Roundtable: Performers on the Rise? Or False Alarm?

Fantasy performers can emerge down the stretch after GMs labeled them too early. This might include Rachaad White, Bo Nix, and Ladd McConkey. This trio is a part of seven other declining performers we're discussing this week.

Welcome to Week 12 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

• Rebound or Regroup? Declining Performers
• Tommy DeVito's Potential
• Performers on the Rise? Or False Alarm? (see below)
• Would You Rather...

Let's roll

Performers on the Rise? Or False Alarm?

Matt Waldman: These seven players have delivered increased weekly production since Week 7. 

• Ladd McConkey: WR18 but WR8 since Week 7
• Khalil Shakir: WR19 but WR12 since Week 7
• A.J. Brown: WR29 but WR17 since Week 7
• Joe Mixon RB18 but RB9 since Week 7
• Rachaad White RB23 but RB13 since Week 7
• Bo Nix QB7 but QB4 since Week 7
• Drake Maye QB26 but QB12 since Week 7

Pick the two most likely to continue their rise for fantasy GMs. Pick the two least likely to sustain their value since Week 7. 

Believe the Bump

Andy Hicks: A.J. Brown missed a significant chunk of the season and hasn’t had a touchdown since Week 7. Brown was a consensus elite receiver heading into the season. His skills aren't remotely in decline, and his surrounding talent is healthy.

Brown should transcend his WR17 ranking because the Eagles' offense is beginning to click. Brown just needs a few touchdowns to make this prediction one of the easiest we will ever have.  

Jeff Bell: Brown is the easy choice. We have a sustained record of elite play over six seasons. We know who Brown is, and it is not WR29.  

Joseph Haggan: Brown will keep rising. He is one of the top receivers in the league. His health held him back early in the season, but he has still had some big output games. Brown scored in his first three games of the season. Keeping him out of the endzone will be tough, and he should continue his rise up the rankings. 

Joe Mixon should continue to rise, and I would not be surprised with a top-5 finish on the season. He has 20 or more carries in five consecutive games and 100 rushing yards or more in all but two games this season.

He has only failed to hit paydirt in just one game this season. The one thing that held him back early in the year was availability and a lack of passing game volume.

Bell: Mixon was injured early in the season. Watching his three touchdowns against the Cowboys, Mixon moved like he has rarely moved. He has played the season motivated by the trade from Cincinnati, and it will continue.  

Sam Wagman: Joe Mixon continues to be one of the best stories of this NFL season. He has been an incredibly strong weapon for the Texans during their stretch without Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins. 

He is a top-three back by PPG since returning from injury. However, does Mixon's schedule spell trouble since he doesn't catch many passes? Games against the Chiefs and Ravens in the fantasy playoffs could spell doom for the veteran RB. 

Haggan: Mixon has 44 receiving yards in each of the past two games. I'm not so concerned, Sam. Mixon is the focal point of this offense and will continue to be.

Hicks: Mixon is having the best year of his career. He is likely to smash career yardage and touchdown numbers and is on a real purple patch of form.

Mixon has 9 touchdowns in his last six appearances and 100 yards rushing in five of those six games. With C.J. Stroud not quite at his best, it is easy for the Texans to lean on Mixon. The Titans and Jaguars are next up and are a dream matchup for a player in great form. 

Ryan Weisse: Mixon's season-long ranking is an aberration because he missed three games due to injury. When he is on the field, Mixon might be the best running back in fantasy this season. He is the definition of a bell-cow back, as no other running back on the team has more than 25 carries in 11 games.

The Texans are content to give him the ball 20-25 times per game, and he is doing wonders with that work. Not only will he sustain his new ranking, but Mixon will likely continue to climb as the season goes on. 

Jeff Haseley: Mixon has been a consistent force in the Texans offense, and I don't feel like that will change anytime soon, especially because he can be utilized as a receiving threat if and when the game script calls for it. He's a set-it-and-forget-it weekly start with no signs of letting up. 

Rachaad White's versatile skill set elevates his game. He can produce as a rusher and receiver, making him a player the Buccaneers should target regardless of the game situation.

As a result, his fantasy value has more stability. The Buccaneers also have a favorable schedule with only one difficult matchup (Week 15 at the LA Chargers). The other games include two against Carolina, the Giants, Las Vegas, and New Orleans. 

Weisse: Ladd McConkey has become a favorite for Justin Herbert, and the Chargers are throwing the ball more than most thought they would. He's been on a steady pace of six targets and four catches per game this entire season.

Early in the year, he was buried in the rankings by others having boom games, but slow and steady wins the race. He can still score touchdowns, though Quentin Johnston is stealing those right now, but McConkey does not need to score to remain relevant in PPR scoring. Any touchdowns moving forward are the icing on the cake. 

Wagman: Both Khalil Shakir and Drake Maye are players I could see retaining their value. Shakir has become the Bills' de facto WR1 despite the emergence of Keon Coleman and the arrival of Amari Cooper. Both have been out with injuries, but Shakir has been more consistent with targets even when healthy.

Maye has been a pleasant surprise despite the notable issues of the NE offensive line; he seems to be performing well. His work as a runner boosts his fantasy capabilities.