Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 16.
This is the time of year when memories (and nightmares) are made. Of the 13 NFL games played Sunday, nine of them had a team that scored 30 or more points with three scoring 40 or more.
Dozens of players put up monster numbers. If three or four of them were in your lineup, you won. If those players were on the opposite side, see you next year. For those who survived, don’t expect the gigantic individual to move you forward. Fantasy football will return to old school quick enough.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 15.
With the bye weeks over, we’re officially in the home stretch of the season when more teams get eliminated from playoff contention and turn their focus to 2025. While the NFL is quick to point out that teams don’t tank, draft stock routinely changes when a team with a woeful record puts together a couple late wins.
However, for veterans with injuries, we’re getting to the time where “business decisions” start being made. Great players play hurt – it’s why they’re remembered – but the money people in the organization have an investment beyond a lost season. Those are the teams to keep an eye on if you have any of their banged up key players on your roster. Their seasons aren’t over, but they’re starting to make plans for the second week in January.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 14.
The NFL clearly doesn’t care that most fantasy leagues have the final week of their regular season in Week 14. In yet another example of the inequity of the bye-week system (and how easily solvable the issue is), we will see six teams on bye in Week 14 (Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, and Washington Commanders).
With the exception of the Patriots, the other five teams not only have multiple regular fantasy starters, the list includes a lot of fantasy MVPs for the teams that will be missing them this week. C’mon, NFL. You’re better than this.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 13.
Something has morphed this year when it has come to kickers. To start the season, the narrative was pretty much every kicker routinely hitting multiple 50-plus yard bombs and making a profound difference in weekly fantasy matchups that reward distance.
Over the last few weeks, the narrative has been missed field goals and extra points that are spreading throughout the league. Everyone has their own missed field goal malaise story.
If your fantasy kicker is reliable, hold onto him tight. If not, make a change. This will only get more worrisome when more games are subject to the elements and misses end seasons.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 12.
For those who had Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Chris Boswell in their lineups last Sunday, good for you. In the history of the NFL – regular season and postseason – nobody else had made six field goals in a game more than twice. On Sunday, Boswell did it for the fourth time.
Never underestimate kickers in your lineup, especially with the potential of bad weather coming during the fantasy playoffs.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 11.
For those who drafted some of the top tight ends only to be bitterly disappointed, it would appear the tide has turned.
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce has caught 32 passes over the last three games. Sam LaPorta (shoulder) of the Detroit Lions is catching touchdowns after a slow start. Baltimore Ravens TE Mark Andrews has five touchdowns in his last five games.
For those who were impatient, these guys were traded after painfully slow starts. Those who are patient have been rewarded. Only give up on tight ends after National Tights Ends Day.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 10.
Years from now, the 2024 season will be remembered as the year of the fantasy kicker. With many leagues giving out five points for field goals of 50 or more yards, having a long bomber is a must. Unfortunately, everyone seems to have one.
At the halfway point of the season, only five teams roster kickers who have missed more than 50% of their attempts from 50-plus yards – the Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
Teams are now expecting kickers to make 60-yard field goals and, as long as they keep asking, kickers will quietly become a more important fantasy roster spot.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 9.
With the trade deadline looming on Election Day, there are a lot of potential deals that could be made, because the disparity of the haves and have-nots in the NFL is bigger this year than usual.
Buffalo, Houston and Kansas City are already locks for their division titles, the NFC North may send four teams to the playoffs, and NFC West has all four within a half-game of each other.
Will the trade floodgates open? Get your popcorn ready.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 8.
Before the start of the season, a lot of teams were hyped to make the playoffs and even have a potential deep Super Bowl run.
After seven weeks, many have them have fallen flat, including the New York Jets (2-5), Miami Dolphins (2-4), Cincinnati Bengals (3-4), Cleveland Browns (1-6), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5), Dallas Cowboys (3-3), New Orleans Saints (2-5), San Francisco 49ers (3-4), and Los Angeles Rams (2-4).
While there is still time for many of them to turn their seasons around, for those who don’t, change may be coming. Younger talent will get a longer look, and they may be sellers at the trade deadline. That could shake things up as much or more as Davante Adams and Amari Cooper being sent packing for greener pastures.
The top risers and fallers heading into Week 7.
On most draft days, there wasn’t a lot of love for the NFC North. Jordan Love was the only QB1 (maybe) in a 10-team league. Jahmyr Gibbs was probably the only RB1. Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown were the only WR1s.
Flash forward two months. Perhaps no division in recent memory has had as many players drafted as part-time starters or backups force their way into weekly lineups.
All four QBs are putting up starter numbers. Five running backs are lineup fixtures. A case can be made for 10 wide receivers and four tight ends when T.J. Hockenson comes back are in lineups. It’s a good time to have players from the 17-5 NFC North. Let’s see if we can identify a few others who are climbing into this tier of fantasy worth.
