This article is part of our NFL Barometer series.
Week 13 ushered in a new quarterback era – for the moment, at least – in San Francisco, while also marking the long-awaited return of a potentially top-shelf receiver after more than two seasons away. Additionally, injuries opened up new opportunities for multiple players, leaving plenty to be examined heading into Week 14.
RISING
Quarterback
Andy Dalton, Bengals- Dalton has fired multiple touchdowns in four straight, with six completions of over 20 yards in those contests. He's even generated some supplemental rushing production in the last two contests, gaining 45 yards on six rushes. With a solid 20:8 TD:INT on the season and a top-shelf receiving option in A.J. Green, Dalton's prospects remain bright moving forward.
Tom Savage, Texans- At least for fantasy purposes, Savage may be getting the hang of this starting quarterback thing just in time for playoff season, as he's upped his passing yardage totals in each of his last four starts. Interceptions remain a problem, but he's eclipsed a 60.0 percent completion rate in two of his last three contests and is coming off a career-high 365 yards against the Titans in Week 13.
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers- Garoppolo enjoyed a successful 49ers debut against the Bears in Week 13, throwing for 293 yards and helping lead what amounted to the game-winning drive. Already named the Week 14 starter by head coach Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo is looking at favorable matchups against the Texans and Titans over the next two weeks
Week 13 ushered in a new quarterback era – for the moment, at least – in San Francisco, while also marking the long-awaited return of a potentially top-shelf receiver after more than two seasons away. Additionally, injuries opened up new opportunities for multiple players, leaving plenty to be examined heading into Week 14.
RISING
Quarterback
Andy Dalton, Bengals- Dalton has fired multiple touchdowns in four straight, with six completions of over 20 yards in those contests. He's even generated some supplemental rushing production in the last two contests, gaining 45 yards on six rushes. With a solid 20:8 TD:INT on the season and a top-shelf receiving option in A.J. Green, Dalton's prospects remain bright moving forward.
Tom Savage, Texans- At least for fantasy purposes, Savage may be getting the hang of this starting quarterback thing just in time for playoff season, as he's upped his passing yardage totals in each of his last four starts. Interceptions remain a problem, but he's eclipsed a 60.0 percent completion rate in two of his last three contests and is coming off a career-high 365 yards against the Titans in Week 13.
Jimmy Garoppolo, 49ers- Garoppolo enjoyed a successful 49ers debut against the Bears in Week 13, throwing for 293 yards and helping lead what amounted to the game-winning drive. Already named the Week 14 starter by head coach Kyle Shanahan, Garoppolo is looking at favorable matchups against the Texans and Titans over the next two weeks if he holds onto the top job.
Running Back
Alfred Morris, Cowboys- Morris broke through with a 127-yard effort against his former Redskins club in Week 13, posting over 4.0 yards per carry for the fourth time in the last five weeks. The Cowboys finally decided to give the veteran the type of volume befitting a No. 1 back, and although he only has two games remaining before Ezekiel Elliott returns from suspension, those contests come against the vulnerable defenses of the Giants and Raiders.
Jamaal Williams, Packers- Williams clearly has the trust of the Packers' coaching staff as the lead back after seeing 21 carries for the second straight game in Week 13 and compiling a career-high 113 yards in the process. The rookie saw that type of workload last Sunday against the Buccaneers despite fellow first-year back Aaron Jones being available in his return from a knee injury. While Jones scored the game-winning touchdown on his only carry and figures to see more than just a sole touch in Week 14, he looks set to serve as a complementary option while Williams does most of the heavy lifting on early downs moving forward. Furthermore, the potential Week 15 return of Aaron Rodgers (collarbone) should only brighten Williams' prospects.
Kenyan Drake, Dolphins- The stars aligned for Drake in Week 13, as there was no timeshare to worry about with Damien Williams (shoulder) sidelined against an increasingly vulnerable Broncos defense. Drake took advantage to the tune of 120 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with three receptions for 21 yards. Irrespective of Williams' status in Week 14 versus a Patriots defense that's given up its fair share of yards this season, Drake would figure to once again have lead-back duties firmly in hand.
Peyton Barber, Buccaneers- Barber is another player who parlayed injury into opportunity in Week 13, as Doug Martin's absence against the Packers due to a concussion opened the door for the second-year back to helm the Tampa backfield. He responded with a career-high 102 rushing yards and 43 additional yards through the air while undoubtedly opening some eyes by consistently finding running lanes where Martin hasn't. That caliber of production in the ground game has been a rarity for the Bucs the majority of the campaign, and Barber figures to have earned a more substantial role at a minimum even when Martin is healthy.
Wide Receiver
Josh Gordon, Browns- Gordon answered a fair share of questions while taking the field in a regular-season game last Sunday for the first time since December 21, 2014, bringing in four of 11 targets for a team-high 85 yards. His subpar catch rate was largely a product of quarterback DeShone Kizer's inaccuracy, and most important, Gordon was able to log 48 snaps and displayed his trademark athleticism on several plays. There's little doubt the Browns appear set to feed him plenty over the season's last four games, and a Week 14 matchup against the vulnerable Packers secondary leaves him primed for a potentially explosive outing in only his second game back.
Jermaine Kearse, Jets- Kearse has back-to-back 100-yard games and has brought in 16 of 21 targets during that pair of contests. He equaled or generated new season highs in receptions, receiving yards and targets during that stretch, and despite position-mate Robby Anderson's own success, Kearse is carving out a consistent role in a Jets' passing attack that only appears to be getting more aggressive as the season goes on.
Marquise Goodwin / Trent Taylor, 49ers- The 49ers looked like a different offense under Garoppolo in Week 13, with both Goodwin and Taylor playing a significant part. Goodwin was particularly impressive, hauling in all eight targets for 99 yards, his third straight game with at least 78 yards receiving. Meanwhile, Taylor posted career highs in receptions (six) and yards (92), and his sure hands and precise routes look like a seamless fit with Garoppolo's accuracy.
Tight End
Stephen Anderson, Texans- Anderson saw a season-high 12 targets in Week 13 against the Titans as Texans pass catchers dropped like flies around him. With position-mate C.J. Fiedorowicz (concussion) likely out in Week 14, Anderson could well be the Texans' top tight end against a vulnerable 49ers defense, and he could conceivably serve as Savage's No. 2 target if Bruce Ellington (hamstring) and Braxton Miller (concussion) are also sidelined.
Hunter Henry, Chargers- Henry has had a roller-coaster season, but he's on the upswing again after bringing in 12 of 14 targets for 157 yards and a touchdown in Weeks 12 and 13. While he's reportedly battling a sore knee, Henry is primed for an excellent finish with remaining games against the Redskins, Chiefs, Jets and Raiders.
David Njoku, Browns- Njoku bears monitoring after bringing in eight of 10 targets for 121 yards and a touchdown over his last two games. Josh Gordon's arrival may actually help more than hurt Njoku's opportunities, considering he's certainly a component of the offense that defenses must account for on every play.
FALLING
Quarterback
Trevor Siemian, Broncos- Siemian looked like a markedly different quarterback with a team having a full week to game plan against him, as the optimism he generated with his work in emergency duty against the Raiders in Week 12 largely evaporated with a three-interception day against the Dolphins. While he's set for another start in Week 14 against the Jets, Siemian's body of work simply doesn't inspire much confidence at present.
Running Back
Jordan Howard, Bears- Howard ripped off a trio of 100-yard efforts Weeks 6-11, but he has a modest 20 carries for 44 yards in his last two contests. With a minimal role in the passing game, Howard's fantasy stock takes a significant dip when his rushing touches take the type of dive they've experienced in the last pair of contests.
Devontae Booker, Broncos- Booker looked an emerging lead back in Denver in Week 11 after logging a season-high 14 carries, but it's been downhill over the subsequent pair of games. The second-year tailback has eight combined rushes for 19 yards in the last two weeks and saw just 11 snaps against the Dolphins in Week 13. New coordinator Bill Musgrave seems to favor C.J. Anderson and even veteran Jamaal Charles over Booker at present, leaving the latter's fantasy outlook bleak.
Wayne Gallman, Giants- Gallman's stock is in no great shape either, as he left Sunday's loss to the Raiders with a hip injury after playing 14 snaps and logging single-digit totes for the seventh straight game. The rookie has also averaged 3.7 yards per carry or less in four of his last seven games and doesn't have a single rush of over 20 yards on the season, capping his overall upside. Orleans Darkwa's emergence as a de facto lead back and the recent incorporation of Paul Perkins and Shane Vereen has only served to muddy the waters further.
Wide Receiver
Corey Davis, Titans- Not even Rishard Matthews' absence over the last two games has been able to extract productive outings from Davis, who brought in six of eight targets for 51 yards over that span. He hasn't come close to the 69 receiving yards he logged back in Week 1, and with Matthews reportedly set to return in Week 14, there isn't light at the end of the tunnel at present.
Danny Amendola, Patriots- Amendola's production inherently has some ebbs and flows, but he's been on more of an extended downswing in the second half of the season. In addition to dealing with his usual nagging assortment of injuries, the veteran possession receiver has posted no more than 40 yards in six of his last seven games, seeing five targets or less in five of those contests. Rob Gronkowski's Week 14 absence could lead to a resurgence for Amendola, but his overall upside continues to be capped.
Demaryius Thomas / Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos- The fortunes of the Broncos' starting wideouts are significantly dampened by the ongoing turmoil under center that won't get rectified until the offseason at the earliest. Thomas has brought in just seven of 18 targets for 45 yards in the last two games, while Sanders has seven receptions (on 21 targets) for 38 yards in the last trio of contests and is dealing with a nagging ankle injury.
Kendall Wright, Bears- Wright has no more than two receptions in three straight games, netting just 65 yards during that span. With the inconsistent nature of the Bears' passing game and Mitchell Trubisky's emerging rapport with Dontrelle Inman, Wright appears destined for a complementary role for the remainder of the campaign.
Taylor Gabriel, Falcons- Gabriel has mostly been unable to recreate some of his downfield magic from last season, and he's posted a mere six receptions on seven targets for 29 yards during the last three contests. With a YPC of no greater than 6.0 in those games, Gabriel's principal source of fantasy production – downfield success – has been dormant.
Tight End
Austin Hooper, Falcons- Much like Henry, Hooper has struggled with consistency in his second season, but he's been trending in the wrong direction recently. Hooper looked like he might be carving out a consistent niche in the Falcons' passing attack in Weeks 8-10 with 13 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns, but his numbers have dwindled to eight catches (on 11 targets) for 58 yards and no scores in the subsequent three games.
Jared Cook, Raiders- Cook has followed up a season-best eight-catch, 126-yard effort against the Dolphins in Week 9 with just four catches for 47 yards combined in the following three contests. The most disappointing game during that stretch might have been in Week 13, where even a plum matchup against the Giants with both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree out of action only yielded one reception for nine yards for the veteran tight end.
C.J. Fiedorowicz, Texans- Fiedorowicz can't seem to shake the injury bug, suffering his third concussion dating back to the preseason. The tight end had also provided substandard production during the four games he'd played in Weeks 10-13, posting just 10 catches for 81 yards over that span. With the possibility he could be shut down for the season and the emergence of Stephen Anderson, Fiedorowicz is increasingly out of fantasy consideration.
