’t rip off explosive plays, his upside is capped. This whole situation is gonna stay volatile unless one of these guys gets hurt. Stevenson has a slight edge right now, especially if he can keep the ball off the ground. He’s an okay RB2/flex in PPR. Henderson? He’s a flex, maybe. He needs way more volume or some big touchdown runs to hit his ceiling.
And then there’s Houston. David Montgomery really got us with that Week 1 performance, didn’t he? If you were smart enough to trade him after that, props to you. Because the dude busted again in Week 4 with just 10 carries for 43 yards. Woody Marks got a score on 6 carries for 22 yards, but let’s be real, it’s not much. Montgomery was supposed to be a winning pick and an RB2, but if this keeps up, it’s gonna be a long season for anyone who’s still got him on their roster.
The early season trends are hitting hard, folks. We’re seeing backfields get reshuffled right before our eyes. Monangai’s emergence and Swift’s struggles are something to watch closely as we head into Week 5. For the Patriots, it’s still a guessing game, so stay tuned to see if Stevenson can finally grab hold of that lead role for good. It’s never dull out there!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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