Where has the time gone? We are knee deep in the second half of the regular season now, and while we'd all like to think we have a grasp on player and team trends, each week of football serves to remind us that "any given Sunday" is a real thing. We have upsets, expectations that are exceeded, injuries, and so on.

Let's look at players who are on the rise heading into Week 10.

Week 10 Fantasy Football Risers

Derek Carr - QB, OAK

• 2025 fantasy football rankings
• Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
• Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
• Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• NFL rookie fantasy football rankings
• Best ball fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

It was tempting to just repeat putting Drew Brees here at the quarterback slot, but I think everyone is fully aware of how Brees is reasserting himself as a top tier QB. What is truly amazing this year is how strongly Derek Carr is performing, and quite frankly, the Raiders as a whole. Amari Cooper looks like a strong rookie wide receiver who can continue to grow with Carr, but the Michael Crabtree renaissance is really what's stealing headlines. Between the two of them, Derek Carr has two very good receivers to throw to, along with the emergence of Seth Roberts and Clive Walford rounding out a solid bunch of options.

Carr was the No. 5 QB in Week 9 according to Fleaflicker's default scoring with 30.35, throwing for 301 yards and four touchdowns with one pick. While he only completed 54% of his passes, a number you'd like to see higher, he still led the team in a valiant effort against the Steelers as the two teams traded touchdowns in a 38-35 slugfest. Look for this to continue as the Raiders take on the Vikings, Lions, Titans, and Chiefs in the next four weeks (before a Week 14 date with the Broncos).

Jeremy Langford – RB, CHI

Yeah I know, he was facing the Chargers defense, but that doesn't take away from the skills that he flashed on Monday night. He ran well behind a line that isn't known for opening holes, and he displayed fantastic hands in the receiving game, epitomized by a diving catch down the left side of the field where he laid out for a 31 yard pass. Click to see. Langford ended up averaging four yards per carry, getting 72 yards on 18 carries and punching in a touchdown, while adding three catches for 70 yards. 142 all purpose yards are going to get attention. While this is great to see for owners who are just plugging him in as a stopgap until Matt Forte returns to action, this performance also means that Langford may have played himself into a bit more of a timeshare with Forte.

Don't get me wrong, Forte is a superstar and will get plenty of snaps, but this was exactly what Langford needed to do. On top of this, Forte is a free agent next year and Langford is the future. So you have the conflicting notions of the Bears just riding Forte for all he's worth for the little bit more that he's on their dime, but you also have them wanting to see what Langford really holds for 2016 and beyond. Unfortunately, dates with the Rams and Broncos are on deck, so Langford's ceiling takes a hit until Forte returns.

Sammy Watkins – WR, BUF

Accounting for an astounding 93% of Buffalo's passing yards, Watkins caught all eight of his targets for 168 yards and a touchdown. There were plenty of question marks coming into the week regarding Watkins' health, and it was being floated around that he would be limited. Well, if that was limited then I'm pretty scared to see what 100% looks like. The Bills go into a matchup with the Jets on Thursday where shutdown corner Darrelle Revis has yet to truly shadow anyone, so perhaps Watkins will be able to shake him for an ample amount of snaps opposite Antonio Cromartie (who may not be healthy enough to go). Watkins has been maddeningly inconsistent and hampered by injuries, but games like this past Sunday can be launching pad for elite wideouts. After the Jets, Watkins and the Bills take on the Patriots, Chiefs, and Texans. Go see if his owner is willing to budge.

Jordan Matthews – WR, PHI

It has been a particularly disastrous year for drops when it comes to the Philadelphia Eagles, a trend that has been headlined by Jordan Matthews' own struggles on the season. However, he stood out on Sunday night as the only real Eagles' receiver who appeared to really be catching the ball. He caught nine of his 12 targets for 133 yards and a touchdown to end overtime. He's not totally out of the doghouse, but the hope was that the Eagles' bye week would provide him a chance to get a ton of work on the JUGS machine and get over the yips that were plaguing him. It seems that there is hope for Matthews and his owners. Matthews deals with the Dolphins, Bucs, Lions, and Patriots secondaries next. Plenty of opportunity there to say the least.

Delanie Walker - TE, TEN

There really aren't any other candidates at the tight end position to talk about. Sure Owen Daniels finally came alive, and Martellus Bennett finally found the endzone again, but these didn't really move the needle as much as Walker did. Many owners invested in Delanie Walker before the season started hoping for a cheaper ticket to TE1 territory, and while he hadn't really put in a truly disappointing game, the touchdowns just were not coming. Walker being hurt and then Marcus Mariota going down for multiple weeks did not help things, but there's no reason he doesn't put up TE1 numbers for the rest of the season. Kendall Wright's injury only helps his chances of being the clear #1 option for Mariota to throw to, as Wright still doesn't appear ready to return to practice on Wednesday and doesn't look good for Week 10.

Other Risers to Note: Blake Bortles (QB, JAC), LeGarrette Blount (RB, NE), Allen Hurns (WR, JAC), Randall Cobb (WR, GB).

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]