The NFL showed off its topsy-turvy nature in Week 6 with a couple supposed Super Bowl contenders suffering more painful losses and some struggling franchises notching unexpected wins.
The same thing can happen with individual players. One week they're up and the next week they're down.
For fantasy football managers, that kind of unpredictability can be especially frustrating. Was what we just saw a fact or a fluke? We can only go with what our eyes (and the numbers) tell us.
With that in mind, these players saw their fantasy values increase or decrease most based on their performances in Week 6:
Week 7 fantasy football risers
WR Omar Cooper Jr., New York Jets: The first-round rookie from Indiana returned from a month-long absence due to an ankle injury. He exploded for a team-high
six receptions, 103 yards and a touchdown. Cooper even overshadowed a healthy Garrett Wilson, which isn’t easy to do.
WR Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are dinged up at receiver, but Bernard appears to be a solution. He stepped up behind DK Metcalf to have a strong game in Tampa, including the game-winning touchdown in overtime.
RB Bam Knight, Arizona Cardinals: With rookie Jeremiyah Love at home nursing a sprained ankle, Knight, not Tyler Allgeier, was the more productive back. The two split carries, and Knight averaged 5.3 yards a pop to just 2.1 for Allgeier. As long as Love is sidelined, Knight is the back to target.
QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans: Stroud got off to a slow start, but has picked up the pace recently. He has three 300-yard games in his last five outings, and has completed 67% or more of his pass attempts in each of the past three contests.
TE Michael Mayer, Las Vegas Raiders: Mayer showed he can coexist just fine with superstar Brock Bowers. It helps that behind Tre Tucker, the wide receiver situation is a bit of a mess in Las Vegas. So don’t look for Mayer’s role to shrink anytime soon, even with Bowers healthy.
Week 7 fantasy football fizzlers
RB Cam Skattebo, New York Giants: After a critical overtime fumble in Week 5, coach John Harbaugh sent a message loud and clear to Skattebo, as he tumbled down the depth chart and didn’t see a single touch in Week 6. Najee Harris was the starter, and Tyrone Tracy Jr. worked ahead of the second-year back, too. It’s uncertain how long he’ll remain in the doghouse.
WR A.J. Brown, New England Patriots: The good news is Brown returned from injured reserve. The bad news is that he looked like he was trying to catch the football with a pair of cinderblocks. He was credited with three dropped passes and one fumble.
WR Rome Odunze, Chicago Bears: QB Caleb Williams was back under center and appeared more comfortable throwing to Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland. Though there are still plenty of targets to go around, Odunze doesn't look like a top option.
TE Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints: Johnson went without a reception on just two targets against the Giants and has just four receptions for 16 yards in the past two games. Despite showing some TE1 ability early, he can’t be trusted right now.
TE Jake Ferguson, Dallas Cowboys: Ferguson had 82 receptions last season, with eight TDs. But over his past three games, he's posted just eight catches, 43 yards and no scores, with 19 or fewer receiving yards in each outing.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football stock watch: What's wrong with Cam Skattebo, A.J. Brown?
