Daily Fantasy Football December 19: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

Things change quickly in fantasy football, and a top option throughout the season might turn into a huge bust. It's important to stay on top of the latest trends to avoid wasting a big portion of your daily fantasy football budget or even a valuable spot in your lineup.

With movements based on recent play, changes in roles or a noteworthy matchup, there are plenty of players to either specifically target or avoid in Week 15. Here is a look at a few of them in the latest stock report for Dec. 19.

Stock Down

Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers ($6,400)

George Gojkovich/Getty Images

The Denver Broncos have tortured opposing offenses this year. Even Ben Roethlisberger himself knows he is in for a challenge on Sunday. He explained to the media this week, per Ben Swanson of Denver's official website:

"

Their pass rush and rushing coverage work together. Their pass rush is unbelievable; they have edge rushers getting around the outside and inside guys getting a push. Their secondary guys are being physical, making plays. The ball is in the air, they intercept it and they score. So, there’s a reason they’re No. 1 in almost every category.

"

Perhaps the most important factor in this matchup is the NFL-leading 44 sacks. The deep pass rush will put Roethlisberger under pressure, forcing him to get rid of the ball quicker than usual. This takes away the Steelers' best offensive skill with its downfield passing to Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant.

As good as Big Ben has been this year, he struggled to put up big numbers in either start against the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing without a touchdown in Week 14's win. Against a better defense—one that hasn't allowed a 300-yard passing game in all of 2015—you shouldn't expect improved statistics.

Roethlisberger always has a lot of upside, but you should look in other places for a quarterback in Week 15.

Allen Robinson, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars ($7,600)

Few players have improved their stock over the course of the year more than Allen Robinson, who was a bit of an unknown with the Jacksonville Jaguars to start the year and has become one of the top receivers in the NFL. After totaling 10 catches for 153 yards and three touchdowns in Week 13, it was clear he could be an elite fantasy option on any given week.

The problem is Robinson followed up this explosion with just one catch for four yards in Week 14. This came with teammate Allen Hurns back in the lineup after missing Week 13. Hurns finished with 105 yards and a score upon his return in Week 14.

Obviously Robinson remains an elite option, but you can't necessarily trust him to carry your team every single week.

This will especially be true with a tough individual matchup Sunday. As the Jaguars' No. 1 receiver, he will likely match up against the Atlanta Falcons' Desmond Trufant, who has quietly become one of the top cover cornerbacks in the game. According to Pro Football Focus, Trufant ranks third in the NFL with 17.8 snaps per reception allowed. For the year he has given up just 24 catches for 301 yards and one touchdown.

Quarterback Blake Bortles might be better off looking for his other targets this week, making Robinson a risk at his current price.

Matt Forte, RB, Chicago Bears ($6,500)

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

It seems like you can't trust any running backs this season, as seemingly every team has some form of committee in the backfield. This wasn't the case for the Chicago Bears earlier in the year, but Jeremy Langford has played well enough to take touches away from veteran Matt Forte, causing problems from a fantasy perspective.

Although Forte has scored in each of the last two games, Langford out-touched Forte in Week 14 with 11 carries and three receptions. Forte did finish with one catch to go with 10 carries and an efficient 45 yards, but it is clear the team wants to see what the younger player can do.

The split carries have allowed at least decent numbers in recent weeks, but it's important to note both the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers rank in the bottom 10 of rushing yards allowed per game this year. It might be more difficult racking up fantasy points against the Minnesota Vikings, a defense giving up the seventh-fewest points to opposing running backs on DraftKings.

Considering the major price difference between Forte and Langford ($3,900), spending big on the former appears to be a waste.

Stock Up

Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks ($4,200)

Russell Wilson has been on an incredible tear lately, and everyone around him seems to be benefiting. Doug Baldwin has turned the most heads, totaling eight touchdowns in the past three weeks. Of course, his price on DraftKings is starting to catch up, as he rose from $3,500 to $5,800 during this stretch.

The good news is you can still get value from Tyler Lockett, who has been almost as impressive. After posting his best receiving numbers with seven catches for 90 yards  in Week 13, he exploded with a huge Week 14 effort that saw him score two touchdowns with 104 yards and six receptions.

Lockett's great work throughout the season has gone beyond the numbers as well, per Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus:

Against a Cleveland Browns defense that has struggled mightily in all phases, Lockett has a good chance to keep producing on offense, as well as on special teams, providing a lot of upside for minimal cost.

Darren Sproles, RB, Philadelphia Eagles ($4,200)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

DeMarco Murray fantasy owners certainly aren't happy with Chip Kelly and the Philadelphia Eagles offense. Adam Levitan of DraftKings noted the balance within the lineup:

Darren Sproles also got the most work in Week 13. Although balance usually isn't a good thing for fantasy running backs, the recent shift has given Sproles a chance to produce. He is especially valuable as a receiver out of the backfield, giving him enough to justify selection on fantasy teams in points-per-reception scoring.

The diminutive running back should continue to get a heavy workload in Week 15 in a matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. This defense has been good against the run this year, forcing the Eagles to get creative to move the football. Philadelphia will also likely have to pass often to keep up on the scoreboard against the Cardinals' high-powered offense.

This all adds up to a big day for Sproles at a reasonable cost.

Theo Riddick, RB, Detroit Lions ($4,000)

Like Sproles, Theo Riddick is mostly valuable as a pass-catcher instead of as a runner. In fact, the last few weeks have seen the 24-year-old running back be a viable fantasy candidate in PPR leagues as a receiver alone:

Week	Catches	Receiving Yards	TDs
11	5	72	0
12	5	62	1
13	5	27	0
14	7	44	0

Riddick also has 12 carries for 42 yards in this stretch, which could also be considered a bonus to his receiving stats.

As long as he gets the ball, Riddick will have a chance to produce big numbers against a New Orleans Saints defense allowing a league-worst 30.5 points per game this season. With five different running backs scoring off receptions against this unit in 2015, there is more upside than usual. He just needs to find the room to run, and he will use his quickness to do the rest.

Most importantly, though, Riddick is surprisingly one of the safer options you will find at this price thanks to his consistency as a receiver. If he can even get to double digits, he will be worth an add—especially in 50/50 contests.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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