NFL Barometer: Opportunity Knocks in Oakland

Injuries and trades have upended the NFL landscape over the last couple of weeks, thrusting players into better opportunities while downgrading the fortunes of others. Additionally, several established players around the league have improved their outlooks with consistently strong play, while one veteran quarterback could be on the verge of playing himself out of a job. With plenty to examine, let's dive right into how the fantasy realm shapes up heading into Week 8.

Trending Up

Quarterback

Dak Prescott, Cowboys: Prescott earns this designation both for his recent play and the boost in potency his receiving corps gets with the addition of Amari Cooper on Monday. The third-year quarterback has been making the best of a bad situation in recent games, throwing for between 208 and 273 yards in three of his last four games after not clearing the 200-yard mark in his first three contests. Moreover, Prescott has generated a 6:2 TD:INT since Week 4, and he added 149 rushing yards and another pair of scores in Weeks 5-7. Now poised to reap the benefits of having a true No. 1 receiver for the first time this season when he emerges from a Week 8 bye, Prescott's fantasy prospects are looking even brighter.

Brock Osweiler, Dolphins: It admittedly feels odd to include him as a Trending Up candidate, but Osweiler's work as a spot starter over the last two games has to be recognized. The oft-maligned 2012 second-round pick has thrown for a combined 619 yards and five touchdowns against the Bears and Lions, actually looking more effective than Ryan Tannehill (shoulder) often had over the first five games of the season. Osweiler's starting stint may only last one more game – a Thursday night tilt against the Texans – but for the moment, he actually holds solid fantasy value.

Running Back

Nick Chubb, Browns: Despite often looking impressive with the scant few opportunities he'd seen over the first six games, Chubb wasn't truly on the fantasy radar until last Friday. That's when the Browns dealt Carlos Hyde to the Jaguars, vaulting Chubb into the top running back spot in Cleveland's fast-paced offense. He was solid in his first game as a starter, compiling 80 yards and a rushing touchdown against the Buccaneers. Moving forward, he should enjoy true lead-back status, with Duke Johnson serving as his passing-down complement. That arrangement could lead to 20-plus carries per game for Chubb when game flow allows for it, which when combined with his explosiveness, affords him plenty of upside moving forward.

Marlon Mack, Colts: Good things come to those who wait, they say. That may well be the case with the Colts, who patiently waited on Mack as he struggled to get past a hamstring injury that he originally suffered in the preseason. Mack only suited up once over the first five games, logging 10 carries against the Redskins in Week 2 before aggravating his injury. He finally returned versus the Jets in Week 6, and after totaling an impressive 89 yards on just 12 carries, he provided a 19-carry, 126-yard, one-touchdown encore in Week 7 versus the Bills. Mack also snagged two of three targets for 33 yards and another score, providing a glimpse of the type of dual threat he could be moving forward on a team that undoubtedly would like to lessen the record-setting number of pass attempts Andrew Luck has been putting up with his surgically repaired shoulder.

Kerryon Johnson, Lions: Johnson still isn't seeing quite enough volume to maximize his upside, but coach Matt Patricia has to be coming to the realization that the rookie is by far his most dynamic backfield option. The Auburn product did his best to open the coaching staff's eyes with his latest performance, a 158-yard effort on a season-high 19 carries in a Week 7 win over the Dolphins. That tally featured a 71-yard scamper that qualified as Johnson's fifth run (on 69 attempts) of more than 20 yards on the season. While LeGarrette Blount will likely remain Patricia's weapon of choice near the goal line, Johnson's big-play ability and double-digit carries in three of the last four games certainly has his arrow pointing up.

Doug Martin / Jalen Richard, Raiders: Both backs are primed for a boost in usage in the wake of Marshawn Lynch's placement on Injured Reserve with a groin injury. It remains to be seen how coach Jon Gruden will opt to divide the backfield workload, and Richard is likely to still serve as more of a change-of-pace and third-down option. However, the projected increase in snaps ups the fantasy stock of each player to an extent, with the exact degree likely to be clarified in the coming weeks.

Adrian Peterson, Redskins: Count me as one of the early-season skeptics on Peterson, who seemed like an unlikely candidate for meaningful long-term production as a 33-year-old back whose last great season came in 2015. Yet the likely Hall of Famer has exceeded expectations, having racked up between 96 and 99 yards in three games, and a season-high 120 in another. Peterson even has three runs of more than 20 yards and contributed eight receptions for 144 yards, despite not having shown much in the passing game for several seasons. How long he keeps this up is still up for debate, but the explosion and power he's demonstrated so far is no mirage, and his role as the workhorse back in DC is secure.

Raheem Mostert, 49ers: Mostert is on the radar after a strong last two weeks, which have come as Matt Breida deals with various injuries and at the expense of veteran back Alfred Morris. Mostert has 19 carries for 146 yards and has added four receptions for 19 yards during that span, even as his snap counts have remained in the low 20s. That volume could well be due for a boost, however, as Mostert is clearly a more dynamic option than Morris at this stage of their respective careers.

Wide Receiver

Amari Cooper, Cowboys: Cooper's trade to Big D on Monday puts him in a favorable position for fantasy success once he's cleared of any lingering symptoms from the concussion he picked up in a Week 6 loss to the Seahawks in London. After a mostly forgettable 2017 season, the 2015 first-round pick has looked more like his old self on a couple of occasions this season, generating 100-yard efforts against the Broncos and Browns. While the offense he moves into in Dallas is slower-paced and more run-centric than the one he leaves behind in Oakland, Cooper should have precious little competition for targets among a pedestrian group of perimeter receivers that includes Allen Hurns and rookie Michael Gallup. It will naturally take some time for Cooper and Dak Prescott to develop chemistry – although the timing of the trade affords them a bye week to begin building some rapport – but he should have no shortage of targets with which to accelerate that process.

Jordy Nelson / Martavis Bryant, Raiders: Cooper's departure naturally leaves a considerable void in the Raiders' passing offense, one that Nelson and Bryant are both set to fill. The duo makes for an intriguing combination of athleticism and veteran savvy, and both have the ability to wreak havoc downfield. There's still the question of which one will be counted on to do the dirtier work close to the line of scrimmage, but both will undoubtedly see a considerable uptick in workload, especially in an offense that now also finds itself without top running back option Lynch for the next eight games at minimum. Both Nelson and Bryant have arguably underachieved to varying degree thus far, but that's now set to change by virtue of sheer volume if nothing else.

Josh Gordon, Patriots: Gordon officially appears to have Tom Brady's confidence and the role of No. 1 receiver in the Patriots offense locked up. Following a nine-target game versus the Chiefs in Week 6, Gordon played on 61 of 64 snaps in Week 7 against the Bears and parlayed the opportunity into four catches for 100 yards. With Sony Michel now week-to-week with a knee injury and Rob Gronkowski hobbled by both ankle and back issues, Gordon's role should only continue expanding over the next several weeks.

Tight End

George Kittle, 49ers: Kittle earns this designation for the second time this season due to his ongoing success. The second-year tight end is unsurprisingly thriving with college teammate C.J. Beathard at the controls of the offense, totaling 20 receptions for 336 yards and two touchdowns over Beathard's four starts. Kittle has logged between six and eight targets in each of those contests, with an impressive five catches of over 20 yards as well. With the team's wideouts somewhat on the inconsistent side, Kittle projects as Beathard's most trusted target moving forward.

Trending Down

Quarterback

Blake Bortles, Jaguars: Bortles appears to be on the precipice of losing his starting job on a more permanent basis after he temporarily lost his grip on it in the second half of a Week 7 loss to the Texans. Coach Doug Marrone sat the veteran after he went just 6-for-12 for 61 yards over the first pair of quarters, which were preceded by an unsightly 2:5 TD:INT over the prior pair of contests. Bortles is back in the saddle for a Week 8 matchup against the Eagles in London, but another poor effort could lead to the unlikely prospect of a Cody Kessler ascension into the starting job.

Running Back

Alfred Morris, 49ers: As alluded to in Mostert's entry, Morris appears to be increasingly marginalized in the Niners' ground attack as a result of the success of the former. The veteran has averaged just 3.6 yards per rush on 71 totes over seven games, and he tallied just 25 yards on nine attempts in Week 7 following a Week 6 contest where he didn't log a single carry. With Mostert and Matt Breida clearly more effective options, Morris appears destined for a minimal role or inactive status on most weeks moving forward.

Wide Receiver

Allen Hurns, Cowboys: There was rightfully skepticism about Hurns' ability to serve as the de facto No. 1 receiver in Dallas heading into the season. The fifth-year wideout promptly validated those concerns over his first six games, posting just eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Although he almost topped those numbers in Week 7 alone with a 5-74 line, Hurns could now be set for a downturn in his already modest target share with the arrival of Amari Cooper via trade Monday.

Tight End

Hayden Hurst, Ravens: Hurst's rookie campaign has been a complete washout so far. The first-round pick missed the first four games of the season recovering from a foot injury. Since his Week 5 return, he's brought in just one of five targets for seven yards, as the Ravens' passing game continues to primarily run through the wideout trio of Michael Crabtree, John Brown and Willie Snead. It would stand to reason that the coaching staff will make a concerted effort to get Hurst more involved in coming games, but for the moment, there's not much light at the end of the fantasy tunnel.