Not even a month into the NFL calendar, the league's landscape continues to shift dramatically. September serves as a necessary barometer to gauge how teams and players are aligning with preseason expectations.
With three games in the rearview mirror, franchises now have to adapt to their situation, whether due to injury or lack of performance at key positions. Here are some players who will benefit from an uptick in playing time and production in Week 4.
Players ready for an increased workload in Week 4
Sterling Shepard (WR) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' dramatic come-from-behind victory against the New York Jets, superstar wideout Mike Evans went down with a strained hamstring. The All-Pro will miss the next 3-4 weeks of action, further depleting an already thin Buccaneers receiver room.
Rookie Emeka Egbuka is battling a groin injury, and even if Chris Godwin is able to return to the lineup after dislocating his ankle last season, it's unlikely he'll see a full workload out of the gate. That leaves veteran Sterling Shepard as the most veteran, tenured option on the roster.
The 32-year-old corralled four of his five targets for 80 yards in the recent outing and has a solid rapport with quarterback Baker Mayfield. A similar showing against a shaky Philadelphia Eagles secondary should be in the cards.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB) - New England Patriots
Despite leading the game in nearly every statistical category, the New England Patriots fell short on Sunday, thanks to five team turnovers. Starting back, Rhamondre Stevenson lost a pair of fumbles, including having the rock stripped on the doorstep of the goal line.
Coach Mike Vrabel mentioned after the defeat that despite his blunders, the squad needs Stevenson on the field. That would go over easier if Stevenson didn't have more cough-ups than touchdowns since the start of last year.
Even if the plan is to integrate Stevenson in the near future, he surely has to be benched for his gaffes in the upcoming battle with the Carolina Panthers. Rookie TreVeyon Henderson has struggled to match the hype he generated this summer, but he is a home run threat and takes care of the ball. Henderson has the potential to receive a bulk of the backfield touches and has a chance to never give Stevenson his role back.
Oronde Gadsden II (TE) - Los Angeles Chargers
This is cheating a bit, since after being a healthy scratch for the first two weeks of his career, Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II had an impressive debut against the vaunted Denver Broncos defense. The Syracuse product corralled five receptions for 46 yards and showed some eye-popping athleticism after the catch.
Gadsden seemed third in the pecking order behind Tyler Conklin and Tucker Fisk, but his obvious upside is too tantalizing to ignore. If Will Dissly remains sidelined with a knee injury, Gadsden is ready to shoot up the depth chart.