Fantasy Football: What you missed Thursday, with Tom Brady getting help and Andrew Luck needing some

Need Fantasy Football lineup advice? Talk to CBS Sports on your Google Assistant to get insights on the best sleepers and to help decide between players. Just start with, "Hey Google, talk to CBS Sports."

Catch up on the latest news from around the NFL every Tuesday through Friday with our breakdown of what you missed and what you need to know.

Andrew Luck didn't get much help

I was nervous to trust Luck in this one, given the absence of T.Y. Hilton, Jack Doyle, Marlon Mack, and two starting offensive linemen, especially because I'm still not convinced he's all the way back to being himself. I'm glad I did start him, of course, as Luck passed for 365 yards and three touchdowns, but for the second week in a row, it didn't look great at halftime.

Luck racked up plenty of Fantasy points in garbage time, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but he might have played even better than his line indicated. The Colts dropped numerous passes, and at least one of Luck's two interceptions went off a receivers' hands before ending up with the defense. He still hasn't been efficient – 6.2 yards per attempt Thursday – but the last two weeks have been promising for Luck, especially largely without Hilton. Thanks to passing volume alone, Luck looks like he's back to being a must-start option, even if he has to do most of his damage after digging out of a big hole in the second half every week.

A Quick Shoutout ... To Eric Ebron, who hauled in nine passes for 105 yards and a pair of scores. He wasn't moving well, and left the game at various points, but has already matched his career high for touchdowns in a season with five. He has 26 catches for 255 yards through five games, and looks like a must-start tight end in this offense, especially with Jack Doyle sidelined.

Tom Brady took advantage of his weapons

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Brady had it quite a bit easier. For as much talk as there has been of the Patriots' shortcomings, Thursday night was a display for just how much Brady has to work with right now. He finished the game 34 of 44 for 341 yards and three touchdowns, though he was also intercepted twice for the second game in a row – one of those picks was initially ruled a fumble, for what it's worth.

After a relatively slow start, Brady had his full complement of weapons available for the first time. Let's see how everyone did, and what Fantasy owners should take away:

James White: 10 catches on 14 targets for 77 yards – White has been an integral part of the team's plans all season long, with at least 13 PPR Fantasy points in each game. He may have had just two carries Thursday, but he's had at least seven touches in every game. A must-start option in PPR.
Rob Gronkowski: Six catches on seven targets for 75 yards – I was worried Gronkowski might be a decoy coming off his ankle injury, but he was productive enough to justify the start. With 10 days off before their next game, there's no chance you're sitting Gronkowski.
Julian Edelman: Seven catches on nine targets for 57 yards – It could have been an even better game for Edelman, but he dropped a long pass in the second half. Either way, a solid start to his season. Expect Edelman to continue to rack up catches, if not yards or touchdowns.
Josh Gordon: Two catches on four targets for 50 yards and a touchdown: Gordon is still being worked in slowly, but he showed why he has so much upside in this offense, catching a long touchdown from Brady despite double coverage. Start him cautiously in the future, but this was a good reminder that you need to keep him on your roster, at the very least.
Chris Hogan: Three catches on four targets for 34 yards – It's been an abysmal start to the season for one of our favorite breakout candidates, and there's no reason to think things will get better. He has topped out at five targets in a game and has 19 through five games. He's a role player in this offense until further notice. Don't be afraid to drop Hogan, who could be fifth in the pecking order moving forward.

Other notes from around the NFL

The Packers' top three WR missed practice … That would, of course, be Davante Adams (calf), Geronimo Allison (concussion), and Randall Cobb (hamstring). Adams suffered the injury Wednesday, and his absence would obviously be the toughest one for Fantasy players and the Packers to deal with. Rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, and J'Mon Moore could all end up starting for the Packers in Week 4, though it would be hard to trust any of them in season-long Fantasy.
Joe Mixon (knee) continues to be limited … In this instance, "limited" is a positive sign, still. Now, if he's still limited Friday, that might cast at least some doubt on Mixon's chances of returning, but at this point, it looks promising. And, with Giovani Bernard (knee) held out yet again, it looks like Mixon could return to a full workload.
Devonta Freeman (knee) is expected to return Sunday … Falcons coach Dan Quinn told reporters Freeman is expected to make his return, his first action since suffering the injury in Week 1. Tevin Coleman didn't exactly light the world on fire in the three games Freeman missed, so expect Freeman to return to his role as a borderline No. 1 Fantasy RB.
Dalvin Cook (hamstring) is no guarantee to play Sunday … It sort of goes without saying after Cook has missed two days of practice in a row, but coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Thursday he expects Cook to be questionable. He could be a game-time decision, but at this point, it looks like you might want to find a more reliable option for Sunday's game against the Eagles. If Latavius Murray (53 percent owned) is available in your league, go add him.
Alex Collins (knee) was held out of practice … According to NFL Network, Collins' absence from practice was more of a precaution than anything, with reporter Tom Pelissero noting the team wants him "ready to rip" Sunday vs. the Browns. Of course, Collins has also had issues with fumbles in recent weeks, so injuries aren't the only reason to be wary of him.
Adrian Peterson (ankle) returned to practice … Washington gets to play on Monday night coming off their bye, which gives Peterson a ton of time to get healthy. He was limited Thursday, but looks like he'll play in Week 5, according to NFL Network.
The Broncos want to give Royce Freeman more touches … Coach Vance Joseph told reporters Freeman deserves more opportunities with the way he is playing, and that's undeniably true. Let's just hope that takes away from Devontae Booker, who has inexplicably played nearly one-third of the teams' offensive plays, rather than from fellow dynamic rookie Phillip Lindsay. Both Freeman and Lindsay should be viewed as No. 3 RB or FLEX options.
Greg Olsen (foot) returned to practice … Olsen isn't going to play in Week 5, but he has told reporters he is hoping to give it a go in Week 6. He is certainly progressing quickly from his broken foot, so that's a good sign.
Will Fuller (hamstring) hopes to play in Week 5 … The hamstring has been an ongoing issue for Fuller, but he told reporters he hopes to play in Week 5. He missed the second half of Sunday's game because of the injury.
Sammy Watkins (hamstring) remains limited … It's been surprising to see Watkins even practicing on a limited basis after leaving Monday's game with the injury, and it looks like he could play in Week 5. It'll be a tough matchup against the Jaguars, and given the injury, he would not be a recommended start.
Chris Carson (hip) returned to practice … Carson was a surprise inactive last week, with Mike Davis taking on a significant role in his place. We'll see if he does enough Friday to get active, but it would be somewhat hard to trust him even against a better-than-you-think matchup against the Rams.
Travis Benjamin (foot) will miss 2-3 weeks … The Chargers' deep threat has been dealing with a foot injury for most of the season to date, and it looks like he's going to take the time he needs to get it right. The Chargers will miss his field stretching, but Fantasy players won't miss much.