2013 Fantasy Football: 5 Players Who Upped Their Stock After Wild Card Weekend

Just because your fantasy season is over, that does not mean your work is complete. In fact, it is just beginning.  

The playoffs sometimes provide us with another chance to look at players who were a bit underutilized at times this season. If they can shine, they can boost their stock as preseason sleepers.

All that being said, the following five players in this slideshow showed some promise this weekend and raised their fantasy stock in the process.

Bernard Pierce, Baltimore Ravens

After Ray Rice inexplicably fumbled twice in the Baltimore Ravens playoff win over the Indianapolis Colts, Bernard Pierce came in and gave the Ravens offense a jump start by running amok on the Colts.

Pierce showed great speed and burst on Sunday en route to rushing for 103 yards on just 13 carries.

Where it gets tricky for Pierce is, just how much will he be involved in the Ravens offense in 2013? Obviously the Ravens offense still revolves around Rice and, aside from his rare fumbling mishaps on Sunday, that role won’t change anytime soon.

Perhaps the Ravens will go to more of a two-back system and reduce the touches Rice will get in 2013. In any event, if you plan to draft Rice (or you are an owner of his in keeper leagues), then make sure you handcuff him to Pierce.

Dwayne Allen/Coby Fleener, Indianapolis Colts

After a year of adjusting to one another along with their quarterback Andrew Luck, there is a chance that Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener could become a poor man’s version of Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski.

Granted that’s a high compliment, but as Luck begins to fully grasp the nuances and intricacies of the game and gets his tight ends more involved, Allen and Fleener will only get better.

On Sunday vs. the Ravens, Allen and Fleener combined for seven receptions (on 11 targets) for 76 yards.

While Allen and Fleener will rank low in the tight end totem pole prior to next season, there is every chance that one or both will break out in 2013. Just remember that Luck and Fleener knew each other from their days at Stanford together, and if not for Fleener missing four games in the middle of the season with a shoulder injury, then they perhaps could have enjoyed a better season together.

DuJuan Harris, Green Bay Packers

DuJuan Harris is seizing his moment as the last man standing in the Packers’ version of running back roulette.

After scoring twice in the last four games of the regular season, Harris was even better in the Packers' wild-card victory over the Vikings on Saturday night. In Saturday night's affair, Harris rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown while also hauling in five catches for 53 yards. Harris received 10 more carries than Ryan Grant on the night and was clearly the preferred running back of choice for the Packers.

It’s unknown how the Packers will address the running back position in the offseason, but Harris may be given a long look.

Michael Jenkins, Minnesota Vikings

Michael Jenkins has been useful in spurts before in his nine seasons in the NFL.

So it shouldn’t come as a major shock that he posted a solid stat line in Saturday’s Wild Card Game against the Packers. Jenkins hauled in three catches for 96 yards and a touchdown with Joe Webb at quarterback.

We have been here before with Jenkins, but more often than not Jenkins disappears. However, with the Vikings not having any other legitimate receiving threats outside of Percy Harvin, perhaps Jenkins can rise above the rest and play himself into more of a pivotal role with the Vikings in 2013.

It’s a stretch; I’ll give you that, but monitor how Jenkins looks next summer.

Zach Miller, Seattle Seahawks

Just like Jenkins, the mention of Zach Miller here is a bit of a head-scratcher, as Miller has been mostly worthless all season.

However, Miller looked good on Sunday in the Seahawks’ win over the Redskins. If there is one thing Russell Wilson has not done yet this year it is incorporate his tight ends more into the game plan. As Wilson matures into a complete quarterback, eventually he’ll get a rapport down with his tight end.

On Sunday against the Redskins, Miller was good for four receptions and 48 yards (both team highs) while also recording a two-point conversion. In fact, Miller was the most targeted receiver/tight end on the day, as he was targeted six times by Wilson.

If Miller can grow on this game and look good in next week’s game against the Falcons, then he’ll have some moderate value heading into 2013.

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