Daily Fantasy Football September 16: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

Unlike Marshawn Lynch in Week 1, the daily fantasy football stock market looks like an unchained beast as the schedule barrels toward Week 2 of the NFL season.

The big risers aren't hard to figure out. Cincinnati Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert ran roughshod over the Oakland Raiders in the dirt en route to 34.4 points. New York Giants wideout Odell Beckham Jr. represents the other end of the spectrum at, well, owners probably don't want to be reminded of the costly investment's flop.

Regardless, owners better be up on the daily stock market with usage rates, injuries, matchups and more influencing the momentum of each player around the league. Within, let's break down some of the notable risers and fallers of the past few days.

Stock Up: Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina Panthers ($4,900)

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Look, this is going to take a leap of faith, but Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen is on the rise based on comments made by offensive coordinator Mike Shula.

Owners can scoff and find themselves justified. The important wideouts in Carolina are Ted Ginn Jr. and Jerricho Cotchery, yet all Olsen could muster this past weekend against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars was one catch for 11 yards.

The performance stunk of a coaching gaffe more than anything. Shula spoke with Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer on the matter: "We’ve got to make sure we move him around and get the ball to him. There were some other times that other guys had opportunities because they were favoring his side as well. We’ll definitely work on—he’s a playmaker for us—and we’ll find ways to get him the ball."

In other words, expect Olsen to see many more targets than the three he saw last week. The Panthers play the Houston Texans next, and while conventional wisdom would suggest Olsen will need to stay in and block to stop J.J. Watt from killing Cam Newton, try to keep in mind Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce just posted six grabs for 106 yards and two scores against Houston.

While deceptive, Olsen's stock is on the rise.

Stock Down: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings ($7,700)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson wasn't exactly the greatest play going into Monday's showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.

Not only had Peterson missed most of last year, but the 49ers can have a stingy defense, and he was an unknown when taking snaps out of a new system built around sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

The issues came to a head on Monday Night Football. Despite a high price tag, Peterson ran just 10 times for 31 yards and caught all three targets for 21 yards. After the game, it even sounded like he wasn't comfortable with the offense.

"But I felt a little hesitant a couple of times, [taking handoffs] out of the shotgun,” Peterson said, per Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “But outside of that, I felt pretty good, picking up guys in protection. A couple of the runs I had, it felt like I could have done a little better and a couple of them were pretty decent."

It's a red flag, to say the least. Peterson next goes against a Detroit Lions defense that gave up just 3.2 yards per attempt to San Diego backs in Week 1. Owners can feel more comfortable with players at a similar price range, such as Matt Forte ($7,700) and Jeremy Hill ($7,400).

Stock Up: Ameer Abdullah, RB, Detroit Lions ($4,500)

Alex Gallardo/Associated Press

Speaking of the Lions, Ameer Abdullah was one of the weekend's biggest surprises.

Against the Chargers, the No. 54 pick in this year's draft carried the ball seven times for 50 yards and a score and caught all four of his targets for 44 yards. He was third behind just Eric Ebron (five) and Golden Tate (eight) in targets and tied with one Calvin Johnson.

Think the usage was a fluke while the coaching staff eased Joique Bell back into things after a preseason injury?

Negative. Coach Jim Caldwell revealed the usage was right on par with how the team plans to use the rookie all season, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press:

"

What he did (Sunday) is kind of what we see him doing. He's returning kicks, he's running the ball and he's catching the ball out of the backfield. I'm not certain there's anything more (he can do) than that. He had 199 yards or so of total offense. That's the kind of role that I think you'll see him play, for the most part.

"

Translation—this is an incredible value on one of the league's biggest stock gains. Abdullah will see a wealth of opportunities against a Minnesota defense that just allowed San Francisco's Carlos Hyde to run for 168 yards and two scores.

What's not to like?

Stock Down: Davante Adams, WR, Green Bay Packers ($4,900)

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Of course, one only has to look at Green Bay Packers wideout Davante Adams for what a soaring stock looks like when it falls flat on its face.

Adams looked like a big-time asset to own for a Week 1 showdown with the Chicago Bears. The defense iffy and opportunities bountiful with Jordy Nelson gone and Randall Cobb playing with an injury, Adams brought in just four of his eight targets for 59 yards.

The target number seems encouraging, but look at it this way: Veteran James Jones caught his four targets for 51 yards and two scores. When it mattered near the end zone, Aaron Rodgers for the most part deferred to Jones and Cobb.

Now Green Bay hosts the Seattle Seahawks, owners of a well-known secondary even if some familiar faces left in the offseason.

If one had to guess, Adams isn't even assured to lead the team in targets from here on out. Jones rivaled him and looked reliable after joining the team on September 6. Adams can't rival the experience, consistency and history between Jones and Rodgers.

Stock Up: Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers ($5,100)

About the aforementioned Hyde.

Free of Frank Gore on the depth chart, Hyde posted eye-popping stats with 168 yards and two scores. The Ohio State product doesn't figure to see a reduction in opportunities, either, not with spell Reggie Bush going down with a calf strain, per Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Next is a rebuilding, iffy Pittsburgh Steelers defense that Hyde shouldn't have any issues producing against, as the 49ers look to play strong defense with a ball-control offense to keep Ben Roethlisberger off the field.

To illustrate how reliable Hyde should be on a week-to-week basis now, ponder information provided by ESPN Stats & Info: "Carlos Hyde: 168 rushing yards in 49ers win. Seventy-seven rushing yards after contact, the most for any player in Week 1."

Owners know opportunity equals production. It won't be more true than with Hyde in the coming weeks, especially at this price. He's a much surer play than, say, Miami Dolphins back Lamar Miller ($5,500).

Stock Down: Kenny Stills, WR, Miami Dolphins ($4,100)

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The matchup says buy. The usage rates say avoid Dolphins wideout Kenny Stills like a tornado coming down the interstate.

Stills was one of the hottest sleeper picks in the world entering the season. And why not? He posted 931 yards and three scores last year down in New Orleans with Drew Brees and joined up-and-coming Ryan Tannehill on a versatile offense also featuring Miller, Jarvis Landry, Jordan Cameron and others.

Instead, the situation has backfired.

Against Washington in Week 1, Stills saw just three targets and caught one for 12 yards. Cameron (seven), Landry (12), Rishard Matthews (six) and Greg Jennings (three) all had more targets or tied.

In fact, Stills played just 23 snaps to Matthews' 45. For shame, too, because Stills sits with an incredible price tag going into an easy showdown with Jacksonville. Until Stills can prove otherwise, he's suddenly morphed into a fantasy non-factor. Keep in mind high-profile rookie DeVante Parker continues to work his way back from injury, too. 

Stock Up: Tevin Coleman, RB, Atlanta Falcons ($4,500)

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

So much for any sort of fantasy-ruining split in Atlanta. 

On Monday Night Football, Atlanta Falcons' rookie back Tevin Coleman silenced any doubts about a committee with Devonta Freeman, carrying the ball 20 times for 80 yards as opposed to Freeman's miserable 10 totes for 18 yards.

Granted, Freeman saw four targets in the passing game to Coleman's two, but on the whole, it's clear the Falcons were oh-so-serious when listing the rookie as the top name on the depth chart.

Keep in mind this is offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan's first year on the job, and he hand-picked Coleman in the draft. NFL.com's Marc Sessler put it best: "Tevin Coleman looks like a strong fit for Shanny's offense. Best runner on the Falcons."

Coleman rests at a sweet spot for prices now with the same tag as Abdullah and Tennessee's Bishop Sankey, although a bit cheaper than names such as Chris Ivory and Frank Gore.

With his intended usage and abilities as a pro now understood, Coleman's stock is well on the rise, and he's a great sleeper play heading into a confrontation with the New York Giants.

Pricing information and scoring data obtained from DraftKings.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise specified.