Daily Fantasy Football September 30: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

Daily fantasy football owners don't get any rest ahead of Week 4 thanks to the ever-changing stock market.

The market changes by the week thanks to injuries, performances, matchups and more. Perhaps no better example of this is A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals. He posted 11.3 and 13.5 points in his first two outings, then exploited a weak Baltimore Ravens secondary on his way to 47.7 points this past weekend.

For owners, the key is to get out in front of such ebbs and flows to win leagues of any kind. Within, let's take a look at the recent stock changes as injury notes come out, analysis gets thrown every which way and the never-ending season charges toward another weekend of action.

Stock Up: Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia Eagles ($3,800)

Bill Kostroun/Associated Press

Well, the Philadelphia Eagles added Ryan Mathews in the hopes he could be a strong complement to big-money back DeMarco Murray, last year's rushing champion.

Instead, Mathews might just be the starter.

Murray missed Philadelphia's game last weekend, and Mathews started in his place, rushing 25 times for 109 yards and catching a touchdown, good for a shocking 22.8 points.

Were this a normal team, Mathews would probably go back to the bench after fulfilling his role. The Eagles might be the furthest thing from normal, though, and coach Chip Kelly said Mathews might earn more touches, per Eagles Insider: "Kelly said he has no idea whether or not Ryan Mathews deserves the bulk of the carries against Washington. All three RBs fit in perfectly."

Fit or not, Mathews has shown to be more effective than Murray, so owners should expect him to see a sizable chunk of work no matter what happens with Murray.

Stock Down: Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions ($7,500)

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

It seems the Detroit Lions have found a way to make Calvin Johnson mostly ineffective—by not throwing him the ball deep.

Johnson hasn't lived up to expectations by matching his price tag this year, scoring 5.9, 24.3 and 15.7 points. The middle number came by way of the team spamming him the ball on 17 targets, which isn't sustainable.

Detroit isn't playing Megatron to his strengths anymore by going deep. Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com provided the numbers:

"

Since then, the Lions have taken only three shots of 15-plus yards to Johnson, according to ESPN Stats & Information: two against Minnesota and one against Denver. In Johnson's career, he has never had fewer than 16 receptions of 15 air yards or more and no fewer than 44 targets in a season of that length. Last season, the Lions targeted Johnson 49 times on passes of 15 air yards or more.

"

The Lions might want to target Johnson deep, of course, but a miserable offensive line hasn't given Matthew Stafford the necessary time, and the quarterback seems to be dealing with nagging issues.

With Green sitting at $7,600 and Randall Cobb at $7,400, Megatron looks like he's fading fast.

Stock Up: Giovani Bernard, RB, Cincinnati Bengals ($5,000)

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Cincinnati running back Giovani Bernard has transformed from a spell back with limited tournament usage into a legitimate play in all fields as starter Jeremy Hill deals with fumbling issues.

Bernard, although in a quiet manner, has been rather effective with 14.8, 19.9 and 11.3 points over the course of the first three weeks.

Last week against the Baltimore Ravens, Bernard received 13 carries to just seven for Hill, who looked tentative at best and more focused on holding onto the football than running well within the offense.

It looks like Bernard's the preferred back when playing from behind and in passing scenarios, which could happen often over the next three weeks with games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills on tap.

Bernard isn't a sure thing for touches, but his stock's on the rise given the backfield's trajectory through three weeks.

Stock Down: Joique Bell, RB, Detroit Lions ($3,600)

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

For every back on the way up, it seems another falls.

One of those in a free fall happens to be Joique Bell in Detroit. The man who rushed for seven scores last year still looks shaky at best on his way back from an injury. He's averaging 1.1 yards per carry on 20 rushes, although he did score a touchdown in a short-yardage scenario in Week 3.

Still, even coach Jim Caldwell seems to understand Bell looks iffy at best for now, per Rothstein on Twitter: "Lions coach Jim Caldwell said Joique Bell is 'not quite where he used to be' but believes he'll get there."

It might take time owners don't have for Bell to get back to his normal ways. He'll have rookie Ameer Abdullah breathing down his neck for chances, too.

While Bell sits at a great price, playing him against Seattle and the Arizona Cardinals isn't the best idea in the coming weeks. It wouldn't be if he was healthy, but it's an especially bad move with his head coach admitting there is work to be done.

Stock Up: C.J. Spiller, RB, New Orleans Saints ($3,900)

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

More touches appear inbound for New Orleans Saints running back C.J. Spiller.

Spiller looked like a genius add for the Saints as a spell to Mark Ingram in an explosive offense. Things haven't exactly gone as planned, though, with Spiller missing time, the Saints in an 0-3 hole with anything but an explosive offense and even Drew Brees dealing with an issue.

Alas, coach Sean Payton made it clear Monday that he wants to get his electric back more involved with the offense, per ESPN.com's Mike Triplett:

"

Sean Payton said Saints RB C.J. Spiller is "100 percent healthy" and it's Payton's job to get him more touches. Said he just mentioned that in the Monday morning staff meeting. Part of the issue was how fast the first half flew by with only three possessions. "I've gotta get him more opportunities. He's healthy and, shoot, he needs more than anything to stay actively warm as opposed to play every 12 or 14 plays."

"

It's big news for those who want to take a gamble on a cheaper option. Ingram hasn't been getting it done on the ground with just 3.3 yards per carry, and folks know from Spiller's days in Buffalo that he's a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

If one had to guess, this rising stock could lead to a big day in Week 4 for owners looking to stay ahead of the curve.

Stock Down: LeSean McCoy, RB, Buffalo Bills ($5,600)

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Like his replacement in Philadelphia, LeSean McCoy isn't having a great go of it with a new team.

To date, McCoy's biggest point total with the Buffalo Bills sits at 14.6 points. He continues to struggle with an injury, and it doesn't help that rookie Karlos Williams has emerged as a threat, scoring a touchdown in each of the team's first three games.

Monday, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News captured a quote from coach Rex Ryan explaining the uncertainty of the situation well: "Rex not sure if he'll sit McCoy yet: 'I'll let our doctors and trainers look at that and they'll tell me.'"

NFL Network's Rand Getlin followed with a report that labeled McCoy's participation in Week 4 "unlikely."

Going into a matchup with the struggling New York Giants—one in which Shady would normally be a must-start option—it's best to avoid Buffalo's lead back, especially considering the pace of his downward stock by the day.

Stock Up: Michael Vick, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers ($5,000)

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

There wasn't bigger injury news from Week 3 than Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger going down with a knee strain. 

The mishap means it's Michael Vick time for the Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin, who went out of his way early this week to stress that the offense would change to suit Vick, per Sam Werner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

“We’re not going to assume certain things because Mike is a veteran player, and he’s up to speed on a large body of work," Tomlin said. "We’re going to work in his comfort zone and bring the game to him, to allow him to put us in the best position to win the football game.”

Many coaches wouldn't change an entire system to fit a backup, but it's necessary for the Steelers to do so given the stark differences between Big Ben and Vick. 

It's an encouraging sign for those who want a deep-sleeping tournament play, although one has to wonder how much the system can change before Thursday Night Football. Then again, the matchup comes against the Ravens, so maybe the situation favors Vick.

Either way, Vick's in the driver's seat now with booming stock given the weapons around him and the adaptable system.

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