I took a look at players trending up or down last month, but a little event known as the NFL Draft took place between then and now, so there are some new guys to mention. A lot of these will be based at least in part on the results of the draft, but one Green Bay quarterback in particular will be talked about because of some recent comments. Without further adieu, let’s get into it. Here are 10 players trending up or down.
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Trending Up
Daniel Jones (QB – NYG)
Currently sitting with an ADP of 234, Danny Dimes’ value can only go up from here, and it’s trending in that direction. Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Evan Engram, and a healthy Saquon Barkley? My goodness, this unit is going to put up some points in 2021, and Jones will be at the helm. If the Giants can get some good offensive line play, all the better, but early reactions to the Toney draft pick are strongly in favor of Jones stepping up this season. Much like environmental activist Jesse Grass, Jones’ Birken…stock is on the rise.
Myles Gaskin (RB – MIA)
Gaskin broke out in 2020, but his season was unfortunately marred by injury. He’s got a chance to build on that production in 2021, however, and Miami apparently has full confidence in him. The team waited until Round 7 to select its only RB of the NFL Draft in Gerrid Doaks, meaning Gaskin should be the RB1 in South Beach. He’ll face competition from Malcolm Brown and Salvon Ahmed, but the odds are heavily in favor of MG seeing a heavy workload. In just 10 games last season, he piled up 972 scrimmage yards, 41 receptions, and five scores.
Joe Burrow (QB – CIN)
It’s no wonder Burrow’s outlook is surging. He gets his old teammate Ja’Marr Chase to play alongside Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, and Joe Mixon will reportedly head into the season at full health. That’s a loaded arsenal of pass-catchers, and Joey B is understandably on the rise as he looks to build on a promising rookie campaign that was cut short.
Allen Robinson (WR – CHI)
Faced with the proposition of playing with yet another uninspired quarterback, A-Rob’s outlook wasn’t all roses and champagne before the NFL Draft. In a shockingly competent move, Ryan Pace traded up to grab Justin Fields. How soon he starts is unclear, but it would be completely surprising if he didn’t overtake Andy Dalton at some point as a rookie. Managers interested in Robinson have rejoiced. The talented receiver has posted three 1,000-yard seasons with the likes of Mitchell Trubisky, Nick Foles (not Super Bowl BDN), and Blake Bortles under center, so the sky’s the limit if Fields can live up to the hype.
Trending Down
James Robinson (RB – JAX)
Is there any player whose stock is tumbling faster than James Robinson? After the Jags signed Carlos Hyde and Travis Etienne, J-Rob’s outlook is as bad as the Itchy & Scratchy ratings that caused the show to bring in Poochie way back in Season 8. Robinson had a stellar rookie campaign (1,414 scrimmage yards, 10 total touchdowns, 49 receptions), but new head coach Urban Meyer’s track record suggests he’ll make use of all of his running backs, sending the second-year man into a tailspin of epic proportions. Robinson isn’t going to fade into the ether, but he’s now got real competition for carries in Hyde and significant competition for receptions in Etienne.
Aaron Rodgers (QB – GB)
For the second year in a row, Rodgers is really fired up. We’ve seen the signal-caller take public shots at his organization before, but he seems nearly as mad as when Mr. Burns repeatedly couldn’t remember Homer’s name back in Season 6. Shortly before the draft, Adam Schefter reported that Rodgers told teammates he wasn’t interested in returning to the team in 2021. After an MVP season on the heels of the Jordan Love pick, Rodgers feels that the organization owes him, and it’s hard to dispute that. For yet another season, the Packers receiving corps didn’t make any notable upgrades, and the relationship between the franchise and its future Hall-of-Famer are frosty at best. The uncertainty surrounding Rodgers’ situation this season has him trending in the wrong direction.
Raheem Mostert (RB – SF)
Mostert had all the makings of a fantasy darling last season, but his stock is on the decline. Jeff Wilson finished the 2020 season in electric fashion, and the Niners traded up in the draft to select Trey Sermon. This backfield has been rotating starters for years due to an almost freakish number of injuries. Mostert’s falling fantasy value isn’t just because of the Sermon signing, but a more crowded backfield certainly doesn’t help matters. This RB room is more crowded than Flanders’ bunker with a comet on the way to hit Springfield.
James Conner (RB – ARI)
No surprise here. Conner packed his bags and headed west to join a Cardinals team where he’ll split touches with Chase Edmonds. Conner is no longer a bellcow and he’s struggled to stay healthy in recent years, providing the ingredients to a recipe for disaster. The former Steelers back has missed nine games over the last two seasons, and he’s failed to reach 1,000 scrimmage yards or double-digit touchdowns since his 2018 breakout. Conner’s value was sure to fall after this signing, but he’s plummeting faster than Homer after he failed to jump Springfield Gorge on Bart’s skateboard.
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)/Tyler Boyd (WR – CIN)
Ja’Marr Chase. That’s all that needs to be said. The Bengals selected the premier LSU receiver with the fifth pick in this year’s draft, and he should be expected to contribute at a high level right away. Higgins erupted as a rookie, going 67/908/6 despite finishing with zero yards and zero receptions in two contests. Boyd has been a consistent producer and averaged 81/971/5 across his last three seasons. Both players will now have to share targets with Chase. All three receivers can be fantasy relevant in 2021, but the outlook for Higgins and Boyd is clearly trending down.
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Zachary Hanshew is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Zachary, check out his archive and follow him @zakthemonster.
