There are only five more weeks left in the fantasy football regular season, yet there are 20 NFL teams with bye weeks still to come (including the Browns, Packers, Raiders and Seahawks this week). So, with limited time left to make a run for the fantasy playoffs, and with the lineup disruption from the looming bye weeks, let's discuss some player trends that could help you navigate the upcoming schedule.
We'll start with players who are trending up, including some who are available in nearly half of ESPN leagues. Then we will look at a group of players who are trending in the other direction due to limited usage and/or a poor run of lower-level production.
There are pass catchers and a quarterback in here, a tight end with a stable floor and multiple running backs I eyed over the summer who have simply failed to deliver.
Players trending up
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
Sutton's recent uptick in volume is encouraging. So is the poise and timing I'm seeing from rookie quarterback Bo Nix as a pocket thrower in Sean Payton's offense. Sutton has 10 or more targets in back-to-back games. That works. And he's caught 15 of 21 over that stretch for 222 yards. Sutton is producing at multiple levels of the route tree here too, catching the unders and separating on crossers and deep-in breakers. Plus, we know he can get vertical.
Sutton scored 17.1 points in Week 8 against the Panthers then had 23.28 against the Ravens last week (which was boosted by his own TD pass to Nix). More competitive matchups loom, starting with a road against Kansas City this week, but Sutton's overall usage, along with the quarterback's development, make him an ascending flex play in my rankings.