Fantasy playoffs are here and every transaction and decision carries a ton of weight. See who is trending up and down as we approach the ever-important Week 15.
Three Up
RB Ty Chandler, Minnesota Vikings
Injuries could push Ty Chandler into a vaunted "league-winning" role this season. Production so far has been hard to come by for Chandler. Entering Week 14, Chandler was PPR's RB62, scoring double digits in just two outings. An injury to Cam Akers opened the doors for some more work. After seeing just four total snaps through Week 4 and 9, Chandler saw about a third of the backfield's snaps from Week 10 onward. Then, Alexander Mattison's ankle injury in Week 14 thrust Chandler into a full-time role. Eleven of his 15 touches came after Mattison exited the game. Granted, there wasn't a ton of offensive production in an outing that produced just three points. But a relatively soft schedule could ensue brighter days. Early speculation is that Mattison could have suffered a dreaded high ankle sprain. If that's the case, Chandler will be a plug-and-play RB2 against the Bengals, Lions, and Packers to close out the fantasy season.
RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals
Through Week 12, rookie running back Chase Brown accumulated just eight offensive snaps. And two weeks ago, his role suddenly grew. Two weeks ago, he saw 11 snaps. Last week, 18. Two weeks ago, he saw nine touches. Last week, 11. Two weeks ago, he racked up 61 yards. Last week, 105. If those numbers don't scream "Trending Up," I'm not sure what does! While a lot of running backs this time of year require an injury to the player ahead of them, Brown is carving out a meaningful role alongside veteran Joe Mixon. And when you start to read the tea leaves, there's reason to believe it may continue. Despite being 7-6, the Bengals are down to their third-string quarterback, and playoff hopes look bleak. Joe Mixon is a free agent next year, and it may behoove the Bengals to see what they have in this rookie. Spending draft capital or salary cap on a running back this offseason could unnecessarily restrain the Bengals. These last few weeks of the season may be an audition to see if their fifth-round rookie is up for a more prominent role in 2024. Brown dominated his backfield in college and tested well at the NFL Combine. Although he slipped to the fifth round, he's impressed over the last couple of weeks. While he can't be trusted in a fantasy lineup yet, he's a must-add-and-stash on the Week 15 waiver wire.
WR Odell Beckham Jr, Baltimore Ravens
Over the last three weeks, Odell Beckham Jr has found himself in an unexpected fantasy-relevant role. He's averaging seven targets and 82.3 yards per game. He's scored in three of his last five games and seems to be heating up at just the right time for fantasy managers. Early in the year, Beckham was an afterthought in the Ravens' passing attack. And while Isaiah Likely has been the biggest beneficiary of Mark Andrews' season-ending injury, Beckham is also trending upward. Lamar Jackson is completing passes at a career-high rate and throwing for 225.7 yards per game, the most since his MVP season. The Todd Monken offense is starting to take form, and there's enough to go around for Beckham, Likely, and rookie Zay Flowers in the passing game. Don't expect much week-to-week consistency, but feel free to plug Beckham in as a high-ceiling option in a projected shootout against the Jaguars this week.
Three Down
QB Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings
We'll start with the obvious. Joshua Dobbs was fun to root for and a blessing for anyone scouring the waiver wire for a mid-season quarterback. He provided consistent QB1 production with the Vikings through his first few weeks, and hopes were high with the imminent return of Justin Jefferson. But a primetime dud against the Bears and subsequent slow outing against the Raiders found the fun-loving quarterback benched in favor of Nick Mullens. It's hard not to root for Dobbs, but it's unlikely he will start for the Vikings again this season.
RB Roschon Johnson, Chicago Bears
Few things are more infuriating for fantasy managers than a backfield decided by a hot-hand approach. That's exactly what the Chicago Bears are deploying this season. Roschon Johnson found himself in a workhorse role against a blitz-heavy Vikings defense in Week 13, dominating the snapshare and touches. Then, in Week 14, the workload fell in D'Onta Foreman's favor, while Johnson received just one touch. At this point in the season, the Bears' backfield has provided almost no trends, and trusting any running back in your lineup during the fantasy playoffs is a fool's errand. Johnson is the latest to be trending down after his mirage of a workload in Week 13, but don't be surprised if Foreman finds himself here next week and Khalil Herbert the week after. This backfield is radioactive. Avoid it at all costs.
The Houston Texans Offense
Injuries are an unfortunate part of this game we play, and they are currently decimating the Houston Texans. Anyone brave enough to stack the Texans' passing attack this year stumbled into a shockingly lucrative offense. But Tank Dell went down with a season-ending injury two weeks ago. Dalton Schultz picked up a hamstring injury that caused him to sit last week. A calf strain to Nico Collins will likely cause him to miss a few weeks. C.J. Stroud is in concussion protocol, making his likelihood of playing in Week 15 unlikely. While the season-long numbers might dupe you into contemplating Noah Brown or Brevin Jordan in your lineups, matchups against the Titans and Browns could make production hard to come by without a healthy arsenal of weapons. It's probably best to look elsewhere, at least until Stroud can return. And even though, with no Dell and Collins, he may struggle.