December 14, 2016

Ricky Delgado looks at fantasy football risers and fallers for Week 15 of the NFL season, following the conclusion of Week 14 of the 2016 fantasy football season.

Perhaps more than any other, the NFL is a league that experiences ups and downs at a rapid pace. With only 16 games, there’s little room for error and seemingly endless opportunities for improvement. The same goes for fantasy football, and managing rosters effectively is key to winning that championship.

Throughout the season, players get hot and see an increased role while others struggle and fight to stay relevant. Experienced fantasy players know this happens every year. In this weekly column, we’ll showcase those who have taken important steps forward and those who have taken steps back. These are the risers and fallers heading into Week 15 of the NFL season.

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Post-Week 14 Fantasy Football Risers

RISER - Aaron Rodgers (QB, GB)

Welcome back, Mr. Discount Double Check. Aaron Rodgers has returned to form over the last three weeks, bouncing back from a prolonged losing streak. While the 33-year-old is usually an elite fantasy quarterback, just one month ago he was reeling from a season-worst performance against the Tennessee Titans. The performance, which dropped the Packers to 4-5 on the year, prompted many to ponder the reasons for his skid, including a fallout with his family. Over the past three weeks, however, Rodgers has been impeccable, tossing seven touchdowns to no picks.

The Packers have jumped right back into the playoff race, winning three in a row against tough defenses like Houston's and Seattle's. This past week, he posted a season-best 78.3 completion percentage while tossing for three touchdowns against the Seahawks.  This upcoming week he'll face the Chicago Bears defense, which has been struggling all season long. Rodgers' current form makes him one of the very best plays this week during the playoffs.

RISER - Bilal Powell (RB, NYJ)

After Matt Forte went down with a knee injury that currently has him listed as day-to-day, backup veteran Bilal Powell took over for the Jets against the San Francisco 49ers. The 28-year-old Florida native would have a breakout game, picking up 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries. Even if Forte returns, a knee injury for the 31-year-old veteran should make owners wary.

Powell is clearly the better option at the moment, with his monster game catapulting him into one of the most ideal running backs to start in the playoffs this week. With the Jets taking on a Miami Dolphins defense that has surrendered the third-most rush yards this season, Powell and his owners are in prime position for a monster showing. Look for him to play a major role this week as the championship round draws closer.

RISER - Carlos Hyde (RB, SF)

Bilal Powell's counterpart this past Sunday was Carlos Hyde, San Francisco's top running back. While the 26-year-old had gone six weeks without a rushing touchdown, his performance on Sunday was an encouraging sign for the final two weeks of the playoffs. Hyde averaged an absurd 11.4 yards per carry, picking up 193 rushing yards on 17 carries, while recording a receiving touchdown as well. Considering his struggles throughout this season, Hyde's performance could've been the most rewarding of any player this year.

A look at San Francisco's schedule the rest of the way shows two upcoming matchups that could command more playing time for the three-year veteran. A matchup with the Falcons in Week 15 at the Georgia Dome could be worthy of a pivotal playoff start. In Week 16, Hyde will take on the lowly Los Angeles Rams at the Coliseum. Should he follow up last week's performance with another positive one this week, he could be in prime position to help fantasy football managers win their league championships.

Post-Week 14 Fantasy Football Fallers

FALLER: Drew Brees (QB, NO)

While Drew Brees managed to extend his NFL-record streak of 4,000-yard passing seasons this past week, he did something we'd never seen. The veteran threw three interceptions for the second consecutive game, an embarrassing feat he'll surely want to forget. As if six interceptions across two weeks wasn't bad enough, the former Super Bowl MVP additionally failed to record a touchdown for the second consecutive game. The two performances have been painfully shocking, especially for those who started him this past week in the playoffs. After all, Brees was coming off a four-touchdown performance with a season-high 139.6 rating. For those who managed to survive his poor performance this past week, there should be a certain level of wariness heading into Week 15 and New Orleans' matchup on the road against the Arizona Cardinals. All signs now point to Brees deserving to be benched with the championship so close.

FALLER: Dez Bryant (WR, DAL)

Since entering the league in 2010, Dez Bryant has recorded 65 receiving touchdowns, comfortably ahead of the likes of A.J. Green and Julio Jones, with only one year of a head start. In this, his first season without Tony Romo, however, Bryant has struggled massively. He's made more than five receptions just three times this year and has only managed six touchdowns on the year. The past two weeks have been especially frustrating, although a touchdown reception in Week 13 against the Vikings managed to ease the worries. This past week at the Meadowlands, however, saw Bryant reach a whole new low. Targeted nine times, he managed just one catch for 10 yards, capping off a night to forget with a game-ending fumble. Perhaps Bryant can return to form in two weeks, but he would need Tony Romo on the field for that to be the case. With Dak Prescott remaining the starter, Bryant simply cannot be trusted at this stage of the season by fantasy owners.

FALLER: Larry Fitzgerald (WR, AZ)

We could very well be witnessing the end of Larry Fitzgerald's career as an elite receiver. The 33-year-old, who was subject to retirement rumors early in the season, is now struggling along with the rest of his team as the Cardinals slowly fade away into the twilight of a failed 2016 campaign. Fitzgerald has not caught a touchdown pass in over two months, and while that didn't matter for a couple of weeks as his receptions remained high, that has now fallen as well.

Over the past four games, he's managed just 206 receiving yards, the same amount he recorded in his two games immediately before this poor stretch. Of course, he was never going to be a consistent threat without an elite quarterback, but these past four performances have dropped him out of starting contention with the playoffs going on. Even a matchup against the lowly New Orleans Saints defense doesn't grant him the sufficient trust to start in such a pivotal matchup.