How about that weekend huh? We had Ryan Fitzpatrick throw for six touchdowns, Tre Mason rack up three total touchdowns, the Colts had a pair of receivers with over 125 yards and two touchdowns each and Jimmy Graham laid a big ole GOOSE EGG. Football is such a fun sport to watch because, on any given Sunday, the unexpected can happen. As we move towards Week 14, for some, this is their last chance to make the playoffs while others will actually begin their dance. With that being said let’s take a look at a few players who have seen their values rise of late and could help propel you to a league title, as well as point out a few players who are not performing at a championship level and should be avoided.
Rising
, WR BUF- With defenses making a serious effort to shut down Sammy Watkins in the passing game, Buffalo’s secondary receiving options have seen a boost in production over the past few weeks which makes Woods a player whose stock is trending upwards as we head into Week 14. Over the past two weeks Woods has led the team in receiving, having caught 13 of his 18 targets for 189 yards and a touchdown. The Bills head out on the road to Denver this weekend in what will be a return game for Kyle Orton who started for Denver from 2009 to 2011 before being replaced by Tim Tebow in the middle of the 2011 season. That could give him added motivation on top of the fact that the Bills are fighting for a playoff spot. Given the Broncos high powered offense it is likely that the Bills will have to throw early and often if they hope to keep pace which should give Woods a decent shot at putting together another solid fantasy performance.
, WR STL- It’s been quite an emergence for Bailey who had just eight catches for 86 yards over the first eight games of the season, but with Shaun Hill now starting, he has caught 12 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks. The Rams travel to Washington in Week 14 to face a Redskins defense that just allowed two Colts receivers to gain 125-plus yards with two touchdowns each and is a defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. Not to mention that they have given up the eighth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. As Hill’s favorite target, Bailey should be in for another big day as the fantasy playoffs near.
Falling
, RB NE- Following the Week 6 injury to Stevan Ridley many expected Vereen’s fantasy value to skyrocket as the Patriots seemingly lacked a viable between-the-tackles runner with Brandon Bolden, rookie James White and unknown practice squad member Jonas Gray as the team’s only remaining running backs on the roster. And while initially Vereen met those expectations in Week 7 when he carried the ball a season-high 11 times for 43 yards, he did the most damage in his natural pass-catching role out of the backfield. Vereen has since reverted back to playing primarily on passing downs as the addition of LeGarrette Blount has all but assured that Vereen will not see any more than 10 carries and, unless he finds the end zone, in non-PPR leagues, his involvement in the passing game is not significant enough to merit anything more than a flyer at a flex position. As we enter the fantasy playoffs, at least for this owner, I try to make sure that I have a player with a floor level of production upon which I can rely. And while, at this stage, it is very hard to go out and replace a player like Vereen, I would be willing to bet there is a more stable option available on waivers worth considering over him.
, WR BUF- Assuming you didn’t just skip to the Falling portion of the article you will notice that Watkins’ teammate Robert Woods’ value is on the rise which is directly related to the fall of Watkins’ value. Watkins has averaged just three catches for 26 yards over the past four weeks as a combination of teams are making it a priority to take him out of the offense. Injuries, along with a few dud performances by QB Kyle Orton, have also contributed to a lack of production of late. Though all is not lost with Watkins as he continues to be among the team leader in targets during this lackluster stretch but he has turned into a boom or bust play which, during the playoffs, can send you home packing more often than not. The Bills will find themselves in a couple of shootouts in the coming weeks starting with Week 14 as they travel to Denver in what is sure to be a high-scoring affair as the Bills will need to pass to keep pace with Peyton Manning. From there, they welcome the Green Bay Packers and their high octane offense to Buffalo so the opportunities will be there for Watkins to make some big plays as well. But if he continues to be a dud, your season might be over sooner than you had hoped.