Stock Up, Stock Down: Week 10

Carson Palmer tore the ACL in his left knee in the fourth quarter of the Cardinals’ Week 10 win over the Rams. Drew Stanton replaced him and promptly threw a 48-yard touchdown to John Brown. That series of events is not that surprising considering Stanton’s propensity for throwing downfield this season.

According to Pro Football Focus, Stanton has thrown the ball at least 20 yards downfield on 24.7 percent of his passes this season. Eight of Stanton’s 23 downfield passes have targeted Michael Floyd, who saw six, nine and seven targets in three games with Stanton early in the season. He could see a bump with this change.

Larry Fitzgerald might go the other direction. Fitzgerald has seen a resurgence over the last three weeks, seeing 26 targets total and averaging over 100 yards a contest. Fitzgerald struggled with Stanton under center early in the season, though, averaging four catches for 47 yards in Stanton’s three starts.

Ronnie Hillman injured his foot against the Raiders Week 10 and will reportedly miss “at least two weeks” with the injury. C.J Anderson acquitted himself well with Hillman and Montee Ball sidelined against Oakland, gaining 163 yards and a score on 17 touches.

Ball should be back Week 11, but Anderson ran well enough to at least be given a look as the starter. The Broncos will likely turn to a “hot hand” approach against the Rams, and I expect Anderson to get the first shot to develop that rhythm, though that is anything but certain. Unless we get some clarity this week, neither player is a recommended start against St. Louis.

Reggie Bush was limited to 20 snaps after re-tweaking his ankle against the Dolphins. Joique Bell dominated the running back snaps against Miami, and Theo Riddick made the game-winning touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. Bush cannot seem to get healthy, which could make Joique a great play through the Lions’ easy stretch run.

Delanie Walker suffered a concussion on a huge hit from Ravens S Terrence Brooks on Sunday. Walker tweeted he was “all good” after the game, but he will have to pass through concussion protocol before he is allowed to return to the field. Walker has a great schedule down the stretch.

Lamar Miller was severely limited against the Lions Week 10, playing just 11 snaps and touching the ball five times. The Dolphins were concerned enough with the injury to add LaMichael James off the practice squad, and on a short week there is a real chance Miller does not play on Thursday night.

Stock Up

Odell Beckham

Odell Beckham had his true breakout game Week 9 against the Colts, but his performance against the Seahawks on Sunday was more impressive. Up against Richard Sherman for a majority of his snaps, Beckham caught 7-of-9 targets for 108 yards.

He caught a 44-yard bomb on a double move against Sherman, and Eli Manning trusted him enough to throw it up against Sherman late in the third quarter. The pass was tipped and then intercepted, but the fact that Manning would just throw it up against perhaps the best corner in the league shows how much trust he has in Beckham.

Sherman called Beckham “a great young player” following the game, and I would have a very hard time disagreeing. With a great schedule during the fantasy playoffs, Beckham has a chance to win some fantasy championships this season.

Don't forget, for everything NFL, check out Rotoworld's Player News, and follow @Rotoworld_FB and @RMSummerlin on Twitter. Also, purchase our info-packed Season Pass here.

Golden Tate

There was some concern Golden Tate would bear the biggest brunt of the return of Calvin Johnson from an ankle injury. After Sunday, it appears that concern may have been misplaced. Tate caught 11-of-13 targets against the Dolphins for 109 yards. He made several big plays, including a huge first-down catch on the game-winning drive.

I was never concerned about the targets for Tate. He had six, eight and seven in the three games Calvin was healthy early in the season, and I assumed the trust Tate built with Matthew Stafford over Johnson’s absence would translate to a slight bump in those numbers.

I am still very concerned about his scoring opportunities in standard formats. He averaged just 9.9 yards per reception on Sunday, and now is averaging 11.4 YPR in Calvin’s four healthy games this year. That is not enough for a player who is unlikely to score a lot of touchdowns. He is a WR3 in standard formats but could be a solid WR2 in PPR leagues.

Tre Mason

I wrote last week it appeared the Rams had finally settled on Tre Mason as their lead back, and that is exactly what played out against the Cardinals. Mason out-touched Benny Cunningham 18-to-6, and for the second straight week Zac Stacy was held without a touch. Mason actually led the Rams in targets with six and played more passing-down snaps than Cunningham.

Mason struggled against the Cardinals’ stout run defense, but it is clear he will be the feature back for the Rams down the stretch. He will see at least 15 touches a game, and will be a weekly RB2 the rest of the way.

Jason Witten

After leaving Witten for dead three weeks ago, it turns out I may have jumped the gun. Over the last three games, Witten has 22 targets and has found the end zone twice. He had 33 yards and a score against the Jaguars on Sunday, and could have had a lot more. Tony Romo just missed him on a walk-in touchdown in the first quarter, and he dropped what would have been a long catch-and-run in the second half.

Witten’s days as a must-start TE1 are certainly over, but his performances over the last three weeks show he can be a nice streaming option. He is back in the low-end TE1 conversation.

Terrance West

Terrance West led the Browns’ running backs in both carries and snaps for the second straight week. He rushed 26 times for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals on Thursday night, and out-snapped Ben Tate 36-to-25.

Isaiah Crowell is probably the best running back in Cleveland, but ball security issues have relegated him to a tertiary role. West will continue to share carries with Tate, but appears to be getting the best of that timeshare right now. With a great schedule down the stretch and an excellent running-game mind calling the plays, that could give West a ton of value in the fantasy playoffs.

Stash and See

These players may not be worthy of a start Week 11, but they are certainly worthy of a roster spot.

Dwayne Bowe has 22 targets the last two games. He will be in the PPR conversation if that workload continues. … Jarvis Landry continues to be a big part of the Dolphins’ offense. He had 10 targets against the Lions. … Joseph Randle had a 40-yard touchdown against the Jaguars. He is not a starter right now but would be a high-end option if DeMarco Murray ever went down. He is a must handcuff for Murray owners. … Damien Williams is a much better player than Daniel Thomas and could be the starter if Lamar Miller cannot go on Thursday night. … Chris Hogan played 60 snaps against the Chiefs. He has at least six targets in three of the last four games. … Mychal Rivera keeps getting targets and touchdowns. Should be a lot of garbage time for Oakland.

Stock Down

Russell Wilson

Something is wrong is Seattle. After back to back dreadful performances, the return of C Max Unger and LT Russell Okung was supposed to fix whatever was ailing Russell Wilson. The medicine did not work. Wilson struggled his way to a 10-of-17 and two interception performance, and 115 of his 172 passing yards were gained on three plays.

Luckily for the Seahawks, the Giants could do nothing to stop their running game. Marshawn Lynch rumbled for 140 yards and four touchdowns on 21 carries, and Wilson himself gained 107 and a score on 14 carries. As a team Seattle rushed 45 times for 350 yards and five touchdowns. It was pure dominance.

The Seahawks will not be able to run that well every week, though, meaning Wilson will have to improve as a passer. Unless Seattle magically finds some receivers, I am not confident that will happen. Wilson’s running ability gives him a high ceiling, but he is nothing more than a QB1 streamer until the passing side improves.

Don't forget, for everything NFL, check out Rotoworld's Player News, and follow @Rotoworld_FB and @RMSummerlin on Twitter. Also, purchase our info-packed Season Pass here.

Michael Crabtree

A late 51-yard bomb somewhat saved his fantasy day, but Michael Crabtree was once again ineffective against the Saints Week 10. He caught 2-of-7 targets for 11 yards if the fluky catch is removed and is now averaging 10.6 yards per catch this season. He has been one of the most disappointing fantasy players.

Though he appeared to reinjure his twice-broken foot Week 4, Crabtree is adamant a foot injury is not to blame for his struggles. Without an injury, though, it is hard to explain exactly why he has been so non-explosive. Colin Kaepernick has not been stellar, but Anquan Boldin has managed to put together a solid season, catching another six passes for 95 yards and a touchdown against the Saints.

Now unhappy with his role, it is becoming more and more likely this will be another lost season for Crabtree. I still believe in Crabtree as a real-life player, but it is very hard to trust him as a fantasy asset right now. He is nothing more than a WR4 until he proves something on the field. I am not holding my breath.

Marques Colston

I have been reluctant to jump off the Marques Colston bandwagon because we have seen him bounce back spectacularly from similar lulls in his career, but it is simply not happening for him this season. Colston caught 2-of-4 targets for 36 yards against the 49ers. He had yet another drop against San Francisco on what could have been an 81-yard touchdown.

Colston is not getting used in the red zone as often this season, seeing five red-zone targets through nine games after averaging 20 a season over the last five years. With Jimmy Graham back healthy, that is unlikely to change. Colston is not a must drop, but he is not someone who needs to be owned in all leagues.

The Purge

These players are unlikely to make any noise this season. They are not must drops, but can be replaced without worry.

Vernon Davis had one catch against the Saints. He has not gone over 45 yards this season. … This makes me very sad, but Justin Hunter does not need to be owned. It is not happening this season. … Brian Hartline is losing his role in the Dolphins’ offense. He was targeted once against the Lions. … Toby Gerhart was stuffed on 3rd and 1 and then 4th and 1 in the third quarter, and then could not get in from the one in the fourth. Denard Robinson punched it end on the next play. … Maurice Jones-Drew is terrible. … Shonn Greene got a goal-line carry and promptly fumbled it. He played seven snaps. … The Patriots did not play this week, but you can cut Danny Amendola anyway.