NFL Stock Watch: Donte Moncrief rising, Brandon Marshall falling
STOCK UP
Donte Moncrief: He’s back and immediately saw nine targets Sunday, and Moncrief has scored in both full games he’s played this season. It’s a terrific setup for him, as the Colts are always forced to throw frequently thanks to a poor defense, and Phillip Dorsett proved to be no threat to his snaps when given the chance when Moncrief was out. He’s a strong start in Week 9 against the Packers in a game with a league-high over/under of 54 points.
J.J. Nelson: He secured 8-of-12 targets for 79 yards with two touchdowns Sunday and has officially replaced the disappointing Michael Floyd in three receiver sets. Nelson has seen 19 targets over the past two games and even led Arizona WRs in snaps during pass plays in Week 8. Nelson is a speedster who may be a bit inconsistent, but he’s clearly on the fantasy radar and should easily be owned over the far earlier drafted Floyd.
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Tyler Eifert: He turned 12 targets into nine catches for 102 yards and a score Sunday and looks to be back to full health. Eifert pulled down 13 touchdowns last season, and the Bengals’ offense struggled badly in the red zone with him sidelined this year. Tight end is extremely thin, so Eifert should be treated as a top-five fantasy option at the position down the stretch.
Corey Coleman: He’s been cleared to practice, so the impressive rookie needs to be stashed in all leagues right now. Coleman was dealing with a hand injury, so the hope is his cardio is fine after not playing since Week 2 (when he had 104 yards with two touchdowns). The Browns defense is a sieve, so the team is often playing catch up and having to throw, and Josh McCown is plenty competent. Terrelle Pryor is going to get his fair share of targets, but Coleman is an intriguing talent who could be a difference maker over the final eight weeks of the season.
Charcandrick West: This obviously depends on Spencer Ware’s ability to recover from his concussion, but the Chiefs added a running back Tuesday, so there’s a decent chance the team will need West to play a big role in Week 9. He’s not an elite talent, but any featured back in Kansas City’s offense has the upside to be an RB1, especially in a home matchup against Jacksonville in which they are near double-digit favorites. West is the top waiver wire add this week.
Jordan Howard: No one’s value has been more of a rollercoaster over the past month, but Howard sure looked good Monday night, albeit likely on most fantasy benches. It’s tough to completely trust his usage given the team’s “hot-hand” approach to their backfield, but Howard should ultimately be considered a solid RB2 moving forward.
Antone Smith: It sounds like Jacquizz Rodgers is going to miss time with a foot injury, as he broke down after being given 82 touches over a three-game stretch. It’s likely Tampa Bay turns to something of a committee in its backfield, but Smith saw far more snaps than Peyton Barber after Rodgers left last week’s game, and the 31-year-old has been remarkably explosive whenever given the chance (he somehow owns a career 9.1 YPC mark, albeit obviously in a small sample). Smith is an interesting flier with upside on a team that wants to rely on its backs in hopes of limiting mistakes from its turnover-prone quarterback.
STOCK DOWN
Brandon Marshall: He’s averaged a modest 59.0 yards without a touchdown over the past three games, a span in which the Jets have faced two defenses ranked bottom-six in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers. His targets haven’t seen the expected boost with Eric Decker sidelined, and it’s going to be extremely tough for Marshall to even approach his value expected by his ADP with New York’s passing attack struggling so mightily. Despite not missing any time, Marshall is on pace to finish with 1,080 yards with two touchdowns after going for 1,502 and 14 last season.
Marvin Jones: After racking up 408 yards with two scores over the first three games of the season, he’s averaged just 49.6 yards over five games since, adding two TDs. He hasn’t seen more than seven targets in a game since October started, and that number doesn’t figure to rise much with Eric Ebron (and Theo Riddick) back in action. The Lions get the Vikings (who’ve allowed the second fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season) in two of their next three games (with a bye mixed in), so this slump may not end anytime soon.
Mark Ingram: Already one of the bigger busts this year at the running back position, Ingram was benched early in Week 8 after losing a fumble for the second straight week. Ingram has not ever had ball security issues before during his career, and it’s hard not to consider him more talented than Tim Hightower, but it’s a situation that could turn into a full-blown timeshare. It’s especially unfortunate with the 49ers’ league-worst rush defense on the docket in Week 9.
Zach Ertz: After totaling the most receiving yards over a four-game stretch by a tight end ever during last season’s final month, Ertz had a productive Week 1 and looked primed for a big 2016 campaign. Instead, he suffered a rib injury and has averaged just 3.3 targets over four games since returning. He’s yet to find the end zone this season, and even with tight end so barren, Ertz is tough to start right now.
Russell Wilson: The injury concerns are as worrisome as ever after Wilson managed just 7.4 YPA with a 74.8 passer rating against the Saints. After averaging 607.5 rushing yards over the first four seasons of his career, he’s on pace to run for only 101 yards this year, and he hasn’t recorded a single touchdown in any of his past three games. In fact, Wilson has produced one TD or fewer in six of seven games in 2016. Talk of him possibly shedding his knee brace gives some hope, as does the fact he’s been so much more productive during the second half of seasons during his career, but Wilson has failed miserably to live up to his ADP. Doug Baldwin has been a massive disappointment as a result as well.
