The Fantasy Football Volume Report Week 14 2018

Running Back

Austin Ekeler/Justin Jackson, LA Chargers, Stock Down/Stock Up

With Melvin Gordon out due to an MCL injury, Ekeler was tasked with handling the bulk the running back touches. Through the first half, he saw every running back touch but was unable to do anything with them. In two games without Gordon, Ekeler has averaged 2.5 yards per carry on 25 totes.

Then, in the middle of the third quarter, Jackson was given his first carry, a nine-yard rush. He would go to get seven more carries and a target. In the second half, Jackson out-carried Ekeler eight to five. As long as Gordon is out, expect the Chargers to shift Ekeler back to a receiving role, while Jackson pushes for a larger share of the teams carries.

Jeffery Wilson, San Francisco 49ers, Stock Up

Jeffery Wilson is a completely real and not made up player. He’s also the starting back for the 49ers with Matt Breida ruled out for Week 14 already. The North Texas prospect carried the ball 15 times and added eight receptions. He totaled 134 and a score. At $3,800 on DraftKings, Wilson may be the cheapest starting back this week.

Wide Receiver

Curtis Samuel, Carolina Panthers, Stock Up

This season, Samuel has been used sparingly, but he’s been electric when given the opportunity. Samuel has scored on 11.1% of his targets and added two more on the ground. Last week Samuel was in for 83% of the Panthers snaps even with Devin Funchess returning to the lineup. He turned 11 targets into six catches for 88 yards while adding another eight on the ground.

Samuel isn’t an every week starter just yet but should the Panthers continue to use him more he will have the opportunity to become one. For receiver-needy teams, Samuel is a must-add this week.
 

Willie Snead (and any other Ravens receiver), Baltimore Ravens, Stock Down

In Lamar Jackson’s first start, Snead was targeted eight times and led the Ravens in receiving yards. It appeared as though he would be a favorite target of the rookie passer. However, he’s been targeted three times since that game and caught just one ball.

With Jackson as the starter, the Ravens have averaged 151 passing yards per game and peaked at 178. Even if Snead finds a prominent role in the new offense, his ceiling is heavily capped by the team’s reluctance to pass. He and all other Ravens receivers can be dropped.

Tight End

C.J. Uzomah, Cincinnati Bengals, Stock Up

This season, the Bengals are top-10 in pass attempts at 36.7 per game. With Jeff Driskel under center, they attempted 39 passes. It’s hard to form a rushing attack when the opponent gets a 21-3 lead.

The Bengals defense is among the worst in the league meaning that they’ll likely continue with a pass-heavy attack out of necessity. This bodes well for Uzomah, who has been targeted 19 times in their two previous outings. With A.J. Green done for the year, targets will continue to be funneled to the other receiving options in Cincinnati. This makes Uzomah a quality streaming option at a position with few viable players.