Fantasy football: 5 changes ahead of Week 5 you need to know about

The variance of this game is what makes it so thrilling. The Eagles and Packers game was one of the best Thursday Night Football games in recent memory, a huge change from what we are used to. The Lions have established themselves as a team with a legitimate shot this year, and the Browns went out and surprised everyone with an enormous stomping of the Ravens on the road.

Any thing can happen on Sunday and the variance from week to week is unpredictable. Of the many changes from Week 4, here are five that you need to know about.

Running back (sort of) doesn't matter

This is a hot take, I know. No position is more debated throughout the year than the running back position and what it means to a team. Last week further cemented the argument that the position does not matter, but elements around the position do.

Scheme is a great example of one of these elements. Andy Reid's track record shows that it is good to be the RB1 in his offense, especially for Fantasy. It doesn't matter who is touching the ball in Kansas City; they are going to produce.

The combination of LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams accounted for 19 carries, 69 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns along with five receptions for 76 yards. Kansas City running backs scored 36 PPR points last week.

In relief of Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman was the RB 6 on the week, taking 18 carries for 63 yards and a score. He was a factor in the receiving game as well, turning seven targets into six receptions for 55 yards and another score.

In six quarters without Barkley, the Giants have scored 46 points.

Other back up running backs will fill in and perform up to par as that player they replace as the season unfolds. It is about scheme and game script.

Ronald Jones may be the "hot hand" in Bruce Arians' offense

Arians has said week in and week out that he would ride the hot hand in the backfield. Here is a rushing breakdown of the Buccaneers backfield this season:

• Week 1: Ronald Jones: 13/75, Peyton Barber: 8/33
• Week 2: Ronald Jones: 4/9, Peyton Barber: 23/82/1
• Week 3: Ronald Jones: 14/80, Peyton Barber: 13/48
• Week 4: Ronald Jones: 19/70/1, Peyton Barber: 9/19/1

It appears the tide has shifted with Jones out-playing Barber two weeks in a row. This is a fluid situation but for now he appears to be the back to own in Tampa Bay.

Jones is available on waiver wires, and Barber should be held for now.

Gardner Minshew II is no fluke

I am not ashamed to admit that I was more than skeptical of Gardner Minshew II. The hair, the mustache, the fact that he was yet another Jaguars quarterback had me out on him.

I am not ashamed to admit that I couldn't have been more wrong.

Minshew has been more than some serviceable fill in for Nick Foles. He has not thrown an interception since Week 1, and has seven touchdowns through four weeks. They are letting him throw the ball, with at least 30 attempts per game over the past three weeks and a 64.7% completion percentage over that time frame. 

He has more Fantasy points than Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Kyle Allen.

Minshew has one less point on the season, and one more passing touchdown, than Aaron Rodgers.

Will there be a quarterback controversy when Foles returns to full health? Minshew is certainly making a case for one.

Kellen Moore's offense still has that conservative element

After three explosive weeks against subpar opponents, the Dallas Cowboys offense not only regressed last week but they regressed to that offense reminiscent of what we have been used to the past few seasons.

The Cowboys played incredibly conservative against their first true test in Week 4. The RPO was close to non-existent. 

Through the first three weeks, Moore showed a willingness and often called passing plays on first down. Not in Week 4, where Dallas ran it on first down 11 times. Despite the run not being effective, on first down and all downs really, Dallas force fed Ezekiel Elliott with 18 carries. He could only squeeze out 35 yards, and managed to score the only touchdown of the game.

Dak Prescott's rushing usage was conservative as well, running the ball just once after a combined 11 rushes through the first three games. He failed to throw a touchdown for the first time this season, and now has three straight games where he turned the ball over.

The offense in general looked more like last season's rather than the last three weeks. A multitude of factors cost Dallas this game, and Moore's conservative play calling was one of them.

There is a new "Big 3" at tight end

It was just a few weeks ago that Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz, and George Kittle were in a tight end tier of their own and everyone else was largely just someone you drafted. Tight end is a position you can stream and if you missed out on the "Big 3", no big deal.

Evan Engram is currently the TE1 in Fantasy, followed by Austin Hooper and Mark Andrews. Engram is a known, elite talent at tight end. Andrews was a player that went from quiet sleeper to everyone's sleeper.

Hooper, on the other hand, seemed to slide under many radars and is paying off in a big way. He has 70 PPR points through four weeks and we haven't seen any spikes to inflate that number. He has at least six targets in each game and at least 66 yards in three out of four games. He's averaging 17.5 points per game, with double-digit points in three of them.

Travis Kelce is just outside of the top three at TE4, and clearly could finish out this thing near the top. However, players such as Darren Waller, Will Dissley, and Greg Olsen are making it difficult for both Zach Ertz (TE8) and George Kittle (TE13) to reclaim their spot in the "big 3" at the quarter mark of the season.