The Saints wasted a few first half plays trying to get Etienne involved in his first game back from an extended injury absence. Those plays predictably went nowhere, and it was Alvin Kamara who had the big fantasy day, scoring both Saints touchdowns — one through the air, the other on the ground. Etienne logged 13 routes to 12 routes for Kamara. The Saints backfield is among the least appealing for fantasy purposes and has been for some time. Etienne will be a desperation deep league option in Week 11 against the Bears.

None of the Carolina pass catchers did much in a game that saw the Panthers go ultra run-heavy. McMillan led the team in targets but was never on the same page with Bryce Young, who had one of his worst games of the season. On the season McMillan has four games with at least 75 yards, along with five games of at least five receptions. McMillan will be a WR2 option in Week 11 against a shaky Ravens secondary.

A player rolled on Bowers’ ankle in the first quarter and after a trip to the blue medical tent, he was not able to return to action. The injury-marred Bowers could be in for yet another absence, making Michael Mayer a viable fantasy option in most formats. Bowers had one catch for six yards before he suffered the ankle injury.

Jordyn Tyson, in his second NFL game, took over for at least one week as the team’s clear WR1, drawing 13 targets and finishing with 80 yards on 11 grabs. Olave, who did not record a reception until late in the third quarter, saw nothing downfield as Tyler Shough was under constant duress against a Carolina defense that entered the week with one of the lowest QB pressure rates in the NFL. Olave entered Week 10 with a 27 percent target share and a 47 percent air yards share. Tyson’s emergence could be a major issue for Olave if this sort of usage continues in Week 11 against the Bears.

Waller ran a route on 27 of the team’s 38 drop backs and should have caught what would have been a 30-yard touchdown in the first half. Coming off a big game in Week 9 against the Broncos, Waller was fourth on the team in targets as the Panthers turned hard toward the run. Tommy Tremble had more targets, receptions, and yards than Waller on the day. Waller’s red zone role and the Panthers usual pass heaviness should keep him viable as a streaming option in Week 11 against Baltimore.

Coker had one rush for three yards but was otherwise invisible. The usually pass-first Panthers went mega run-heavy against the Saints, limiting targets for every Carolina pass catcher. Coker, who ran a route on 33 of 36 Panthers drop backs, was seen yelling in frustration on the sideline in the second half. Coker has done almost nothing since his Week 1 explosion against the Bears. He has four or fewer receptions in five games this season. Coker will be a deep league flex in Week 11 against Baltimore.

The entire Carolina offense revolved around Hubbard in this one, as the Panthers ditched their pass-heavy approach for an ultra run-heavy offense against a middle New Orleans defense. Hubbard had a couple long plays and a touchdown called back on penalties too. He plodded along for much of the game before exploding for a long gain on a well-designed screen play late in the fourth quarter. Hubbard, who now has seven games with at least 17 rushes, has been one of the most reliable running backs in fantasy this season. That might change a bit when Jonathon Brooks returns from injury, perhaps in Week 11 against the Ravens.

Making a spot start in place of Kenneth Walker III (groin), fifth-round rookie Johnson was electric from the opening whistle, routinely tacking on extra yardage by either dragging tacklers or simply juking them out of their cleats. Johnson almost never took a negative play, and was so, so slippery in the open field or with any steam whatsoever. He was the Chiefs’ No. 2 receiver with 6/70/2, and actually the most targeted with seven looks. It was the kind of all-around performance we knew was possible from Johnson’s pre-draft profile but that we just have not seen because of Walker’s dominance. With Walker truly questionable for Week 11 against the Cardinals until we hear otherwise, Johnson would be an RB1 if given another start against the lowly Birds. Even if Walker goes, Johnson’s FLEX standing is now on much firmer ground.

The Bills leaned on Cook heavily in this one, not showing much of a belief that the Jets were going to pile up many points on offense. It was a solid day overall for Cook, but he then ripped off a career-high 74-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that not only sealed the win for the Bills but also made it a big fantasy day for Cook. The 27-year-old could have had an even bigger day, but he dropped what likely would have been a 15-yard touchdown catch. Cook should be a rock-solid RB1 next week against the Dolphins as well.

Breaking Josh Downs into the Chiefs’ undermanned receiver corps, Mahomes ended up having his first five-score passing effort since Week 1 of the 2022 season. Heavens to Betsy. The 348 yards were also his fourth most since that MVP campaign for years ago. All this when the only addition was Josh Downs. Of course, it helped that Mahomes was facing a downtrodden, disinterested Falcons side, but it really did seem like the presence of another legitimate wideout was creating more space for everybody. That even included Rashee Rice, who caught a legitimate down-field bomb, and Andrew Armstrong, who housed a late 43-yard score where Mahomes just kind of chucked it up. Two of Mahomes’ touchdowns went to spot-starting running back Emmett Johnson, who was electric in the open field. This had the feel of a sort of deliverance for the Kansas City side, and it should continue in Week 11 against the Cardinals. The schedule stiffens after that, if not really the opposing defenses. Mahomes is back to every-week QB1 status, and should frequently be a high-end option.