NFL Barometer: Wentz Going Wild

Quarterbacks are in the spotlight on both ends of the spectrum heading this week, while the Keeping An Eye section features a few bigger names than usual due to some Week 7 performances that bear monitoring. As we near the season's midway point, let's break down who to be bullish and bearish on heading into Week 8.

RISING

Quarterback

Derek Carr, Raiders- Carr didn't quite look himself after returning much sooner than expected in Week 6 from a transverse process fracture in his back, throwing a pair of interceptions against the Chargers. However, he dispelled any doubts about his health with a 417-yard explosion against the Chiefs just four days later, capping off the effort with a game-winning touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree. It was by far Carr's best outing of the season, and although his production has fluctuated considerably thus far, this type of performance, coupled with his impressive track record, make him worth of a Rising designation. Furthermore, Amari Cooper's eye-popping final stat line (11 receptions, 210 yards, two TD) is another very positive sign with respect to Carr's potential going forward.

Matt Moore, Dolphins- Jay Cutler sustained multiple cracked ribs in Sunday's win over the Jets, meaning Moore is likely to see at least a start or two in his stead. Moore promptly completed 13 of 21 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns in relief Sunday, spearheading the comeback win. The 33-year-old sports an average arm, but he brings plenty of experience and improvisational ability that has served him well in short-term starting assignments in the past. He'll jump right into the fire against the Ravens on Thursday, and given that Cutler had thrown for under 200 yards in three straight games coming into Week 7, it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Moore could wrest the starting job away if he has the chance to string together a couple of productive performances.

Carson Wentz, Eagles- Wentz showed significant improvement over his rookie campaign from the jump with a pair of 300-yard efforts in Weeks 1 and 2. However, even though the yardage hasn't been quite as prolific, the second-year signal caller has been even better over the last trio of contests. Factoring in Monday night's four-touchdown effort, Wentz has a 15:2 TD:INT over that span, along with YPA metrics of 10.13 and 10.72 in two of those games. Taking his rushing upside into account (season-high 63 yards Monday), he's one of the brightest fantasy prospects at the position in any format at present.

Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys- Elliott is usually trending upward anyway given his immense talent, but he really hadn't achieved an elite level of performance until the last two weeks. The second-year back has rushed for 263 yards on 55 carries and two touchdowns over that span while also posting two catches for 88 yards and another score. His workload out of the backfield has reached new heights in those contests, and with regard to his legal situation, he appears to have guaranteed himself at least one more game before the latest hearing in his suspension appeal is heard. While an unfavorable outcome would naturally change his long-term prospects, Elliott is heading in the right direction for the time being.

Le'Veon Bell, Steelers- Similar to Elliott, Bell's production has gone up several notches in recent weeks after a rather lackluster start to the season. He was atypically underutilized in two of the first three games, sandwiching 10 and 15-carry efforts around a 27-tote afternoon in Week 2. However, outside of a 30-9 blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 5 during which he saw only nine carries (while notching 10 receptions), Bell has seen between 32 and 35 rushing touches in his three other October contests, racking up between 134 and 179 yards on the ground in the process.

Wide Receiver

Demarcus Robinson, Chiefs- Robinson has seen 13 targets over the two games since Chris Conley went down for the season with an Achilles injury, logging 49 and 61 snaps, respectively, in that pair of contests. Although he didn't do much with the extra opportunity in Week 6, he stepped up in Week 7 against the Raiders with five receptions for 69 yards. The Chiefs have thrown the ball a robust 60.5 percent of the time in the last three contests, and Alex Smith is enjoying his most prolific season while averaging a career-high 8.68 yards per attempt, numbers that all bode well for Robinson's potential if he can continue to see a solid amount of playing time.

Jarvis Landry, Dolphins- Landry has double-digit targets in all but one game this season and has notched 35 of them in the last three games alone. Naturally, DeVante Parker's absence due to an ankle injury has played a significant part in him garnering extra attention, but Landry also saw 26 targets over the first two games with Parker in the lineup. Furthermore, Landry could actually see his stock go up with Moore under center in place of Cutler (ribs), considering he posted five receptions for 80 yards with Moore as his quarterback in the second half of Sunday's win against the Jets.

Taywan Taylor, Titans- Although the Titans' passing game is seemingly impossible to get a handle on, Taylor is moving in the right direction over the last pair of games, albeit in modest fashion. The third-round pick has seen at least 30 snaps in three straight games and has posted five receptions (on eight targets) for 106 yards and a touchdown in the last pair of contests. While fellow rookie Corey Davis (hamstring) is expected to return after a multi-week absence following the Week 8 bye, Taylor brings considerable upside in his own right and could be carving out a role for himself irrespective of Davis' status. Since he's likely to be available in many redraft leagues in particular, fantasy owners that have a roster spot to work with should keep him in consideration.

Marquise Goodwin, 49ers- Goodwin may always have a bit of hit-or-miss to him, but his track speed and recent efforts provide some reason for optimism. The 26-year-old has 11 receptions (on 24 targets) for 222 yards in the last three games, a stretch that includes a five-reception, 116-yard effort versus the Colts in Week 5. While Pierre Garcon is likely to remain the workhorse of the Niners' receiving corps, Goodwin is clearly the speed complement to Garcon's possession role and is capable of eclipsing the century mark in receiving yards in any given contest.

Tight End

A.J. Derby, Broncos- Derby is a graduate of our Keeping An Eye On section from a couple of weeks back, with Sunday's effort against the Chargers solidifying his move. The 26-year-old caught six of seven targets for 66 yards, and he also turned in a 4/75/1 line back in Week 4 against the Raiders. Emmanuel Sanders' Week 7 absence due to an ankle injury likely had a part to play in Derby's boost in volume, but the receiver/tight end hybrid is clearly gaining some traction in the Broncos offense as a sneaky downfield threat.

Jordan Reed, Redskins- Reed may finally be ready to get his season started in earnest after establishing a slew of season highs in Monday night's loss to the Eagles. Not only did the five-year veteran set high-water marks for receptions, receiving yards and targets, he also got into the end zone twice, his first pair of touchdowns in 2017. Naturally, the caveat that's permanently attached to Reed involves his health, as the oft-injured tight end will need to steer clear of the injury bug to pay off for fantasy owners.

KEEPING AN EYE ON

Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks- His 334-yard effort in Week 7 is a step in the right direction, but faulty O-line could continue leading to inconsistency.
Amari Cooper, WR, Raiders- Stellar Week 7 performance could be the jump-start his season needed.
LeSean McCoy, RB, Bills- Finally got into end zone in Week 7 but still averaging career-low 3.4 yards per carry.
Latavius Murray, RB, Vikings- Hard to tell if Week 7 effort is a mirage, especially since it came against one of league's worst run defenses.
Deonte Thompson, WR, Bills- Seamless insertion into Bills' passing attack in Week 7 and Buffalo's lack of viable options at receiver renders him worthy of monitoring.
Nick O'Leary, TE, Bills- Flashed some downfield chops in Charles Clay's stead Sunday and could be in for another start in Week 8.
Malcolm Brown, RB, Rams- Season-high 11 carries for 48 yards in Week 7 might encourage head coach Sean McVay to give Todd Gurley more breathers as season wears on.
Kenny Stills, WR, Dolphins- Has 10/134/3 line over last two weeks, but could see targets drop upon return of DeVante Parker (ankle).
Tanner Gentry, WR, Bears- Has starting spot, but he's presently handicapped by Mitchell Trubisky's limitations.
O.J. Howard, TE, Buccaneers- Week 7 outburst was encouraging, but remains hard to trust until he can string multiple productive performances together.
Jared Cook, TE, Raiders- Similar to Howard, needs to avoid reverting to pedestrian production following Week 7 breakout.
Browns quarterbacks- Who lines up undercenter in Week 8 is anyone's guess.

FALLING

Quarterback

Mitchell Trubisky, QB, Bears- Trubisky's leash can hardly be any shorter, as he was limited to just seven pass attempts Sunday after logging 16 in Week 6. That meager volume has led to just 220 yards passing combined during that span, and head coach John Fox doesn't seem inclined to alter that plan for the time being. The Bears have passed just 35.1 percent of the time since Trubisky took over three games ago, rendering him a fantasy non-factor for the moment.

Matt Ryan, QB, Falcons- Ryan hasn't thrown for 300 yards since the opener and has thrown more than one touchdown on just one occasion. His numbers are down across the board compared to last season, with a YPA that's dropped from 9.26 to 7.83, one of the more eye-opening downturns in the league. Moreover, after tossing a career-high 38 touchdown passes last season, Ryan is on pace for exactly half of that through the first seven contests of the season while acclimating to new offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.

Running Back

Elijah McGuire, Jets- With Matt Forte and Bilal Powell both at full health, McGuire saw his snaps plummet all the way to seven in Week 7. That could well be the trend moving forward, and with just 42 yards on 21 carries in the two games prior to Sunday, McGuire's fortunes were already trending downward.

Mike Gillislee, Patriots- Gillislee has seen just 13 snaps in each of the past two weeks, while backfield mate Dion Lewis has logged 29 and 26, respectively, over that same span. Gillislee also is completely absent from the passing game and hasn't scored since Week 2, limiting his upside even further.

Ty Montgomery, Packers- Montgomery's snaps dropped to season-low seven in Week 7 and he's rushed 14 times for just 34 yards overall in the last two weeks. Rookie Aaron Jones' emergence as a high-volume back is threatening to potentially reduce TyMont's role to primarily that of a passing-down specialist who sees a modest 5-7 carries a game on average.

Wide Receiver

Kendall Wright, Bears- The aforementioned limitations being placed on Trubisky depress the value of all of his pass catchers, and Wright also was limited to just eight snaps Sunday, further diminishing his prospects for the time being. Wright isn't a downfield threat, either, so his yardage totals are likely to be modest even if the shackles are eventually lifted from the rookie quarterback.