RADIO
Fantasy football risers and fallers heading into Week 12 of the NFL season. Jason Katz looks at players whose fantasy value has changed over the past week.
Whether due to their own play, the play of others, or injuries, players' stock increases and decreases on a weekly basis. 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; 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.
Below are my key risers and fallers heading into Week 12 of the NFL season. You can also check out our other articles throughout the week, discussing other fantasy football risers and fallers as well.
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Week 12 Risers
T.Y. Hilton (WR, IND)
The window of opportunity to buy T.Y. Hilton low has officially closed. Hilton popped off for 9-155-2 last week in a vintage performance. Week 13 at Jacksonville is his sole remaining tough matchup and the Jaguars haven't exactly been the defensive force we thought they would be. Andrew Luck is firing on all cylinders and Hilton is poised to finish the season as a WR1.
Kenny Golladay (WR, DET)
The Lions are running out of players. Golden Tate is an Eagle. Marvin Jones might miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. Kerryon Johnson has a sprained MCL. It's really just Kenny Golladay that's left. He is a playmaker and his touchdown was mighty impressive. Golladay had his best game of the season last week and topped 100 yards for the first time since Week 1. Week 16 against Xavier Rhodes will be difficult, but until then, Golladay has nothing but clear skies.
Josh Adams (RB, PHI)
The Josh Adams takeover is complete. He played 55% of the snaps last week and even found the end zone on the ground despite extremely negative game script. I think it is fair to say Carson Wentz just played the worst game of his career. Against the Giants this week, things should be much easier. Adams could see 12-15 touches in a favorable matchup. He looks to be the lead back going forward and although that's not as enticing as it might've been earlier in the season, the Eagles are still a solid offense and we don't scoff at starting RBs in the NFL for fantasy purposes.
Peyton Barber (RB, TB)
It is still difficult to trust a Bucs running back, but Peyton Barber is clearly the guy, for whatever that's actually worth. Barber topped 100 yards and found the end zone en route to an RB1 performance. His next matchup is a home date with the 49ers, which should once again present a favorable opportunity. Barber is dominating RB snaps and touching the ball about 15 times a game. We'll take it.
Week 12 Fallers
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (WR, GB)
After five consecutive games with double-digit fantasy points, Marquez Valdes-Scantling proved that he still cannot be trusted as a weekly WR3/Flex play. MVS was victimized by incredibly poor play calling as he saw just three targets last week. I realize that Davante Adams dominates targets, and rightfully so, but there are about two plays designed for MVS all game. That's unacceptable. You can drop MVS if you need to.
John Brown and Michael Crabtree (WRs, BAL)
For as long as Lamar Jackson remains the starter, which I suspect will be the rest of the season, the Ravens are a completely different offense. They ran the ball 74% of the time last week, including QB runs, which is astonishing in any era, let alone 2018. With that being said, it's the correct move by John Harbaugh to maximize his athletic QB's skills. Jackson is running a ton of read-option and executing designed QB runs while limiting his pass attempts. There simply won't be reliable targets for any Ravens WR, especially downfield threat, John Brown, and volume possession man, Michael Crabtree.
Kerryon Johnson (RB, DET)
I will keep this short since Kerryon Johnson's decreasing value has nothing to do with his play. Johnson sprained his MCL and has already been ruled out for Thanksgiving. He will likely miss 2-4 weeks. It is unfortunate timing as he's really been coming into his own. The Lions will roll with LeGarrette Blount and Zach Zenner on early downs with Theo Riddick handling passing down duties.
Alex Collins (RB, BAL)
The Ravens remaining schedule is fantastic for RBs. Unfortunately, that won't help Alex Collins as he was benched in favor of UDFA Gus Edwards last week. Collins played just 22% of the snaps. I think the answer to whether Collins' defiance of his dreadfully poor athleticism last year was a fluke is definitively "yes." Collins is one more backseat game away from being dropped.
Dalvin Cook (RB, MIN)
It is difficult for Dalvin Cook's value to get any lower. He surprisingly entered the season as a late first-round pick despite having just four games of productivity to his name. Unsurprisingly, he has failed spectacularly between his extended recovery from his torn ACL, subsequent hamstring injury, and the Vikings horrendous offensive line. Cook is averaging 2.38 yards per carry on his 54 runs other than his 70-yard scamper two weeks ago. Obviously facing the Bears elite run defense didn't help, but Cook can't be trusted as anything more than a Flex play until he shows us something.
