QUARTERBACK
MOVING UP
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
Moving Up two weeks in a row. That happens when you become the first quarterback in the history of the league to throw six touchdown passes in consecutive games and to throw for 12 touchdowns in a two game span.
Mark Sanchez, Jets
Gets an opportunity to prove that he was worthy of being a top five pick. It’s 50/50 that he takes advantage of it although Chip Kelly and Jeremy Maclin help his cause.
MOVING DOWN
Russell Wilson, Seahawks
Moving Down two weeks in a row. After a strong start to the season, Wilson has crashed landed during three of the past four weeks, failing to top 200 passing yards three times and failing to throw a touchdown pass in two games. Is there a chance that Percy Harvin attracted enough attention to allow the Seahawks other receivers (not to be confused with the most talented group of receivers in the league) to get open? Just a thought.
Austin Davis, Rams
After throwing for 702 yards and six touchdowns in a two game span, Davis has just 653 passing yards and five touchdowns in his last four games, a stretch in which he has failed to top 160 passing yards three times. While the loss of wide receiver Brian Quick is part of the problem, there is also a strong possibility that opposing defenses have figured Davis out.
RUNNING BACK
MOVING UP
Jeremy Hill, Bengals
Looks like Giovani Bernard will miss his second consecutive game and after his 24 carry, 154 yard, two touchdown performance this week against the Jaguars, look for Hill to light up the Browns 29th ranked run defense. Another solid performance increases Hill’s chances of carving out a larger role for himself moving forward.
Alfred Morris, Redskins
Morris is heating up at just the right time for his fantasy owners and the return of Robert Griffin III figures to open up even more holes in the running game for Morris. Morris has 37.4 fantasy points over the last two games on the back of 165 rushing yards, 29 receiving yards and three touchdowns. After this week’s bye, Morris faces four run defenses ranked 22nd or lower over the next six weeks.
Daniel Thomas, Dolphins
Back from the dead? With Lamar Miller suffering a shoulder injury this week and his status for this week’s matchup against the Lions uncertain, Thomas sees an increase in his value. It’s certainly worth noting that Miller has never come close to handling a full workload over an entire season.
MOVING DOWN
Doug Martin, Bucs
After averaging 3.6 yards per carry during his injury shortened 2013 campaign, Martin is down to just 2.9 YPC this season. With rookie 3rd round pick Charles Sims coming off the injured reserve-designated to return list and Bobby Rainey outperforming him, Martin could slide down the depth chart quickly, perhaps as soon as this week.
Arian Foster, Texans
While Foster owners have been rewarded this year, the shoe dropped this week as he suffered another groin injury and that can’t be considered a surprise by anybody.
Reggie Bush, Lions
Looking more and more like Theo Riddick will eat into Bush’s workload when he returns to the lineup.
Branden Oliver, Chargers
After a nice run, Oliver has struggled over the past two weeks and with Ryan Mathews and Donald Brown both expected to return to the lineup after the Chargers Week 10 bye, Oliver’s run as a workhorse back is effectively over.
WIDE RECEIVER
MOVING UP
Percy Harvin, Jets
Turns out that Marty Mornhinweg knows how to better utilize Harvin’s skills that Darrel Bevell did. With 22 targets in two weeks, Mornhinweg is force feeding Harvin the ball and he hauled in 11 of those targets this week for 129 yards while adding eight more on the ground. We don’t expect that workload to change going forward.
Mike Evans, Bucs
Evans abused the Browns corners not named Joe Haden this week, reaching career highs in targets with 11, receptions with seven, yards with 124 and touchdowns with two. Unfortunately, Mike Glennon has been replaced by Josh McCown but it’s pretty much impossible not to project Evans as anything worse than a low end WR2 over the balance of the season. Did I forget to mention the four touchdowns in his last four games?
MOVING DOWN
Rueben Randle, Giants
He looks awful. Period. It seems clear that Randle’s huge target count was the more the result of the lack of options on the Giants than his earning those looks. With Odell Beckham Jr. flashing some playmaking ability this week, look for Randle to become more marginalized as the season progresses.
Eddie Royal, Chargers
Nine targets, four receptions and 49 yards in his last three games. It’s touchdowns or bust for Royal and he has exactly one of those in his last five games.
TIGHT END
MOVING UP
Kyle Rudolph, Vikings
Rudolph is aiming to return to the lineup in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears. In the preseason, there was hope that offensive coordinator Norv Turner would jumpstart Rudolph’s career as a pass catcher but a hernia injury sidelined that plan early this season. If you are desperate for a tight end, grab Rudolph this week.
Mychal Rivera, Raiders
Not to be confused with the other emerging, athletic tight ends in the league, the Raiders do like Rivera and he is hot with 15 receptions for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his last two games.
MOVING DOWN
Vernon Davis, 49ers
While it won’t qualify as a shock if Davis turns it on and becomes a top five fantasy tight end over the balance of the season, I’m ready to cut bait on him. The facts: Davis hasn’t topped six targets once in six games. He is averaging 4.3 targets per game. He hasn’t scored in his last five games. He hasn’t topped 44 receiving yards in a single game. He is averaging 26.8 yards per game and 4.7 PPG.
In the NOT CONVINCED JUST YET category, we present:
Adrian Peterson, Vikings – I know he’s a great back but the Vikings are 4-5, Peterson probably won’t return in 2015 and Jerick McKinnon has looked good. Are they really going to welcome Peterson back with open arms?
Tre Mason, Rams – got a pile of carries this week and Zac Stacy was nailed to the bench but not yet sold on him as the Rams lead back on a game by game basis.
Odell Beckham Jr., Giants – it was a nice game this week for Beckham (eight receptions for 156 yards) but there was a pile of garbage time to help him pad his stats.
Facebook
Twitter
Leave a Reply