Trending Wide Receivers and Running Backs- Week 7
As we near the midway point of the season, much remains unclear to who resides as top dogs in this league. Injuries and week-to-week stumbles continue to cloud the environment.
Heading into week seven, there are juicy matchups on the horizon which are filled with highly trending talent. Subsequently, players finding their way on the down trend do hold high value but in terms of their name alone. Weekly trends are very important to note and we have a few players to keep an eye on, while trying to stay away from others. Let’s dive into this week’s edition of trending players.
Trending Up
Robby Anderson (NYJ)
Granted, we’ll be the first to admit, we had grave reservations on Sam Dranold upon his return to the field after his bout with mono. Believing rust would’ve been a huge factor last week, Darnold silenced our opinion quickly as the Jets made easy work of the struggling Dallas Cowboys. Darnold found Robby Anderson with high frequency which led to a massive 92-yard touchdown gallop.
With Darnold back, Anderson fly’s up the board with potential to be a top end fantasy player on a weekly basis. With that said, opposing teams will adjust their approach with attempts to lock down this talented pass catcher. Nevertheless, Anderson is prime to be the feature player in this pass game and is trending up in a very big way.
Mark Walton (MIA)
Clearly the Miami Dolphins are in full tank mode to secure the top pick in next year’s draft, some optimism still remains on this roster. With news that the Dolphins are shopping Kenyan Drake before the leagues trade deadline, Mark Walton receives another push up the latter.
To be clear, we have always been supporters of Walton’s work as he’s been vastly underrated. While he isn’t a pure five star talent, he has more than enough to be a productive back in the league. While his 40-time did leave a lot to be desired, his traits make up for it. He is a patient runner that has good cut ability and very sound hands. While his value many never come to fruition in Miami, the potential is here. The stock continues to rise.
AJ Brown (TEN)
It was a glorious, magical day when we read the headlines from the Tennessee news which said Marcus Mariota was benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill. This offense is truly loaded with talent but has been left in first gear with the inadequate performance of Mariota. While we completely understand the notion that Tannehill isn’t going to be a savior, this entire offense receives a giant uptick. Tannehill is a two-time 4000 yard passer in this league and will move the ball.
With this report of the changing of the guard, rookie AJ Brown should be the first to see the fruits fall from the tree. Brown is supremely talented and has proven to be that dynamic playmaker this season. When given more targets and opportunity, Brown should and will light up the stat-sheet. Our mouths are watering with the potential of Brown having a fabulous second half of the season.
Derrius Guice (WAS)
This evaluation might be a bit premature, but we can’t contain the excitement. For a year and a half, we’ve been waiting to see what the Skins have with Derrius Guice. While this offense is clearly a nightmare in its own right, having the potential of an elite running back could change things. Guice is nearing his return from injured reserve and will be eligible to play in the coming weeks.
If you know my work, the common thread we preach is being proactive rather than reactive. Now is the time to snag Guice off the wire (if he’s there) and stash him on the bench. Is there anything better than having another viable running back on your roster entering fantasy playoffs? I think not!
Trending Down
Keenan Allen (LAC)
We haven’t been shy in preaching our displeasure in top-end talent this season, and we’ll continue with the Chargers Keenan Allen. It’s not that Allen has lost a step all of a sudden, but this Chargers offense can’t seem to get out of their own way. Over the course of the past three contests, Allen has seen limited target share going for even less productivity. Phillip Rivers appears to be on the outs as his arm isn’t up to the task anymore.
While players like Allen can break out of a funk at any time, the upcoming schedule won’t do him many favors. The Chargers are pegged to face some of the best in the business verse the pass leaving the perspectives grim to trust. While Allen remains an elite talent, his trend is moving in the wrong direction based on these circumstances.
Frank Gore (BUF)
Some may question why we have the Bills Frank Gore on the trending down side with an upcoming schedule being very conducive for this offense. Simply put, the return of rookie Devin Singletary is a massive blow to the aging veteran who will see his carries drop in favor of his teammate. It’s not to say that Gore won’t still have a role, but he should take on more specialty situations, rather than lead back duties.
Barring any more trips to the medical room for Singletary, Gore’s value will take a sharp decline each and every week if this rookie can gain traction. Week seven might be the last time we see Gore listed as a must start.
Emmanuel Sanders (DEN)
At this point of the season, and playing on this supremely dysfunctional offense in Denver, Emmanuel Sanders value will only continue to plummet. The Broncos offensive line and struggles in the pass game leave nothing tangible to believe Sanders will find his way back into the good books. Losing more of the target share to teammate Courtland Sutton is another glaring sign that Sanders time in Denver is coming to a close.
With the league trade deadline vastly approaching, we wouldn’t be surprised to witness a deal which sends Sanders to another club. Depending on the landing spot (if traded), one last shot at fantasy relevance could be on the horizon. At this point, we can’t preach or trust Sanders, hence the down trend.
Damien Williams (KC)
Truly, we’ve been scratching at the bit to finally place the Chiefs Damien Williams on the list of trending down players. Heading back to the offseason, we feel as though we were the only ones that didn’t believe/support Williams as a dynamic fantasy producer. Outside of week one, Williams has been exactly what we expected him to be, nothing special.
Moving forward, Williams will obviously still have a change of pace role behind LeSean McCoy, but his volume will be sporadic at best. As it stands today, if Williams can muster one sound game of productivity, we fully recommend trading him high to recoup some value spent back in the draft. The experiment has failed and there won’t be much to see here.
