Box scores never tell the whole story, so which fantasy options are rising and falling heading into Week 9? 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: Ryan Fitzpatrick, TB
Well, “Fitz Magic” is officially back. You could almost feel the Buccaneers were about to mount a comeback when Dirk Koetter told the Harvard product he was going in following Jameis Winston’s fourth interception, and Ryan Fitzpatrick was sensational in Sunday’s last-second loss. In four games that the 35-year-old has finished this season, he’s averaging 28.3 fantasy points per game, which would rank first at the position. Considering the Bucs already had their bye week, Fitzpatrick could be a top-12 option through the end of the fantasy “regular season” (Week 13).
Stock down: Jameis Winston, TB
It looks like the time for Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay could be over barring an injury or collapse by Fitzpatrick—which is certainly possible—but in general, the former No. 1 overall pick just makes too many mistakes for the franchise to not seek an upgrade at the position in 2019. Also, based on his transgressions off the field, Jameis might not get another chance elsewhere in the NFL, so not only is he off the redraft radar, but his stock in dynasty leagues is as low as it could possibly be with no assurance of rising.
Running Back
Stock up: Aaron Jones, GB
News broke just minutes ago that Ty Montgomery was traded to the Ravens, so a third of Green Bay’s running-back-by-committee is now gone, setting up Aaron Jones to potentially vault towards every-week RB2 status. Jamaal Williams—who scored last week—will remain involved and gets an uptick in value, but Jones will likely end up on the better end of a timeshare in an explosive offense.
Stock up: James Conner, PIT
James Conner already had his bye week, but excluding quarterbacks, only Todd Gurley has scored more fantasy points this season in standard leagues, as the Pitt product has turned into an absolute star. At the start of the month, I would have preferred trading Conner if it was possibly to get another RB1 or WR1 back, but now, I’m not sure there’s more than a handful of running backs (Gurley, Melvin Gordon, and Saquon Barkley are the only certainties) that I’d rather have than the former third-round pick. And as for Le’Veon Bell, it’s possible he never plays another snap for the Steelers, and Conner will have at least two or three weeks as the workhorse with Pittsburgh playing on Thursday night in Week 10.
Stock down: Dalvin Cook, MIN
It sounds like Dalvin Cook will miss this week and won’t return until after the bye, but more concerning is the way Latavius Murray is playing in his absence. Since the Vikings finally committed to the running game four weeks ago, Murray has rushed 63 times for 322 yards (5.1 YPC) and four touchdowns, averaging 15.8 standard fantasy points per game over that span. I wouldn’t even consider it a lock to see Cook return as the clear starter based on the way Latavius has been playing, so the second-year back might be more of a low-end RB2/FLEX option when he hits the field in November.
Stock down: Rashaad Penny, SEA
The Seahawks deserve a ton of credit for playing guys that earn it, as first-round rookie Rashaad Penny didn’t even see an offensive snap in Week 8; instead, Chris Carson (25 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown) operated as the clear workhorse to help get the team over .500, and there’s no reason to believe things will change down the stretch. Even in dynasty leagues, Penny doesn’t look like a overly promising prospect, especially for those who drafted him ahead of Nick Chubb and Kerryon Johnson, among others.
Wide Receiver
Stock up: Courtland Sutton, DEN
The biggest winner of the trade deadline, Courtland Sutton is in line for a big-time role following the trade of Demaryius Thomas, as he’s the clear No. 2 receiver for an offense that’s going to throw. I thought the rookie needed some polishing coming out of SMU, but he’s show a great ability to track the ball and use his strong hands to come away with contested catches. The arrow is pointing way up in all formats.
Stock up: Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
Larry Fitzgerald came alive with an 8/102/1 line in Sunday’s hard-fought win over the 49ers, and his days as a fantasy contributor might not be over quite yet after the change at offensive coordinator. The future Hall of Famer gets a very easy schedule down the stretch, so he should be added in all formats for what could be a memorable finish to a legendary career.
Stock down: Randall Cobb, GB
It looks like the Packers are going with a wide-receiver-by-committee behind Davante Adams, so that’s bad news for everyone involved. I had been particularly excited about Randall Cobb coming off his hamstring injury, but he won’t be worth using in fantasy lineups if he splits time with Geronimo Allison and the rookie duo of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown. Perhaps Green Bay was just managing his reps, but Cobb is unlikely to achieve WR2 status as things currently stand.
Stock down: Nelson Agholor, PHI
Optimistically, you could view the acquisition of Golden Tate as something that will allow Nelson Agholor to get more downfield opportunities, but it seems like more of a case of the Eagles not being interested in keeping the former first-round pick for the long haul. If so, that’s a disappointment, and Agholor will probably come out of the bye as the No. 4 option in the passing game behind Zach Ertz, Alshon Jeffery, and Tate.
Getting Sutton on waivers…. hopefully.