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Fantasy stock watch - Week 13
The NFL changes in an instant, which is why it's important to stay abreast of how your players are looking prior to Sundays. This is especially true this week as we have a number of marquee players dealing with, or returning from injuries. Below is a look at whose stock is rising, and whose is falling, as we approach Week 13. Keep an eye on these players heading into Sunday to help make the right choices for your fantasy lineup, as their stock could be on the move again before kickoff.
Foster has been practicing hard this week, and reporters in the area believe he's likely to return to action this weekend, although he's still officially day-to-day. If Foster returns, Alfred Blue will return to a purely complementary role and will have little to no fantasy value.
Oh boy. Can Washington have just one season without outright acting like a dumpster fire? The latest benching of RGIII needed to happen, but it's not a good sign for the talented young signal-caller or the team that invested heavily to acquire him back in 2012. RGIII's fantasy stock has basically hit rock bottom in 2014.
On the flip side, who doesn't love a good redemption story? McCoy looked surprisingly good in his start earlier this year when he beat the Dallas Cowboys, and he actually doesn't have the most terrifying schedule ahead. If he performs well on Sunday, he has favorable matchups in Week 15 against the Giants, and Week 16 at home against the Eagles. If you're in two-QB leagues or are in need of a potential streaming option, keep an eye on McCoy.
Now, the Pats backs actually have a pretty favorable matchup coming up in what is being billed as the game of the year (Patriots at Packers), but it's anybody's guess as to which one of these backs is actually going to get the touches on Sunday afternoon. Will Jonas Gray return to the starting role after making it to all of his meetings on time? Will Shane Vereen get worked in a lot out of the backfield? Or will it be LeGarrette Blount rumbling through the middle again? This mystery is why I'm down on these backs heading into Week 13.
After making the catch of the year, Beckham has firmly planted himself as Eli Manning's top option in the passing attack. Beckham is an all-world athlete who will be a fixture in fantasy football for years to come. Get used to it.
Ellington has hit a rough stretch over the last three weeks, failing to score more than 11 fantasy points at any point during that stretch. He's also battling a few injuries heading into Week 13, and the team just signed Michael Bush to help boost the running game. Ellington should still have the backfield to himself in Week 13 against a porous Atlanta defense, but with a brutal schedule upcoming (vs. KC, at STL, vs. SEA) Ellington's stock might be trending in a downward direction for the fantasy playoffs.
Triple S had struggled heading into the Ravens' Week 11 bye, but came out last week refreshed and refocused, torching the Saints for 89 receiving yards and a touchdown. He said he spent extra time looking at his recent film with the team's wide receivers coach to figure out why he wasn't getting open as much. Problem solved, Steve. His stock is pointing upward as the Ravens offense is clicking and gearing up for a postseason run.
Allen has missed practice all week again as he recovers from his ankle injury suffered in Week 11. He could return in time for the fantasy playoffs, but for now his owners need to be looking elsewhere for the coming weeks. Coby Fleener could be a nice option if he's still on waivers, or Mychal Rivera from the Raiders.
With Cordarrelle Patterson's struggles continuing, and now being aggravated by injuries this week, Johnson's stock continues to rise. He's a big, physical wide receiver who makes an excellent target for Teddy Bridgewater. The two have also developed a bit of a rapport, which is encouraging for their fantasy future together.
Cameron is still working his way back from a concussion, but didn't travel with the Browns to Buffalo for Sunday's game. He'll be a TE1 if and when he returns thanks to the arrival of Josh Gordon sparking the Cleveland passing attack. However, owners will need to find tight end production elsewhere as Cameron was ruled out for Week 13 on Saturday.
I believe this is the first kicker to appear in the stock watch, but I felt it was worth mentioning to remind owners that Brandon McManus has now been ousted from the Broncos, and Barth has been brought in to shore up the kicking situation. Barth hasn't kicked a field goal in an NFL setting since the preseason, but he was the most accurate kicker in Buccaneers history before his run with that team came to an end.
