NFL Barometer: Cowboy Up

In this week's edition, a few players returning to the lineup after missing time with injuries are on the rise. Meanwhile, a number of established players find themselves trending downward, which could force fantasy owners to make some difficult decisions as the NFL season reaches the midway point.

RISING

Jamison Crowder, WR, WAS

As the Washington coaching staff spends the bye week assessing its season, it likely will be a priority to continue getting the ball in Crowder's hands. Not only does he have exceptional ability to gain separation from defenders early in his pass routes, but he's also a dynamic runner after the catch. He's had 22 targets the last two weeks, easily the most he's had in a two-week stretch this season, and he rewarded the team with a pair of games with at least 107 receiving yards while scoring a touchdown. He has four receiving touchdowns with another score on a punt return, and he's becoming a player who fantasy owners should start considering as a potential WR3 option, especially since he's only had two unproductive games over his last seven.

Tyler Eifert, TE, CIN

Few tight ends have the opportunity to post 100 yards and a touchdown in a game, and the fact that Eifert was able to accomplish the feat in his first game since receiving significant playing time is impressive. However, the numbers tell only part of the story. Despite fighting back from ankle and knee injuries, he looks like the same explosive playmaker who posted 615 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in just 13 games last year. He showed the continued ability to make contested catches in heavy traffic, as well as making leaping catches on passes that are outside of his natural catch radius. However, his style of play likely will make fantasy owners nervous every week, as he seems to play with little regard for his body, and the elements that make him great, also make him a player with significant injury risk. The good news is that he only needs to stay healthy for half a season to help fantasy owners.

Eric Ebron, TE, DET

After missing multiple games due to injury, Ebron saw a season-high 10 targets Sunday, leading to seven receptions for 79 yards against the Texans. However, his performance shouldn't have been much of a surprise, as this was likely the first time he's been healthy since suffering a significant ankle injury in the preseason. After posting 42 to 69 yards in each of the team's first four games, it was clear that the Lions planned on making him a significant part of their passing attack. Unfortunately, he was shut down for three weeks after suffering another ankle injury. In his third NFL season, he's clearly coming into his own as an explosive player who can create mismatches down the seam of the defense, which gives him legitimate big-play ability. Although he's only scored once this year, he's now a solid mid-range TE1 and is worth acquiring from a fantasy owner who has two good options at tight end.

Dez Bryant, WR, DAL

Watching the Eagles defense face the Cowboys on Sunday, it's apparent that defenses will have no choice but to stack the box to stop the Dallas rushing attack, or be mercilessly mauled by Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys' offensive line. Defensive coordinators are far more likely to make Dak Prescott beat them with his arm. The main beneficiary is Bryant, who will see plenty of single coverage on a significant number of snaps, allowing him to consistently make big plays. Aside from the game he played with a knee injury, he's posted more than 100 yards in each of his last two healthy games. Many in the fantasy community are down on Bryant due to his recent injuries and his lack of elite performances, so making an offer to acquire him now could be a league-winning move.

CHECK STATUS

Quincy Enunwa, WR, NYG

Not only is Enunwa starting to emerge as a solid fantasy option, but he's a fun player to watch each week. It appears as if the Jets are finally starting to figure out that they have a legitimate playmaker on their hands. First of all, he's a strong and physical player who's capable of overpowering defenders. In addition, he has excellent speed, giving him the ability to score from anywhere on the field. Despite catching just six passes the last two weeks, he's turned those opportunities into 166 yards and two touchdowns. However, it's difficult to automatically list him as a player on the rise due to the inconsistency of his targets along with the number of passes he drops. Since he's posted at least 51 receiving yards in six of the eight games he's played, he should be considered as a WR3 with upside.

Matt Forte, RB. NYJ

It's been amazing to see Forte score seven touchdowns in eight games, but he sure looks like a player to consider selling high. He's had three massive games with at least 98 combined yards and multiple touchdowns, but he recently finished a stretch of four games in which he failed to exceed 65 combined yards. There are two main issues that make it seem unlikely that he'll continue to maintain his value. First, he's rushed for 3.3 yards per carry or less in four of his last five matchups. In addition, he's had at least 27 touches in four games, and it's unlikely the 30-year-old will hold up to that type of workload. His trade value is likely as high as it will be at any point, so owners who have depth at running back might consider shopping him around.

Christine Michael, RB, SEA

Michael has found the end zone four times over his last four games, giving many fantasy owners reason to conclude he'll be the clear lead running back on the Seahawks the rest of the way. But the fact that he hasn't exceeded 64 rushing yards in any of his last four games -- including against the Saints and Falcons -- raises the question as to how safe his job really is. C.J. Prosise had 13 touches in his first full game back from injury Sunday, stealing some work from Michael. And Thomas Rawls is a couple weeks from returning, which will cut into Micheal's touches. Should Michael play well in the next week or so, things could look up, but if he struggles, he could lose opportunities.

Julian Edelman, WR, NE

Since Tom Brady returned to the lineup, Edelman has averaged nine targets per game, but he's caught just 63 percent of his targets, resulting in him being a pretty underwhelming fantasy option. Over the last four games, he's scored once, while failing to reach 40 yards three times, and he hasn't exceeded 60 yards in any matchup. He's barely preforming at the WR3 level, and it's getting difficult to endorse him in lineup decisions when matched against any number of typically lesser players. At this point, those who expect a rebound should make an offer to acquire him as his value is likely depressed, making him a good player to target if he can be acquired without giving up any meaningful parts.

FALLING

Mark Ingram, RB, NO

After Ingram fumbled for the second time in two weeks, apparently coach Sean Payton had enough and benched Ingram for almost the entire game against the Seahawks. To make matters worse, Tim Hightower came in and rushed for 102 yards, and it seems likely that this backfield will become more of a committee. The Saints already had been ignoring Ingram most of the time when they had the ball close to the goal line, and the fumbling issues won't likely increase his opportunities to score short touchdowns. Aside from the fumbling problems, he ran for just 3.28 yards per carry over his last four games, so he hasn't been as productive as the coaching staff would like. However, after averaging 21 touches over the four matchups before his benching, he potentially could still have enough trade value to bring back enough of a return to justify dealing him away.

Russell Wilson, QB, SEA

Wilson looked great after taking advantage of a terrible Jets secondary in Week 4 when he lit up New York for 309 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, he's failed to throw for another score in the three games since, including matchups against the Falcons and Saints. Since the Seahawks' bye is in the rear-view mirror, it'll be difficult for him to get fully healthy from the ankle, knee and chest injuries he's been playing with most of the year. Obviously, his ability to pile up rushing yardage has been severely curtailed, as he's run for just 11 yards in his last four games. Also, his limited mobility has kept him from being able to scramble, costing him the ability to extend plays and make many of the downfield connections that he's thrived on throughout his career. It's difficult to endorse him as a starting option unless he's somehow able to figure out a way to be productive despite his maladies.

Lamar Miller, RB, HOU

Maybe the Dolphins knew something when they limited Miller's workload the last few years. Sometimes there's wisdom in allowing a player to remain healthy and productive while not being greedy by assuming that more carries always equals more production. Between the 2014 and 2015 seasons, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry and eight rushing scores despite seeing limited work. It's definitely possible that he's in line to start wearing down after averaging 215 carries the last two years, as he already has 153 carries this year. Through half a season with the Texans, he's averaging 4.2 yards per carry with just two rushing scores. He certainly hasn't looked like the same explosive player he was with the Dolphins, and now he's trying to play through a shoulder injury. Since he recently had a huge game against the Colts, his trade value may be high enough to get a solid return.

Ryan Mathews, RB, PHI

Mathews has done just enough to have scored a decent number of fantasy points lately, potentially making him look like a better performer than he's actually been. This may be one of the last times to sell on him, as it sure looked like the Eagles were phasing him out of the offense when they faced the Cowboys. He's now had fewer than 10 touches in two of his last three games, and although he scored a touchdown against Dallas, he had just 11 yards on five touches. It might be smart to trade him off to a team that's struggling at running back, and owners might be able to acquire a flex player with upside for more down the stretch. Otherwise, Mathews could be a player that fantasy owners may be forced to cut if his role keeps diminishing.