This article is part of our NFL Barometer series.
RISING
Jordan Matthews, WR, PHI
It's too early to know for sure, but it's looking like the 2014 class of rookie receivers has a strong chance of being the best one any one of us ever sees. With Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Odell Beckham, Kelvin Benjamin, Martavis Bryant, Brandin Cooks, Allen Robinson and John Brown making most of the noise, it was easy to forget all about Matthews even though he is a high-quality prospect in his own right. That became especially apparent against Carolina on Monday, when Matthews torched the Panthers to the tune of 138 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches (nine targets). Matthews' work as a backup behind Jeremy Maclin and Riley Cooper helped him build a rapport with former backup quarterback Mark Sanchez, too, which bodes well for Matthews' chances of sustaining his production over the second half of the year. Cooper is well below average as a receiver and tight end Zach Ertz has yet to break out, so Matthews is a strong bet to serve as Philadelphia's second-most productive target the rest of the way, and probably by a safe margin.
Tre Mason, RB, STL
His upside is limited by his questionable blitz pickup skills, not to mention the lack of reliable passing production in the St. Louis offense, but Mason appears to be pulling away from Benny Cunningham and Zac Stacy in the St. Louis running back rotation. Despite his questions as a pass blocker, Mason has 58 carries in the last month, whereas Cunningham and Stacy combined for just 19. Facing three tough run defenses (Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona) in four of those games, Mason still managed to pile up 230 yards and a touchdown on those 58 carries, good for an average 4.0 yards per run. His combination of carry volume and standout talent should allow him to push for top-25 status at a scarce fantasy position.
C.J. Anderson, Juwan Thompson and Montee Ball, RB, DEN
Ronnie Hillman's foot injury is expected to leave him in week-to-week territory, which creates a big opportunity in the Denver backfield for all of Anderson, Thompson and Ball. Ball (groin) is expected to return to the lineup against St. Louis on Sunday, but his horrible production prior to the injury and the encouraging showings by Anderson and Thompson could actually leave the former incumbent third in line. While Thompson has shown well this year (120 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries), Anderson has to be the favorite to lead this trio after totaling 108 yards on 16 carries and seven catches for 106 yards and a touchdown in Denver's last two games. All three players are still probably worth adding as lottery tickets in case they establish themselves as the hot hand, and a probable blowout against St. Louis this week could allow the Broncos to give each player an extended audition in garbage time.
Mychal Rivera, TE, OAK
Rivera doesn't offer much playmaking ability and is a poor prospect in terms of size and athleticism, but he's getting targeted so heavily right now that it hasn't mattered at all – Rivera has 21 catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns on 28 targets in his last three games. Rookie Derek Carr is understandably checking down to Rivera on a regular basis rather than forcing the ball to the inconsistent wideout duo of James Jones and Andre Holmes, and Rivera is showing the ability to consistently reel in the ball. The fact that Rivera is averaging just 8.4 yards per catch means he'll need to maintain a high target rate to stay valuable in fantasy, but it's hard to see why Carr would suddenly change his targeting patterns given how reliable Rivera has been.
Martavis Bryant, WR, PIT
It might seem repetitive to put Bryant on the 'Riser' list yet again, but he just keeps ascending. Garbage time or not, his 80-yard touchdown against the Jets on Sunday gives him 310 yards and six touchdowns on just 24 targets. While 12.9 yards per target and a touchdown every four targets aren't sustainable per-target stats, they're also such spectacularly strong numbers that it seems like Bryant just has to continue producing like a WR2 at the least going forward. What's remarkable is that despite his otherworldly production, opposing defenses have almost no choice but to leave Bryant in single coverage so long as Antonio Brown is on the field.
FALLING
Michael Floyd, WR, ARZ
Floyd is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound former first-round pick with 4.4 speed and a history of high-level production in college, and he looked like an emerging star when he caught 66 passes for 1,054 yards and five touchdowns as a second-year player in 2013. All the data suggested he would break out in his third NFL season. He's been a colossal bust in 2014, however, and the fact that it's so inexplicable makes it difficult to find a reason why he would turn it around any time soon. After catching just an 11-yard pass on four targets against St. Louis on Sunday, Floyd now has just 24 catches for 400 yards and two touchdowns on just 52 targets in nine games. Rookie third-round pick John Brown has been the more productive and more targeted player, totaling 29 catches for 399 yards and five touchdowns on 56 targets. It's possible that the situation has more to do with Brown's merits than any shortcoming on Floyd's part, but such considerations do nothing for those who used significant costs to invest in Floyd this year.
Cam Newton, QB, CAR
Struggling, beat up, and failing to cope with the neglectful management of his front office, Newton continues to sink. Even after throwing two garbage-time touchdowns against a mediocre Eagles defense Monday, Newton has completed just 52.9 percent of his passes in the last month for 833 yards (6.9 YPA), three touchdowns and six interceptions. He's also been sacked 19 times in those four games while losing three fumbles. Kelvin Benjamin looks like a worthwhile if inconsistent building block at receiver and Greg Olsen is a borderline elite tight end, but everything else about this offense is atrocious. The duo of Jonathan Stewat and DeAngelo Williams form a futile running game despite their high price tag, the receivers aside from Olsen and Benjamin are barely worth rostering, and the offensive line seems only vaguely interested in engaging defenders. Those things don't necessarily rationalize Newton's shaky accuracy as a passer, but perhaps cracked ribs and two injured feet can bridge that gap.
Ben Tate, RB, CLE
This was supposed to be the year where Tate would break out, finally allowed to run free after spending the previous three years cloaked in the shadow of Arian Foster. With just 342 yards (3.3 YPC) and four touchdowns in seven games, it's looking like it's time to let go of that dream. Despite totaling 51 carries in the last month, Tate has just 99 yards and two touchdowns to show for it, whereas the rookie duo of Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell have combined for 221 yards and three touchdowns (one receiving) over the same span. The Browns are expected to rotate the trio based on the 'hot hand,' which makes it very difficult to anticipate when Tate might have a workload big enough to make a useful fantasy impact.
