NFL Barometer: Boyd In the Bullseye

November is already upon us, and as is often the case at this point of the NFL season, a combination of key injuries and unexpected breakouts or downturns are affecting the fantasy realm. There's plenty on all fronts this week, including one out-of-nowhere quarterback development. Without further ado, let's examine who improved or hurt their fantasy stock this past week.

Trending Up

Quarterback

Nick Mullens, 49ers: No one could have seen this coming just one short week ago. Mullens parlayed a spot start – his first ever NFL start, after he spent all of last season on the 49ers' practice squad – in place of C.J. Beathard last Thursday into a 262-yard, three-touchdown performance versus the Raiders last Thursday, one in which he connected on four passes of over 20 yards, including two over 40. That performance earned him a Week 10 start against the Giants, and although the top job could easily revert back to Beathard with a couple of middling performances from Mullens, his surprise elevation gives him fantasy viability for the time being.

Running Back

Elijah McGuire, Jets: McGuire finally saw the field in Week 9 after missing the first eight games with a foot injury. The results against the Dolphins were serviceable – seven carries for 30 yards and three receptions (on five targets) for 37 yards – but it's the potential for an expanded role in the coming weeks that has McGuire trending in the right direction. With Bilal Powell out for the season, McGuire's pass-catching prowess is especially valuable, and he should see a fair amount of opportunities on the ground as well with Isaiah Crowell generating only average production in recent weeks.

Aaron Jones, Packers: Jones makes a return to this space based on the boost in touches he's enjoyed over the last two games, as well as his continually strong production. The second-year back has now logged double-digit rush attempts in consecutive games for the first time this season, as head coach Mike McCarthy finally appears set to allow Jones to helm the backfield. Moreover, the season-high 43 snaps that Jones saw against the Patriots on Sunday night also led to a new high-water mark of four targets, a trend that would only help supplement Jones' fantasy production if it persists.

Dalvin Cook, Vikings: Cook picked a rather curious time to enjoy his first "breakout" effort of the campaign, as it unfolded in his first game since Week 4, one in which he was supposed to play on a limited allotment of snaps. Cook did log a modest 28 plays from scrimmage, but he showed a burst that hadn't really been there all season with a 70-yard run versus the Lions. Also encouraging was his involvement in the passing game, with Cook seeing four targets. Assuming he emerged from the contest without setbacks, Cook should be set for a progressive increase in rushing touches following the Vikings' Week 10 bye.

Duke Johnson, Browns: We'll have to see if his Week 9 usage under new offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens persists, but for at least one week, it appears Johnson is finally set to be a legitimate, consistent part of the Browns offense. The 2015 third-round pick secured each of his season-high nine targets for 78 yards and a pair of scores, and given his past body of work, those numbers are certainly no fluke. On a team with a rather thin and unproven receiving corps beyond Jarvis Landry, Johnson could be set for plenty of work in the air attack moving forward.

Wide Receiver

Tyler Boyd / John Ross, Bengals: A.J. Green is set to miss at least two games with his toe injury, and the possibility clearly exists for a longer absence. That sets up very well for both Boyd and Ross, who will have to helm the Bengals receiving corps for the next pair of contests at minimum. Boyd has already been enjoying an excellent third season, posting a career-high receiving yardage figure (620) and checking in just five receptions away from equaling the career-best 54 catches he posted in his rookie 2016 campaign. Meanwhile, Ross has been hampered by a groin injury since Week 4, but he appears set for a return in Week 10 against the Saints. The second-year receiver is short on track record but long on elite speed, which, when combined with what should be a sizable increase in opportunity, could lead to strong fantasy production.

Adam Humphries, Buccaneers: The Bucs are one of the most pass-happy offenses in the NFL, and it's likely only partly by design on many weeks. The team's porous defense is often responsible for deficits that force the air attack to remain highly aggressive, meaning that there's often a solid number of targets to go around despite there being numerous mouths to feed in the offense. Humphries has been one of the beneficiaries in the last two games, posting 15 receptions (on 18 targets) for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns during that span. Given his sure hands and modest average depth of target (5.6 yards), Humphries is most valued in PPR formats, although his current 7.6 yards per target and 10.8 yards per catch both serve as career highs.

Tyrell Williams, Chargers: Williams' typically modest target share always makes him a bit of an unpredictable week-to-week fantasy play, but there aren't too many other players who've been more efficient on a per-touch basis in recent weeks. The speedster has found the end zone on four occasions overall in the last three games over just nine receptions, scoring at least once in each contest during that stretch. Keenan Allen, Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler will continue to soak up a bulk of the looks from Philip Rivers on most weeks in Los Angeles, but Williams' usage downfield (average depth of target of 15.4 yards) continues to afford him plenty of upside.

Maurice Harris / Josh Doctson, Redskins: Harris and Doctson both stand to benefit from the decision to shut down Paul Richardson for the season, as they'll momentarily helm the Redskins receiver corps with Jamison Crowder still sidelined. Doctson in particular provides the downfield dimension that Richardson brought to the table. Meanwhile, Harris has proven capable of making plenty of tough catches in the short-to-medium passing windows, as evidenced by a 10-124-1 line against the Falcons in Week 9. Even when Crowder returns, both players should continue to enjoy increased roles in the passing game.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Packers: Geronimo Allison will miss the next six weeks following core muscle surgery, which will open the door for the rookie to continue making a strong impression. Valdes-Scantling racked up 101 receiving yards on only three receptions in Sunday night's loss to the Patriots, the second time he's hit the century mark over the last three games. While Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Jimmy Graham will naturally continue to enjoy a robust share of targets as well, MVS' big-play upside is one that no other pass-catcher on the team can currently match. An extended run as the No. 3 receiver should offer a significant boost to his production.

Tight End

Jeff Heuerman, Broncos: The Broncos' tight end position continues to be somewhat in flux, but Heuerman, who has three seasons of experience in the offense, may be stepping to the forefront. He posted career highs in receptions (10) and receiving yardage (83) in Sunday's loss to the Texans, and he'd also managed three- and four-reception tallies earlier in the season. With Heuerman's snap count steady (between 47 and 63 plays from scrimmage in the last six games) and an increasing rapport with quarterback Case Keenum, he's moving in the right direction fantasy-wise.

Trending Down

Quarterback

C.J. Beathard, 49ers: It remains to be seen if Beathard has truly been Wally Pipped by rookie Nick Mullens, but for at least Week 10, he'll take a seat behind the latter and serve as the backup quarterback. A wrist injury initially opened the door for Mullens to start last Thursday's win over the Raiders, and given his impressively unflappable demeanor in his first NFL start and the production he generated, Mullens could be in for a multi-game opportunity with the top job.

Running Back

LeGarrette Blount, Lions: Blount has now logged just eight total carries over the last two games, leading to a meager 11 rushing yards. Moreover, he's seen just 18 snaps combined during that time and zero red-zone opportunities, while backfield mate Kerryon Johnson has been in on 87 plays from scrimmage and notched 20 totes during that same span. Game flow has played a part in capping the opportunities of both players to an extent, but the disparity between the snap counts of both tells the tale of who the clear top option in the Detroit ground attack is.

Javorius Allen, Ravens: Allen gained some formidable competition for the pass-catching role at the trade deadline in the form of Ty Montgomery. He'd also been seeing his rushing opportunities decline for several games before that development, as he's logged just five combined carries over the last four games. Montgomery wasn't active for the Week 9 loss to the Steelers, but he'll presumably start to eat into Allen's touches following the team's Week 10 bye.

Wide Receiver

Michael Crabtree / John Brown, Ravens: Another pair of Ravens currently heading in the wrong direction are the receiving duo of Crabtree and Brown, who've each seen a drop in production over the last couple of games. Crabtree had just six receptions for 63 yards combined in Weeks 8 and 9 despite playing his usual complement of snaps. His targets dipped under six in Week 8 for the first time all season; as well, he's only received one look in the red zone in the last three games overall.

Brown has been under 30 receiving yards in three of his past four games, and he's tallied between 2.5 to 4.1 yards per target in three of the last five contests overall. Those numbers are in stark contrast to his strong start, when he posted between 86 and 116 yards in Weeks 2-4, and between 9.2 and 16.6 yards per target while scoring three times in the first four games of the season. In comparison, he's only found the end zone once since Week 4.

A.J. Green, Bengals: Injury earns Green this designation, as he's slated to miss at least the next two games with his problematic toe. Given the location of the injury, it's something that could clearly hamper him even if he does return at some point this season, making his overall outlook somewhat bleak at present.

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski, Patriots: This is a rare designation for the All-Pro tight end, but he's earned it after struggling with both performance and injury for most of the season. Gronk missed two of the last three games with ankle and back issues, and he's been over 100 yards just once on the campaign. He's been solid but unspectacular in the majority of his other contests, generating production befitting of an above-average tight end, but not one of the caliber Gronkowski's proven to be over his career. Additionally, it's worth noting that Tom Brady may have found his most reliable and potent downfield threat in years in Josh Gordon, who's increasingly carving out a role in the offense with his strong play. That could certainly affect Gronkowski's opportunities for big chunk plays whenever he does return.