Trending Wide Receivers and Running Backs- Week 1

As we gear up for another season of NFL football and of course the drive for fantasy football dominance, it's important to understand how players are tracking from week-to-week.

Compiling a listing of the top trending players will obviously be very fluid, but important nonetheless, here is our week one of who to covet and displace.  

Trending Up

LeSean McCoy (KC)

While shock waves hit on roster cut down day, the Buffalo Bills made headlines in releasing former super star LeSean “Shady” McCoy. Having an uber crowded backfield to contend with, the Bills chose to cut their losses while eating dead cap, sending McCoy looking for a new place to call home.

McCoy didn’t last long on the open market as he chose to reunite with former Philly sideline boss Andy Reid in Kansas City, in hopes for one last shot at glory. The move clearly came with a good level of scrutiny as many in the fantasy community have rode the hype train of Damien Williams. While we do agree Williams has great skill and will benefit from having a key role in this offense, our money is placed solely on McCoy being the go-to guy.

While it's clear that the top end speed has seen better days, McCoy still has plenty left in the tank and fell victim to shoddy offensive line play in Buffalo. In this high-octane offensive system in Kansas City, buckle up for fantastic output.

 Kenny Stills (HOU)

Admittedly, we have never been huge supporters of the former Miami Dolphin, now Houston Texan - Kenny Stills. After seeing the Texans orchestrate a trade with the Fins to secure his services, we have found a new appreciation for what can be accomplished from the speedy receiver.

Over the years, Houston has struggled mightily in finding that complementary piece to support the talents of DeAndre Hopkins. Realization has hit their front office as Will Fuller and now Keke Coutee seem to be players that will again be unreliable due to time spent in the medical room. Stills has proven to remain relatively healthy over the course of his career and provides that potential deep threat to hopefully remove double teams on a full-time basis.

With this offense looking to take the next step in their development, Stills might just be that missing piece to the puzzle and should see many weeks of success.

Devin Singletary (BUF) 

This may seem apparent to most, but with the removal of McCoy from the Bills crowded backfield, rookie Devin Singletary now has his opportunity to be the lead-dog in Buffalo.

 While the hype continues to form around most fantasy circles regarding Singletary, we do have some level of caution as touches could be spread a great deal to start the season. With Frank Gore looking to still have some role, TJ Yeldon has impressed in the preseason, especially in the pass game. Nevertheless, we do believe that this rookie will be given every shot at being that trusted play maker behind Josh Allen. 

Tempering the expectations early should be the outlook, but clearly Singletary is on the rise and should be a great asset this season at the running back position.

Demaryius Thomas (NE)  

Some may scoff and judge this opinion, but we have no choice but to lift and preach the potential for this seasoned veteran to make noise in New England. Demaryius Thomas has been on something of a whirlwind in the last 24-hours, seeing his services cut from the club, only to be resigned back to the fold. With news of rookie N’Keal Harry finding his way to injured reserve for the first eight games, the door has again swung wide open for Thomas.

Many continue to write off aging talent even though several can still preform at a high level, including Thomas. Last season was filled with offensive dysfunction in Denver, to only see a season ending injury after being traded to Houston. Finding his way to play with the great Tom Brady, we have no doubt that numbers will again come to pass for this talented pass catcher. His stock is again rising and should be valued.  

Trending Down

TY Hilton (IND)

Heading into the 2019 season, one of our favorite players was the Colts TY Hilton and rightfully so. Now witnessing the aftermath of Andrew Luck announcing his retirement from the NFL, we have no choice but to jump off the wagon and promote a more careful approach.

To be clear, we aren’t debating the skill set possessed by the talented receiver, but more so from who will be throwing him the ball. With the Colts now forced to start Jacoby Brissett as their starting pivot, expectations for this offseason super bowl contender look grim. Hilton should still provide sound statistical achievements to keep his stock strong, but until we witness it with levels of consistency, Hilton is trending down for week one.    

 Tony Pollard (DAL)

One of the more speculative week one trending down players has to be the Cowboys rookie Tony Pollard. While this could change in the drop of a hat, everything is dependent on Ezekiel Elliott signing a new contract and returning to the club.

With speculation that Dallas and Elliott are nearing the finalization of a new monster contract extension, Pollard would see perhaps the largest drop for any player in fantasy football entering the first week of the season. Clearly everything is contingent on Elliott receiving truck loads of cash hitting his bank account, Pollard would’ve seen the lions share of work from the backfield. With rumor that a new 6-year, 90-million-dollar deal is on the table, this should become reality very soon if it hasn’t already.    

 N’Keal Harry (NE)

Entering the 2019 NFL draft, N’Keal Harry was the most sought-after wide receiver from his class and found a glorious opportunity after being drafted by the New England Patriots. Feeding strong similarities to the likes of Dez Bryant, Harry had his ups and downs throughout camp and the preseason.

As the Patriots continued to evaluate their roster in hopes to once again be a force in the AFC, Harry found great misfortune landing on injured reserve for at least the first eight games of the season. Harry was prime to become a favorite target of the great Tom Brady, but now will have to learn while watching from the sidelines as he attempts to gain full health. No question he’ll be a trending player in the right direction at some point, but to start, he is off the radar.    

 Ronald Jones (TB)

Perhaps the most difficult backfield to predict in the entire league, the Buccaneers slew of runners leaves us with nothing but negative thoughts. Having hope that Ronald Jones would’ve been able to find some form of magic this offseason, nothing credible materialized forcing us to sit and watch with potential hope.

Tampa Bay should see something of improvement overall with new head coach Bruce Arians running the show, but in terms of who will carry the load for rush attempts, it truly is a mystery at this point. Holding Jones on your roster isn’t a terrible decision, but for all things concerned for week one, his trend is falling through the floor