Boost Watch, Week 5: Mendoza finally plays
Fernando Mendoza took his first NFL snaps in a blowout loss, which keeps a +2 alive for October. Eleven Future Stars played, Peter Woods had a bye that costs him nothing, and Kenyon Sadiq left with a concussion that puts Week 6 in doubt.
Week 5 is logged, and it had the biggest single development of the season so far: Fernando Mendoza played.
With the Raiders down 45–17 to New England and 6:06 left, Klint Kubiak pulled Kirk Cousins — not for injury, just to keep a 38-year-old out of a lost game — and Mendoza made his NFL debut. He went 6-of-8 for 48 yards in the rain, took no sacks, and moved Las Vegas from its own 35 to the New England 14 with three first downs before a fourth-down scramble came up short. He took the blame afterward, saying he should have thrown over the middle rather than try to get the edge.
Kubiak shut the controversy down on Monday: Cousins remains the starter, and he has earned it, with 1,269 yards and 12 touchdowns, tied for second in the league. But Mendoza has finally played, and for October that is worth a point.
The eleven who played
FERNANDO MENDOZA — QB, Las Vegas Raiders. Covered above, and it changes his month. He missed Week 4, so +3 was already gone, but one appearance keeps +2 alive if he also plays in Weeks 6 and 7. Realistically that means another game decided early enough for Kubiak to make the same call.
ARVELL REESE — LB, New York Giants. The Giants played Washington to a 27–27 tie. Sports Illustrated now calls him a potential Defensive Rookie of the Year winner and ranks the Giants’ draft class second in the league. He is the best card in the set right now.
CALEB DOWNS — S, Dallas Cowboys. Four tackles on all 72 defensive snaps in a 24–16 Thursday night loss to a Tampa Bay team starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback. Sports Illustrated ranks the Dallas draft class sixth overall at A-minus, and puts him at the front of it.
MAX IHEANACHOR — OT, Pittsburgh Steelers. A third straight start, and the story has flipped completely from last week’s public criticism. Sports Illustrated says he has performed admirably and like a long-term solution since stepping into the lineup. Pittsburgh beat the Colts 34–22 to go 3–2.
MAKAI LEMON — WR, Philadelphia Eagles. A season high: five catches for 43 yards on seven targets in a 19–17 loss to Jacksonville in London. He has drawn 13 targets across two games with DeVonta Smith out. The offense around him is in upheaval, with Lane Johnson retiring mid-season and center Cam Jurgens traded four games in, but the targets are going his way.
VEGA IOANE — OG, Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore beat Atlanta 30–23 in overtime after tying it with 40 seconds left. The Ravens are 4–1.
AVIEON TERRELL — CB, Atlanta Falcons. On the other side of that one, and on the field for all of it.
JAKE SLAUGHTER — C, Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers lost 23–17 to Denver and are 0–5. He is still playing every snap at center, which is all the card needs.
ANTHONY HILL — LB, Tennessee Titans. The Titans lost 26–3 to Houston and are 0–5. Like Slaughter, a starter on a losing team still takes every snap.
DERRICK MOORE — DE, Detroit Lions. Detroit won 45–21, but Sports Illustrated was blunt that the defense needs more than it has had from its second-round edge rusher, and a different rookie linebacker is now taking snaps. He played, so the month is intact. The usage is still the thing to watch.
Kenyon Sadiq played too, and is in the injury report below.
Who sat out?
PETER WOODS — DT, Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was on its bye. That is not a missed game, because there was no game to miss — it just means the Chiefs play three October games rather than four. He has played the one so far, so Weeks 6 and 7 are all he needs for +3, the shortest path to a full boost in the set.
Injury report
KENYON SADIQ — TE, New York Jets. Concussion. Two catches for three yards and a lost fumble, then he left in the third quarter and did not return; the Jets won 17–12. He is now in the concussion protocol, with Mason Taylor and Jelani Woods covering. He is two-for-two in October, so a missed Week 6 drops him from +3 to +2. His clearance is the one thing to watch this week.
JADARIAN PRICE — RB, Seattle Seahawks. On injured reserve, and Seattle lost a 32–29 thriller to the 49ers without him. His four-game minimum covers all of October, so his zero for the month is already settled.
JORDYN TYSON — WR, New Orleans Saints. Still out, with Week 7 the earliest realistic return. The Saints fell to 1–4. One appearance in Week 7 is worth +1, and that is the best October can do for him.
The rest of the month
October is Weeks 4 to 7, so two games are in and two are left. Where every card stands:
- On track for +3, two-for-two: Caleb Downs, Vega Ioane, Jake Slaughter, Arvell Reese, Avieon Terrell, Anthony Hill, Makai Lemon, Max Iheanachor and Derrick Moore.
- Peter Woods: one-for-one with his bye used. Weeks 6 and 7 are all he needs for +3.
- Kenyon Sadiq: two-for-two, but in concussion protocol. Miss Week 6 and he drops to +2.
- Fernando Mendoza: one-for-two. He needs snaps in both remaining weeks for +2.
- Jadarian Price: zero for October, settled. Jordyn Tyson: +1 at best, with a Week 7 return.
Everyone else is clean. If you are holding Sadiq, keep him out of challenges until his protocol clears: an 85 that might become an 88 is worth more than one that might become an 87, and this week decides which.
Risers and fallers
- RiserFernando Mendoza — Six of eight in his debut. Still the backup, but on the board, and a +2 is alive.
- RiserArvell Reese — Now named in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation. The best card in the set.
- RiserMax Iheanachor — Roasted in Week 4, called a long-term solution in Week 5. The job is safer than it has been all season.
- RiserMakai Lemon — Thirteen targets in two games and a season high. The volume has finally arrived.
- FallerDerrick Moore — Called out for what the defense is not getting from him, with another rookie taking snaps.
- WatchKenyon Sadiq — In concussion protocol. Clearance before Week 6 is the difference between +3 and +2.
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