Fantasy Football: Aaron Hernandez Leads Week 15 Stock Report

The following countdown details The Fantasy Blog's NFL stock report heading into playoff Week 15.

Just like the American stock market, these 12 assets are prone to evolving (or devolving) value swings throughout the season.

But alas, that's why the NFL schedules the games. Fantasy life, as we know it, undergoes substantial change every weekend.

Enjoy the show!

Rising: QB Eli Manning, New York Giants

2012 Stats: 3,429 Yards Passing, 20 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Happy

1. Eli Manning has a reasonable shot at 4,000 yards passing and 25 touchdowns by season's end.

2. Against the Saints last week, Manning established a seasonal high in TD passes (four).

3. Shaking off a mini-slump from Weeks 6-10, Manning has thrown for 788 yards and eight scores in his last three outings.

4. With 12-team leagues, Manning is an automatic starter for Weeks 15 (at Atlanta) and 16 (at Baltimore), with the expectations of top-eight numbers for both roadies.

Slipping: QB Matt Schaub, Houston Texans

2012 Stats: 3,294 Yards Passing, 21 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Nervous

1. Of his last five games, Matt Schaub has tallied zero or one touchdown three times.

2. Against the Patriots (Monday), Schaub threw for 232 yards and zero TDs in the Texans' blowout loss. Curiously, he attempted only 32 passes on a night when Houston was down 21-0 right off the bat.

3. How's this for unfortunate symmetry? For the Texans' two seasonal losses (Packers, Patriots), Schaub accounted for 232 yards passing and zero scores both times.

Rising: RB DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys

2012 Stats: 625 Total Yards (466 Rushing), 3 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Happy

1. Following a seven-week injury absence, DeMarco Murray has notched a touchdown in his first two games back with the Cowboys.

2. Murray hasn't fulfilled the expectations of a Round 2 or Round 3 pick from the August drafts. However, he has tallied either 75 total yards or one touchdown in all seven games (respectable output).

3. When healthy, Murray remains a viable threat for 100-plus yards and one score every Sunday.

Falling: RB Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals

2012 Stats: 188 Total Yards (164 Rushing), 2 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Nervous

1. Beanie Wells hasn't rushed for 50-plus yards at any point this season.

2. In the Cardinals' last two losses, Wells combined for only 40 yards on 21 carries.

3. Through six games, he only has one catch (for 24 yards).

4. Wells is still Arizona's best option in short-yardage and goal-line situations. But his flair for running between the 20s resembles nothing of previous seasons.

Rising: WR Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens

2012 Stats: 58 Catches, 828 Yards, 4 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Happy

1. Anquan Boldin caught only three balls for 78 yards against the Redskins, but he scored enough (twice) to rank No. 4 among the Sunday wideouts.

2. In his last two games, Boldin has collected eight catches, 15 targets, 159 yards and three touchdowns.

3. Since Week 4, Boldin has four outings of double-digit targets.

4. The displacement of Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron (for Jim Caldwell) could be a boon for Boldin's fantasy prospects.

Against the Broncos and Giants (Weeks 15/16), QB Joe Flacco might attempt 30-plus passes in both games.

Plunging: WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals

2012 Stats: 57 Catches, 652 Yards, 4 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Feeling Blue

1. In standard-scoring leagues, Larry Fitzgerald currently ranks as the No. 40 wideout. That's a dramatic dip from last year's top-10 status.

2. Of his last four games, Fitzgerald has shockingly produced just one catch three times.

3. In that span, Fitzgerald caught only six of 37 targeted balls (for 67 yards and zero touchdowns).

4. The Cardinals (featuring John Skelton, Ryan Lindley, Kevin Kolb) may have the NFL's worst quarterbacking trio of the last 25 years. And that includes the three-week replacement-players period during the 1987 strike.

5. Here are 11 words I have never uttered before: Larry Fitzgerald has no business being in your playoff starting lineup.

Ascending: TE Aaron Hernandez, New England Patriots

2012 Stats: 35 Catches, 334 Yards, 4 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Happy

1. Amid Rob Gronkowski's injury absence (forearm), Aaron Hernandez has collected 16 catches, 24 targets, 155 yards and two touchdowns in the last two games.

2. The Patriots, winners of seven straight, have averaged 42.5 points in their last six outings.

3. When healthy, Hernandez has the capacity for 90 yards and two touchdowns every week, regardless of opponent. And that boast doesn't necessarily involve Gronkowski being out of the New England lineup.

Slipping: TE Dwayne Allen, Indianapolis Colts

2012 Stats: 37 Catches, 446 Yards, 2 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Feeling Blue

1. Dwayne Allen has just six catches in his last three games (for 97 yards)—all Colts victories.

2. The Indy rookie hasn't found the end zone since Week 5 (against Green Bay).

3. In a pass-first offense, Allen has managed to attract seven or more targets only twice this year.

4. With Coby Fleener's reemergence at tight end, Allen could see reduced targets from this point forward.

Rising: WR Kenny Britt, Tennessee Titans

2012 Stats: 40 Catches, 520 Yards, 3 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Happy

1. Last week, Kenny Britt rolled the Colts for eight catches and 143 yards, establishing seasonal highs in both categories.

2. On Sunday, Britt notched the most PPR points among receivers with no touchdowns (22.3), topping Calvin Johnson (21.8).

3. In his last three outings, Britt has yielded either 100 yards receiving or one score.

4. Since Week 3, Britt has collected six-plus targets seven times.

Sliding: WR Brian Hartline, Miami Dolphins

2012 Stats: 62 Catches, 925 Yards, 1 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Feeling Blue

1. Despite 140 receptions over the last three seasons (2010-12), Brian Hartline has scored just three touchdowns in that span.

2. Since Week 11, he has accounted for only 13 catches and 184 receiving yards.

3. On the bright side, Hartline has five outings of double-digit targets (a personal best). On the down side, he already has seven games of four or less catches.

Rising: RB Knowshon Moreno, Denver Broncos

2012 Stats: 388 Total Yards (288 Rushing), 2 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Happy

1. Last week against the Raiders, Knowshon Moreno amassed the second-most single-game yardage total (167) of his four-year career. (The previous best: 175 in 2010.)

2. As the Broncos' primary tailback for Weeks 12-14, Moreno racked up 361 total yards and one touchdown.

3. He should be a top-12 asset for Weeks 15 (at Baltimore) and 16 (vs. Cleveland). A strong finish might even solidify a top-40 ranking among tailbacks for next year's drafts.

Sliding: RB Jonathan Dwyer, Pittsburgh Steelers

2012 Stats: 607 Total Yards (510 Rushing), 1 TD 

Fantasy Reasons To Be Nervous

1. As the Steelers' starting back, Jonathan Dwyer has accounted for only 135 total yards and one score in his last three games.

2. Of equal relevance, Dwyer logged just 33 carries in that span.

3. He hasn't rushed for more than 56 yards since Pittsburgh's rain-soaked victory over Washington in Week 8.

4. Even with Rashard Mendenhall's suspension, Dwyer is no lock for significantly more carries/touches than backup rusher Isaac Redman against Dallas.