Fantasy football risers and fallers

Tracking trends of fantasy football’s risers and fallers.

Seasoned fantasy football drafters know how important it is to keep up with the latest player trends. An easy way to get an overall feel is by looking at average draft placement (ADP) charts, but sometimes the numbers aren’t as quick to respond as gamers need to a clear representation of the landscape.

Note: All ADP figures are courtesy of FantasyFootballCalculator.com and are PPR scoring, unless noted otherwise. “N/A” represents not enough selections to warrant inclusion in the ADP charts.

Fantasy football risers

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Kansas City Chiefs | ADP: 1:06

The opt-out of running back Damien Williams makes Edwards-Helaire the primary back in KC. He’s being drafted a tad earlier than gamers should be comfy with, but that’s the going rate if someone wants to find out whether the do-all rookie has what it takes during a pandemic-shortened offseason.

RB Adrian Peterson | Washington Football Team | ADP: 11:10

Derrius Guice being released after an ugly domestic violence accusation and arrest is the impetus for Peterson’s recent climb, which is still in effect and not accurately being reflected in the numbers. Expect him to net out somewhere around the late ninth round with more worth in non-PPR setups.

RB Antonio Gibson | Washington Football Team | ADP: 8:06

The rookie also is benefiting from Guice’s release, and the collegiate receiver figures to be the pass-catching option from this backfield. In some ways, Gibson has more value than Peterson, even if the elder statesman could have a 2-to-1 advantage in touches. Gibson’s PPR value is far greater than that of All Day, and the suspect offensive line also favors the rook.

WR Henry Ruggs | Las Vegas Raiders | ADP: 9:09

Another rookie on the rise, Ruggs will begin his NFL career in the slot, a position Hunter Renfrow was expected to inhabit. The Alabama burner will be able to utilize his exceptional athleticism while learning the playbook. This will be tougher offseason than usual on rookies, especially receivers, so be patient.

WR A.J. Green | Cincinnati Bengals | ADP: 6:02

Following an entire year off, Green has returned to form on the field, per recent reports. At age 32, after missing significant time in three of the last four seasons, one has to question how much he has left in the tank. Coupling injury concerns with a rookie quarterback trying to navigate the pandemic … let’s just say this is an aggressive draft placement

WR Allen Lazard | Green Bay Packers | ADP: 13:08

Lazard has become the odds-on favorite to land the No. 2 give opposite Davante Adams, filling a sizeable void in the passing game. The Packers will remain balanced, which in today’s NFL might as well be called “run-heavy,” yet someone else needs to step up. It could be TE Jace Sternberger or wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling, but gamers are favoring Lazard for the time being. Watch this situation develop in training camp.

RB Ronald Jones | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ADP: 5:12

Jones was named the primary back recently, and his ADP has climbed a good deal since. The Bucs added veteran LeSean McCoy, although he has seen better days. It is more than reasonable to question if he makes the team or has an active role. Jones flashed his potential in 2019 and should be better with Tom Brady keeping the offense on the field. That said, there’s notable risk in drafting Jones at his current price.

WR Tee Higgins | Cincinnati Bengals | ADP: N/A

Like Green, Higgins is on the rise, or will be soon, but for a much different reason. He benefits from seeing extra reps in practice while John Ross tends to his sick child. It’s unclear how long Ross will miss, but if the 33rd overall pick in April’s draft impresses the coaching staff, it may be impossible for Ross to crack the top-three receiving spots. After all, he was rumored to be his way out last season. Higgins, however, is no more than a late flier in deep leagues or a best-ball gamble.

RB Damien Harris | New England Patriots | ADP: 10:10

The second-year running back was trending upward leading into this week before the Pats added veteran Lamar Miller in response to Sony Michel (foot) likely to miss several weeks of the regular season. Harris may not climb much beyond this week, which actually can work to your advantage. Which runner would you rather trust, the 29-year-old coming off of a torn ACL or a 23-year-old who started over Josh Jacobs at Alabama two seasons ago?

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Fantasy football fallers

QB Kirk Cousins | Minnesota Vikings | ADP: 14:10

This one is more of a market correction as fantasy owners are coming around to the realization that Cousins has little more than name recognition going for him in 2020. His meaningful games last year came by way of efficiency, and he lost his No. 2 receiver in the offseason. Rookie wideout Justin Jefferson replaces Stefon Diggs, yet there will be a drop-off as the first-rounder learns the ropes on the fly.

RB Ke’Shawn Vaughn | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ADP: 9:12

The rookie is poised to begin his NFL career as the No. 3 running back behind Shady McCoy and Jones. There’s a chance he even slides behind Dare Ogunbowale. To the contrary, McCoy is no lock to make the roster as the No. 2 guy. Vaughn was activated from the COVID-19 list before missing much time, and he could present a value if McCoy doesn’t get the job done.

QB Drew Lock | Denver Broncos | ADP: 14:08

More market correction, perhaps mixed with concerns of losing his right tackle to the opt-out, in addition to having a pair of rookies as his top receivers. There’s also a fear Denver may rely heavily on the run and limit Lock’s passing attempts after signing Melvin Gordon in the offseason. Defensive regression probably dictates that angle. The second-year quarterback remains a possible breakout and comes at a fine price to chance it behind an elite starter.

RB Sony Michel | New England Patriots | ADP: 8:07

Offseason foot surgery has Michel on the mend, and he’s possibly going to miss the first six weeks of the year. It’s the Patriots, so good luck figuring out the truth behind his injury or the real prognosis. Injuries have impacted him in varying severity throughout his short career, and gamers can expect Michel’s ADP to continue to fall.

WR Hunter Renfrow | Las Vegas Raiders | ADP: 14:07

Renfrow appears to have lost his grasp on the primary slot gig, which suggests his value goes from being an intriguing sleeper candidate to basically undraftable in any conventional setting. Renfrow could emerge as the year goes along if Ruggs moves to the outside, and it’s plausible all of this was no more than coach speak. His optimal utility is in best-ball formats.

Fantasy market report: Week 17

For most of us, the 2019 fantasy football season is over. I’m in a league where Week 17 is an all-in free-for-all for a hundie-and-change for transaction fees that makes Week 17 worthwhile.

For most of us, the 2019 fantasy football season is over. I’m in a league where Week 17 is an all-in free-for-all for a hundie-and-change for transaction fees that makes Week 17 worthwhile.

But, for most, the season is over and other things occupy your time moving forward. That process shouldn’t stop just because your current season is over. If anything, you should not the players that impressed you, those you think are a full off-season away from being a breakout star and those players your commitment is cooling on. As such, the countdown to 2020, where all vision is perfect, should take place now.

Here is the view from The Shop on how we start stacking our 2020 board.

QUARTERBACK – 1. Patrick Mahomes; 2. Lamar Jackson; 3. Deshaun Watson; 4. Aaron Rodgers; 5. Matt Ryan; 6. Russell Wilson; 7. Drew Brees; 8. Jameis Winston; 9. Dak Prescott; 10. Jared Goff. Sleeper: Josh Allen, Buffalo. On the Slide – Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady.

Given his running style, Jackson remains an injury risk, which keeps Mahomes, whose running style lends more to making good business decisions, at No. 1 in my rankings. Jameis may be a surprise here because his style is so reckless, he may not even be a starter next year, but if he stays in Tampa with the same talent around him, the huge days will continue. Goff has too many weapons not to succeed at a certain level.

RUNNING BACK – 1. Christian McCaffrey; 2. Saquon Barkley; 3. Josh Jacobs; 4. Ezekiel Elliott; 5. Aaron Jones; 6. Dalvin Cook; 7. Chris Carson; 8. Alvin Kamara; 9. Todd Gurley; 10. Leonard Fournette; 11. Derrick Henry; 12. Nick Chubb; 13. Kerryon Johnson; 14. Devin Singletary; 15. Mark Ingram. Sleeper: Miles Sanders. On the Slide: Le’Veon Bell, Joe Mixon, Devonta Freeman.

McCaffrey has earned the top spot. This may be a little aggressive for Jacobs, but he has proved he can be a workhorse for Jon Gruden. Jones and Cook could be divisional competitors for years. Kamara’s drop is significant…and justified. Johnson and Singletary make the biggest jump forward as value pick potential.

WIDE RECEIVER – 1. Michael Thomas; 2. DeAndre Hopkins; 3. Julio Jones; 4. Mike Evans; 5. Tyreek Hill; 6. Kenny Golladay; 7. Chris Godwin; 8. Odell Beckham; 9. Adam Thielen; 10. Keenan Allen; 11. Allen Robinson; 12. D.J. Moore; 13. Julian Edelman; 14. Amari Cooper; 15. T.Y. Hilton. Sleeper: D.K. Metcalf. On the Slide: A.J. Green, Alshon Jefferey, Emmanuel Sanders.

Wide receiver is probably the most subjective position of any rankings. It’s hard to imagine two Bucs going in the first seven wide receivers off the board, but both Evans and Godwin put up WR1 numbers. Some people may drop OBJ farther than I do. Moore is going to be a star in this league.

TIGHT END – 1. Travis Kelce; 2. George Kittle; 3. Zach Ertz; 4. Darren Waller; 5. Austin Hooper; 6. Hunter Henry; 7. Mark Andrews; 8. Jared Cook; 9. Evan Engram; 10. David Njoku. Sleeper: Noah Fant. On the Slide: Kyle Rudolph, Greg Olsen, Eric Ebron.

The tight end position is enjoying a resurgence with young emerging talent that is spreading throughout the league. Waller and Andrews made the biggest jump in 2019, but there are about 15-20 quality tight ends in the league that are going to make a difference in 2020.

By the type the preseason hype machine is in full force, the rankings of players will likely change dramatically from this year. But take a moment to remember the guys who impressed you the most and don’t let the nine months in between the start of the next fantasy season cloud those memories. Remember the guys you want now – whether a first-round talent or a sleeper and make a point to get them next year.

Here is the final Fantasy Market Report of the season:

RISERS

Jameis Winston – In his last 13 games, he has thrown for more than 300 yards 11 times and 400 or more three times. He also has nine games with two or more TD passes and five games with three or more. If you get penalized by interceptions, his 28 picks have killed you – as it has his team this season. But if you don’t get negative points, Winston has been hard to bench almost all season and has almost 5,000 passing yards and 31 TD passes to show for it.

Kenny Golladay – When the Lions drafted him, the pressure was on because he was touted as the “next Calvin Johnson” – a label impossible to live up to. But, Golladay has become that guy in many respects. Despite a revolving door at QB when Matthew Stafford first got hurt, Golladay is over 1,100 receiving yards, has 117 or more receptions, 11 touchdowns, and at least one TD in nine out of the 15 games he has played. He isn’t respected like he should be because he isn’t a high-volume receiver. When that comes, he could be unstoppable.

Matt Ryan – The Falcons weren’t close to being a playoff team, but it hasn’t been Ryan’s fault. In the 14 games he has played, he has topped 300 yards nine times and had eight games with two or more touchdowns. He has become the epitome of a franchise fantasy quarterback.

Kenyan Drake – In seven games with the Cardinals, he has rushed for almost 600 yards and caught 25 passes. In his last two games, he has been a fantasy playoff workhorse, rushing 46 times for 303 yards and six touchdowns and, for owners in need, he was the answer to a prayer.

Daniel Jones – There aren’t many quarterbacks who have at least one touchdown in every game they’ve started. Jones is one of them. There aren’t many quarterbacks who have accounted for four or more touchdowns in four games – much less four times in 11 starts. Jones is one of them. By the time the analytics crew starts breaking down Dow Jones in the offseason, his stock is going to rise. Don’t sleep on him next year with those weapons around him.

FALLERS

Will Fuller – He is blessed with talent, but simply can’t stay healthy. He has missed four games this season and knocked out of three other early on. In two games, he caught 21 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns. In the other nine games of his 2019 season combined, he has caught 28 passes for 313 yards and no TDs, including six games with less than 45 yards. For all his talent, injuries have killed off much of the early part of his career.

Sony Michel – On Oct. 21, Michel had three rushing touchdowns against the Jets, giving him six touchdowns in seven games and letting owners know they had an every-week starter on their hands. In the eight weeks since, he has been a solid player – three games with 85 or more rushing yards, including the last two, but he hasn’t scored a touchdown and isn’t a factor in the passing game. He is a player who needs to count on TDs to pad his resume. He has none in the last eight games and those who had him this year, likely don’t want him next year.

Jack Doyle – Andrew Luck made him a star, but he and Jacoby Brissett have never found a rhythm together. Dyle is the team’s leading receiver in terms of targets (68), receptions (42) and yards (442), but the reality is that he has been limited to less than 30 yards in 10 of 15 games, including all three weeks of the fantasy playoffs when he didn’t have competition from Eric Ebron. He was supposed to have a big bounce-back season but has been a season-long disappointment.

Sammy Watkins – In the season-opener Watkins caught nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. He hasn’t scored a touchdown since, hasn’t hit 65 yards receiving since and hasn’t topped 50 in the last six games he’s played. That explosive first game hooked Watkins owners, who slowly drowned just about every time they played him.

Gardner Minshew – When he replaced an injured Nick Foles in Week 1, MinshewMania was running wild for a month or so. But, despite being given numerous opportunities to make his case to keep the starting job, he has done very little since to inspire confidence. In his last eight starts, he has one TD or less in six of them and, in his last four games since getting the starting job back, he has thrown for just 691 yards and five touchdowns and become a fantasy afterthought.

Fantasy market report: Week 16

Often what separates those who consistently perform well in the playoffs and those that struggle is their level of loyalty.

I only play in two leagues. I did the seven-league thing for a tick and didn’t care for it, as the same guy who wins for you in one league, daggers you in another. We all know each other. When the season begins, I make it clear that any player on my roster is available in trade.

Often what separates those who consistently perform well in the playoffs and those that struggle is their level of loyalty.

By midseason, I catch a whiff of the temperature of what teams are on fumes and which ones can make a run and start making moves to add players that have high ceilings and aren’t performing. This year, I made one of those and had the albatross of Odell Beckham Jr. At some point or another, I’ve found a way to have OBJ every season of his career – much in the same way I found ways to have Terrell Owens on my roster and annually trade away Frank Gore when his value was highest.

Where OBJ comes in is the fundamental difference between fantasy owners. I’m willing to make moves up until about Week 8. At that point, I will trade away multiple players to get one. Once I have my roster assembled to my liking, barring injuries, it’s “Regulators! Let’s ride!”

I was in my playoff semifinal this weekend with a guy who had made a living off of drafting Julio Jones, Matt Ryan and Austin Hooper at various stages of the draft. In reality, the Falcons had sucked most of the year, but each of those three, in his own way, has been prolific.

Julio had hit a rough patch. He hadn’t scored a touchdown since September. He hadn’t hit 100 yards since October and he looked banged up.

In my world view, his name is Julio F. Jones and you don’t bench JFJ regardless of how bad his numbers are. Karma gonna getcha.

I had the option of OBJ and D.K. Metcalf. All I had to do was click on Metcalf five minutes before the games started and it was a done deal.

I couldn’t do it.

I’m loyal.

My opponent had the choice of Julio or Kenny Golladay. The investment he made in Jones, who he hadn’t benched all season with the exception of his bye week and the game he missed against the Saints due to injury.

Unlike me, shortly before the games began Sunday, he opted to bench Julio and play Golladay.

My loyalty made me three points (14 for Beckham, 11 for Metcalf). His disloyalty cost him 31 points (seven for Golladay, 38 for Julio).

I won by 18 points.

Sometimes, having the loyalty gene deep in your DNA pays off – which is why, for the fourth straight year, I’m headed to my league championship game and looking for my third win in the process.

My opponent has the luxury of screaming, “Why?!” for the next eight months. Life is good! Hopefully, you’re still playing (and not benching your studs).

Here is the Week 16 Championship Week edition of the Fantasy Market Report:

RISERS

Tyler Higbee – Sometimes all a guy needs is an opportunity to become a fantasy playoff legend. Through the first 11 games of the season, the most catches he had in a game were five and the most yards he had were 47. When Gerald Everett went down with an injury, Higbee was pushed into the forefront. In the three games Everett has missed, Higbee had blown up, being targeted 33 times and catching 26 passes for 334 yards (more than 100 each game) and a touchdown. It’s hard to believe a guy on the waiver wire could be critical to winning a championship.

Allen Robinson – He has had an up and down season, but when you look at his overall numbers (83-1,023-7) those are starter fantasy numbers. But, over his last four games, he has scored four touchdowns and, in the only game he didn’t score, he had seven catches for 125 yards. If there is such a thing as being a quiet fantasy stud, Robinson is one of them.

Ezekiel Elliott – He doesn’t get the credit he deserves as being a dominant player. Some fantasy owners were a little gun shy when he threatened to sit out over a contract dispute, but he has been as consistent as any running back this side of Christian McCaffrey. He rolled up his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season Sunday and has scored 12 TDs in 14 games, including two touchdowns in each of the fantasy playoff games and three two-TD games in his last five. When you need Zeke to produce, all he does is deliver.

Devin Singletary – At a time when running backs tandems are in vogue, the Bills are getting to see what they’ve got in Singletary. He got injured in September and missed three games, so he still doesn’t have more rushing attempts than Frank Gore, but he’s averaging two yards a carry. In the last seven games, he has 15 or more carries five times. In those games, he has rush yardage totals of 75, 87, 89, 95 and 106. If he can keep Josh Allen from stealing all his goal-line touchdowns, he could be a stud.

Adrian Peterson – He’s not the Hall of Famer who took the torch away from LaDainian Tomlinson eight games into his rookie season, but, for those who have thrown him flex style into their lineups when games have meant the most, All Day has delivered. You see at Carolina, at Green Bay and vs. Philadelphia, you could legitimate cause for pause. But, Peterson’s rushing stat lines the last three games have been 13-99-1, 20-76-1 and 16-66-1. Those who have played him have got what they hoped for.

FALLERS

Baker Mayfield – Maybe after the season, we’ll find out there is something wrong with Mayfield’s shoulder. He is throwing almost nothing but short passes and has as many interceptions (17) as he has touchdowns. Even against a forgiving Cardinals defense, he struggled to get anything going. He has more than one TD pass in one game and has one TD or less in nine games. He has become a liability that most owners have benched, but those who had likely will take him off their draft list for next year.

DeDe Westbrook – There is no questioning Westbrook’s talent, but he has been one of the most overrated fantasy players in the league this season. He has only scored two touchdowns (and one of those came in Week 1). He has two games with 70 or more yards and has six games with 32 or fewer yards (and was inactive and unavailable). Those who still held out hope may have made a bold move to put him in the lineup with D.J. Chark out. How did he respond? Two catches for 14 yards. Rid yourself of Westbrook on principle.

Amari Cooper – 2019 has been classic Cooper. He’s caught 71 passes for 1,073 yards and eight touchdowns – clear fantasy starter numbers. He has had two blowout huge games, six good to very good games and a handful of scuds. What makes matters worse for the erratic Cooper is the randomness of it. Three games after catching no passes against New England, Jalen Ramsey shut him down for the Rams. When teams needed him the most to advance to the fantasy championship game in most leagues, he gave them one catch for 19 yards because he was only targeted twice. Classic Cooper!

Tevin Coleman – He’s been on this before. For a team as successful as the 49ers, it’s shocking given how much they invested in Jerick McKinnon, who has yet to play with anyone but Minnesota two years after he left the Vikings and became the fifth-highest paid running back in the league at the time. The Niners doubled down on Coleman. The highest-paid back is the No. 3 guy. In the last three games, Raheem Mostert has rushed 43 times for 265 yards, caught five passes for 53 yards and scored four touchdowns. In that same span, Coleman has 12 carries for 52 yards, one reception for nine yards and no touchdowns. The last two years, the best RBs the 49ers had were the in-house guys they ignored.

Josh Gordon – How many second chances can one man get? It was announced Monday that Gordon was suspended indefinitely for the fifth time in his eight-year career. While there has been talk about mental health issues, most of his previous suspensions have directly involved failed drug tests. The NFL has been more than lenient after he missed two full seasons due to suspensions in his time with Cleveland from 2014-18, he played in just 11 games after bursting on the scene the year before, catching 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine touchdowns in 14 games. He had the ability to be an elite NFL player. Now it looks like his fifth strike is his last.

Fantasy market report: Week 15

In the new-look world of the NFL, the quarterback position has become one that every team looks to land the player who will be “The Man” for a decade in the draft. You rarely see the Kirk Cousins scenario anymore, where a player who can command franchise money hits the free-agent market. If you’ve got a good one, you keep him. If not, you run him out of town.

Historically, the miss-rate on those coveted rookies has outweighed the hit-rate on landing a franchise QB, but when you look around the NFL, the proliferation of college quarterbacks who post eye-popping numbers (often in a limited sample size) have almost completely transformed the position with saviors who are almost all still in their first NFL contract.

Of the NFL’s 32 teams, 13 of them have invested a high draft pick on a quarterback over the last four years (Arizona did it twice) and the numbers just keep growing.

All four rookies taken in the first two rounds of the 2019 draft are already starting and giving reason to believe they are the guy moving forward – first-rounders Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins and second-rounder Drew Lock. Four teams locked in for now.

In 2018, the first round saw Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson taken in the first round (Josh Rosen will have a job, but not as a starter). Another four teams out of the mix.

In 2017, you had Mitch Trubisky, Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson taken with three of the first 12 picks of the draft – all selected with picks their franchise traded up to acquire, which came with debt equity in terms of picks traded away to move up. None of them are going anywhere any time soon (to the chagrin of Bears fans considering what Mahomes and Watson have accomplished).

In 2016, the first two picks were used on Jared Goff and Carson Wentz. Both franchises have remained invested in both as their guy.

When you do the math on guys with less than four years in the league, more than 40 percent of the franchises are convinced they have their long-term guy at quarterback locked, loaded and in place.

That’s a significant portion of the league, but it doesn’t end there. There are a half-dozen other franchises at a current crossroads at quarterback that could be dipping their toe in the draft water.

In Cincinnati, the starting QB for 2020 probably isn’t currently on the roster. In line for the No. 1 overall pick, Ohio native Joe Burrow seems to have the inside track for more reason than one as the team seems poised to move on from Andy Dalton as its starter.

In Carolina, while Kyle Allen has cooled off considerably, given the firing of Ron Rivera, the idea of a new coach moving on from Cam Newton has more viability than it used to. Is Allen the answer or do the Panthers look to the draft to step back up at quarterback.

In Detroit, Matthew Stafford isn’t guaranteed to have a career that lasts much longer. He grandfathered in the rookie deals where the No. 1 overall pick was one of the highest paid players in the NFL. Given the health issues with his wife and his most recent injury being broken bones in his back, the Lions need to find a successor and their record is bad enough to consider it in 2020.

Andrew Luck shocked the NFL with his retirement. Jacoby Brissett is the man for now, but the Colts could be in line to consider drafting a QB they like because Indy is a franchise spoiled by stinking it out at a time when Peyton Manning and Luck were both available to them.

In Miami, Ryan Fitzpatrick has never been a team’s long-term answer and he isn’t with the Dolphins. Rosen clearly doesn’t seem to be the answer because it didn’t take long for the staff to pass on him as the starter. Like Cincinnati, their 2020 starter likely isn’t currently on the roster.

In Tennessee, the Marcus Mariota era is over. Is Ryan Tannehill the long-term answer? We’ll probably find out in the offseason.

What makes it even more likely that the youth boom at quarterback is going to continue its seismic shift is that four other quarterbacks – Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger – are all nearing the end of their careers and will need to be replaced.

As the NFL has transformed into a pass-heavy league, they have adopted concepts that came from the high school and college game with spread out, four-receiver sets that look to create and exploit mismatch possibilities. The result? As many young quarterbacks being asked to carry a franchise on the shoulders, make an immediate impact and become the face of a franchise.

From the looks of things, that trend isn’t going to stop any time soon.

Here is the Week 15 Fantasy Market Report:

RISERS

Cole Beasley – He hasn’t been a huge fantasy player in Buffalo, but he has been rewarding fantasy owners recently. He has just five games with more 70 yards, but three of them have been in the last five. He has scored touchdowns in each of the last three games and six of the last eight. Unless you have a lead-pipe lock duo or trio of receivers, he’s making it difficult to keep him on team benches.

Joe Mixon – In a lot of leagues, he simply cut loose by fantasy owners because he has so many bad games to start the season. But, over his last five, he has rushed for 79 or more yards four times, including games with 114 and 146 and has scored touchdowns in three of the last four games. The Bengals are hot garbage, but Mixon is still giving it everything he has.

Drew Lock – He spent much of the season as the third QB option at quarterback until finally getting his shot two weeks ago. He has thrown for 443 yards and five touchdowns in two games – both Denver wins against 2018 playoff teams Los Angeles and Houston – and is setting himself up to be the long-term answer at quarterback. You may not want to start him with your season on the line in Week 15, but those who played him at Houston went to the pay window.

Raheem Mostert – When Matt Breida got hurt and was sidelined, the initial plan was to make Tevin Coleman the primary guy. That got scuttled and Mostert has scored four touchdowns over the last three games. Breida came back this week, but it didn’t keep Mostert from scoring twice. Over the first 11 games of the season, he rushed 73 times for 393 yards and one TD. Over the last two – at Baltimore and at New Orleans – he rushed 28 times for 215 yards with two rushing TDs and one receiving TD. The 49ers went up against two teams they can logically expect to see in January or February and Mostert has become the featured back.

Robby Anderson – He has teased fantasy owners with impressive stretches of games strung together over the years. He’s on another one of those rolls now. He has scored three touchdowns in his last four games and, over the last three, has 18 catches for 303 yards and two TDs. If you have an open flex option, he’s worth considering – even against Baltimore.

FALLERS

Patrick Mahomes – Nobody who has Mahomes will ever bench him, but, in his last three games, he has accounted for just four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) and has weekly yardage totals of 182, 175 and 283. While those aren’t great numbers by any stretch, when you have the unrealistic expectations that get placed on Mahomes week after week because over the past year and a half. Fantasy owners have leaned on Mahomes all season and he’s having his least productive fantasy weeks at the very worst time.

Tyler Lockett – What makes Lockett such a formidable fantasy receiver is his consistency and his ability, when a team can stop him from the slot, abusing them. He has three games with 10 or more receptions, two games with more than 150 receiving yards. But, in his last three games, Lockett has had his four worst yardage days of the season (43, 38, 26 and 0) with no TDs. In his first nine games, he was targeted 66 times and caught 55 passes for 724 yards and six touchdowns. In the last four games, he has been targeted just 15 times, catching eight passes for 107 yards and no TDs – not the kind of numbers that keep you in a fantasy lineup for long, especially when championships are on the line.

Tom Brady – Brady came out of the gate hot this season, throwing two or more touchdowns four times in his first six games and topping 300 passing yards four times. In his last eight games, he has thrown one TD or fewer six times and, in his last seven, has just more games with 190 passing yards or less (two) than 300-yard games (one). If your season was on the line Sunday counting on Brady, you went home disappointed.

Brandin Cooks – What has made Cooks an enigma throughout his career has been his freakish potential for the back-breaking 70-yard touchdown reception. Prior to getting injured against the Bengals in Week 8 leading up to the bye, he wasn’t tearing things up. He had just one game with more than 75 yards and one touchdown. Since returning three games ago, not only hasn’t he scored, he has been targeted just eight times, catching four passes for 56 yards, including no receptions in a huge Sunday night win for the Rams where the offense rolled. It’s hard to endorse even considering him if you’re still alive in your fantasy playoffs.

Jimmy Graham – One of the all-time great tight ends, his production has dropped to the point that he is barely serviceable as a fantasy option. His high yardage mark has been just 65 yards, has 20 or fewer yards in seven games and hasn’t scored a touchdown in his last six games. His days of being a rubber stamp in fantasy lineups appear to be over.

Fantasy market report: Week 14

Every year when fantasy drafts and auctions roll around, there are players who explode on the scene and become the gold standard the following year. If you can’t carry over players, your move in the middle rounds to get a guy like Patrick Mahomes in 2018 paid off, just like those who jumped before others on Lamar Jackson is taking you to the pay window almost every week.

When looking at the guys who are going to cost you a much bigger investment next year than they did this year, there are several players that those of us at The Huddle had ranked prior to this year’s draft season a lot lower than they will be next year.

These are the fantasy breakout stars of 2019. If you have more than one of them on your roster, you probably are preparing for the fantasy playoffs from a position of strength.

QUARTERBACKS

Lamar Jackson (Preseason Huddle Rank: No. 13) – Every year, some player jumps off the page and emerges as a bona fide fantasy star. Last year, it was Patrick Mahomes. This year, it’s Jackson. Through 12 games, he has thrown for 2,532 yards and 25 touchdowns, had five games with three or more passing TDs and, more importantly, has rushed for 977 yards and seven scores. Owners were a little nervous about putting too much stock in him on draft day. They won’t next year.

Josh Allen (Rank: No. 20) – He was my pick to be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2018 draft because, in my view, he had the highest ceiling. That view hasn’t changed. He hasn’t thrown for more than 265 yards in any game, but when you factor in eight rushing touchdowns, he has accounted for two or more TDs in 10 of 12 games this season and his weekly totals are worthy of being a starter.

Kyler Murray (Rank: No. 19) – He hasn’t blown up the league, but has proved the NFL isn’t too big for him. He has six games with two or more TD passes, four 300-yard games and leads the Cardinals in rushing. An offseason to absorb Arizona’s Air Raid Offense could make him the guy to watch next season.

RUNNING BACK

Dalvin Cook (Preseason Huddle Rank: No. 13) – Fantasy owners were willing to step up to a certain extent for a talented player who had missed more games than he had played his first two seasons. This year has been his watershed – healthy and living up to his billing. It only took him 11 games to hit 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns with seven games with 97 or more rushing yards. He was ranked in the area of No. 10 in most pre-draft rankings. How close to No. 1 will he be next year? A lot closer…and deservedly so.

Josh Jacobs (Rank: No. 17) – Rookie running backs have been hit and miss the last few years, which may explain why Jacobs was the only running back taken in the first round of this year’s draft. But, Jacobs has proved he can be a workhorse, which is what the Raiders want in their featured back. It only took him 12 games to top 1,000 yards as a rookie and, with nine games with 15 or more carries in that span, he is primed to be a stud for years to come.

Carlos Hyde (Rank: No. 61) – Usually a breakout star isn’t in his sixth season. After four years in San Francisco, he left via free agency and from March 2018 to August 2019 he was with the Browns, Jaguars, Chiefs and Texans. From Arian Foster to Lamar Miller, Houston running backs put up big numbers. He’s going to top 1,000 yards and has averaged almost five yards a carry. With some stability and miles left on the tires, he’s going to jump in the player rankings next year.

Chris Carson (Rank: No. 16) – Anyone who has had a Seahawks running back on their roster knows the Pete Carroll mixes and matches, but, in a six-game span starting in Week 4, Carson ran 20 or more times in six of seven games and has six games with 89 or more rushing yards in that span.

Devin Singletary (Rank: No. 24) – You knew as a rookie, he was going to have to share time on the low side with veteran Frank Gore. But, after coming back from an injury in Week 7, he and Gore have flip-flopped roles. Singletary has led the team in rushing in each of the last five games and we’re witnessing a changing of the guard. With Gore likely headed to retirement after the season, Singletary will vault in 2020 rankings.

WIDE RECEIVER

Kenny Golladay (Preseason Huddle Rank: No. 17) – Golladay was a known commodity coming off a 1,000-yard season in 2018, but what has changed this season is his big-play ability. Through 12 games, he has caught 47 passes, but is averaging more than 20 yards per reception and has nine touchdowns. He had the weight of being the big receiver to follow Calvin Johnson and he’s living up to it. He will be somebody’s No. 1 receiver next year.

D.J. Moore (Rank: No. 22) – As a rookie, he caught 55 passes for 708 yards and two TDs. He surpassed all of those numbers before Thanksgiving. He still hasn’t become a consistent touchdown scorer – which separates the good from the great fantasy receivers – but can be counted on for six or more catches a game and in four games in November, he caught 30 passes for 454 yards and two TDs. He’s on the brink of stardom and it’s getting noticed.

D.J. Chark (Rank: No. 62) – Considering that Nick Foles went down 10 minutes into his Jags career, there were more than a fair share of doubters about Chark’s prospects. He hasn’t been dominant but is going to end the season with more than 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns, which, when everyone looks at year-end stats, is going to push him into WR2 territory.

D.K. Metcalf (Rank: No. 59) – Other receivers have posted bigger numbers, but you see the impressive nature of Metcalf’s game. He’s averaging almost 17 yards per reception and he and Russell Wilson are building a rapport that could make him a breakout star in his second season.

TIGHT END

Darren Waller (Preseason Huddle Rank: No. 8) – We were high on him in the preseason and it didn’t take him long to get the attention of fantasy owners this season. He has almost twice as many receptions as any other Raiders receiver and, while the touchdowns haven’t come with great regularity, Jon Gruden is going to find more ways to exploit him with mismatches, especially in the red zone, as he gains more experience on how to shield defenders and use his mammoth size.

Mark Andrews (Rank No. 11) – In a year where tight ends largely haven’t lived up to expectations, Andrews has been consistent, catching 53 passes for almost 700 yards and seven touchdowns through 12 games. As Lamar Jackson morphs into a more complete quarterback, Andrews could end up being the Greg Olsen of the Ravens offense.

Irv Smith Jr. (Rank: No. 44) – Often times to get a measure of a player’s progress, you need to look at his weekly targets and receptions. Smith is far from a polished product and won’t be high on a lot of ranking sheets next year, but he is getting more incorporated into the offense and is ready to step up as a red zone and deep seam option. Mark it down.

Here is the Week 14 Fantasy Market Report:

RISERS

Calvin Ridley – For much of the season, he has been the clear No. 2 wide receiver option in Atlanta, but, with Julio Jones hurting (again), he has stepped up. In his last three games, Ridley has been targeted 32 times, catching 22 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns and is emerging as a big-time fantasy threat in his own right.

Mark Andrews – He is far and away the most consistent receiver in the Ravens passing game and, while he hasn’t matched his yardage totals from the first two games (16-230-2), he has four touchdowns in his last four games and has at least one receptions of 20 or more yards in eight of 12 games (and has scored three touchdowns in the four games he hasn’t had a 20+ yard reception).

Deebo Samuel – When you’re looking for a flex player who isn’t a lock to start, you need one of two things – a guy who gets volume or scores touchdown. Over the last four games, in Weeks 10-12, Samuel caught 16 passes for 246 yards. In the last two, he was only targeted six times and caught four passes, but has a touchdown in each. With defenses looking to shut down George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders, Samuel has emerged as a viable fantasy option.

Leonard Fournette – In PPR leagues, Fournette was viewed as a guy who could run for 100 yards in any game, but not be counted on for critical reception points. That has changed. In his first two seasons (21 games), Fournette never caught more than five passes and had just three games with more than three. This year, he leads the Jags with 65 receptions, including 10 games with four or more and six with six or more. In his last five games, he has caught 37 passes. While they haven’t resulted in touchdowns, they’ve made Fournette a much more valuable player.

DeVante Parker – Over the years, Parker had burned fantasy owners more than rewarding them and many owners won’t put any Dolphins in their lineups. But, Parker has been targeted 10 or more times by Ryan Fitzpatrick in each of the last four games and, over the last three, has 20 receptions for 385 yards and two touchdowns. He’s on pace to finish the season with more than 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns – clearly starting fantasy numbers for a guy who has been a career tease.

FALLERS

Le’Veon Bell – He’s been on this list before earlier in the year, but it bears repeating how dismal he has been and was drafted in most leagues to start every week. He hasn’t had a receiving touchdown since Week 1 and has 35 or fewer receiving yards in eight games. He hasn’t rushed for more than 70 yards in any game, has 50 or less in seven games and has scored just three TDs. If you started Bell consistently and made the playoffs, you did it despite him, not because of him.

Derek Carr – In his first eight games, he had two or more TD passes in five of them and looked to be a serviceable fantasy backup ready to reclaim his career. Yet, he hasn’t thrown for 300 yards in any game this season and, in his last four games, he has less than 225 yards in three of them and just three passing TDs in those four games. He’s not worth a roster spot for a team in the playoffs because better options are available on the waiver wire.

Greg Olsen – Still expected to be a starter in TE-mandatory leagues, Olsen has fallen off the map. He hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 3 and, in his last nine games, he has been limited to less than 45 yards in six of them. The Panthers pass offense runs through Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore these days, no longer Olsen.

Mike Evans – This is another one of those “tough call” scenarios because nobody who has Evans is likely to bench him. But, you have wonder how defenses are taking on Evans. From Weeks 7-10 (a bye week wedged in there), in three games, Evans was targeted a whopping 45 times, catching 32 passes for 474 yards and three touchdowns, carrying fantasy teams on his back. In the last four, however, he has caught just four passes in each game, totaling 254 yards and no touchdowns. As we enter the fantasy playoffs, those numbers have to improve or he could be part of a one-and-done scenario.

Vance McDonald – This one is a little personal. I’ve never bought into the McDonald hype that just about every other fantasy analyst has. In seven seasons, he has never caught more than 50 passes or scored more than four touchdowns, yet his bandwagon keeps taking on passengers. The belief was that, if he could stay healthy, he’d blow up. Well, he’s played 11 games and doesn’t have a single game with more than 40 receiving yards, and, in his last nine games, has one touchdown and three or fewer receptions in eight of those games. Keep putting him in your lineup. You’ve been warned not to for the last time.

Fantasy market report: Week 13

There comes a time in every season when a fantasy owner says, “I’ve seen enough” and makes the difficult decision to either bench or cut a player in hopes of finding something better. If a marginal roster player does nothing for a couple of weeks, he ends up on the waiver wire. But, what happens when it’s a guy you expected to be a key regular starter?

It’s one thing for a fringe guy to give off a stank most foul and be quickly jettisoned from your vicinity, but it’s another to have a guy you invested significantly in and have been counting on that just isn’t providing the return for the investment.

Injuries happen. Players go down. The NFL is a violent game. Some players leave rosters for those reasons. I thought 2019 Cam Newton was going to be poisonous and avoided him completely. I didn’t see Andrew Luck’s retirement coming. Those who felt Antonio Brown’s talents could travel were sadly disappointed. Those who invested in A.J. Green when the Bengals said they weren’t going to put him on the P.U.P. list because he was expected back by late September are all fully aware that he still hasn’t played.

Guys like that effectively became dead roster spots. They were cut and replaced. But, what about the players who have been on the field every week and just aren’t getting it done? Do you bench Tom Brady? In his last six games, he has thrown just five TD passes. Do you bench Carson Wentz? In his last five games, he has just five touchdown passes and has averaged just 214 yards a game.

If they had names like Tannehill or any of the three Allens who have become starting quarterbacks, owners wouldn’t have hesitated to pull the plug on them as their primary starter. But this is The GOAT and Carson Wentz – two QBs with pretty solid pedigrees.

The same goes for the other fantasy positions.

Saquon Barkley hasn’t been the same player since returning from his high ankle sprain. While his reception volume keeps him relevant, Alvin Kamara owners have seen him rush for less than 70 yards in seven of his last eight games, post 50 or fewer receiving yards in seven of his last eight games and score just two touchdowns after scoring 18 times in 2018. Joe Mixon has shown signs of life recently but has been shut down too often to ignore for a player drafted to be a starter. Le’Veon Bell hasn’t rushed for more than 70 yards in any game this season, Todd Gurley’s weekly numbers have been underwhelming, David Johnson has fallen off the face of the earth and highly-touted rookies Mike Sanders and David Montgomery have been fantasy disappointments when compared to their preseason expectations.

The same goes for receivers. Do you bench Odell Beckham because he has averaged just 70 yards a game and has scored just two touchdowns? Do you give up on JuJu Smith-Schuster because he had three or fewer receptions and 44 or fewer receiving yards in four of his last five games? Do you bury Alshon Jeffery for averaging just 44 yards a game in the eight games he has played? Do you have personal issues with Robert Woods for not scoring a touchdown all season and having more than five receptions just three times? Do you retire Larry Fitzgerald because his weekly numbers aren’t worthy of being a fantasy flex player? Do simply get rid of tight ends like O.J. Howard, Eric Ebron, Vance McDonald and Delanie Walker because they routinely disappear from the game plan?

As we approach the fantasy playoffs, these are some of the tough questions fantasy owners have to ask themselves (and answer). Just because you invested heavily in a player like Wentz or Brady or Beckham or Bell, if they’re not producing and you have other options, you’re at the point where you have to make the tough decisions that are best for your team. Some will go down with the ship out of fear the one week you bench one of your underachieving star players is the week they’re going to go off with the type of game you’ve expected all year long. There isn’t much loyalty in the real world of football. The same should apply to fantasy football.

Here is the Week 13 Fantasy Market Report:

RISERS

Jonathan Williams – In the first nine games of the season, this Colts backup running back was inactive for seven of them and had two carries for one yard in the other two games. When Marlon Mack broke his hand in Week 11, Williams got an opportunity…and has run with it. In a game-and-a-half, he has rushed 39 times for 220 yards and a touchdown. It will be Mack’s job when he returns, but, until he’s back, Williams can continue to make his case for his long-term future – whether with the Colts or someone else.

D.J. Moore – The only frustration anyone had with Moore was that prior to the two-TD game he posted Sunday at New Orleans, he had only scored one touchdown. But, it has become clear that he is on the verge of becoming an elite receiver. He has only two games with less than five receptions and, over his last four games, he has come on strong – catching 30 passes for 442 yards and two touchdowns. Not many receivers have caught seven or more passes in six games or had more than 70 receiving yards in eight games. Moore doesn’t get mentioned among the game’s top receivers, but that won’t last much longer.

Derrick Henry – He never gets the respect he deserves for being an elite fantasy running back because he doesn’t catch many passes – although two of his 14 receptions have gone for touchdowns. He has scored 12 touchdowns, has four games with two TDs (including each of the last three) and, in the last two games – which Tennessee needed to win to stay in contention for a division title or wild card berth – he has rushed 42 times for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He’s becoming PPR-proof and the numbers show it.

Bo Scarbrough – When November started, he was unemployed. In the post-Kerryon Johnson era of the Lions 2019 season, they needed someone – anyone – to come in and provide a spark to its ugly run offense that was trying to take the heat off a backup quarterback. In two games, he has rushed 32 times for 153 yards and a touchdown – 14 carries for 55 yards and a TD in one game and 18 carries for 98 yards in the other. For those who have a dire running back situation, Detroit is giving him a long look at being someone they may envision in a dual-RB scenario.

Julian Edelman – There aren’t many players who are the clear-cut primary receiver for an offense week-in and week-out. Edelman’s value is clearly much better in PPR formats because he can go weeks at a time without scoring a touchdown. But, aside from Edelman, only three players have been targeted 10 or more times in a game this season – James White, Josh Gordon and Mohamed Sanu once each. Edelman has been targeted 10 or more times in eight games, with single-game targets of nine and seven in two of the three games he didn’t hit double digits. You don’t score fantasy points if you aren’t targeted and few players are targeted as often and as consistently as Edelman.

FALLERS

Saquon Barkley – In the two full games he played prior to a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss three-and-a-half games, Barkley rushed 29 times for 227 yards and a touchdown. In his last four games since his return, he has rushed 63 times for 152 yards and no rushing TDs. His fantasy impact has been more as a check-down receiver. Nobody who invested in Barkley is going to bench him (see above), but he’s getting to the point of having owners considering the possibility – even if they don’t have the guts to pull the trigger on it.

Aaron Rodgers – In his first eight games, Rodgers was what you would expect him to be. He threw 18 touchdowns, ran in one and had 235 or more passing yards in six straight – including three games with more than 300 yards and two with more than 400. In the last three games, he has two TD passes and yardage totals of 161, 233 and 104 yards. This may simply be the payback for having five of six games at home from Sept. 15 to Oct. 20, but Rodgers’ numbers are at their lowest level in a long time, whether by force or design. A-Rog owners aren’t going to put him out to pasture, but if they were counting on him the last three weeks, they’ve been disappointed every time.

Tampa Bay tight ends – There aren’t many teams that have two tight ends on fantasy rosters of any league, but the Bucs were one of them with O.J. Howard and Cameron Brate. Howard is capable of great things and, for those who didn’t prioritize tight end, Brate’s red-zone acumen kept him in lineups and on rosters. But, things have changed this season. In the nine games he’s played, Howard has caught just 18 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown. In 11 games, Brate has caught just 25 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns – 10 catches in one game and 15 in the other 10 combined. Despite having a prolific pass offense embraced by Bruce Arians, Tampa’s tight ends have been rendered moot in the fantasy world.

Mike Sanders – There was a feeling that Sanders was going to be an explosive rookie to watch when he joined the Eagles. He had more carries than Jordan Howard in each of the first three games of his career but didn’t take the job over. In the next six games, Sanders never had more than 11 carries and Howard never had less than 11. When Howard went down with injury two weeks ago, it was a second chance for Sanders to take over the lead dog role. The results in the last two games as the lone featured back? 23 carries for 101 yards, five receptions for 32 yards and no touchdowns. He had a chance early. He’s had a chance the last two games. He hasn’t taken advantage.

Darren Waller – It’s hard to put him on this list because so many of us fell in love with him as our own discovery during the preseason. What got him noticed by everyone else was his fast start. In his first six games, he caught 44 passes for 485 yards and two touchdowns – a pace that would have him finish the season with 117 receptions for 1,293 yards and five touchdowns. But, once everyone had taken notice, the production has dropped. In his last five games, he has caught just 15 passes for 222 yards and one TD. He’s still a dangerous threat capable of big things, but the Waller Train has slowed considerably.

Fantasy market report: Week 12

Last week, we took a deeper dive into the coming fantasy playoff schedule, pointing out to fantasy players what teams had the best and worst schedules heading down the stretch, with the emphasis being on Weeks 14-17.

As we saw Nov. 10 in the Carolina-Green Bay game, the weather made a significant impact with a thin layer of snow covering the field in the second half of the game. When it gets to late December, the potential for bad weather that – whether it be snow, cold, wind or a combination of all of them – can virtually ground an offense.

It’s the reason why players routinely post eye-popping numbers in the regular season, but the team that runs the ball and plays defense wins in the playoffs.

We took a look at all 32 teams and based our top/bottom rankings on the potential for bad weather, not their opponents. Teams like the Rams with have a gauntlet down the stretch and Miami may have the easiest slate of opponents of any team during the typical fantasy playoffs (Weeks 14-16), but when you flip the script on how December weather in outdoor stadiums can impact the outcome of games (and fantasy production), the Rams will likely have the best of all worlds, while Miami will have to struggle through the potential for dismal weather..

If you have players that you’re convinced won’t be used or are expendable, you may to look to pick up a player from one of two of the teams with the most favorable schedules and consider having a backup plan for those on the downside of the list.

THE FIVE BEST

Minnesota Vikings (DETROIT, at L.A. Chargers, GREEN BAY, CHICAGO) – It doesn’t get much better than this. Three home games in their unfriendly dome environment and their one road game in Los Angeles. No complaints.

Los Angeles Rams (SEATTLE, at Dallas, at San Francisco, ARIZONA) – Simply in terms of the potential for weather impacting their games, three of them are in California and the other is under the roof at Jerry World. If they’re making it to the playoffs, they will have to cut through those guys to potentially knock one of them out of a spot, but they will very likely be able to execute their game plan.

Carolina Panthers (at Atlanta, SEATTLE, at Indianapolis, at New Orleans) – Again, three road games are never a picnic, but all of them are in domes – a blessing for a warm-weather team that finds it hard to replicate frigid conditions in practice. Christian McCaffrey should be at his need-for-speed best.

Houston Texans (DENVER, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay, TENNESSEE) – Texas teams don’t like heading north in December or January (and they struggle when they do). Houston drew the good straw on this closing schedule. They got saddled with two road games when most championships are decided, but it is against Tennessee and Tampa Bay – teams who have been capable of being exploited and in venues that don’t see snow.

Los Angeles Chargers (at Jacksonville, MINNESOTA, OAKLAND, at Kansas City) – If Week 17 is when a champion is crowned in your league, this takes a bit of hit, but if you’re in a Weeks 14-16 title scenario, one game in Florida and two in Los Angeles doesn’t get much more likely for seasonable weather.

THE FIVE WORST

Miami Dolphins (at New York Jets, at New York Giants, CINCINNATI, at New England) – If you look at the opponents, you salivate. At the moment, the teams they play in Weeks 14-16 have a combined record of 5-25, but for a team from South Florida, the prospect of heading to MetLife Stadium in back-to-back weeks and closing out in Boston is not conducive to good weather probability. Most fantasy players have rid themselves of Dolphins, but those who haven’t may want to consider it – even with a schedule full of losing teams.

Chicago Bears (DALLAS, at Green Bay, KANSAS CITY, at Minnesota) – If you were to pick the two stadiums known for awful late-season conditions due to cold and wind, Lambeau Field and Soldier Field top the list. The Bears will play all three games in Weeks 14-16 in those venues.

Baltimore Ravens (at Buffalo, New York Jets, at Cleveland, PITTSBURGH) – Buffalo is always a concern and Cleveland can be brutal when the wind is coming off the lake. For a team predicated on running and speed, that could pose a problem.

Buffalo Bills (BALTIMORE, at Pittsburgh, at New England, NEW YORK JETS) – There are no gimmes on this slate, from two games in Buffalo to road games against the Steelers and Patriots. If the Bills are going to make the playoffs, they’re going to have to play January football in December.

Dallas Cowboys (at Chicago, L.A. RAMS, at Philadelphia, WASHINGTON) – Nothing comes easy here and road trips to Chicago and Philadelphia are no picnic for a team from Texas.

Weather is going to impact the NFL in the closing weeks of the season. It always does. While in most cases, if a fantasy owner has leaned on the same players all season, they likely aren’t going to make radical lineup changes, but, if you have roster spots that can be swapped out in the event you need it on game day if one or two of your players are going to be playing in blizzard conditions, it’s an option you may want to explore before your hands are tied in Week 15 or 16.

Here is the Week 12 Fantasy Market Report:

RISERS

Lamar Jackson – Jackson has been posting crazy good numbers all year, but it seems like he is finding another gear over the second half of the season. He hit a stretch in the middle of the season where his touchdown passes fell markedly (two TD passes in four games), but, in his last two games, he has emerged in the middle of the MVP discussions. He has thrown seven TD passes in his last two games and has five rushing TDs in his last five games. He’s been a fantasy stud all season, but he’s kicked into a second gear in November.

Jarvis Landry – In his first seven games of the season, Landry was catching passes and posting modest yardage totals consistently, but what was frustrating fantasy owners was that he wasn’t hitting the end zone. But, in the last four games, he has been targeted 40 times, catching 24 passes for 256 yards and has scored a touchdown in each of his last three games – a pace over the last month that would translate into 96 catches for 1,024 yards and 12 TDs over the course of a full season.

Josh Allen – Allen still doesn’t get the fantasy respect he deserves despite becoming one of the most consistent scorers in the league. He has accounted for two or more touchdowns in his last six games, including 10 passing TDs and four rushing touchdowns. He likely isn’t the No. 1 QB on many rosters, but he’s been playing like one since the beginning of October.

Randall Cobb – His role in Green Bay was reduced his final couple of seasons with the Packers and it didn’t appear to be changing in Dallas. Between Weeks 2 and 9, Cobb had more than three catches just twice and his high yardage total was 53 with no touchdowns. However, in his last two games, he has caught 10 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. Dak Prescott has become a fantasy must-start because he’s finding ways to incorporate more players into the mix and Cobb has become a player owners will find hard to bench.

Jameis Winston – If your league doesn’t penalize you for interceptions (he has 18 on the season and 13 in his last five games, he has been a yardage monster. In his last eight games, he has thrown two or more touchdowns in six games, has one in both of the other two and thrown for more than 300 yards in seven of them. For leagues that deduct points for interceptions, Winston can kill you at times, but, if not, he’s putting up fantasy MVP type numbers on a weekly basis.

FALLERS

Alvin Kamara – While his numbers are still solid in PPR formats, Kamara was the first or second player taken in most drafts or auctions because of his ability to post giant numbers. In 15 games last year, Kamara rushed for 883 yards, caught 81 passes for 7089 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. In eight games this season (he’s missed two), he has rushed for 472 yards and caught 51 passes for 373 yards. Those numbers are similar to his 2018 numbers, but, he has scored just two touchdowns. He’s still putting up decent numbers, but not the numbers fantasy owners invested so heavily in.

Jacoby Brissett – He was one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league coming out of the gate, throwing 14 TD passes in his first six games as the starter. Over the last month, he has missed one game due to injury and, in the other three games, he has just one TD pass and one TD run. He has the ability to make big plays, but the shine is starting to come off of Brissett with fantasy owners that fell in love with him in September.

Joey Slye – Kickers aren’t given much credit for their contributions to fantasy lineups, but you remember them if you win or lose by a couple of points and kicker made the difference. In his first four games of the season, Slye scored 39 points with totals of 9, 12, 8 and 10 points. In his last six games, he has scored just 33 points, including two weeks with three points, two with four and one with six. If you’re wondering why he’s available in so many leagues, those point totals are probably the answer.

Jared Goff – In 2018, Goff took the fantasy world by storm, averaging 293 yards a game and throwing 32 touchdowns. While he is still posting decent passing numbers (averaging 278 yards a game), he has thrown just 11 touchdowns in 10 games (a pace for just 17 or 18 over the course of the season). Those are unacceptable numbers in the pass-happy era we live in now and when you haven’t thrown more than two TDs in any game with that supporting cast, it’s even more maddening.

Tevin Coleman – In the first four games returning from injury in Week 4, Coleman looked like one of the best running backs in the league, rushing for 309 yards and scoring six total touchdowns. But, in the last three games, he rushed 33 times for just 77 yards and hasn’t scored any touchdowns. At a time when fantasy owners have been putting him in starting lineups every week because of what accomplished in October, he has been an unqualified bust since Halloween.

Fantasy market report: Week 11

Often times, the best fantasy seasons can get blown up in a one-and-done scenario and often the difference between winning and losing can come down to a single player with a favorable matchup.

Often times, the best fantasy seasons can get blown up in a one-and-done scenario and often the difference between winning and losing can come down to a single player with a favorable matchup.

It’s never too early to begin planning for the run to a championship and we’re looking at what, on paper at this time, look to be the five best closing schedules based on opponents and the five worst. The teams listed have their final four games because, while most fantasy championships are decided in Week 16, there are some leagues that play 17-week schedules or have a free-for-all game in Week 17 that can win fantasy owners some transaction money as well.

THE FIVE BEST

Philadelphia Eagles (NY GIANTS, at Washington, DALLAS, at NYG Giants) – With two games against the hapless Giants, another with Washington and games in Week 14 and 16 at home, the Eagles closing schedule is about as good as it could be.

Green Bay Packers (WASHINGTON, CHICAGO, at Minnesota, at Detroit) – With Washington and Chicago having to come to Lambeau Field in December, that is a huge advantage for the Packers and, given that they’ve owned the NFC North all season, going into climate-controlled games at Minnesota aren’t much worse.

Cleveland Browns (CINCINNATI, at Arizona, BALTIMORE, at Cincinnati) – Getting Cincinnati twice and the struggling Cardinals in the mix, this is a pretty good schedule for a team that underachieved to date and needs to finish the season strong, whether it leads to an unlikely playoff berth or not.

Minnesota Vikings (DETROIT, at LA Chargers, GREEN BAY, CHICAGO) – With three of four games at home, where Minnesota has been dominant since US Bank Stadium opened, they will be a hard team to beat or keep out of the playoffs.

New England Patriots (KANSAS CITY, at Cincinnati, BUFFALO, MIAMI) – The Patriots have three of four games at home and the only road game against hapless Cincinnati, which should play to their strengths…again.

THE FIVE WORST

Los Angeles Rams (SEATTLE, at Dallas, at San Francisco, ARIZONA) – With the Seahawks, Cowboys and 49ers on their plate for the fantasy playoffs, the road to trying to repeat at NFC champions will be a tough road for the Rams.

Buffalo Bills (BALTIMORE, at Pittsburgh, at New England, NY JETS) – The Bills have been a good story in the first half of the season, but landing the Ravens and then road games at Pittsburgh and New England will be as tough as it gets for AFC contenders.

Chicago Bears (DALLAS, at Green Bay, KANSAS CITY, at Minnesota) – The Bears have been a disappointment this season when compared to expectations and all four of their final opponents are currently set to be playoff teams

Seattle Seahawks (at LA Rams, at Carolina, ARIZONA, SAN FRANCISCO) – With road games against the Rams and Panthers to start the fantasy playoffs and closing out with San Francisco, the only saving grace here would be the Week 16 home game against the Cardinals.

Washington Redskins (at Green Bay, PHILADELPHIA, NY GIANTS, at Dallas) – The Redskins 2019 season has been a disappointment and things don’t get easier with the Packers, Eagles and Cowboys on the closing slate of games.

Here is the Week 11 Fantasy Market Report:

RISERS

Kyle Rudolph – In a year when tight ends haven’t been consistently producing huge numbers, Rudolph was invisible at the start of the season. In the first five games (he was healthy for all of them), he was targeted just eight times, catching six passes for just 36 yards and no touchdowns. When Adam Thielen went down in Week 7, Rudolph got incorporated back into the offense. In the last four games, he has caught 15 passes for 112 yards and four touchdowns, making himself fantasy relevant once again.

Michael Thomas – While Thomas has been dominant throughout his career, what he has accomplished this season is nothing short of astounding. In nine games, he has been targeted 108 times, catching 86 passes for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns – a pace that would shatter his career highs across the board. He’s on pace for 183 targets, catching 153 passes 1,826 yards and seven TDs. He has just two games with less than 11 targets, one game with less than eight receptions, one game with less than 89 receiving yards, five games with 10 or more receptions and five games with more than 110 receiving yards. You don’t hear his name in MVP discussions, but there is no more valuable receiver in the league this year to his team.

Ronald Jones – Jones hasn’t been a guy fantasy owners have wanted to start every week because he’s been in a timeshare with Peyton Barber and didn’t look worthy of his draft slot as a rooking. But, in his last six games, he has rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns and caught 14 passes for 142 more yards. He still isn’t a guaranteed starter in most leagues, but he’s giving owners a viable option if they need a player.

Golden Tate – Tate was kind of an afterthought after missing the first four games of the season due to suspension. But, with all the turmoil in New York, he has been the steadying influence on the offense in the six games he’s played. In the last five games, he has been targeted 54 times, catching 30 passes for 404 yards and three touchdowns. He has caught six or more passes in four of those games and has 80 or more receiving yards in four of those five as well. Tate has never been a touchdown machine, but he has a history of being a volume-of-receptions guy and he is quickly establishing himself as the No. 1 receiving target in New York.

Melvin Gordon – It took Gordon some time to get up to speed after his holdout. In his first four games, Gordon rushed 44 times for just 112 yards in one touchdown – averaging just 2.5 yards a carry. In his last two games, he has looked like Gordon of old, rushing 42 times for 188 yards and three touchdowns. For a guy who was a pain for fantasy owners the first half of the season, he’s looking like his former self, which was one of the most dynamic fantasy running backs in the game.

FALLERS

Devonta Freeman – The biggest concern for most fantasy owners was whether Freeman could stay healthy for 16 games after battling injuries much of 2017 and missing all but two games last year. While he left Sunday’s win against New Orleans with an ankle injury. The fact of the matter is that he has no 100-yard rushing games through nine games, has just two games with more than 13 carries and two games with 40 or more rushing yards, has averaged just 7.4 yards per reception with just three games with more than three catches and his three TDs this season have all been as a receiver. His production had ground to a halt. In his last three games, he has rushed 30 times for just 96 yards, caught 13 passes for just 79 yards and scored no touchdowns. In this instance, an injury may be a good thing because it will end the temptation to keep him in your lineup.

JuJu Smith-Schuster – Jalen Ramsey played the “you’re no Antonio Brown card” last week before the Steelers-Rams game, but anyone who has JuJu already knows that. Without Ben Roethlisberger gun-slinging, Smith-Schuster’s numbers have suffered. In his last six games, he has three or fewer receptions in four them and yardage days of 15, 7, 16 and 44 in the mix. He has had just enough big games to keep him in lineups, but, at this point, he’s doing fantasy owners more harm than good if they continue starting him every week.

Robby Anderson – He’s been a fantasy enigma. He has a history of stringing together very productive games over the last three years, but this season has been brutal. He has two games with more than 43 receiving yards, has just one touchdown and individual yardage days of 23, 11, 16, 10, 43, 33 and 11. Most owners who had him have likely already dumped him and those who haven’t should consider it because it just doesn’t look like his typical month on fantasy dominance is coming.

Sammy Watkins – Back in Week 1, Watkins set the fantasy world on fire, catching nine passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. In the nine games the Chiefs have played (seven with Watkins in the starting lineup, he has caught 31 passes for just 314 yards and no touchdowns. He hasn’t hit 65 receiving yards in any game despite the Chiefs slinging the ball early and often in games.

John Brown – Big things were expected from Brown in Buffalo and he showed that early. In his first two games, he caught 14 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he has been extremely consistent, catching either four or five passes in every game since and has consistent yardage numbers (51, 69, 75, 83, 54, 76 and 77), but has caught just one touchdown in those seven games. He still gets decent fantasy numbers on a weekly basis, but the big-play, huge-point games he has made a name for himself getti8ng, just haven’t materialized – he doesn’t have a catch of 30 yards since Week 1. We don’t recommend dumping him, but we do suggest managing your expectations for the huge games and big plays Brown has been known for.