There are only five more weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, yet there are 20 NFL teams with bye weeks still to come (including the Browns, Packers, Raiders and Seahawks this week). So, with limited time left to make a run for the fantasy playoffs, and with the lineup disruption from the looming bye weeks, let's discuss some player trends that could help you navigate the upcoming schedule.
We'll start with players who are trending up, including some who are available in nearly half of ESPN leagues. Then we will look at a group of players who are trending in the other direction due to limited usage and/or a poor run of lower-level production.
There are pass catchers and a quarterback in here, a tight end with a stable floor and multiple running backs I eyed over the summer who have simply failed to deliver.
Players trending up
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
Sutton's recent uptick in volume is encouraging. So is the poise and timing I'm seeing from rookie quarterback Bo Nix as a pocket thrower in Sean Payton's offense. Sutton has 10 or more targets in back-to-back games. That works. And he's caught 15 of 21 over that stretch for 222 yards. Sutton is producing at multiple levels of the route tree here too, catching the unders and separating on crossers and deep-in breakers. Plus, we know he can get vertical.
Sutton scored 17.1 points in Week 8 against the Panthers then had 23.28 against the Ravens last week (which was boosted by his own TD pass to Nix). More competitive matchups loom, starting with a road against Kansas City this week, but Sutton's overall usage, along with the quarterback's development, make him an ascending flex play in my rankings.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
The arrow is pointing up on Hopkins after his route deployment and red zone usage in the Monday night win over Tampa Bay. In just his second game with the Chiefs, Hopkins posted a season-high 28.6 points, catching 8 of 9 targets for 86 yards, and he scored two touchdowns on end zone throws from quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Hopkins fits as the short-to-intermediate option for Mahomes in the Chiefs' West Coast route tree, working the underneath zones and using his high-level coverage awareness to find open grass, as he did on a second-reaction deep-ball target from Mahomes. Plus, Hopkins will see more one-on-one/isolation matchups in Andy Reid's offense.
Now Hopkins does have two tough upcoming matchups (DEN, @BUF). But when he can get this type of volume, including scoring opportunities inside the 10-yard line, he's an easy start at the flex spot in your lineup. And with a Chiefs offense that is finally finding a sense of rhythm in the pass game, Hopkins could elevate into the WR2 ranks by the time the fantasy playoffs start.
Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots
I've written about Henry for weeks as a top streaming option because he gives you a solid floor at a position that is very unstable in fantasy. Over his past four games, Henry is averaging 13.1 points per game, and he quickly has emerged as a reliable outlet for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
With an average depth of target of 8.3 yards, Henry isn't a consistent vertical seam stretcher, and he has just one touchdown catch on the season. So, yes, that does limit his ceiling. But if I can grab a tight end who is averaging 7.0 targets per game over the past four weeks while also giving me a consistent 10 to 12 points in the lineup, I'm going to jump on it. And Henry is still available in more than 50% of ESPN leagues.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
Herbert looks healthy. That's the movement traits on tape. And the production is rising. Herbert has now thrown multiple touchdowns in back-to-back games for the first time this season, and he has posted more than 275 yards passing in three straight. Plus, Herbert is throwing the ball downfield at a higher rate, with 28.8% of his passes traveling more than 15 air yards in Weeks 8 and 9.
Even in an offense that can tend to be run-heavy, Herbert has a favorable upcoming slate (TEN, CIN, BAL, @ATL), and I like the development of the Chargers' pass game with rookie Ladd McConkey and the big-play ability of Quentin Johnston. Herbert should still be viewed as a streaming option in leagues that start one QB, but I also see a player who can move up the ranks over the final stretch of the fantasy regular season.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
With Zack Moss likely out for the season due to a neck injury, the Bengals traded for running back Khalil Herbert on Tuesday. And I like Herbert's game as a zone runner. He is a quality No. 2. But I wrote about Brown as one of my top trade targets a couple of weeks back for a reason: I like the upside he brings to fantasy lineups given his short-area speed and contact balance, along with the receiving skills.
Last week versus the Raiders, with Moss out, Brown also showed he can handle high-end volume, totaling 157 yards and a score -- on 32 touches. Brown carried the ball 27 times for 150 yards, and he added five receptions. Now, the schedule gets more challenging over the next couple of weeks (@BAL, LAC), and Herbert will cut into Brown's workload. We have to expect that. However, with Brown as the lead back in an explosive Cincy offense averaging 25.2 PPG (fifth most in the league), he can give you both stability and production at the RB2 spot.
Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy, WRs, Cleveland Browns
I'm trying to figure out why both Tillman and Jeudy are still available in almost 50% of ESPN leagues, especially for managers in deeper formats. Look at the numbers here -- and the tape -- because this is a much different Browns passing game with Jameis Winston at quarterback.
In Winston's two starts (Weeks 8 and 9), Tillman is averaging 24.2 PPG. That's a big number. Tillman has caught 13 of 19 targets too, and he has found the end zone three times. Jeudy, meanwhile, is at 13.6 PPG in those two games. And although Jeudy hasn't caught a touchdown, he has grabbed 12 of 19 targets with Winston, posting two straight games with 70 or more yards receiving.
The Browns are on a bye this week, but they return in Week 11 with a matchup versus the Saints. Even though that schedule ramps up starting in Week 12 (PIT, @DEN, @PIT,), Winston's aggressive mentality plays in any situation, which includes throwing with volume late in games when his club is trailing. And right now, those targets are going to Tillman and Jeudy.
Players trending down
DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
Due to average playcalling and play design, along with a rookie quarterback who is reverting to some poor college habits, Moore has struggled to find consistency in this Bears offense.
Moore has scored fewer than 10 points in three straight games, and he has totaled more than 15 points only twice this season. Sure, there are misses on the tape, plays in which Moore was uncovered only to see an inaccurate throw from Caleb Williams. And that's reflected by Moore's 38.9% off-target rate over his past three games, during he has caught 10 of 18 targets for only 80 yards.
Now do I think Moore still has breakout-game potential? There's no doubt, given his explosive-play ability along with catch-and-run toughness. That's why we keep him in the lineup, right? But with a nasty upcoming schedule, one that goes through the fantasy playoffs (NE, GB, MIN, @DET, @SF, @MIN, DET, SEA), it's fair to have concerns about Moore, Williams and a Bears offensive line that struggles to protect.
Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Etienne was one of my top summer targets during our mock drafts. I saw the 2023 usage, the dual-threat skills and, really, a Jags offense that had all the tools to be an explosive unit. But as we head into Week 10, Etienne is averaging only 9.0 PPG, he has rushed for more than 70 yards in a game only once and he sits at just 18 receptions on the season.
Did the hamstring injury in Week 6 versus the Bears disrupt Etienne's season? For sure. It cost him the majority of that game and the next two afterward. Plus, it opened the door for Tank Bigsby, who has been the more efficient (and explosive) runner in the Jags' backfield. I thought we would see more of Etienne last week versus the Eagles, in his first game back. However, he had just three rushing attempts as compared to Bigsby's eight and caught two passes for only six yards.
Maybe Etienne can work his way back to a lead role in Jacksonville. The skills are there. But with Bigsby still getting work, it's hard to play Etienne as anything more than a fringe flex heading into the Jags' Week 10 home game versus the Vikings.
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
I had high expectations for Williams back in August because he looked explosive and sudden on the preseason tape. Two years removed from a knee injury and a lead role in Denver made him a sleeper candidate for me in Payton's offense.
But outside of the 26.1 points he put on the Saints on Thursday night in Week 7, Williams hasn't really delivered for managers. He is averaging 10.2 PPG for the season. That's it. The two rushing scores? Both in that Week 7 game. And while I do like his usage as a pass catcher (29 receptions), Williams has rushed for more than 50 yards in just three games.
Plus, with rookie Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin also competing for carries in Denver, this Broncos backfield could flip at any moment. And that's why Williams remains a lower-tier flex ahead of this week's matchup with Kansas City.