Week 4 Revenge Games: 5 Players Out to Torch Their Ex-Teams
Last week, Revenge of the Nerds came to me when sitting down to write this, and today, it’s The Princess Bride. This cult classic features revenge as a running theme throughout, with one of the most quotable lines (of many) being "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die", which is repeated several times as the character Inigo hunts for the man responsible for his father’s death.
His obsession is so intense that after eventually achieving his goal, Inigo states, "I've been in the revenge business for so long, now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life".
Revenge is always on the minds of those done dirty, and not all NFL players who changed teams were necessarily wronged, but we have to assume some sort of vengeance lies within.
I outlined what I found from 10 years of data in the article Revenge Games: 10 Years of Data on Fantasy Breakouts vs. Former Teams, and this weekly article dives into who’s seeking retribution each week.
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Before I get into this week's revengers, let’s look at how Week 3 shook out:
Two guys got some solid payback.
- Marcus Mariota - QB6, 20.3
- Jake Browning - QB29, 5.9
- J.K. Dobbins - RB12, 14.8
- Christian Kirk - WR65, 4.0
- Jonnu Smith - TE30, 3.8
Quarterbacks
Marcus Mariota (WAS) @ Falcons
He may be back to holding a clipboard if Jayden Daniels is cleared to play, but for now, let’s proceed as if Marcus Mariota gets to seek revenge for a second straight week. He put up a QB6 performance against his employer from 2020-2021, and on Sunday, Mariota may face an Atlanta squad he was a member of in 2022.
The Falcons are coming off a brutally embarrassing 30-0 loss to Carolina, and they let Baker Mayfield post 22.6 fantasy points on them in Week 1. Consider Mariota a fringe QB1 heading into this matchup.
Mac Jones (SF) @ Jaguars
Another player who may or may not start, depending on injury, Mac Jones wore a Jags uniform just last season, where he had 262 passing attempts for 1,672 yards and eight touchdowns with eight interceptions. Jones also posted a 28-92-1 line on the ground while filling in for the injured Trevor Lawrence.
Jones is the QB10 over the last two weeks, seemingly thriving in Kyle Shanahan’s system, and if Brock Purdy is ruled out and his knee is good to go, a revenge narrative could propel him into starting territory against Jacksonville’s defense.
Running Backs
Samaje Perine (CIN) @ Broncos
After a one-year stint in Denver in 2023, Samaje Perine had a cup of coffee in Kansas City before landing back with the Bengals, where he was on the roster from 2020 to 2022. Perine returns to the Mile High City on Monday night as the change-of-pace guy behind Chase Brown and likely won’t provide much fantasy assistance despite the revenge narrative.
Wide Receivers
Hollywood Brown (KC) vs. Ravens
He leads the Chiefs in targets through three contests, but the bulk of Hollywood Brown’s volume came in Week 1, as Tyquan Thornton saw three more balls against the Giants last week than he did. I do believe his role will continue to diminish, especially with Xavier Worthy set to return and Rashee Rice’s Week 7 debut also a factor.
However, Patrick Mahomes may look Brown’s way a few more times on Sunday afternoon, considering he is up against the team where he started his NFL career from 2019 to 2021. Brown should be considered a WR4 with WR3/flex appeal in this retribution matchup.
Tight Ends
Noah Fant (CIN) @ Broncos
Unfortunately, we have another player who may be unable to suit up due to injury. Noah Fant is in concussion protocol, so he may not play, but he is facing the team that selected him 20th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. If he's able to get out there, we have to assume retaliation is on the TE's mind. Fant leads the Bengals TE room in targets with 14, with a 23.0% target rate per snap.
