This article is part of our NFL Barometer series.
RISING
Javorius Allen, RB, BAL
Justin Forsett will miss the rest of the season with a broken forearm, forcing the Ravens to install Allen as the new lead runner. Joe Flacco's season-ending knee injury and the resulting shift to Matt Schaub at starting quarterback will limit Allen's scoring opportunities and will probably have a negative effect on his efficiency, but Allen should otherwise see a workload big enough to offset those concerns, and he's a uniquely capable pass-catcher who should at least be valuable in PPR leagues. He's far above average when it comes to the passing game, so his 3.9 yards per carry isn't as concerning when you factor in the likelihood that he'll average as many as four or five catches per game going forward.
Devin Funchess, WR, CAR
After a slow start to his NFL career, both in training camp and the regular season, the light appears to be turning on for Funchess. He saw eight targets against Washington on Sunday, snagging four for 64 yards and a touchdown, which gives him nine catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets over the last three weeks. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds with 4.5 speed and a huge wingspan, Funchess clearly has the physical tools to emerge as a WR1 in the NFL, and the fact that he's showing this progress at 21 years old is very encouraging for his long-term outlook. Even his short-term outlook is quite bright all of a sudden –
RISING
Javorius Allen, RB, BAL
Justin Forsett will miss the rest of the season with a broken forearm, forcing the Ravens to install Allen as the new lead runner. Joe Flacco's season-ending knee injury and the resulting shift to Matt Schaub at starting quarterback will limit Allen's scoring opportunities and will probably have a negative effect on his efficiency, but Allen should otherwise see a workload big enough to offset those concerns, and he's a uniquely capable pass-catcher who should at least be valuable in PPR leagues. He's far above average when it comes to the passing game, so his 3.9 yards per carry isn't as concerning when you factor in the likelihood that he'll average as many as four or five catches per game going forward.
Devin Funchess, WR, CAR
After a slow start to his NFL career, both in training camp and the regular season, the light appears to be turning on for Funchess. He saw eight targets against Washington on Sunday, snagging four for 64 yards and a touchdown, which gives him nine catches for 176 yards and two touchdowns on 14 targets over the last three weeks. At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds with 4.5 speed and a huge wingspan, Funchess clearly has the physical tools to emerge as a WR1 in the NFL, and the fact that he's showing this progress at 21 years old is very encouraging for his long-term outlook. Even his short-term outlook is quite bright all of a sudden – the likes of Ted Ginn, Corey Smith, and Jerricho Cotchery simply aren't good enough to keep Funchess off the field, and it's become increasingly clear in recent weeks.
Tevin Coleman, RB, ATL
Coleman won't be worth much if Devonta Freeman doesn't end up missing time with the concussion he suffered against the Colts on Sunday, but if Freeman does happen to miss this week's game against the Vikings, Coleman would likely be in for a big workload. After running for 48 yards on 17 carries Sunday, Coleman has an underwhelming total of 231 yards and a touchdown on 59 carries this year, but the rookie still possesses explosiveness Freeman can't match, and it was Coleman who was named the starter for Week 1 before an injury gave Freeman the starting opportunity. Although Freeman is the better receiver, I think Coleman is clearly the better overall prospect, so any scenario in which Coleman starts is one I'm buying in to.
Brian Hoyer, QB, HOU
After sitting out Sunday's win over the Jets with a concussion, Hoyer will return to the starting lineup in Week 12 as the Texans take on the Saints. His lack of real-life skill might slow the circulation of the fact that Hoyer has been a fine fantasy quarterback this year, but a matchup against the Saints might be just what Hoyer needs for his fantasy stock to soar, even if he remains mostly unacknowledged on the real field. Even with the concussion and benching shenanigans disrupting his playing time at a couple points, Hoyer has 1,704 yards (7.2 YPA), 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in seven games (five starts). That's a pace that projects to about 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in a 16-game span, and now he gets a Saints defense that just made Kirk Cousins look unbeatable.
Eddie Lacy, RB, GB
He didn't look to be in much better shape, but Lacy at least got out of his own head long enough to reestablish some momentum against the Vikings on Sunday, running for 100 yards on 22 carries. The brief usurper James Starks likely saw his reign come to an end as a result, finishing the same game with just 14 yards on eight carries. That Lacy is the more talented of the two runners is old news, so he should remain the clear lead back if he can at least perform somewhat adequately going forward. It would be nice to see him get in shape and reach his full potential, however.
FALLING
Kamar Aiken, WR, BAL
Although his talent level would normally warrant no more than a WR4 sort of role on most offenses, injuries to Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman elevated Aiken to a lead role in the Baltimore passing game, resulting in some cheap utility for those who snagged him in PPR formats. Despite his inefficiency, Aiken turned in reliable WR3-range numbers due to his inflated target count, turning 55 targets into 31 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns in his last seven games. With Joe Flacco's season over, however, Aiken owners probably can't assume any worthwhile value for the overachieving wideout going forward. Mediocre as he might be, Flacco is still worlds better than Matt Schaub, and Aiken's per-target production (6.9 YPT) can't afford another efficiency regression.
Peyton Manning, QB, DEN
Anyone who for some reason watched Manning much in 2015 was probably not surprised to see Brock Osweiler turn in Denver's best quarterback performance of the year against Chicago on Sunday, even though it was Osweiler's first start. Manning's skill level hasn't merely declined – it's fallen off to the point that almost any alternative is better by default. The few moments in 2015 where the Denver offense was functional should almost entirely be attributed to the fact that the team has an elite wideout duo and one of the league's most proven offensive architects (Gary Kubiak). Osweiler's 250-yard, two-touchdown line from Sunday reinforces that idea, and while he will likely regress against New England in his second start, he should still look better than Manning.
Eric Ebron, TE, DET
Ebron's rookie year was a bust, but they almost always are for rookie tight ends, so the presumption all along was that it would be 2015 before Ebron showed signs of progress. This season started out promising enough, as Ebron turned 23 targets into 15 catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns before suffering a knee injury in Week 4 that would cost him two additional games. Since then, few things have gone well for Ebron. His drop issues that were obvious even in his college days have remained a problem, and at this point it's difficult to suggest a scenario in which that might ever change. He has 12 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown on 20 targets in the last four games, including a two-target shutout against Oakland on Sunday. The Lions somehow selected Ebron over Odell Beckham with the 10th pick last year.
