While it is good news that Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson has turned into the RB1 option we expected from draft day, stock has not risen for future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Health always seems to play a role in these things, and Johnson seems precisely that -- healthy -- with 20 or more touches in three consecutive games, and touchdowns in four straight. Fitzgerald last posted a double-digit outing in PPR formats in Week 1.
For Johnson (a major source of investor whining two games in), it remains an unusual statistical line, and I would
Perhaps Johnson, who has topped 55 rushing yards and 71 total yards in merely one game (Week 4 versus Seattle), can really take off with big numbers against the Broncos. Then it is the San Francisco 49ers, a bye week and friendly matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders. The touchdown rate is a bit generous -- unsustainable most would contend -- and a per-carry average of 3.2 yards is 44th among 47 qualified running backs (only Dion Lewis, Chris Ivory and LeGarrette Blount are worse), but with his pedigree and the schedule, I see good times ahead.
It is tough to feel the same about Fitzgerald, who has battled hamstring and back injuries this season. Hey, in the fantasy world we do not get an asterisk for underachievers just because they are hurt. We generally move on. I preached patience with Fitzgerald, 35, a month ago, because I found it hard to believe the No. 3 PPR wide receiver from last season -- and 11th among flex-eligible options -- just suddenly got old. He just suddenly got hurt. It is hard to see top-20 wide receiver relevance, thanks to his physical ailments more than the rookie quarterback situation ... so yeah, I would move on.
Stock up
Ito Smith, RB, Atlanta Falcons: I get why the rookie from Southern Mississippi has become so popular this week, the most added player in ESPN standard leagues. Smith has scored a rushing touchdown in three consecutive games, and with starter Devonta Freeman sidelined with pending groin surgery, opportunity knocks. Of course, Tevin Coleman is probably just as talented as Freeman and should handle most of the touches, but it is hard to ignore pedestrian numbers for the past month, save for a few short receiving touchdowns. Smith could be more than fantasy insurance.
Albert Wilson, WR, Miami Dolphins: Speaking of unsustainable touchdowns due to low volume, Wilson looked awesome in Week 6 by taking a pair of short Brock Osweiler passes and turning them into long touchdown runs. Those passes went for 118 yards, and 115 of them were after the catch. Wilson boasts four touchdowns in his brief work, but as with Smith, add him in case the volume increases. DeVante Parker is doing nothing. Kenny Stills has been only a bit more productive of late. Wilson deserves more of a look.
Buffalo Bills offensive options: Derek Anderson is not exactly Joe Montana in his prime, but at least Anderson is a proven quarterback, and to me, similar to Tampa Bay reserve Ryan Fitzpatrick, who took the fantasy world by storm only last month. Anderson fills in for a few weeks because Josh Allen is hurt and Nathan Peterman is ... well, his play is tough to believe. Anyway, Anderson was the No. 7 quarterback for the ... 2007 season. OK, so it was not yesterday. Still, he played with wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin in Carolina, and those two performed productively together in 2014 and 2016. He can be Fitzpatrick for a few games, the good and the bad, but the receivers do not get the interceptions on their record. I think Benjamin is a worthy WR4 this week, though since I am the only one who ranked him, I appear to be alone. Meanwhile, LeSean McCoy has 40 rushing attempts the past two games and 25.2 PPR points. Things are progressing.
Stock down
Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots: This remains the No. 7 tight end in PPR formats this season, so it is not like he has been Tyler Higbee, but the Rams' option also has one touchdown, just like the famous Patriot. That is it. This is not like the Julio Jones situation, either. Jones is on pace for nearly 1,900 receiving yards, while Gronkowski is on pace for barely 1,000. Nobody is saying to drop the No. 17 overall selection from draft day or trade him for the likes of Higbee, Austin Hooper or Jared Cook (the latter two have outscored him). Just do not trade a top player for someone who looks like those days have clearly passed.
Mike McCarthy, coach, Green Bay Packers: There is no guarantee that if McCarthy were to permit running back Aaron Jones to see a reasonable workload that fantasy investors would have a top-20 option. I think we might, but until it happens, it is a guess. We do know that Jones is not getting much volume, still, even though he appears to be a high-upside player and Jamaal Williams does not. Jones has averaged more than five yards per carry in all four of his games. Everyone blames McCarthy. Blame the defense too. Aaron Rodgers is throwing far more than the Packers wanted because these games become shootouts.
Weekly D/ST options: I entered the season with the plan of streaming defenses in several leagues, but in a few others, I secured either the Jacksonville Jaguars or one of the renowned top NFC defenses with the thinking being I did not have to worry about them. I even went against the reasonable plan of reaching a few rounds ahead for the Jaguars in one league because I loved everything else about my roster and did not need to add a fifth running back/receiver. The team was set.
Then last week, of course, the Jaguars go to Dallas, and its D/ST costs me a point. I barely won the matchup because Mason Crosby went nuts on Monday. The week prior, the Chiefs lit up the Jaguars. OK, that makes sense. The Cowboys game does not. Big game this week for the Jaguars against the Texans, because then it is the London game versus the Eagles and a bye week.
I do not think the Jaguars D/ST should be cut; not yet. Nor do I want to cut the Eagles, Vikings or Rams units, but ... the Eagles last reached double digits for fantasy scoring in Week 1 and their secondary is a mess. The Vikings have rebounded from the minus-9 against the Rams. The Rams have scored a total of five defensive points in three weeks. I am being patient while the Colts and Bills units make the most-added list.
Stock unchanged
Le'Veon Bell/James Conner, RBs, Pittsburgh Steelers: Honestly, does anyone really know for sure what is happening? It is quite the drama, but from a fantasy standpoint, if I have invested in Bell, I keep him around. He could play in Week 8 and play a lot. If I have invested in Conner, I consider trade offers but I cannot imagine there are many because most of us believe Bell will suddenly report to the team and everything will be OK. Nothing has changed.
Additional players to watch this weekend
Quarterbacks
1. Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
2. Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
3. C.J. Beathard, San Francisco 49ers
Notes: It seems to be a weekly theme, as we watch the second-year Watson, and this week, the game is at Jacksonville against a Jaguars defense that was shockingly punished by the Cowboys. One would assume the unit rebounds. Watson had a streak of four consecutive 300-yard passing games end at home against Buffalo, as he achieved 5.3 points. It is unfair to call his stock falling if he struggles again in Jacksonville, but that is what would happen. Really, we are watching the Jaguars D/ST as well. ... A top-10 fantasy performer the past three seasons and five of seven, Stafford checks in at No. 21 (albeit with one fewer game than most). He comes off the bye to face the Dolphins, and if it goes statistically poorly, many will move on. I think this is a solid streamer and potential top-10 QB from here on out. ... Beathard has started three games and produced at least 17 points in each. Hey, has your QB done this? Patrick Mahomes, Matt Ryan and Rodgers, currently the top three in fantasy QB scoring this season, have not. Beathard has lost each game, but that is not our problem. He has a running game, even if it is not what was expected, and Marquise Goodwin and George Kittle look great. If the QB looks more than passable for a game against the mighty Rams then that is interesting.
Running backs
1. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
2. Carlos Hyde, Cleveland Browns
3. Phillip Lindsay, Denver Broncos
4. Marlon Mack, Indianapolis Colts
5. Kenyan Drake, Miami Dolphins
Notes: Cook averaged 4.8 yards per carry as a rookie in his four games. So far, in three games, with a hamstring injury mixed in to frustrate everyone, he is averaging 2.7 yards per tote. Cook has to do something big this week against the Jets, especially after Latavius Murray ran so well last week, to prove the problem is not the offensive line. ... Hyde looked like a top-10 option after four games, as he scored a touchdown in each one. He ran 14 times for 34 yards in Week 6, and there are rumblings that rookie Nick Chubb is going to see an increase in volume, while pass-catching Duke Johnson Jr., mercifully already has. ... Lindsay faces a Cardinals defense that is second to the Chiefs in permitting PPR points to eager running backs. I maintain that Royce Freeman has upside, as well, and a timeshare is frustrating for all, but this seems like a matchup someone -- or everyone -- should exploit. ... Mack looked better than expected in his Week 6 return against the Jets, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Perhaps we all underestimated Mack. ... As for Drake, he went through the emotions in the Week 6 overtime game. Frank Gore is not going away soon, but Drake can still become a valuable asset in the passing game. I would still trade for him, within reason.
Wide receivers/tight ends
1. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
2. Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns
3. Josh Gordon, New England Patriots
4. Taylor Gabriel, Chicago Bears
5. Jermaine Kearse, New York Jets
Notes: Allen is outside the top 20 wide receivers in PPR scoring so far, mainly thanks to scoring only one more touchdown than you, me and Julio has. The Titans have a weak link in the secondary in the form of Malcolm Butler, so perhaps all the Philip Rivers weapons enjoy themselves, but it would be nice if Allen has a big game to remind us he, too, like Fitzgerald, Landry, Michael Thomas and Antonio Brown, caught 100 passes last season. ... As for Landry, his numbers look like Allen's, with more targets and a rookie quarterback. When Landry faced Allen's Chargers last week, he caught only two passes. Now he gets the awful Buccaneers defense. Should be a monster game. ... Gordon saw nine targets against the Chiefs, though he did not do much with them, and needs to keep the momentum going to push into eventual WR2 territory. It could happen soon. ... Gabriel joins Adam Thielen, Antonio Brown and Davante Adams as the lone wide receivers looking to make it three consecutive 100-yard games this weekend. Yep, Taylor Gabriel. We all want to see if it is real and where Mitchell Trubisky looks for big plays. ... Kearse caught 810 yards worth of passes last season for the Jets, making him occasionally interesting. Entering Week 6, he had done nothing. Now he comes off a nine-catch, 94-yard game. Now he is interesting.