As the season progresses, players have mostly shown us who they are. But injuries and changing roles leave a handful of players trending up and down as we approach fantasy football's playoffs.
Three Up
QB Tommy Devito, New York Giants
Regarding fantasy relevance, Tommy Devito shouldn't even be in consideration for a roster spot outside of two-quarterback and superflex leagues. But his performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 11 shouldn't be ignored. And Devito could make for an intriguing spot start in the immediate future with the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers on deck. Devito joined Josh Allen and Brock Purdy as the only other quarterbacks to sling three touchdowns in Week 11 and did so on an impressive 246 passing yards. Devito's 137.7 passer rating was third-best on the week. But the best thing about Devito's outing was that it resuscitated life into Saquon Barkley's value. Not only did Barkley finish as the week's RB1 in scoring, but it was the best fantasy outing he's had since the 2019 season. Barkley tied his season-high in targets but had his best receiving output by far. Devito has improved his fantasy output in every start this year, finishing as Week 11's QB7. While many expected Devito to help the Giants acquire this year's first overall pick in the 2024 draft, he's been a surprise and is worth a stash in multi-quarterback fantasy leagues.
RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers
Ceremoniously named the Week 10 starter, Jaylen Warren is doing everything he can to put Najee Harris out of a job. Warren currently ranks first in the league in yards per carry, explosive run rate, missed tackles forced per attempt, and yards after contact per attempt. He's watched his opportunities grow over the last few weeks and looks fantastic with his extra touches. After averaging just 6.4 carries per game through Week 8, Warren has seen 11.7 during the last three weeks. He's turned that into 106 rushing yards per game, including an electrifying 74-yard scamper in Week 11. Najee Harris hasn't been terrible, but Warren has been too good to ignore. He's the RB3 in scoring over the last three games. Expect to see the usage scales continue to tip in Warren's favor as he makes for a plug-and-play RB2 with immense upside in any matchup.
WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans
Nico Collins was the wide receiver to roster at the start of the season, but Tank Dell has taken over. As an undersized third-round rookie, many pundits were concerned about his transition into the NFL. Preseason flashes quickly proved that he was ready for the big lights, and he's been on a tear this season. He's PPR's WR16 on the year and has already eclipsed the 20-point mark in four of his nine games. Over the last three weeks, only CeeDee Lamb, Keenan Allen, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are averaging more than Dell's 25.8 PPR points per game. Nico Collins is still drawing the first reads in the offense, but Dell's downfield abilities and big-play upside make him the more valuable fantasy asset. He's averaging 16.4 points to Collins' 15.2 and trending up. His recent play puts him in the weekly WR1 consideration.
Three Down
RB Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers
There were hopes that Chuba Hubbard's play would allow him to separate from Miles Sanders and become Carolina's workhorse back. But as Sanders moves away from his early-season injuries, this is becoming an apparent timeshare with little fantasy value. Hubbard saw a season-high 20 touches during Sanders' Week 6 absence and appeared to retain a more significant workload after Sanders returned in Week 7, out-touching him 48 to 15 over the next three weeks. But in Week 11, touches and snaps were split nearly down the middle, and both running backs finished outside of the top 24 on the week. Hubbard's appeal came from a role with perceived volume. But if that low-value volume on a bad offense is being split between two running backs, neither will have much value in fantasy.
WR Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
That stage has been set for Quentin Johnston to break out for nearly half the season, and he cannot figure it out. A touchdown in Week 10 was the lone bright spot in an otherwise abysmal rookie season. In Week 11, with no Mike Williams, Joshua Palmer, or Gerald Everett and a banged-up Keenan Allen, Johnston caught just two of his six targets for 21 scoreless yards. He dropped a wide-open game-winning catch, a microcosm of his rookie campaign. Johnston was a first-round pick this year with lofty expectations. Being tied to a young and elite quarterback with a lousy defense, many were hoping for immediate production. But regardless of how big his opportunity gets, he continues to squander it. Until he proves otherwise, he should be nowhere near your fantasy lineups.
TE Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
Although trending down, Sam LaPorta is still a plug-and-play weekly TE1. However, early-season dreams that he could join the elite tier may need adjustments. After pulling 7.4 targets per game through Week 8, he's seen just 5.0 per game over the last two weeks. That's translated to little fantasy production. And while that might not seem significant, the dip in usage coincides with Jameson Williams' growing role. Williams has set season-highs in snap shares in back-to-back weeks and is getting praised by the staff. LaPorta may find it difficult to find consistent usage in an offense with Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and a strong run game anchored by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. As mentioned, LaPorta is still someone you're starting every week. But after being the overall TE1 through Week 5, his production has cooled a bit, and he's the TE13 since.