October 28, 2015

Fantasy Expert Nick Mariano looks at the Week 7 Risers leading into Week 8 of the 2015 fantasy football season.

Week 7 has come and gone, and now it is time to look back at some players who really saw their stock jump thanks to their performance this past weekend. Some players have just been forgotten about due to a bye, some quiet weeks, or an injury, but here we are to peek in at several players who either took their game to the next level or turned around a downward slide.

Week 8 Fantasy Football Risers

T.J. Yeldon - RB, JAX

Yeldon had yet to really put together a nice all around game. He had a 105 yard effort against Indianapolis in Week 4, but didn't have a touchdown. He had five receptions and a touchdown in Week 5 against Tampa Bay, but his rushing line was pretty weak. He missed Week 6 with a groin injury. On Sunday against Buffalo (who are no slouches against the run) Yeldon was able to rush for 115 yards on 20 carries, and finally got his first rushing touchdown of 2015. Unfortunately, Yeldon and the Jaguars now head into their bye week, which is followed up by a daunting matchup with the Jets' defensive front. The schedule opens up after that though, and as long as owners are prepared for the next two weeks of Yeldon to be underwhelming, it is very encouraging to see him put together a strong game with a touchdown and 5.8 yards per carry. He also gets at least three targets a game out of the backfield, so maybe they'll use him against the Jets in that capacity, similar to the Eagles attack with Darren Sproles. Regardless, Yeldon is trending upwards.

Lamar Miller – RB, MIA

Welcome to RB1 territory Lamar Miller. This doesn't require much commentary, most of you probably are fully aware of the happenings for Miller. Miami's new head coach is committing to the run and giving Miller the opportunity to run without thinking as much. Miller rewarded Campbell, Miami, and fantasy owners alike with 175 yards on 14 carries and a touchdown along with three catches for 61 yards and another touchdown. Now a quick glance over of those numbers should tell you that the averages are not sustainable, but all the same, those totals and the way he's been running, the way the whole offense has been operating, is beyond encouraging. Houston's terrible tackling notwithstanding, look for Miller to be a low end RB1 for the rest of the season now that there is a good system in place and the confidence has been established.

Mike Evans – WR, TB

Jameis Winston and Mike Evans finally got on the same page. The chemistry had been lacking in the past, but it wasn't long on Sunday before Winston found Evans on a long strike down the left sideline for a score. After injuries took out Vincent Jackson and Louis Murphy, Evans was really the only strong receiving option left for a Buccaneers' team that was already without their starting tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins. Evans ended the game with 12 targets, catching eight of them for 164 yards and a touchdown. Hard to argue with those results. It could have been an even bigger day, but Evans unnecessarily pushed off on a jump ball thrown his way and drew an offensive pass interference call. Evans easily had the size advantage, and he definitely still has some growing to do as a "refined" receiver, but the talent and intangibles are there. If he and Winston can continue to grow together, look for Evans to do work in the second half of the year, especially if Jackson's injury is serious (Murphy is out for the year with a torn ACL).

Ryan Tannehill – QB, MIA

Lamar Miller was here last week, and while he easily deserves a ton of praise for his strong Week 7 game, Ryan Tannehill also had a great game. You may have heard about him breaking the record for consecutive completions with 25. While that's great to see, it speaks to a potential trend that could greatly improve Tannehill's game. Week 3 saw Tannehill post a 53% completion percentage, and Week 4 brought a 43% completion percentage for him. Since Dan Campbell took over and the Dolphins have come out swinging, Tannehill's completion percentages have been 76% and 95%. Gameflow is relevant, and it helps that the Dolphins have been rolling on their opponents, but all the same, Tannehill looks comfortable in the pocket and is allowing his receivers to make plays. Between Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews, Jordan Cameron and Kenny Stills, not to mention Lamar Miller out of the backfield, Tannehill really has a solid arsenal of weapons at his disposal.

Michael Crabtree - WR, OAK

Amari Cooper had himself a very nice day, and that combined with being the hot rookie can cause an disproportionate amount of attention to go his way, leaving Michael Crabtree's game out of the spotlight. Well Crabtree certainly did well, catching six passes on eight targets for 63 yards and a touchdown. As Derek Carr continues to grow and Amari Cooper draws the tougher defensive back in coverage, look for Crabtree to keep on having a strong year. Crabtree had been putting together decent games, but nothing overwhelming (like his insane Week 2 game), and it may have caused him to be undervalued going into this week. Well he reminded everyone that he is having a good year, and as long as he is averaging around nine targets a game, his chances of being productive are very high.

Doug Martin  - RB, TB

The Douggernaut continued his unheralded string of strong games in 2015 with 136 yards on 19 carries, adding in three receptions on three targets for 35 yards. While he didn't find the endzone, there's no questioning that Martin is running very decisively and showing an extra burst of agility that hasn't been seen since his rookie campaign. The Buccaneers' offensive line is not good, but it seems that they're starting to at least build some chemistry as a unit. If you own Martin, you are probably aware how well he's been doing. If you don't own Martin anywhere, you might not have any idea that he's quietly put together three straight 100 yard rushing games, averaging about 5.8 yards per carry in those games. That is very, very good.

Jordan Reed - TE, WAS

I'll write it until my fingers fall off. If Jordan Reed is active, he needs to be on someone's team. If he's active, he is a TE1 and will put up good numbers. The only issue is how often Reed is sidelined. For now, he showed he is healthy and is absolutely ready to produce for owners. He had the best stat line for a tight end in Week 7, finishing with 11 receptions on 13 targets for 72 yards and two touchdowns. Kirk Cousins loves Reed, and so should all of you. He will lead the Redskins in targets if he's on the field, as well as being a preferred red zone target. Blend those two things together and you're going to find a lot of fantasy points there.

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