NFL Barometer: Eagles' Fortunes Fall On Foles

Fantasy playoff season is in full swing, and late-season injuries are playing a significant role. We'll examine two such scenarios at the quarterback position this week, along with shining the light on some late-season risers and fallers at other spots as well. Incidentally, be sure to look back at some of the last few weeks of this column, as several players that remain hot and cold have been spotlighted over the last month.

RISING

Quarterback

T.J. Yates, Texans- Yates entered Sunday's game against the 49ers in the second quarter in place of Tom Savage (concussion) and fired a pair of touchdown passes to DeAndre Hopkins as part of a 175-yard effort. The veteran also flashed his rushing upside with 31 yards on the ground and has already been announced as the Week 15 starter against the Jaguars. While his starting assignment may only last a week, Yates could certainly help fantasy owners who find themselves in a pinch at quarterback this coming weekend.

Nick Foles, Eagles- Foles also saw emergency duty in Week 14 due to a knee injury sustained by Carson Wentz, but in his case, he'll be entrenched as the starter the rest of the way now that the latter has been diagnosed with a torn ACL. The veteran one-time starter has certainly shown flashes in the past -- with a 27-touchdown, two-interception effort in 2013 representing his finest season – and he walks into an enviable situation, given the Eagles' well-oiled machine on offense. While Wentz deserves a significant amount of credit for that success, Foles is certainly a serviceable fantasy option for Wentz owners who have been left in the lurch in the thick of the playoffs.

Jay Cutler, Dolphins- Given it's Cutler we're talking about, this designation could well be rendered irrelevant by this time next week. However, for the time being, the much-maligned veteran is heading in the right direction after completing 43 of 69 passes for 498 yards with a 5:2 TD:INT in two victories over the Broncos and Patriots. With reasonably favorable matchups against the Bills (twice) and Chiefs to close out the season, it's certainly feasible for Cutler to finish things on a strong note.

Russell Wilson, Seahawks- Wilson has enjoyed a solid season overall, but he's particularly come on in the last two games. Wilson has fired three touchdowns apiece in that pair of contests while also logging seven completions of over 20 yards -- including four over 40 -- and amassing 81 yards rushing over that span. Mike Davis is providing some much-needed balance on the ground over the last two weeks as well, and Wilson draws the beatable secondaries of the Rams and Cowboys the next two weeks.

Blake Bortles, Jaguars- Like Cutler, Bortles can certainly be difficult to trust, but his play over the last two weeks merits him a mention. He's thrown for 577 yards and generated a 4:0 TD:INT over that stretch while displaying strong rapport with all three of his young wideouts in Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook and Keelan Cole.

Running Back

Wayne Gallman, Giants- It may have partly been a byproduct of Orleans Darkwa having come into the game with an illness, but Gallman saw his most extended opportunity as a pro in Week 14 against the Cowboys. He parlayed a career-high 12 carries into 59 yards and added seven catches on nine targets for 40 yards. With a new coaching regime in place for the balance of the season, this usage may be indicative of a shift of workload distribution in the Giants' backfield.

Theo Riddick, Lions- Word is that Ameer Abdullah's inactive status in Week 14 had as much to do with his recent lackluster play as it did with his neck injury, and Riddick is doing his best to ensure his teammate is a candidate to remain in street clothes. He's compiled three rushing touchdowns over the last two games while maintaining a typically robust role in the passing game (11 receptions on 15 targets for 105 yards) and encouragingly receiving three red-zone rushing attempts, two which came inside the five-yard line.

Mike Davis, Seahawks- Over the last two games, Davis has provided the Seahawks with the offensive balance they've sorely lacked all season, rushing for 130 yards on 31 carries and adding five receptions during that stretch. While he suffered what appears to be a relatively minor rib injury in Week 14, Davis is head and shoulders above either Eddie Lacy or Thomas Rawls as far as lead-back candidates in Seattle are concerned.

Giovani Bernard, Bengals- While Joe Mixon (concussion) could well return to action in Week 15, Bernard may nevertheless enjoy a larger role than he previously had for the final three games of the season. Blessed with fresh legs afforded him by the scant 34 carries he'd seen prior to Week 13, Bernard has averaged 5.8 yards a tote while compiling 139 yards rushing over the last two games. He's added eight catches on 11 targets for 87 yards during that pair of contests as well, making him a particularly strong play in PPR formats.

Wide Receiver

Mohamed Sanu, Falcons- Sanu continues to make his presence felt in the Falcons' air attack, as he now has 17 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown in the last three weeks. The veteran has seen under five targets in only three games this season, and with little work going to Atlanta's other non-Julio Jones receivers or to the tight end position, Sanu projects to continue seeing plenty of volume as the Falcons wrap up their regular season with battles against each of their division rivals over the last three weeks.

Nelson Agholor, Eagles- Agholor has seemingly turned his career around this season, but he seems to be peaking during the stretch run. The third-year wideout has posted 15 catches (on 23 targets) for 205 yards and a touchdown over the last two games, logging three receptions of over 20 yards during that span. While the switch from Wentz to Foles behind center could adversely affect his production, Agholor did haul in his last two catches of Sunday's win against the Rams with the latter at the helm.

Keelan Cole / Dede Westbrook, Jaguars- Both of Jacksonville's rookie speedsters made their mark in Week 14, something that could well be a trend for a long time to come. Cole scored on a pretty 75-yard touchdown, his second in as many games, while Westbrook logged his first career score and a career-high 81 yards receiving. Both players have benefitted from Allen Hurns' multi-week absence with an ankle injury, and although the latter's return could put a slight damper on their prospects, they've both developed more of a rapport with Bortles in the meantime.

Tight End

Eric Ebron, Lions- Ebron exploded for season bests in receptions (10) and yards (94) in Week 14, culminating a multi-week stretch where he'd been posting solid production. The oft-maligned tight end had posted four catches in three consecutive weeks prior to last Sunday and, perhaps most encouraging given his past trouble with drops, he's managed an 84.6 percent catch rate (22 receptions on 26 targets) in the last five games.

O.J. Howard, Buccaneers- Howard has posted either three or four receptions in three of his last four games, tallying over 50 receiving yards in each of those contests along with a pair of touchdowns. While those numbers are decidedly on the modest side, they're a marked improvement over the weeks-long dry spells the rookie endured earlier this season. He appears to increasingly have the confidence of Jameis Winston, after the latter had shown a definitive preference for Cameron Brate in the earlier part of the campaign.

FALLING

Quarterback

Marcus Mariota, Titans- Mariota has followed up a 306-yard effort against the Steelers in Week 11 by throwing for under 200 yards in three straight games. Interceptions have also been plentiful in the last four contests, as Mariota has found the opposite uniform on eight occasions during that stretch. Factoring in that he's also been less effective yardage-wise on the ground (13 rushes for 43 yards in the last four games) and his fantasy outlook is on the bleak side at the moment.

Matt Ryan, Falcons- Ryan just can't seem to put together a strong multi-week stretch in Steve Sarkisian's offense, as he's now thrown for under 200 yards in two of his last four games, plus a modest 221-yard effort in Week 14 against the Saints, a contest in which he also equaled a season high with three interceptions. Last season's 38:7 TD:INT is a distant memory at this point, as Ryan has managed a much less impressive 17:11 tally through 13 games.

Jacoby Brissett, Colts- Brissett managed just 69 passing yards in the blizzard-like conditions in Buffalo last Sunday, but he'd been trending downward in the prior two games as well. The rookie had thrown for under 200 yards in Weeks 12 and 13, while also firing two interceptions during that stretch. With a couple of relatively tough secondaries on tap in Weeks 15 and 16 in the Broncos and Ravens, Brissett doesn't shape up as much of an appealing option in the fantasy postseason.

Running Back

DeMarco Murray, Titans- Murray has logged no more than 12 carries since Week 10, and he hasn't topped 66 rushing yards since Week 3. He keeps a consistent role in the passing game, but after logging nine touchdowns in his debut Titans campaign in 2016, he's scored just once in the last four contests.

Thomas Rawls, Seahawks- Rawls has one carry in the last three weeks and hasn't eclipsed 39 rushing yards in any contest this season. He appears to be a complete afterthought at this point in a Seahawks offense that's relied heavily on Wilson's arm, and that's increasingly featuring Davis in the ground game.

Doug Martin, Buccaneers- Martin made a November appearance in this space, but he warrants another cameo based on recent events. After missing the Week 13 contest against the Packers with a concussion, Martin was afforded lead-back status against the Lions last Sunday despite Peyton Barber's impressive efforts versus Green Bay. He had a positive start to the game that included a rushing touchdown, but a second-quarter fumble led to an apparent benching. Barber then put together another solid effort for the balance of the game (12 carries, 58 yards), and with the Buccaneers playing out the string at 4-9, Martin could well be in for a permanent demotion.

Ameer Abdullah, Lions- As mentioned earlier, Abdullah's underwhelming play for the majority of the season caught up with him in Week 14, as head coach Jim Caldwell opted to keep him inactive despite the fact he'd apparently recovered sufficiently from a recent neck issue. With Riddick and Tion Green generating some serviceable production in the last two weeks, Abdullah could well find himself on the sidelines again in Week 15.

Wide Receiver

Mike Evans, Buccaneers- Evans has actually seen his production take a hit with the return of Jameis Winston from a shoulder injury, as he's posted just four catches on 11 targets for 58 yards in the last two games with the latter back under center. Winston has also spread the ball around more than usual since coming back, as evidenced by the fact he connected with 11 different pass catchers last Sunday. Evans has the talent to bounce back in any given week, but his ill-timed downturn during the heart of the fantasy postseason is not encouraging.

Amari Cooper, Raiders- Cooper hasn't really been himself all year save for his spectacular 210-yard effort versus the Chiefs in Week 10. He was catchless over 15 snaps before re-injuring his ankle against Kansas City in Week 14, and he'd posted no more than 58 receiving yards in four prior contests either. With what could well be a lingering lower-body injury and a forgettable body of work already in tow, Cooper's stock might be at an all-time low.

J.J. Nelson, Cardinals- Nelson has been unable to parlay John Brown's multi-week absence into any boost in production, despite the fact he possesses the closest thing to Brown's skill set among Arizona's receivers. Nelson hasn't logged more than two receptions and 42 yards since Week 5, and he hasn't gotten into the end zone since Week 2. The latter contest included his sole reception of over 40 yards on the season as well, and Nelson has caught just one pass of more than 20 yards in the last six contests.

Jeremy Maclin, Ravens- The Ravens' offense has shown more signs of life in the latter portion of the season, but Maclin has surprisingly played a modest role. The sure-handed veteran has posted just 12 receptions for 108 yards in the last four games, a stretch that followed his season-best eight-catch, 98-yard performance versus the Titans in Week 9.

Tight End

Vernon Davis, Redskins- Davis was turning Jordan Reed's extended absence into some strong production through most of November, but a zero-catch Thanksgiving kicked off what is now a three-game stretch of underwhelming numbers. Davis has just four catches on 10 targets for 41 yards in the last three games combined, although he did find the end zone Sunday, and he's seen his snap count drop to 54 and 42 in the last two games from a season-high 65 on Thanksgiving.