Daily Fantasy Football December 22: DFS Stock Up, Stock Down

The daily fantasy football stock market is the most important thing for owners to pay attention to going into Week 16.

One glance at the Seattle Seahawks provides the lesson. Wideout Doug Baldwin has seen his name make the "rising" lists each of the past few weeks and he did it again this past weekend, getting owners who trusted in him a smooth 20.5 points while he hauled in two more touchdown receptions.

With two weeks left in the regular season, identifying the Baldwin and avoiding fallers going in the opposite direction reigns supreme over the fake-football landscape.

Within, let's look at some of the top movers on the market ahead of Week 16.

Stock Up: Markus Wheaton, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers ($4,100)

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Few players have benefited more from Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's recent explosion than wideout Markus Wheaton.

Wheaton's been on absolute fire as of late in the pass-happy attack, posting 10.5 or more points in each of his past four outings with a high of 38.1.

Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review put Wheaton's numbers into normal, albeit staggering, context: "Markus Wheaton, first 10 games: 16 catches, 253 yards, 1 TD Markus Wheaton, last three games: 16 catches, 336 yards, 2 TDs."

Perhaps craziest about the stretch? Wheaton's big performances have come against notable secondaries such as Seattle, Cincinnati and Denver.

At this price Wheaton looks like an absolute steal going into a game against a struggling Baltimore defense.

Stock Down: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings ($7,300)

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

It's the worst possible time for daily fantasy owners to lose an option such as Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, but so goes the cruel beast known as football.

Peterson went down with an unfortunate knee injury in his Week 15 matchup and finished with just 6.3 points on 18 carries.

He spoke with ESPN.com's Ben Goessling after the game: "I really can't pinpoint it right now, but it was definitely an ankle sprain. I was able to get out and kind of get it loose, and I got loose enough after about the first series [of the third quarter] and was able to get back out there."

While Peterson was able to return to the game for a bit, it's hard to know how the hurt ankle will react over the course of the coming week, not to mention when he actually hits the field against the New York Giants.

That's now two out of Peterson's last three with fewer than seven points, yet his price has managed to rise from the low of $6,600 from Week 13. All things considered, owners will want to look elsewhere to hit value if they're going to spend big at the spot.

Stock Up: Danny Woodhead, RB, San Diego Chargers ($4,400)

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

So San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead is a thing again.

Sarcasm aside, Woodhead exploded in Week 15 for 36.0 points, gaining 10 yards and a score on the ground and catching six passes for 5 yards and three scores through the air.

What changed? Runningmate Melvin Gordon left the game with a knee issue, forcing the Chargers to play the more versatile Woodhead as opposed to trying to get the rookie more experience down the stretch in a hopeless season.

It's impossible to know how much time Gordon will miss, but an injury scare might make the Chargers think twice about risking their prized running back in meaningless games.

As such, expect Woodhead's incredible usage rate on the ground and through the air to continue, especially on a short week going into a game against the Oakland Raiders.

Stock Down: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Dolphins ($6,400)

Brad Penner/Associated Press

Chalk it up to a terrible month for big-name running backs.

Joining Peterson on the questionable injury and production list is Lamar Miller of the Miami Dolphins, who posted just 4.4 points this past weekend and suffered a quad injury.

Miller suffered the injury in the second quarter, according to Rotoworld.com. Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald followed with some staggering notes about his usage: "No wonder Lamar Miller was biting his tongue last night. He had EIGHTEEN snaps from scrimmage. Ajayi had 31. A hint of what's to come in 16?"

Jay Ajayi stealing Miller's carries isn't anything new. Other than a 20-carry outing in Week 13, Miller has single-carry days in four of his last five outings as the coaching staff in Miami continues to make questionable decisions.

Given the unreliable usage and rumblings of an injury, owners have to look elsewhere. Someone such as Doug Martin is only $6,600 and a guy like Todd Gurley is cheaper at $6,200.

Stock Up: Denard Robinson, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,400)

Stephen B. Morton/Associated Press

Make it back to back outings of more than 15 points for Jacksonville Jaguars running back Denard Robinson.

Robinson entered the game in Week 14 as an every-down player after T.J. Yeldon went down with an injury and looked good. He reinforced the usage in Week 15 by rushing 14 times and catching eight passes while playing all 62 of the unit's snaps, according to Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times Union. Vito Stellino of Jacksonville.com noted Robinson is dealing with a sprained foot, but it doesn't sound like it will be an issue after he played so many snaps on it this past weekend.

It's worth noting owners should have expected more from Robinson in an easy matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, but the Jaguars managed to fall behind. Week 16 figures to be even easier, too thanks to an encounter with the New Orleans Saints. 

After not practicing at all last week due to a knee sprain, it's hard to imagine Yeldon comes back in time, making Robinson a must-start player. He's playing all the snaps and clearly can produce in all facets, making him quite the value.

Stock Down: Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnait Bengals ($4,900)

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

So much for Jeremy Hill of the Cincinnati Bengals going off as the team leaned on him to protect inexperienced quarterback AJ McCarron.

In a great matchup against the San Francisco 49ers this past weekend with Andy Dalton watching from the sidelines, Hill rushed 19 times for 31 yards and two scores with a fumble, posting a 1.6 per-carry average.

He finished with 14.1 points to bail out owners who bought into talk of his rising stock, but it's clear Hill is a no-fly zone most weeks out.

Hill is clearly nothing more than a touchdown-reliant producer with seven single-digit outings to his name this year. If he failed to step up and produce against San Francisco, odds are he'll have a silent week against a strong Denver Broncos defense.

Stock Up: Christine Michael, RB, Seattle Seahawks ($4,400)

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Seahawks running back Christine Michael didn't blow away fantasy owners with his 8.4 points last weekend, but what he did do was make serious headway for himself in a situation many thought would be a fantasy-killing committee.

Instead, Michael took 16 carries for 84 yards. According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, he's making an impression off the field, too: "Consensus on Christine Michael in locker room: More focused and serious this time around."

This can only mean good things for owners on the hunt for a bargain at the position this late in the season.

Michael's always been an elite talent who simply needed everything else to come together. It seems like it is, and just in time for a cupcake of a matchup against the St. Louis Rams.

It's easy for owners to take the gamble at this price with all signs pointing up around what is one of the league's sudden and interesting redemption storylines.

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