This article is part of our NFL Barometer series.
A couple of veteran quarterbacks are showing signs of regaining their past success, while injuries are opening up opportunities for several other signal callers. There's plenty of players showing multi-week downward trends as well, leaving us with plenty to consider heading into Week 12.
RISING
Quarterback
Blaine Gabbert, Cardinals- Gabbert has already been announced as the Week 12 starter against the Jaguars, a matchup that isn't exactly conducive to fantasy success, especially for a team as one-dimensional offensively as the Cardinals currently are. However, head coach Bruce Arians is likely willing to continue sticking with Gabbert barring injury, as he's already familiar with the limitations of veteran journeyman Drew Stanton. Gabbert offers some decent rushing upside and has certainly had a modest share of productive starts over the last three seasons when he's had the opportunity. His Week 11 effort (22-for-34, 257 yards, three TDs, two INTs and 13 rushing yards) provided a solid return for those who utilized him as a streaming option.
Philip Rivers, Chargers- Based on his standards, Rivers has underwhelmed from a fantasy standpoint for the majority of the season. However, hints of the prolific passer he's been in years past have begun cropping up over the last couple of games. He's thrown for multiple touchdowns in back-to-back contests for the first time since Weeks 4 and 5 and has a total of seven completions of over 20 yards in those two outings as well. He also rediscovered his most potent
A couple of veteran quarterbacks are showing signs of regaining their past success, while injuries are opening up opportunities for several other signal callers. There's plenty of players showing multi-week downward trends as well, leaving us with plenty to consider heading into Week 12.
RISING
Quarterback
Blaine Gabbert, Cardinals- Gabbert has already been announced as the Week 12 starter against the Jaguars, a matchup that isn't exactly conducive to fantasy success, especially for a team as one-dimensional offensively as the Cardinals currently are. However, head coach Bruce Arians is likely willing to continue sticking with Gabbert barring injury, as he's already familiar with the limitations of veteran journeyman Drew Stanton. Gabbert offers some decent rushing upside and has certainly had a modest share of productive starts over the last three seasons when he's had the opportunity. His Week 11 effort (22-for-34, 257 yards, three TDs, two INTs and 13 rushing yards) provided a solid return for those who utilized him as a streaming option.
Philip Rivers, Chargers- Based on his standards, Rivers has underwhelmed from a fantasy standpoint for the majority of the season. However, hints of the prolific passer he's been in years past have begun cropping up over the last couple of games. He's thrown for multiple touchdowns in back-to-back contests for the first time since Weeks 4 and 5 and has a total of seven completions of over 20 yards in those two outings as well. He also rediscovered his most potent passing game weapon in Keenan Allen in Week 11, and with a potential high-scoring affair coming up against an increasingly vulnerable Cowboys defense on Thanksgiving, Rivers is on the rise.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers- Another veteran quarterback who appears to be righting the ship after a sluggish first half of the season, Roethlisberger has upped his completion percentages in each of the last two games and has generated a 9:2 TD:INT over the last four contests overall. He's been more successful downfield as well, compiling 15 completions of over 20 yards over the latter span -- including six over 40 – with the emergence of rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster playing a significant role. A Week 12 date with the beatable Packers secondary leaves him poised to continue trending in the right direction.
Kirk Cousins, Redskins- Washington running backs keep dropping like flies, shifting the spotlight a bit more towards Cousins, who has had back-to-back 300-yard efforts and a 4:2 TD:INT in the last pair of contests. That span also includes 10 completions of over 20 yards, and with Chris Thompson (fibula) the latest Redskins backfield casualty and the questionable pass defenses of the Giants and Cowboys on the schedule the next two weeks, Cousins could keep churning out 300-yard performances with regularity.
Running Back
Samaje Perine, Redskins- Perine is the last man standing for the moment in the Washington backfield, with only former practice squad member Byron Marshall as his backup. He looked worthy of workhorse-back status with 23 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown in Week 11, and he should be in for a similar workload going forward. Perine hasn't flashed much in the passing game, but with 49 rushing touchdowns in three college seasons on his resume, he brings plenty of upside, especially if he continues seeing something along the lines of the five red-zone runs he logged versus the Saints in Week 11 on a regular basis.
Lamar Miller, Texans- Rookie D'Onta Foreman's potentially season-ending Achilles injury in Week 11 removes any significant competition in the Texans backfield for Miller, who saw a season-high 22 carries on 52 snaps in Week 11. He also logged his third receiving touchdown of the campaign, and with Foreman no longer around to split carries, Miller is in for a definite uptick in volume moving forward.
Latavius Murray, Vikings- Murray appears to be staking an increasingly larger claim on the true lead-back role in Minnesota, as he's simply been more effective than Jerick McKinnon with his touches in three of the past four games. While he was out-snapped, 45-33, by McKinnon against the Rams in Week 11, Murray racked up 95 rushing yards on an average of 6.3 yards per carry, while McKinnon averaged well under 4.0 yards per carry for the fourth straight game. Expect Murray to continue handling the bulk of early-down work and seeing the majority of red-zone carries (seven in the last two weeks, including four inside the 5-yard line).
Devontae Booker, Broncos- Booker saw a season-high 48 snaps in Week 11, posting high-water marks in carries (14), rushing yards (44), receptions (five) and targets (six). Neither he nor C.J. Anderson have been able to do much on the ground in the last three weeks, but Booker's sizable lead in playing time over Anderson (29 snaps) last Sunday could be a harbinger of what's to come for the balance of the campaign.
Wide Receiver
Zay Jones, Bills- Kelvin Benjamin's knee injury could potentially result in Jones' stock rising even further, but he's begun to show improvement independent of that situation. After bringing in only two of nine targets in Week 7 against the Buccaneers, Jones has parlayed the 19 looks he's received in the subsequent trio of contests into 13 catches for 153 yards and one touchdown. Tyrod Taylor's apparent return to the starting lineup should only help Jones continue his upward surge.
Corey Coleman, Browns- Coleman enjoyed a successful Week 11 return from his hand injury with six receptions for 80 yards against the Jaguars. The erratic quarterback play of DeShone Kizer is always a concern for the fantasy prospects of any Cleveland receiver, but Coleman could well be a stabilizing force for Kizer, giving him a true No. 1 target that can help mask some of his inaccuracy. Coleman currently has no true peer in terms of raw ability on the depth chart, and even Josh Gordon is far from a sure thing in terms of competition if and when he returns to action after such a long layoff.
Davante Adams, Packers- Much like Coleman, Adams is saddled with an unsteady young quarterback, but he certainly seems to be faring the best of the Packers' receivers in the post-Aaron Rodgers landscape they find themselves in. Adams has seen 28 targets from Brett Hundley in the last three games, turning them into 20 receptions, 269 yards and a touchdown. He had his best game of the season in Week 11, posting eight receptions for 126 yards against the Ravens, with two of his catches exceeding 20 yards. Given his formidable presence in the high-percentage short-to-intermediate passing game, Adams should continue serving as a security blanket for Hundley.
Keenan Allen, Chargers- Allen had perhaps lulled defensive coordinators to sleep with a few quiet weeks, but a 12-catch, 159-yard, two-touchdown eruption in Week 11 was a wake-up call of epic proportions. Allen's rapport with Rivers has never been in question, and with matchups against the beatable secondaries of the Cowboys, Browns, Redskins and Chiefs on tap the next four weeks, he looks to be peaking at the right time.
Kenny Stills, Dolphins- Similar to Allen, Stills had a coming-out party in Week 11 that consisted of seven receptions for 180 yards and one touchdown. The majority of his success unsurprisingly came with Matt Moore at the helm, a quarterback with whom he's shown considerable synergy in the past. However, even if Jay Cutler (concussion) does reclaim his starting job upon clearing the league-mandated protocol, it's worth noting that Stills had also seen a robust total of 22 targets with the latter behind center in the three games prior to Sunday's breakout effort.
Tight End
Adam Shaheen, Bears- Dion Sims' two-week illness has opened the door for the rookie, who has six catches on six targets for 80 yards and a touchdown over the last two games while seeing a total of 77 snaps during that span. While rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will undoubtedly have some ups and downs as he develops, he seems to have a solid connection with Shaheen, whose near 280-pound frame creates plenty of matchup problems for defenses.
FALLING
Quarterback
Dak Prescott, Cowboys- Life without Ezekiel Elliott hasn't been kind to the Cowboys as a whole over the last two weeks, but it's been especially hard on Prescott, who's thrown for under 200 yards in each of those games and generated a 0:3 TD:INT. He'd also compiled just 143 yards versus the Redskins back in Week 8 with Elliott still in the fold, and he has just two touchdown passes over the last four games. While he certainly has the talent to pick things back up, defenses are teeing off without Elliott to worry about, and the absence of All-Pro blindside protector Tyron Smith over the last couple of weeks certainly hasn't helped either.
Brett Hundley, Packers- Hundley has gotten public confirmation from head coach Mike McCarthy that he's still in possession of the starting job, but his play continues to do fantasy owners no favors. Following a zero-touchdown, three-interception performance against the Ravens in Week 11, Hundley has a 2:7 TD:INT ratio over the last five games. His yardage totals continue to be serviceable, but the turnovers and lack of touchdowns to help make up for them render his fantasy outlook decidedly bearish at the moment.
Jay Cutler, Dolphins- A concussion technically put Cutler out of action at halftime in Week 11, but his play could have just as easily been used as a reason to sit him. The veteran had thrown for just 87 yards and a trio of picks over the first 30 minutes against the Buccaneers, and while he had posted a season-best 311 yards two weeks prior, it's important to remember that Cutler also managed the unlikely feat (in today's quarterback-friendly NFL) of throwing for under 200 yards for four consecutive weeks earlier this season. Given his extensive body of work, there's little reason to believe that he won't continue to offer little more than ongoing frustration if he does reclaim his starting job.
Running Back
Doug Martin, Buccaneers- Martin has been running into a brick wall for most of the season, but he's been truly stonewalled in the last three games. The former Pro Bowler has logged 47 carries for 96 yards over that trio of contests and hasn't found the end zone since Week 6. The Buccaneers' offensive line has struggled to keep defenders out of the backfield all season, so the blame is far from solely lying with Martin. However, regardless of the reasons for his lack of production, there's no light at the end of the tunnel fantasy-wise at the moment.
Eddie Lacy, Seahawks- Lacy's three carries in a starting opportunity Monday night against the Falcons about says it all. Not only does he look woefully ineffective when he does touch the ball, but it's clear the Seahawks have zero faith (or interest) in trying to establish a traditional rushing attack, opting instead to rely on quarterback Russell Wilson to provide any meaningful production in that regard. Additionally, given head coach Pete Carroll's personnel machinations, Lacy could easily be deemed inactive on any given week, just as backfield mate Thomas Rawls was Monday night.
Terrance West, Ravens- On the subject of dispensable backs, West was a healthy scratch in Week 11 with the return of Danny Woodhead to the Ravens' lineup. With Alex Collins being publicly designated as the true lead runner and both Woodhead and Javorious Allen around to serve as reinforcements and pass-catching options, West has become an afterthought for the moment.
C.J. Anderson, Broncos- As mentioned earlier, Booker's role appears to be expanding at the expense of Anderson, who hasn't been effective on the ground in two of the last three games. With the Broncos in the midst of a six-game losing streak and having just fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, Booker could well continue to be featured as Denver looks for any spark it can find.
Wide Receiver
Tyrell Williams, Chargers- Williams still carries plenty of upside and saw 61 snaps in Week 11 against the Bills, but the production just hasn't been there recently. He's tallied no better than three receptions in any contest since Week 4, and he's posted 27 receiving yards or less in five of six games over that stretch. He's also failed to get into the end zone, and one of the trademark qualities of his game, his downfield speed, has been absent as well—Williams has just two catches of over 20 yards during that span. Rookie Mike Williams' increasing target share (eight looks in Week 11) doesn't help matters either.
Stefon Diggs, Vikings- Another downfield threat who's been quiet recently, Diggs has 13 receptions over his last four games, but they've only gone for 141 yards (10.8 YPC). After piling up eight catches of over 20 yards in his first four contests, Diggs has just one such reception over the aforementioned four-game period, along with a single touchdown. Adam Thielen has been the much more consistent of the two Vikings starting wideouts, leaving Diggs trending down for the time being.
Adam Humphries, Buccaneers- Humphries has failed to exceed 26 receiving yards in five straight games and has no more than two catches in four of those contests. He's also yet to find the end zone in 2017, and with his receptions significantly down, he's even lost luster in the PPR formats that he had some value in earlier this year. The gradual emergence of rookie Chris Godwin and the team's extensive array of pass-catching options overall appear set to continue capping Humphries' upside for the remainder of the season.
Tight End
Cameron Brate, Buccaneers- Brate is a second member of the Buccaneers' passing game that's seen a notably reduced role in recent weeks. The typically high-volume tight end has often seen Ryan Fitzpatrick look elsewhere over the last three games, as Brate has just three receptions (on 10 targets) for 31 yards over that span. To offer some perspective, Brate had seen no less than five targets in any game over the five prior to the current stretch, including either eight or nine in three of those contests. He certainly has the skills to snap back to his previous level of production, but it may take the return of Jameis Winston (shoulder) – which won't happen until Week 13 at the earliest – for Brate to regain his previous prominence.
Charles Clay, Bills- The good news is that Clay's scary-looking Week 5 knee injury wasn't a season-ender; on the other hand, he hasn't exactly shown much in his two games since returning, posting just five catches for 40 yards. The play of rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman early on in Week 11 may have had something to do with Clay's struggles in that game, but he also might still be working back to full strength. Until he proves otherwise, consider his fantasy stock depressed.
