Daily Fantasy Football September 28: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down
After three weeks of the 2015 NFL and daily fantasy football seasons, Andrew Luck and Jeremy Hill—two projected stars—are headed in the wrong direction.
On the other hand, Devonta Freeman received an opportunity to excel, and the second-year running back shined. Another sophomore in the NFL reaffirmed his place as an inexpensive and efficient play, too.
Trends were officially established on Sunday, as early-season aberrations became either a legitimate concern or a distant memory. However, a significant injury potentially changed the October outlook for one of the league's most consistent options.
Note: All prices, points and ownership values were taken from the Week 3 DraftKings Millionaire Maker contest.
Stock Up: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
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If you need a moment to accept an Oakland Raiders player being a worthwhile fantasy option, that's OK. Take your time.
Derek Carr finally has a big-time weapon, and Amari Cooper has helped the second-year quarterback assemble a couple of impressive outings.
On Sunday, only 1.5 percent of participants selected Carr, who put up 23.5 points at a middling $5,300 price tag. He completed 20 of 32 attempts, tallying 314 yards and two touchdowns. That followed his Week 2 performance of 351 yards and three scores against the stingy Baltimore Ravens.
Oakland hits the road for its Oct. 4 game, but the Chicago Bears have surrendered eight passing touchdowns and grabbed a single interception. Carr shouldn't encounter many problems reaching a thrifty 20 points once again.
Stock Down: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
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Luck opened the season with 19.7- and 12.4-point performances, but Sunday's matchup with the Tennessee Titans was a prime chance to get back on track.
Although the Indianapolis Colts won their first game, the defense saved Luck. Dwight Lowery's interceptions late in the fourth quarter afforded Luck the chance to play hero.
The second-most expensive quarterback ($7,900), he managed 260 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions for a less-than-impressive total of 18.5 points.
Indianapolis has a tremendously favorable opponent next week in the Jacksonville Jaguars—who ceded 358 yards and two scores to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots—but unless Luck's price drops considerably, he's not a safe play.
Stock Up: Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons
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An injury limited Freeman during the preseason, and he lost the starting job to rookie Tevin Coleman. But an injury forced Freeman into the lineup—where he dominated.
Freeman tore apart the Dallas Cowboys defense, exploding for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries. He of $4,600 value and 7.9 percent ownership added five receptions for 52 yards, finishing with a stellar 45.3 points on DraftKings.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Coleman will be sidelined for a couple of games, so Freeman will keep his place in the Atlanta backfield.
Though Freeman must battle J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans in Week 4, recency bias should propel the Falcons' breakout runner into a bevy of lineups.
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Stock Down: Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
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Jeremy Hill fumbled twice during Week 2 and was subsequently benched. But before Sunday's game, NFL Media's Aditi Kinkhabwala noted Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said he expected Hill to return to his "workhorse" role.
So much for that.
Hill produced a meager 21 yards on 12 carries and failed to reach the end zone. Conversely, Cincy backup Giovani Bernard tallied 49 rushing and 34 receiving yards.
While Hill's price will surely drop, devoting $7,300 to a player with 102 rushing yards through three games is simply begging for a dismal DFS week.
Stock Up: Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers
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Greg Olsen's one-catch, 11-yard finish to the season opener scared off some potential owners, but the veteran tight end is back on track as Cam Newton's No. 1 receiver.
The University of Miami product reeled in eight passes for 134 yards and was Newton's top red-zone option Sunday. Olsen, whom just 8.3 percent of players chose at $4,800, scored two touchdowns and racked up 36.4 points.
"He's a Pro Bowl player, a great player," New Orleans Saints linebacker Stephone Anthony said after the game, per Eric Boynton of the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "He's going to give any defense fits."
Olsen can give No. 1 wide receiver production while offering the benefit of tight end prices.
Stock Down: Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Though no player is more consistent than Antonio Brown, the Pittsburgh Steelers receiver will be without Ben Roethlisberger for "probably" six weeks due to a knee injury, per Schefter.
Roethlisberger hasn't missed a regular-season game since 2012, and Brown wasn't anywhere near the role he currently has. This is uncharted territory for the All-Pro, but it's not an indictment on Brown himself.
Rather, can Michael Vick actually lead the Pittsburgh offense? Plus, Thursday Night Football is notoriously bad for passing games, so Le'Veon Bell is likely the Steelers star to own anyway.
Brown has posted at least nine catches and 100 yards in each week, so his $8,900 price probably won't move much. However, Brown must sustain that insane level of production with Vick throwing passes instead of Big Ben, and that's not a particularly appealing fact.
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Follow Bleacher Report CFB and DFS writer David Kenyon on Twitter: @Kenyon19_BR.
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