Don't be surprised if…both Jalen Hurts and Kareem Hunt continue to run

Every week in the NFL is its own story – full of surprises, both positive and negative – and fantasy football managers must 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 scores more touchdowns than he throws

Okay, this might seem silly, but check the numbers. Fantasy managers shouldn't worry about this How Star players collect their fantasy points just for doing it. Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen hurts enters Week 9 with the sixth-most PPR points at the position, but is third in PPR points per game, behind only Baltimore's Lamar Jackson and Buffalo's Josh Allen. Should it matter that Hurts only has one more passing touchdown (8) than rushing scores (7)? It's certainly a unique situation, but one that fantasy managers can't complain about.

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Eric Karabell expects Jalen Hurts to have a great fantasy season

Eric Karabell explains why Jalen Hurts could be in for a huge fantasy season in the future.

Hurts entered Week 5 having scored 17 PPR points in just one of four games, peppered with seven turnovers and blatant inefficiency. In fact, since the start of last season, no quarterback has been able to keep up with him in terms of turnovers. Hurts averaged 33 pass attempts through the first four games, with significant misjudgments occurring each week. The Eagles had to solve this.

Since then, the Eagles have won three straight games (though none against winning teams) and, remarkably, Hurts has rarely had a turnover, thanks in part to the team adjusting its role and reducing risk. Hurts has attempted just 59 passes through three weeks (20 per week), just two more than RB Saquon Barkley's rushing attempts, and generally these were safer passes. The only passing touchdown Sunday afternoon in Cincinnati was a beautiful 45-yard rainbow for WR DeVonta Smith — one with little chance of being picked.

Additionally, Hurts has scored five rushing touchdowns in the last two games, four of which came on the Eagles' near-lock tush-push rugby scrums. These plays remain just as effective as in previous seasons, even if the defense knows they are coming.

Baltimore's Jackson remains fantasy's leading scorer through eight weeks and is a leading MVP candidate, but Hurts has a good chance of finishing second in fantasy points if he continues to pay special attention to the football and continues to 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 gimme in Week 14 against the Panthers.

If Hurts finishes with 15 to 20 passing touchdowns and as many rushing scores, it would be 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 in his four games – a number bettered by only 10 running backs this season. Injured Chief Isiah Pacheco isn't one of them (just yet). Pacheco averaged 16.0 PPR points in his two games and broke his left leg late in Week 2. He underwent surgery and at this point the Chiefs remained hopeful that Pacheco would play again sometime in November.

Well, November is just around the corner and the Chiefs would certainly be happy to have their original starting running back return… but would they simply push Hunt aside in the process? Fantasy managers may want to tread carefully when trading Hunt, as if he were a safe RB2 option for the remainder of the regular season. However, if the cost is low, you should give it a try. In fact, Hunt has been a stunning RB1 option so far.

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

Still, coach Andy Reid has 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 because QB Patrick Mahomes, who is tied with Derek Carr at QB22 with 14.4 PPR points per game, is driving up the numbers.

Look for Hunt to continue to fill a top utility role if he stays healthy, and maybe we'll see Pacheco again by Thanksgiving. Even if he does come back, it may be a timeshare deal with Hunt potentially doing the early exit work.

Don't be surprised if…Kirk Cousins ​​fantasy manager frustrates

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Field Yates praises Kirk Cousins ​​for his fantasy play against Bucs

Field Yates analyzes Falcons QB Kirk Cousins' impressive games against the Buccaneers this season.

The good news for the Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins is that his new team is in first place in the NFC South and he has scored the 12th-most PPR points at his position, averaging a useful 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 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 highest scoring fantasy QB in Week 5 and was third last week. Great numbers!

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

The Falcons host the Cowboys (the sixth-easiest defense to score QB fantasy points against) in Week 9, but the Broncos, Saints, Chargers and Vikings all remain on the schedule – and they're all in the top 10 if it's about preventing QB fantasy points. We expected Cousins ​​to need time to adjust to a new offense while still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, but November is here. There are no more Buccaneers matches to enjoy. This is an important week to find out the future value of Cousins, and perhaps WR Drake London as well.

Don't be surprised if… the Rams have 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 it offers fantasy managers.

Yes, things sure change quickly in the NFL. A week ago, Rams WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp each had an injury asterisk next to their name and the duo had only played three games together this season. Fantasy managers were hopeful but hardly convinced of their value. At this point, there were four WR-teammate duos in our top 20 ranked for the remainder of the season (Bengals, Eagles, Jets, Texans), but they too were hit by injuries, just like the Buccaneers. Plus, Tua Tagovailoa returned, so maybe the Dolphins are in the mix as well.

That was last week. Then Nacua and Kupp both returned for last Thursday's game against the defensive-minded Vikings and combined for 34.2 PPR points – each moving into WR1 territory in our latest rankings for the remainder of the season. Is that fair? We may be worried about future injuries, but then again, Cincinnati's Tee Higgins missed Week 8, Eagles AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith were hampered, and we're hoping Texans star Nico Collins returns from his hamstring injury soon. The Jets recently traded for Davante Adams but are, shockingly, underutilizing him.

Don't forget, Nacua ranked fourth among all wide receivers last season, averaging 17.6 PPR points per game. Kupp dealt with more injuries but averaged 13.7 PPR points, still a top-20 mark. QB Matthew Stafford has certainly been relevant to fantasy managers. A week ago, the Rams' offense was RB Kyren Williams… and little else. Now it may be the most dangerous offense in sports.