NFL Barometer: Mitch Flips the Switch

As fantasy championship week approaches in many leagues, there's plenty to examine in terms of whose stock is bullish and bearish around the league. One notable and very timely return from suspension is grabbing headlines, while a regular-season-ending injury to the best receiver in the NFL opens up opportunity for those below him. Without further ado, let's dive into the multitude of intriguing fantasy scenarios unfolding as we head into the final two weeks of 2017.

RISING

Quarterback

Mitchell Trubisky, Bears- Head coach John Fox has unleashed the rookie over his last two games, which has led Trubisky to respective totals of 271 and 314 passing yards versus the Bengals and Lions, a stretch in which he's also completed 71.8 percent of his passes. It's easily the best two-game sample of Trubisky's short career, as he'd thrown for under 200 yards in all but one of his previous eight starts. While he did get picked off a career-high three times by Detroit in Week 15, he'll draw an appealing matchup versus the Browns in Week 16, and his confidence appears to be growing by the week.

Jameis Winston, Buccaneers- Winston and the Bucs suffered yet another loss Monday night, but the third-year signal caller continued to reward fantasy owners despite losing a pair of pass catchers. Since returning from a three-game absence due to a shoulder injury, Winston has thrown for 270, 285 and 299 yards in three contests while compiling a 7:2 TD:INT. He's been on the move more often than usual as well, rushing for 46 yards on nine carries during that stretch. Even with DeSean Jackson and O.J. Howard looking iffy for the last two games of the season with ankle injuries, Winston has spread the ball around much more since returning, implying that he should be able to continue producing against the division-rival Panthers and Saints to wrap up the campaign.

Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys- Elliott returns from his six-game suspension just in time to try and help the Cowboys clinch a playoff berth, guaranteeing that he'll see all the work he can handle against the Seahawks and Eagles to close out the season. The Pro Bowler has reportedly kept in excellent shape and even dropped a few unnecessary pounds while working out in Mexico over the last few weeks, and there's little doubt he'll be in for a typical 25-30-carry workload moving forward.

Marshawn Lynch, Raiders- Head coach Jack Del Rio was judicious with his use of Lynch over the first three-quarters of the season, with the veteran's 18 carries in the opener serving as a season high until Week 12. That strategy appears to be paying off in the form of fresh legs for the home stretch, as Lynch has been running with his trademark reckless abandon while compiling 372 yards on 77 carries (4.8 yards per rush) and three rushing touchdowns in the last five games. He's added 10 catches on 13 targets for 96 yards during that stretch, relegating backfield mates Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington to increasingly minimal roles.

C.J. Anderson, Broncos- Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has left no ambiguity as to who the lead back is in his offense, as Anderson has logged 15, 22 and 30 carries in the three games since the former took the reins from the departed Mike McCoy. His best game during that stretch was his most recent, a 146-yard outburst against the Colts last Thursday night. While the level of competition has to be taken into consideration, Anderson wraps up the season with favorable matchups versus the Redskins and Chiefs, and has a consistent role in the passing game that allows him to supplement his fantasy production.

Kareem Hunt, Chiefs- Hunt received a Falling designation a little over a month ago, but he's earned his way back with tallies of 116 and 155 rushing yards in the last pair of contests. He also found the end zone in each of those games while also hauling in 10 of 12 targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. The beatable Dolphins defense awaits in Week 16, making Hunt a particularly appealing play during fantasy championship week.

Aaron Jones, Packers- Jones showed his ability to produce with minimal opportunity for the second time in three weeks this past Sunday against the Panthers, turning three carries into 47 yards, a total largely comprised of a pair of scampers over 20 yards. Back in Week 13, he parlayed his only tote of the afternoon into a game-winning 20-yard touchdown in overtime to topple the Buccaneers. Jones also proved capable of handling a more robust workload earlier in the season when he logged double-digit carries in three straight weeks, generating 100-yard efforts in two of them. With fellow rookie and backfield mate Jamaal Williams averaging 3.4 yards or fewer in five of his last six games, Jones could see a more expanded role over the last two weeks, albeit in relatively tough matchups versus the Vikings and Lions.

Wide Receiver

Kendall Wright / Josh Bellamy, Bears- Wright and Bellamy have both benefitted from the Bears' more aggressive offensive approach over the last two weeks. Wright's level of play has resembled that of his Titans heyday, as he's seen a whopping 24 targets in that pair of contests and converted them into 17 receptions for 189 yards while often serving as his rookie quarterback's security blanket. Bellamy has been more of a downfield threat, posting seven catches (on 11 targets) for 122 yards during those two games. With both players displaying impressive rapport with Trubisky – and rookie quarterbacks often locking in on certain wideouts – both players could reap the rewards again in a favorable Week 16 matchup versus the Browns.

Roger Lewis, Giants- The Giants have had to make do with plenty of inexperience at the receiver position in the wake of season-ending injuries to Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall, but as is often the case, the silver lining to that scenario is that it's allowed a player like Lewis to gain plenty of valuable game reps. He's beginning to respond, posting 11 receptions for 120 yards in the last two games while seeing 21 targets over that span. With Eli Manning's increasing trust and relatively favorable matchups against the Cardinals (with Patrick Peterson likely to shadow Sterling Shepard) and Redskins to close out the season, Lewis could finish with a flourish.

Geronimo Allison, Packers—One could make a case for the entirety of the Green Bay receiving corps to be listed in this spot given Aaron Rodgers' return, but Allison is worth singling out, given what should be a bump in opportunity in Week 16 and his likely availability on the wire in many leagues. The second-year receiver was guilty of a key fumble late in Sunday's loss to the Panthers, but with Davante Adams slated to miss Week 16's tilt against the Vikings with a concussion, Allison is likely to be entrusted with WR3 duties. He's already posted nine receptions on 12 targets for 62 yards over the last two weeks, and a combination of increased snaps, Rodgers under center and the likelihood of facing a lesser caliber of defender while playing behind Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson makes him an intriguing fantasy asset for the last two games.

Damiere Byrd, Panthers- Byrd burst onto the scene in Week 15 with a pair of touchdowns on his three catches, but he'd also hauled in all five targets for 37 yards in Week 14 and has provided 83 return yards over the last two games as well. With No. 1 receiver Devin Funchess somewhat hampered by a shoulder issue, Byrd presents as an intriguing alternative in Week 16 versus a leaky Buccaneers secondary and in Week 17 against the Falcons on the fast track at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Mike Wallace, Ravens- Wallace's numbers continue to rise as fellow wideout Jeremy Maclin's decline, as he's posted 14 receptions (on 23 targets) for 277 yards in the last three games. Those numbers are partly comprised of an impressive five receptions of over 20 yards, including two over 40, and represent Wallace's best multi-game stretch of the season. Tantalizing matchups versus the Colts and Bengals await to close out the season, rendering Wallace's fantasy prospects very bright.

JuJu Smith-Schuster / Martavis Bryant, Steelers- The duo is slated to serve as the Steelers' top wideout options over the final two games with Antonio Brown (calf) already ruled out until the postseason, and with Pittsburgh still jockeying for playoff positioning, both should be in for plenty of work against the very beatable secondaries of the Texans and Browns.

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots- Not that Gronk's prospects are ever really trending downward, but his play over the last two weeks merits him special mention. The perennial Pro Bowler sandwiched a pair of nine-catch outings versus the Bills and Steelers around his one-game suspension in Week 14, compiling 215 yards and posting five receptions of over 20 yards during that stretch. His Week 13 effort was noteworthy as well, as he found the end zone twice while amassing five grabs for 82 yards against the Dolphins in that contest. Chris Hogan's lingering shoulder issues should continue affording Gronk even more opportunity than usual as he closes out the regular season with favorable matchups against the Bills and Jets.

Greg Olsen, Panthers- Olsen put any concerns about his foot to rest with nine receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown against the Packers in Week 15. The beatable defenses of the Bucs and Falcons await in Weeks 16 and 17, teams that he's yet to face this season but against which he posted big games in 2016.

Garrett Celek, 49ers- The Niners' passing game has been rejuvenated under Jimmy Garoppolo, and Celek seems to have a nice rapport with the new quarterback. He's brought in five of seven targets for 130 yards and two touchdowns over the last two games while posting a reception of more than 40 yards in each of those contests. With a downfield dimension reminiscent more of a receiver than a tight end, Celek should continue serving as a high-upside asset over the final two games of the campaign.

FALLING

Quarterback

Andy Dalton, Bengals- The end of the line – for 2017, that is – may have arrived for Dalton, who's now thrown for 254 yards and three interceptions combined in his last two games. The Bengals as a whole appear to have packed it in, and the announcement that head coach Marvin Lewis is done in Cincy after this season certainly isn't conducive to inspired play. There's even a possibility that A.J. McCarron could start one or both of the final two contests of the season, furthering downgrading Dalton's stock.

Blaine Gabbert, Cardinals- Gabbert regressed to his career mean after a pair of solid performances in Weeks 11 and 12, and he's now been officially replaced by Drew Stanton for Week 16. He thus apparently closes out his season with two sub-200-yard efforts in what appeared to be favorable matchups against the Titans and Redskins.

Derek Carr, Raiders- Carr is on an overall downswing over the last pair of games, as he's completed less than 60 percent of his throws in each of those contests while also throwing a pair of interceptions. The 26-year-old did surprisingly post a career-high 47 rushing yards in Week 15 against the Cowboys, but given that he'd tallied double-digit rushing yardage in only one other game this season (15 yards), that can safely be labeled as an outlier. With a top-heavy receiving corps headed by Michael Crabtree and staffed by serviceable but relatively non-descript options underneath while Amari Cooper (ankle) remains sidelined, Carr's outlook against the solid secondaries of the Eagles and Rams over the last two games isn't very bright.

Running Back

Jamaal Williams, Packers- As mentioned earlier, Williams has averaged 3.4 yards per rush or less in five of his last six games, bottoming out with a 10-carry, 30-yard effort against the Panthers in Week 15. Williams had been making up for his inefficiency with a nose for the end zone, but he was held without a touchdown against Carolina, leading to a major fantasy dud in the thick of fantasy postseason. With Aaron Jones displaying considerably more explosiveness, it's conceivable that the workload in the Packers backfield could be much more evenly distributed over the final two games of the season.

Alfred Morris, Cowboys- Morris certainly did a serviceable job while Elliott served his suspension, but he'll undoubtedly be relegated back to a backup role beginning in Week 16. Morris didn't log more than four carries in any game that Elliott was active for this season, and a similar workload is expected over the balance of the campaign.

Jalen Richard / DeAndre Washington, Raiders- As mentioned in Lynch's entry, the change-of-pace duo has seen their respective roles diminish as the former has peaked during the season's stretch run. Washington has seen his rushes drop from six to four to two over the last three games, while Richard has exactly one carry over that same span. Both backs have also been phased out of the passing attack, as they have three combined catches apiece during the three-game stretch as well.

Wide Receiver

Dontrelle Inman, Bears- Inman had more or less been christened Trubisky's favorite target after a solid three-game stretch between Weeks 10 and 12 (13 receptions for 195 yards). That seems like a distant memory now that the rookie quarterback has heavily favored Wright over the last two games, but Inman's downturn actually stretches back to one contest prior to that. He posted a combined three receptions for 26 yards in Weeks 13 and 15 and wasn't even targeted in Week 14. Given Trubisky's success looking elsewhere in recent weeks, there doesn't appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Inman.

Kenny Golladay, Lions- Golladay has flashed occasionally with his downfield speed, but he remains firmly behind Golden Tate and Marvin Jones in the pecking order. He's been kept in check the last two games, bringing in seven of nine targets for 46 yards during that span. Due to an overall lack of target volume, his numbers have been modest when he's been shut out of the deep passing game, making him a risky hit-or-miss option in the fantasy postseason.

Tight End

Julius Thomas, Dolphins- Thomas was heading in the opposite direction a few weeks ago, but that modest surge was apparently a mirage. The veteran tight end has just seven catches for 46 yards and one score in the last three games, and with the Dolphins' passing game decidedly tilted in favor of the top wideout trio of DeVante Parker, Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills, there's no tangible evidence that Thomas' numbers will improve over the last two games.

Stephen Anderson, Texans- Anderson was considered a rising star after Week 13, factoring in that he was coming off a five-catch, 79-yard effort versus the Titans and fellow tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz had just suffered what would turn out to be a season-ending concussion. However, Anderson has been unable to parlay the No. 1 tight end role into even decent production, as he's posted just two catches for 16 yards – both in Week 14 – over the subsequent two games, despite seeing nine targets and 82 snaps over that span. With T.J. Yates set to be under center for the final two games of the season, Anderson's outlook is considerably dampened.

Ed Dickson, Panthers- Dickson has seen one target, which he failed to bring in, over the last two weeks. With Olsen back in the fold and apparently at full health, his veteran backup is poised to generate minuscule production for the final two games, barring another injury to Olsen.

Tyler Kroft, Bengals- Given Dalton's aforementioned two-game downturn, it's unsurprising that Kroft has felt the effects. After going without a catch in Week 14, he gained exactly one yard on two receptions against the Vikings last Sunday. With Dalton struggling to even approach 150 passing yards, plenty of competition for targets in the form of A.J. Green, Giovani Bernard and Brandon LaFell, and the possibility that A.J. McCarron could be under center for one or both of Cincy's final two games, there's little reason to expect any kind of Kroft bounce-back.