NFL Barometer: Adams Busting Out

Week 12 was a particularly eventful one in the NFL, with season-ending injuries to skill players an unfortunate theme. Naturally, backups now step to the forefront in the wake of such developments, and there's also one demotion at the quarterback position to examine that many felt was long overdue. With plenty of candidates heading in either direction this week, let's jump in without further ado.

Trending Up

Quarterback

Jeff Driskel, Bengals: Driskel gets first crack at the top job in Cincinnati in the wake of Andy Dalton's season-ending thumb injury. The 2016 sixth-round pick hadn't thrown a regular-season pass prior to this season, but he did an admirable job in relief of Dalton in Week 12, completing 17 of 29 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for another score on three carries. Driskel brings some rushing upside to the table, and his prospects would naturally get even brighter if A.J. Green were to return soon from his toe injury.

Running Back

Austin Ekeler / Justin Jackson, Chargers: Melvin Gordon is slated for a multi-game absence, putting both Ekeler and, to a lesser extent, Jackson in the fantasy spotlight. Naturally, Ekeler is the more proven and accomplished of the two, and he was outstanding in Week 12 after Gordon exited, finishing with a 5-35-1 line on the ground and logging 10 receptions for another 68 yards.

However, having posted double-digit carries in just two games this season, Ekeler is likely to share a fair amount of rushing work with Jackson, a seventh-round pick that gained an impressive 57 yards on just seven rushes Sunday. Jackson was a four-time 1,000-yard rusher at Northwestern, posting double-digit rushing touchdowns in three of those campaigns. Additionally, while Jackson only has a pair of receptions thus far in the NFL, it's worth noting he also posted between 21 and 44 catches during his career with the Wildcats.

Josh Adams, Eagles: Head coach Doug Pederson proclaimed Adams his top running back prior to the Week 12 matchup against the Giants, and he promptly made good on that statement by feeding the rookie from Notre Dame a career-high 22 rushing touches. Adams proved up to the task with 84 yards and a touchdown, and Pederson went on to say Monday that he plans to bump Adams' touches up each forthcoming game. Given his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame, the first-year back should see no shortage of opportunities in the red zone moving forward.

Wide Receiver

Dante Pettis, 49ers: Pettis now has back-to-back four-catch efforts, a pair of performances that come in the wake of being held without a reception in Weeks 3-9 (a stretch that included three missed games). The rookie has plenty of speed and solid size at a height of 6-foot-1, and with Pierre Garcon clearly having trouble recovering from his knee injury, Pettis could continue benefitting from the latter's health woes.

Robert Foster, Bills: The Bills passing attack is far from reliable, but it's hard to ignore what Foster has accomplished the last two games. The rookie from Alabama followed up a 3-105 line against the Jets in Week 10 with a two-catch, 94-yard, one-touchdown effort in Week 12 versus the Jaguars. There's a trio of catches of over 40 yards included in those numbers, and given their general dearth of chunk plays through the air, the Bills could well continue to target the 6-foot-2 Foster downfield on jump balls and go routes.

D.J. Moore, Panthers: Moore has already made a prior appearance in this space this season, but he warrants a fresh mention given his recent pair of efforts and another potential absence by Devin Funchess (back) in Week 13. The rookie has a combined 15 receptions for 248 yards and a touchdown over his last two games, impressively generating an 88.2 percent catch rate during that stretch. Irrespective of Funchess' health and the recent return of veteran Torrey Smith, it's clear Moore is the most dynamic passing game weapon outside of Christian McCaffrey that the Panthers possess.

Tight End

Eric Ebron, Colts: Ebron has already flashed excellent touchdown upside this season, but his fortunes stand to improve further with the placement of Jack Doyle on injured reserve with a kidney injury. Ebron averaged nearly 54 snaps per game earlier in the season when Doyle missed five games, and he's already averaging well over six targets per game. Both numbers should naturally bump up moving forward, providing Ebron an opportunity to add to his whopping 11 touchdowns in the Colts' pass-heavy attack.

Chris Herndon, Jets: Herndon continues to carve out a strong, consistent role in the Jets' passing attack. After a slow start to his pro career, the rookie has a pair of four-catch efforts and a career-high seven-reception tally over the last five games. The fourth-round pick offers an enticing size/speed combo at 6-foot-5 and 250-plus pounds, and his snap count, which already hit a season-high 51 in Week 12, should continue at similar levels given his increasing success.

Gerald Everett / Tyler Higbee, Rams: The oft-forgotten pass catchers in the Rams' high-octane air attack, both Everett and Higbee could be in line for much more action down the stretch with Cooper Kupp (knee) out for the season. The Week 11 shootout for the ages between the Rams and Chiefs certainly seemed to indicate that, as the two combined for nine receptions (on 11 targets) for 112 yards and two touchdowns (both Everett's) in that contest. It'll be difficult to know which player will stand to see a greater share of the workload from week to week, but both boast the ability to get downfield, giving each upside in coach Sean McVay's aggressive attack.

Cameron Brate, Buccaneers: Brate made his return to the top tight end job in Week 12 in the wake of O.J. Howard's placement on injured reserve and got into the end zone on one of his three catches. The fourth-year pro has a solid track record of success, especially in the red zone, as evidenced by the 14 touchdowns he racked up over the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Brate saw 30 red-zone targets over that pair of campaigns, and he should be a reliable option in that area of the field for Jameis Winston the rest of the way, even if his overall reception volume remains modest due to the plethora of other pass-catching options in the offense.

Matt LaCosse, Broncos: LaCosse finds himself in position to profit from position mate Jeff Heuerman's season-ending rib and lung injuries. The athletic tight end from Illinois posted a 3-34-1 line in Week 12 against the Steelers and should serve as the primary option for Case Keenum at the position going forward. LaCosse notched six touchdowns on 34 receptions over his last two college seasons, so he seems to have a knack for the end zone that could help fantasy owners desperate for tight end help at this stage of the season.

Trending Down

Quarterback

Blake Bortles, Jaguars: Coach Doug Marrone finally pulled the plug on Bortles' stint as the Jaguars' top quarterback, announcing Monday that Cody Kessler will start the team's Week 13 matchup against the Colts at a minimum. Jacksonville has lost seven straight, so this is a move at least partly influenced by desperation. However, Bortles had earned the demotion after throwing for just 231 yards combined in his last two games, a stretch during which he also threw a pair of interceptions. It remains to be seen if a significant portion of the team's offensive issues were the fault of just-fired coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, but it appears Bortles won't have a chance to corroborate that one way or the other for at least this week.

Running Back

Alfred Morris, 49ers: Morris was a healthy scratch in Week 12 against the Buccaneers, the latest sign the veteran is being phased out. Morris had gained just 32 yards on 16 rushes in the prior two games, so the inactive status this past Sunday wasn't completely unexpected or unwarranted. With lead back Matt Breida continuing to generate impressive numbers and rookie Jeff Wilson looking like a serviceable backup against Tampa, Morris could find himself in street clothes on gameday frequently down the stretch.

Wendell Smallwood, Eagles: Both Corey Clement and Smallwood see their fantasy value take a hit with coach Doug Pederson's recent commitment to Adams as his top back, but it's clear Clement will at least get an opportunity to serve as a change-of-pace option. The same can't be said for Smallwood, who failed to log a carry or target against the Giants in Week 12. That could unfortunately be the norm moving forward, as Pederson is committing to upping Adams' touches from the 22 he already saw on the ground versus New York, while Clement offers everything Smallwood does as Adams' backup.

Isaiah Crowell, Jets: Crowell hasn't necessarily been bad on a per-touch basis lately, but he's getting precious few opportunities even when game script would seem to point in his favor. Such was the case in Week 12, when Crowell was limited to just six totes despite the Patriots not taking at two-possession lead until well into the fourth quarter. The fifth-year back only has a combined 13 carries over the last two weeks, and if Sam Darnold makes a return in Week 13, Crowell may have a difficult time finding running lanes due to defenses worrying less about the passing game than they do with capable veteran Josh McCown under center.

Wide Receiver

Jarvis Landry, Browns: Landry is probably longing for his Miami days right about this point in the season, as he's averaged a modest 5.7 targets per game over the last three games. That downturn comes in the wake of a six-game streak of double-digit looks and, just as concerning, it coincides with the firings of head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley. The trend indicates that new play-caller Freddie Kitchens may be intent on having Baker Mayfield spread the ball around much more than the prior regime did, which doesn't bode well for Landry's prospects as the fantasy postseason approaches.

Sterling Shepard, Giants: Eli Manning has been sharp lately, but Shepard hasn't really been a beneficiary of his strong play. The second-year wideout has only eclipsed 100 yards once on the season, and he's been at 37 yards or fewer in each of the last four games. His targets have also seen a notable hit in a pair of those contests, as Shepard saw a combined five looks against the Niners and Bucs in Weeks 10 and 11.

Tight End

Ben Watson, Saints: Watson was making the most of his modest opportunities earlier in the season, but he's unsurprisingly regressed in recent games. Watson only has two receptions (on four targets) for 21 yards over the last three games, a stretch that includes a catch-less effort versus the Eagles in Week 11. With so many mouths to feed in the Saints offense, Watson's production figures to remain unpredictable on a week-to-week basis the rest of the way.