Box scores never tell the whole story, so which fantasy options are rising and falling heading into Week 7? If you want to completely dominate your league, consider Fantasy Consigliere for premium analytics and next-level advice for all your leagues, all year long.

 

Quarterback

 

Stock up: Jameis Winston, TB

The former No. 1 overall pick already has four interceptions in six quarters of football, but Tampa Bay is going to throw early and often for the remainder of the season, and Winston has a long leash with plenty of playmakers to put up great fantasy numbers every week. Personally, I’m not sure how much I trust Jameis given all the mistakes we’ve seen out of him over the past four years, but he looks like a top-12 option the rest of the way.

 

Stock down: Eli Manning, NYG

I’m regularly lower Eli Manning than most, but last week, I thought he would be a solid play against a Philly team that he’s put up numbers against over the past couple years. However, not even Pat Shurmur’s play-calling has been enough to get the Giants back on track, and while it’s mostly due to the offensive line, Manning isn’t hitting receivers enough when they do get open, making it impossible to trust him. Despite a cupcake matchup on Monday night in Atlanta, Eli isn’t even a recommended QB2 option.

 

Running Back

 

Stock up: Tevin Coleman, ATL

News came down today that Devonta Freeman (groin) is being placed on IR, so the Falcons will rely on their game-breaking free-agent-to-be Tevin Coleman to carry the load the rest of the way. Ito Smith will also be involved, but Coleman is an elite talent, and it makes sense for Atlanta to feed him over the next ten games before he hits the open market. Outside of an outlier loss against the Steelers, Coleman has at least 7.7 standard fantasy points in every game this season without even breaking many big plays (just two runs of 20+ yards), which is his calling card. Consider the 25-year-old a high-upside RB1/RB2 option.

 

Stock up: Latavius Murray, MIN

Unfortunately, Dalvin Cook (hamstring) could be in for a continued absence after his pre-game warmup on Sunday didn’t go well, so Latavius Murray needs to be added in all leagues as a weekly RB2 for as long as he operates as the clear starter. The only thing holding Murray back was Minnesota’s reluctance to run the ball, but that changed in Week 6, and there’s no reason to believe they will go away from Latavius in New York this weekend.

 

Stock down: Le’Veon Bell, PIT

Le’Veon Bell’s holdout definitely hasn’t gone according to plan, as James Conner has turned into a star in his own right with 710 total yards and seven rushing touchdowns so far this season, and it was reported yesterday that the second-year back will remain the starter when Bell returns, which is a crushing blow to those invested in the disgruntled runner. It sounds like the only way Bell will regain superstar RB1 status is with an injury to Conner or, more likely, a trade—which I still believe will be the eventual outcome to this saga.

 

Stock down: Lamar Miller, HOU

The RB38 in standard leagues through six weeks, Lamar Miller has yet to find the end zone on the ground this season, and he’s averaging 3.7 yards per carry for the second-straight year behind a sub-par offensive line. Now might be a good time to trade Miller—who hasn’t rushed for 50+ yards since Week 2—if someone still values him as a low-end RB2/FLEX option in your league, as he gets a difficult matchup with the Jaguars on Sunday before a short week to face the Dolphins.

 

Wide Receiver

 

Stock up: Josh Gordon, NE

He only caught five passes for 42 yards against the Chiefs, but Josh Gordon led the team with nine targets, and New England is clearly installing him as a full-time player to unlock the offense’s potential. With Rob Gronkowski demanding double teams and Julian Edelman forcing defenders underneath, Gordon is going to be nearly impossible to stop on slants, digs, and go’s when given one-on-one opportunities. He’s a high-upside FLEX that’s trending towards weekly WR2 status.

 

Stock up: Christian Kirk, ARI

Overall, it’s been a disappointing season for the Cardinals, but second-round pick Christian Kirk should be seen as a bright spot. The rookie has gone for at least 77 receiving yards in three of the past four games, and his ability to win either outside or in the slot only boosts his floor for fantasy purposes. Kirk’s dynasty stock is way up, and he’s an excellent bench stash in redraft leagues with a handful of easy matchups the rest of the way.

 

Stock down: Odell Beckham Jr., NYG

I’m not sure how or why New York would keep putting up with Odell Beckham Jr. and his antics (or why they signed him to an extension in the first place), but I think we are getting dangerously close to a blow-up situation that could result in a team-imposed suspension/benching. OBJ has already gone to the media to question his head coach and quarterback, and after owner John Mara said “he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking,” the talented receiver might not be able to help himself from saying something he shouldn’t. Like the Giants, fantasy owners should make Beckham available and see what kind of offers they get.

 

Stock down: Cooper Kupp, LAR

Cooper Kupp likely earned a ton of respect in his own locker room and around the league for somehow returning after being carted off with a knee injury in Sunday’s win over the Broncos, but he’s expected to miss at least one game and potentially more. When he does return, Kupp might be playing at less than 100%, which would make him more of a FLEX option than solid WR2 in both standard and PPR leagues.

 

Tight End

 

Stock up: David Njoku, CLE

The switch from Tyrod Taylor to Baker Mayfield benefitted David Njoku more than anyone, as the 2017 first-round pick has gone for lines of 5/52, 6/69, and 7/55/1 over the past three games, and starting this week, he gets literally the easiest stretch imaginable (32nd ranked TB, 31st ranked PIT, 30th ranked KC) for fantasy tight ends. If he’s somehow available, Njoku needs to be picked up and started (potentially even as a FLEX) through the first week of November.

 

Stock down: Antonio Gates, LAC

Similar to Eli Manning, I thought veteran Antonio Gates was set up for a solid performance in Week 6, but he caught just one pass for five yards in a favorable matchup against Cleveland. The future Hall of Famer will make some plays for the contending Chargers, but he’s turned into a full-blown touchdown-or-bust option with a zero-point floor. Keep him out of lineups with a trip to London this weekend.