We saw a lot of shakeups in Week 12, which began in the days leading up to the action. For some who saw their lineup options dwindle, there wasn’t as much cause to give thanks. But that’s all part of the challenge of managing your fantasy team. If you play Dynasty, you’re in it for the long haul.
Still, it’s a weekly game and you have to ride the ebbs-and-flows and see what it can mean for the trajectory of a player. That’s what the Stock Watch is all about. We watch the games, process the information, and try to forecast where players are headed. After all, getting ahead of the curve is the way to succeed. So, below you’ll find one player that improved their position and one that’s going the wrong way from each position. Use this as a guide as you’re trying to make moves and evaluate your team this week!
Quarterbacks
Stock Up: Mike White, New York Jets
About: Zach Wilson had a horrendous Week 11. He was bad on the field and he was bad in the post-game press conference. That led to him getting benched. In fact, he wasn’t even active on game day. White got the start for the Jets in his stead. White went 22-for-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns. It’s one game, and he had some good stretches followed by bad when he got a shot in 2021. But for a team looking for a spark, White provided it. He should get a shot to prove he can lead a team that’s right in the thick of the playoff race. That’s a big step up for the former Fifth Round selection.
Stock Down: Davis Mills, Houston Texans
About: Mills wasn’t on the field in Week 12, and that’s part of the problem. Last year, Mills looked like one of the best quarterbacks from the Class of 2021. He entered this season with a chance to build on that resume, but it hasn’t worked out that well. The Texans were just 1-8-1 with Mills as a starter in 2022. Mills’ completion percentage fell from above 66 as a rookie to less than 62 in 2022, and he already has 11 interceptions, more than in 2021. He was benched this week for Kyle Allen, and with the Texans tracking for the No. 1 overall draft pick it seems likely the window for Mills to seize the Texans’ job has swung shut.
Running Backs
Stock Up: Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
About: This season began with Jacobs seemingly teetering on the brink, having seen the Raiders decline his fifth-year option. That’s never a good sign, but it does provide a player with a chance to prove themselves. Jacobs has done just that. The Raiders haven’t been incredible, but Jacobs just keeps pounding. In a game where it wasn’t even clear he would play on Sunday, Jacobs rushed for 229 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime, and caught six passes for 74 yards. For the season, he has rushed for a career-high 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns, catching 40 passes for 325 yards. And there are still six games left. Jacobs is making a case for a huge payday and a feature role with some team in 2023.
Stock Down: James Robinson, New York Jets
About: It’s been a weird, strange ride for Robinson. He started the season as the featured back for the Jacksonville Jaguars, seemingly making a fairly miraculous recovery from an Achilles injury. But as the season progressed, he ceded more work to Travis Etienne. After Breece Hall was lost for the season in Week 8, Robinson was traded to the Jets. It seemed like a chance for him to again have a feature role, this time alongside Michael Carter, for a team making a playoff push. But it hasn’t played out that way. Robinson has just 75 yards on 25 carries since joining the Jets. In Week 12, he was a healthy scratch. None of that bodes well for Robinson, whose long-term future is far from certain as he hits free agency this off-season.
Wide Receivers
Stock Up: Zay Jones, Jacksonville Jaguars
About: The Jaguars went on a spending spree this off-season to surround Trevor Lawrence with weapons. Among those free agents who got new deals was journeyman Zay Jones. Once an intriguing prospect with the Buffalo Bills, Jones has bounced around, playing for his third team. In Jacksonville, he’s been given an opportunity and he’s making the most of it. He’s seen 79 targets, turning that into 58 receptions for 562 yards. It’s a career-best receptions, and Jones is showing himself to be a valuable part of the Jaguars’ offense and a reliable flex option. That’s a good step forward for a player that could be acquired cheaply this off-season.
Stock Down: Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills
About: I, too, wanted to go into the season believing some of the hype about Davis. He had a great opportunity to step into a starting role for the Bills and we’ve seen some incredibly high moments. Davis has the ability to break one—or more—big in any game for a touchdown. But the problem for fantasy players is consistency. Davis has only had two games with five or more receptions, and only one game with 100 or more yards. That’s not enough consistent production to rely on him as anything more than an upside WR3/Flex option. Unfortunately, that’s not where he was drafted coming into the season.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
