Daily Fantasy Football October 29: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

NFL fantasy is a never-ending game of ebbs and flows, with players proving impeccably dangerous one week before completely falling off in the next. A league built on parity will do that.

Heading into Week 8, there's been enough sample size for DraftKings fantasy players to have a decent feel of the direction their favorite targets are trending. Taking into account the matchups is obviously important, but even more pivotal is having assurance that a player is trending upward.

Let's take a look at the latest stock report entering Thursday.

Stock Up

Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, New York Jets ($5,200)

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Opp.	DK Points
New England	21.7
Washington	26.22

Believe it or not, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been among the most consistent DFS performers at the quarterback spot this season. His 18.7 points-per-game average isn't elite, but only three quarterbacks rated ahead of him (Tom Brady, Andy Dalton and Carson Palmer) have matched Fitzpatrick by producing at least 14 DK points in every game.

Fitzpatrick surpassed the 20-point plateau in two straight weeks, the last of which coming against the New England Patriots. He ranks 20th among quarterbacks salary-wise, which makes him a steal going up against the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.

Charcandrick West, RB, Kansas City Chiefs ($4,700)

Ed Zurga/Associated Press

It didn't take long for us to find out which Chiefs running back would get the brunt of the carries in Jamaal Charles' absence.

Running back Charcandrick West blew up on Sunday against a stingy Pittsburgh Steelers front, rushing 22 times for 110 yards and a touchdown, also catching two passes for 19 yards. Meanwhile, Knile Davis got one carry (one!). 

West did pick up an injury in that game, but he's been a full go in practice and is probable. Expect more production against the Detroit Lions, who rank 20th against running backs in DK.

Mike Evans, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($6,800)

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

It took some time, but wideout Mike Evans is finally showing some great chemistry with fellow youngster Jameis Winston. He exploded in Week 7, catching eight balls for 164 yards and a score against Washington.

Week 8 does produce a tough matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, but he'll be in line for a big chunk of Winston's targets and is always a threat to go deep. With Vincent Jackson out for multiple weeks, as reported by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, his production should only increase. 

Stock Down

Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers ($4,400)

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

There was such promise for 49ers running back Carlos Hyde at the beginning of the season, when he put up 35-plus points in the opener. Ever since, he's been average at best.

In the six games that have followed Week 1, Hyde has been awfully underwhelming, averaging only eight DK points per contest. He's failed to reach the five-point mark twice, including last week, and he has yet to practice this week with a foot injury.

Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals ($7,700)

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald isn't seeing his stock plummet like the other guys on this list—not even close. But considering his massive price tag, his recent struggles are well worth mentioning.

Fitzgerald was a popular play in Week 7 against a horrible Baltimore Ravens secondary, and he put up all of 6.9 points. Quarterback Carson Palmer is spreading the ball around more and more, and an increasingly strong running game should keep taking from Fitzgerald's production.

Leonard Hankerson, WR, Atlanta Falcons ($3,600)

John Bazemore/Associated Press

In the season's early goings, Falcons receiver Leonard Hankerson emerged as one of the highest-valued players in DK. Those days seem to be in the distant past now.

Hankerson has only topped the double-digit plateau twice this season, none of which have come in the last three weeks. He aggravated a hamstring injury last week that has kept him out of practice, and Matt Ryan is proving increasingly reluctant to air it out to anyone not name Julio Jones.

Follow Steven Cook on Twitter for more DFS analysis and questions.

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