Fantasy Football Week 13: Risers, Fallers and Top Trade Candidates

It’s getting down to crunch time for not only all 32 NFL teams but fantasy owners as well.

It’s a good time to fortify your rosters with some possible additions. It's also worth keeping a closer eye on some of the bigger names who may not be available the reminder of the regular season.

We will do our best to point out a few players headed in the right or wrong direction, be it due to injury or a change in philosophy.

Riser: David Johnson, RB, Arizona Cardinals

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One big reason the Arizona Cardinals rank 12th in the NFL in rushing yards this season has been the play of running back Chris Johnson, who ranks fourth in the league with 814 yards on the ground.

But via Jay Glazer of Fox Sports, Johnson has a broken tibia, which means head coach Bruce Arians will turn to rookie David Johnson, who’s reached the end zone three different ways this season and leads the club with eight total touchdowns.

“He’s the lead guy now,” said Arians told an interview with SiriusXM Radio (via Joe Thomson of TheScore.com).

“I have all the confidence in the world in him starting,” added Arians to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com on Monday.

“I’m definitely glad my team, my coaches, and Carson (Palmer) still trust me with the ball in my hands,” said the rookie running back to Urban. That was perhaps in reference to Johnson’s three fumbles (one lost) this season.

The 2015 third-round pick from Northern Iowa has rushed for 139 yards and four scores on 35 carries, totaled 19 catches for 241 yards and three touchdowns and also returned a kickoff 108 yards for a score back in Week 2 at Chicago.

Faller: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

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Following a 5-0 start, the Atlanta Falcons have dropped four straight games and five of their last six contests.

That’s not all on quarterback Matt Ryan, but his recent play hasn’t helped.

The eight-year veteran has thrown 16 touchdown passes this season compared to 12 interceptions. He’s totaled two or more scores through the air in five of his 11 games in 2015.

But he’s also been picked off at least twice in five contests this season, including the last two weeks in which Atlanta dropped consecutive home games to the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings.

In his first four outings this season, Ryan threw six touchdown passes compared to only two picks. Do the math and that adds up to 10 scores and 10 interceptions in seven contests.

While it’s hard to bench teammate Julio Jones, the recent play of the Falcons quarterback is certainly distressing.

Riser: Markus Wheaton, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

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It’s easy to jump on a player who puts up the kinds of numbers that Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Markus Wheaton did Sunday at Seattle. And who are we to miss out on the opportunity?

But it’s more than just the fact that the talented wideout had a breakout game this past weekend. It’s also worth noting that while second-year wide receiver Martavis Bryant still sees plenty of balls thrown his way, he’s been a little hit-or-miss lately when it comes to pulling them in.

Entering this week, Wheaton had been targeted just 32 times in 10 games and totaled only 16 catches for 273 yards and one touchdown. In Pittsburgh’s 39-30 loss to the Seahawks, he saw 13 throws his way and totaled nine receptions for 201 yards and one touchdown.

Meanwhile, Bryant has been targeted 23 times in the team’s last two games, totaling 11 catches for 247 yards and one score, and he has five touchdowns in six games this season. His presence, along with Antonio Brown’s, makes life easier for others. And Wheaton may be getting ready to own a hotter hand down the stretch.

Faller: Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers

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It’s been a rough sophomore year for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams, who has not looked the same since suffering an ankle injury in the second week of the season.

That would eventually cause the 2014 second-round pick to miss three games at midseason, and he has struggled ever since.

“I don’t know the severity of it or how he feels about it,” said teammate Randall Cobb to Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel on Tuesday. “I don’t think he’s looked like the same Davante. He hasn’t been playing as fast as he normally does. I think it still bothers him.”

That may be an understatement. In the loss to the Chicago Bears, Adams was targeted 11 times and caught two passes for 14 yards. In his last three games alone, the second-year wideout has seen 36 throws his way and has caught 15 passes for 129 yards and zero scores. And there was that crucial drop of a two-point conversion attempt in the Week 10 loss to the Lions.

Is it a result of good defense on the part of the Packers’ opponents? You can be the judge but these days, but Adams looks less than 100 percent and may be worth sitting until healthy.

Riser: Cecil Shorts, WR, Houston Texans

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He just seems to make things happen every time he gets the football as of late.

In and out of the lineup for a few weeks, Houston Texans wideout Cecil Shorts has been making up for lost time the last three games.

In wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, Shorts totaled eight catches for 85 yards and one score, ran the ball seven times for 46 yards and threw a touchdown pass in the win over New York.

The numbers are awe-inspiring, but they are significant as head coach Bill O’Brien looks to get Shorts more involved in the offense. And that’s good news for owners who employ his services these days.

Faller: Mychal Rivera, TE, Oakland Raiders

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On Sunday at Tennessee, the Oakland Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak with a 24-21 win over the Tennessee Titans.

In that contest, quarterback Derek Carr hit on 24 of his 37 throws for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores went to wide receiver Seth Roberts, who totaled six catches for 113 yards. In his last two games he has eight receptions for 167 yards—a hefty 20.9 yards per grab.

On the other hand, tight end Mychal Rivera has seen his production decrease as Carr gets more and more comfortable with Roberts and fellow wideouts Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper.

One year after finishing second on the team with 58 catches, good for 534 yards and four scores, Rivera has not reached the end zone and has totaled less than 50 yards receiving in all 11 games this year.

Oakland’s passing attack is changing. While rookie tight end Clive Warford has scored three touchdowns this season, he has also not reached the 50-yard mark as well in 2015.

Trade Candidates

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Buy Low: Kamar Aiken, WR, Baltimore Ravens

He’s hardly a household name these days, but since Baltimore keeps losing key personnel, Aiken is gaining momentum. He now ranks second on the team with 43 catches, good for 536 yards and four touchdowns.

In Monday night’s 33-27 win at Cleveland, Aiken was easily quarterback Matt Schaub’s top option; he saw 10 targets and caught six passes for 80 yards and a score.

Sell High: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins

Remember that brief surge by the Dolphins when Miller totaled 100-plus yards from scrimmage and scored a combined three touchdowns rushing (two) and receiving (one)? He’s run for a mere 148 yards in his last five games, less than 50 in each contest. While Miller has scored four touchdowns in the last five contests, Miami’s offense is simply far too unpredictable there days.

Trade For: Zach Miller, TE, Chicago Bears

A non-factor for most of the season, Miller has totaled 12 catches for 187 yards and four touchdowns in his last four games, scoring at least once in three of those contests. He may be a solid addition for your team with the fantasy playoffs on the horizon.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come from Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.