Stock Performers 2019 week 7

Welcome to the stock report Week 6 edition. Even though there are many great performances and several mediocre performances, the player's stock usually remains the same. Patrick Mahomes is always going to be in the top echelon while Mitchell Trubisky is going to trend toward the bottom. What will be discussed in this and future articles are those players that are rapidly moving up or down based on the athlete's weekly performance. In doing so, hopefully, this will bring more clarity to those on the radar for waiver wire choices, those that need to be bypassed, traded for, or denied.

STOCK UP

Kirk Cousins-QB-MIN

Kirk Cousins is coming back-to-back 20 plus point weeks for this first time this season. In the victory over the Eagles, Cousins completed 22-of-29 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. The first touchdown came on a six-yard pass to Adam Thielen, and then it became the Stefon Diggs show. Diggs caught the last three touchdowns. With two big throw to Diggs that went for 62- and 51-yards along with a toe-tap in the end zone. Cousins has improved since the start of the season and will try to continue to do so against the Lions.

David Johnson-RB-ARI

David Johnson gained 34 yards on 12 carries, but he finally scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. Johnson also continued to be a threat as a receiver as he caught six balls for 68 yards and a score. Johnson's receiving touchdown was beautiful as he had to come back and nearly through the defender to make the grab. Supposedly, Johnson had a back injury, but there didn't appear any signs of it. Kyler Murray continues to improve as a quarterback who should open up rush lanes for Johnson, but also take away his skills as a runner. Johnson will face the New York Giants next week.

Devonta Freeman-RB-ATL

Many had left Devonta Freeman at the bottom of the ocean, but the running back has seen his fantasy numbers climb over the last three weeks from 12-15-21. It got to a point where Ito Smith was a threat, but those rumors have cooled over the last few weeks. Last week against Arizona, Freeman ran for 88 yards on 19 carries and caught three balls for 30 yards and two scores. Over the past month, Freeman has put up nearly 96 scrimmage yards comparable to the 48 in the first two contests. He is also being used as a secondary receiver, catching 16 balls for 142 yards in the last three games. Freeman will have a valid test this week against a stout Rams defense.

Stefon Diggs-WR-MIN

Diggs owners are going to clamor for him to complain more. After just three catches for 44 yards in Week 5, Diggs exploded in Week 6 for his best game of the season. He routinely beat the Eagles defense for long passing touchdowns. He ran for yardage and caught three touchdowns. Diggs finished the day with seven catches on 11 targets for 167 yards, marking his second 100-yard game of the season and second in three games. The big question, can Cousins continue throwing 30 plus times a game? Diggs' big performance can also be a sell-high option for those with Diggs looking for value elsewhere.

Tyreek Hill-WR-KC

Wasn't Tyreek Hill supposed to be the decoy? Not so much. Patrick Mahomes targeted Hill ten times; he caught five for 80-yards and two touchdowns. Hill showed no signs of his injury, showcasing his skill-set on a fly route touchdown from 46-yards away, between two defenders and rising above their heads. Hill's second touchdown was a bad man-to-man matchup that he took advantage of for the score. Play Hill weekly as a match-up proof option. His next game is this Thursday versus the Broncos.

Terry McLaurin-WR-WAS

Terry McLaurin may be the best rookie wide receiver in the NFL right now, and he is showing he could be a great steal from the draft (third round). McLaurin has become the Redskins top-flight option and big-play receiver when needed. Against Miami, McLaurin was huge with four receptions for 100-yards and a touchdown. On the season, McLaurin has 23 catches on 38 targets for 408 yards and five touchdowns in as many contests. Case Keenum and McLaurin have great chemistry, and as long as the rookie can keep doing his thing, he makes a great start each week.

Austin Hooper-TE-ATL

Austin Hooper is no doubt the top-tight end in fantasy football right now. Hooper caught all eight of his targets for 117 yards and one score. Even though the Cardinals can't guard the tight end, but Hooper is beating-up everyone. Hooper is now averaging 7.0 receptions, 80.0 yards, and 0.5 touchdowns this season. He should continue to shred defenses next week facing the Rams at home.

STOCK DOWN

Jared Goff-QB-LAR

Jared Goff, for the second straight week, saw a dip in points, but this season has been a struggle for him overall. He has seven touchdowns with seven interceptions. His gaudy passing yards of 517 and 395 came on 117 passes in two games. All this, and he still threw just three scores and four picks. In the loss against the 49ers, Goff only completed 13-of-24 passes for 78 yards. Since Goff put up a goose-egg in the touchdown column against San Francisco, he has just one score in his last two games. Goff was targeting everything outside of his receivers. Hitting feet, and overthrew a wide-open Gerald Everett in the end zone late in the fourth quarter. The Rams will face the Falcons in a much needed get-back game.

Joe Mixon-RB-CIN

Joe Mixon has been overly disappointing this season. In most drafts, Mixon was drafted in the second round and with a high ceiling. That ceiling has become a low floor as Mixon has struggled every week to put up points. His only double-digit week came against the Bills in Week 3. Even though he only rushed for 60-yards, he caught a touchdown. His only score on the season thus far. Things were looking up, two weeks ago, as he rushed for 93-yards against the Cardinals. However, not all is the fault of Mixon. The offensive line is atrocious, and the absence of A.J. Green and John Ross haven't made things any easier. Mixon's schedule also is troublesome. Its time to trade if you can, but at this point, he is nothing more than a flex or bench option.

Josh Gordon-WR-NE

The dream of Tom Brady to Josh Gordon connection seems to be coming to an end. Gordon has one touchdown which occurred in Week 1 and has only two weeks of double-digit points. He has not scored more than 12 points all-season nor have over 100-yards receiving. Last week against the Giants may have to be the worst of it yet. Gordon finished with just seven yards on one catch. It will get more complicated as both (ankle), and Phillip Dorsett (hamstring) will be returning. Also, rumors have Julian Edelman, Jakobi Meyers, and Dorsett as the starting wide receivers.

Keenan Allen-WR-LAC

It's a strange thing happening to that Chargers offense, and Keenan Allen is getting the brunt of it. In the last three weeks, Allen has put up only 99-yards on 11 receptions with no touchdowns. Allen's three-week totals don't even match his Week 3 game of 13-183-2 against the Texans. He had more yards against the Colts in Week 1 as he caught 8-121-1 in the victory. Allen has scored 14 total points over the last three contests against Miami, Denver, and Pittsburgh. The shocking deduction in numbers could be the emergence of Mike Williams (23 targets over the last two games) and Hunter Henry (nine targets in Week 6), or maybe he is dealing with an unknown injury. It would be surprising to see Allen continue to slip into the darkness as Philip Rivers indeed will find a way to get him more opportunities.

JuJu Smith-Schuster-WR-PIT

It has been a painful third-season for the stand-out wide receiver. JuJu Smith-Schuster has been nearly awful for the last six weeks. There are only two games this season where Smith-Schuster has caught a touchdown. Against the 49ers, he took a ten-yard slant pass for a 76-yard score. The second was against Baltimore, and Rudolph found him on an out-pattern 15-yards downfield that Smith-Schuster took to the house for a 35-yard touchdown. Outside of those two plays, Smith-Schuster has 25 catches on 38 targets for 340 yards in six games. Last week against the Chargers may be the last straw for fantasy owners. Against Los Angeles, Smith-Schuster caught just one pass on four targets for seven yards.

Travis Kelce-TE-KC

Have we gotten spoiled over the last few seasons with Travis Kelce being such a stud tight end? Maybe, but in the last three weeks, we also have seen a significant drop in production. Against the Lions, Kelce caught seven passes for 85-yards and put up double-digit points. In weeks five and six, he has been on lock-down. Against the Colts and Texans, Kelce caught eight passes on 16 targets for 128 yards and zero touchdowns. That equals out to be 15 fantasy points in total. Unfortunately, Kelce has also been missing in action in touchdowns, as well. Not since Week 2 has he scored and has only one on the year. Keep rolling him out, as those passing lanes might become more open with Tyreek Hill back in the line-up.