NFL Barometer: Trade Winds

It's definitely getting close to the time in which fantasy owners need to start preparing rosters for the playoffs, especially since many NFL teams have already had their bye weeks. One of the best ways to approach this is to trade off excess depth to make improvements to starting lineups. Players on this list are players who could find themselves on either side of a winning transaction.

RISING

Melvin Gordon, RB, SD

For most of the season, Gordon was an amazing fantasy performer who took advantage of a great situation to post numbers that were far greater than his on-field efficiency indicated. However, despite scoring "only" one touchdown over his last two games, he's been an absolute beast on the field. During those games, he had his first weekly efforts above 4.3 yards per carry, as he rushed 55 times for 307 yards. In addition, he caught all 11 of his targets for an additional 109 yards. The touchdown regression still may be an issue, but now that he's churning out big yardage, he could easily be the best fantasy running back west of Ezekiel Elliott this year.

Darren Sproles, RB, PHI

The 33-year-old played 80 percent of the Eagles' snaps at running back in Week 9, and although Doug Pederson finally admitted that Sproles is their lead running back, it was merely the coach stating the obvious. He's now had at least 16 touches in two straight games, and although he's failed to reach the end zone, he's piled up 174 yards over those matchups. So, yes, his stock is rising, and that's exactly why there isn't much better of a sell-high candidate than him. At 190 pounds, the more he's used, the more likely it is that his per-touch productivity will start to decrease. Also, the increased workload will almost ensure that he'll start to get banged up, making it fairly likely that he'll end up missing time down the stretch. Some owner in your league is desperate for a running back, and if you have Sproles, it's recommended to start shopping him now.

Of course, the minute this gets posted, Tony Romo will somehow be named as the Cowboys' starting quarterback going forward, but for now, it's impossible to ignore the fantasy factor that Prescott has become. He's now accounted for three touchdowns in each of his last three games while throwing for at least 247 yards in each matchup. Opposing defenses have no choice other than to load up to stop running back Ezekiel Elliott, or risk seeing the time-of-possession battle be hopelessly lost. As a result, Prescott should have light coverage on receivers, which will allow him to consistently make easy connections against the stacked boxes. He's also run for four touchdowns this season, and there's little reason to expect that trend to dry up. Overall, he's clearly a weekly fantasy starter, but for those fantasy owners who now have two solid starting quarterbacks, it's time to start shopping one of them to bolster roster depth at other positions.

Steve Smith, WR, BAL

After missing three weeks with an ankle injury, Smith came back to lead the Ravens with seven targets against the Steelers. He certainly used his first game back to knock off some rust in Week 9 as he posted just 47 receiving yards, but he'll likely be ready to go full-throttle for the stretch run. In the last two games he played before suffering his most recent injury, he had 11 targets in each contest, totaling 16 catches for 198 yards and a touchdown. With Mike Wallace requiring defenses to shade a safety his way, Smith should continue to pile up receptions in the middle of the field, making him a fantastic WR3, especially in PPR leagues. He's an excellent player to acquire, as he could come at a fair price because his current fantasy owner may not be expecting much from him due to the uneven season he's had.

CHECK STATUS

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, MIN

It's possible that Patterson allowed himself to remain under the radar when he dropped an easy touchdown reception against the Lions, and this may be one of the last weeks to wait on him before he's snagged off the waiver wire. He's now had at least six targets in four of his last five matchups and has posted at least 45 yards in two of his last three contests. In addition, he scored a pair of touchdowns in the last four weeks. With Norv Turner no longer the team's offensive coordinator, Patterson could be exactly the type of big-play threat that the Vikings' coaching staff could choose to unleash down the stretch. Fantasy owners with a spot on their bench for a player with potential upside should consider putting in a claim on him before it's too late.

Sammie Coates, WR, PIT

Coates was shut out on five targets against the Ravens - including another dropped touchdown reception. In each of his first five games of the season, he posted at least 50 receiving yards, but he's now had exactly four yards over his last three matchups. The good news is that is injured finger should be getting closer to full health, which should put him in position to resume his role as the big-play threat the Steelers need in their offense. It was also clear that Ben Roethlisberger was not 100 percent last week, but as he regains health, he'll certainly be ready to dial up plenty of deep passes to loosen up the defense, which will put Coates back on the map as a high-upside WR3. His recent stretch of doing absolutely nothing should ensure that the cost of acquiring him is extremely low.

Marcus Mariota, QB, TEN

Yes, he often stares down receivers and also has issues securing the football at times, so the fact he's thrown eight interceptions and lost four fumbles this year is hardly a surprise. However, it's impossible to ignore the fact that he's accounted for 15 touchdowns over his past five matchups. In addition, he's already rushed for 235 yards this season and thrown for at least 270 yards in three of his last four matchups. He's benefited from the Titans' ability to run the football because it's forced defenses to make stopping it their primary focus, and in turn, Mariota has been able to take more shots down the field, which has allowed him to improve his overall numbers. Despite his recent success, it should be noted that he's had his hot streak against the Browns, Colts and Jaguars at home, and against the Chargers on the road. With a bye in Week 13, followed by matchups against the Broncos and Chiefs in the fantasy playoffs, he could be an ideal player to trade away.

Todd Gurley, RB, LA

It's amazing to know that this first-round fantasy pick is averaging just 80 combined yards per game while surpassing 100 total yards just once in eight games. In addition, he's averaging just 3.1 yards per carry, making him a massive disappointment. Haven't heard enough? He's only found the end zone in just two games this year. So why would Gurley be listed as a "check status" instead of a "falling" player? The main reason is that he's been targeted five times per game over his last five matchups, so his value in PPR leagues has been improving a bit, and the more he gets out in space, his potential for big plays and touchdowns could increase. Those who have a plethora of talent on their fantasy roster at wide receiver to deal away may consider using it to see what it would take to pry Gurley away from his current owner. Ideally, you would benefit from that trade should Gurley com up big in the fantasy playoffs in home games against the Falcons in Week 14 and the 49ers in Week 16,

FALLING

Jeremy Maclin, WR, KC

After being active in Week 9 with a groin injury, Maclin promptly aggravated the injury causing him to be shut out on just one target. It's difficult to think that he'll be close to full health anytime soon, but even so, his production hasn't been acceptable for most of the season. Since Week 2, he's only reached 50 receiving yards a single time while scoring just once during that span. In addition, he's seen eight or fewer targets in all but two games, and too many of his targets are coming on short passes, giving him little chance to pile up enough yardage to be an effective fantasy producer. He likely belongs on the bench in most fantasy leagues, though he could be used as a chip in a multi-player deal for those trying to acquire some new talent for their rosters.

Marvin Jones, WR, DET

Jones has had one of the most improbable in-season slides in recent memory. On the heels of looking like a fantasy MVP after compiling 482 yards and two touchdowns over the first four weeks of the season, he scored an additional two times while seeing his yardage fall off in Weeks 5 and 6. Despite the overall success he's had this year, he's now been held to fewer than 40 yards in four of his last five games, and it's looking as if he's settling in as a WR3 for fantasy purposes. Obviously, his downturn has coincided with the emergence of Golden Tate, and Jones is likely to keep losing potential red-zone looks to Eric Ebron and Anquan Boldin, which makes it difficult to think that any consistent string of excellence is on the horizon. It's possible that his hot start still has him with higher trade value than he deserves, so he's a player that at least should be shopped around.

Jarvis Landry, WR, MIA

The emergence of Jay Ajayi has had a more direct impact on Landry than just about any other Dolphin because the receiver was frequently used on pass patterns that made him an extension of the rushing attack. However, now that Miami has a potentially dynamic rushing attack, it's difficult to think that he'll go back to seeing the double-digit target totals that he's seen for most of his young career. In the last four games alone, he's seen an average of 6.5 targets, down from the 11 targets he saw over the first four games of 2016. It's possible that many fantasy owners see this just as a slump, but since the Miami rushing attack isn't likely going away, this is likely one of the last times to sell Landry for decent value.

Jerick McKinnon, RB, MIN

Averaging 3.0 yards per carry is no way to hang onto any type of prominent role in an NFL backfield, and that was evidenced by the Vikings giving pretty much equal work to McKinnon, Matt Asiata and Ronnie Hillman against the Lions. While McKinnon picked up just eight yards on seven carries, Hillman looked better with his ability to get the ball to the edge of the leaky Vikings offensive line to produce a pair of big plays. It's difficult to see McKinnon having any type of major role going forward, so it'll be very difficult to start him for the foreseeable future.