Welcome back to the “Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down” series. We will be going over the NFC East below. If you missed the AFC East from last week, click here. Keep in mind, there will be a player whose stock is up and a player whose stock is down from each team in this division. Let’s get started.
Cowboys
Stock Up – Blake Jarwin
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2017 | DAL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2018 | DAL | 16 | 27 | 307 | 11.4 | 3 |
| 2019 | DAL | 16 | 26 | 359 | 11.8 | 3 |
| 2020 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 |
This time last year, Jarwin was valued as a breakout candidate for TEs. His season was cut short due to suffering a torn ACL in Week 1 and missing the remainder of the 2020 campaign. He looks to be back on track entering the 2021 season, and he will more than likely slide back into his starting position over Dalton Schultz.
With Dak Prescott coming back in a loaded Dallas offense, Jarwin could see plenty of opportunities thrown his way. He will compete with the plethora of talented receivers in the offense (CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup), and it might help his stock playing on the same field as them. Keep in mind that Schultz finished with 63 receptions for 615 yards and four touchdowns in place of Jarwin last year.
In 2018, Jarwin finished as the TE26 in PPR leagues and the TE28 in 2019. Expect a big leap if he stays healthy this season. As long as Prescott is his QB, Jarwin should produce top-20 TE numbers in 2021.
Jarwin’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 59 receptions, 624 yards, 4 touchdowns
Stock Down – Dalton Schultz
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | DAL | 11 | 12 | 116 | 9.7 | 0 |
| 2019 | DAL | 16 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | DAL | 16 | 63 | 615 | 9.8 | 4 |
As mentioned above, Schultz filled in nicely once Jarwin went down in Week 1. He served as the starting TE for the remainder of the season, and he finished as the TE11 in PPR leagues. He finished with double-digit PPR points five times, and he even topped 20 PPR points back in Week 2.
Unfortunately for Schultz and his fantasy stock, Jarwin is healthy once again, and he will surely take over as Dallas’ starting TE. Although Schultz put together a promising season, the Cowboys seem all-in on Jarwin.
Keep in mind, if Jarwin does go down with an injury again, Schultz is a solid replacement and fill-in TE in fantasy. In the end, the fourth-year pro will likely be irrelevant in the fantasy world this season.
Schultz’ 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 33 receptions, 351 yards, 2 touchdowns
Eagles
Stock Up – Jalen Hurts
| Year | Team | Games Played | Completion Percentage | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rushing Yards | TDs |
| 2020 | PHI | 15 | 52.0% | 1,061 | 6 | 4 | 354 | 3 |
JALEN HURTS’ STOCK IS RISING EACH AND EVERY DAY! We were unsure how Philadelphia would treat their second-year pro QB entering this past offseason. They were reluctant to name him the starter and Hurts fans simply had to cross their fingers during the NFL Draft. Well, it worked out because the Eagles traded up to select WR Devonta Smith, the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner.
Hurts will now go into the season as the sure starter with a veteran offensive line that added young talent on it as well (Landon Dickerson). He has good TE weapons (Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz), and he is reunited with his former college teammate (Smith). Jalen Reagor is going into his second season, and both Greg Ward and Travis Fulgham will look to make a jump this season as well.
We saw a small sample size of what Hurts could do last season. In four starts, he completed just 52 percent of his passes, but he showed great mobility as he ran for 354 yards and three touchdowns. Before Week 12, he attempted a single pass in three different games. If you take those three games out, Hurts really only played in five games in 2020. From Week 12 to Week 17, he served as the QB15, and he even finished as the QB1 in Week 15. If you stat-out his production in those five weeks to a 17-game season perspective, Hurts would’ve finished with about 3,495 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 903 rushing yards, and 10 touchdowns. Those numbers would’ve placed him as the QB7 in 2020.
Hurts’ 2021 Prediction
Passing: 3,613 yards, 22 touchdowns, 14 interceptions
Rushing: 828 yards, 6 touchdowns
Stock Down – Miles Sanders
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2019 | PHI | 16 | 179 | 818 | 4.6 | 3 | 50 | 509 | 10.2 | 3 |
| 2020 | PHI | 12 | 164 | 867 | 5.3 | 6 | 28 | 197 | 7.0 | 0 |
Sanders’ stock is dropping, and his fantasy value is in a completely opposite situation than last offseason at this time. The third-year pro put together a somewhat disappointing season in 2020. He played in four fewer games than his rookie year, he hardly outproduced his rushing statistics, and he was simply a non-factor as a receiver out of the backfield. In 2019, he finished as the RB15 in PPR leagues compared to the RB23 in 2020.
His regression isn’t even the main reason why his fantasy stock is dropping. Players have sophomore slumps and they recover from them nicely at times. Sanders’ stock is dropping mainly because of the other RBs now on Philadelphia’s roster.
The Eagles had to bring Jordan Howard back in the middle of last season because of Sanders’ play and the number of injuries to their offense. Boston Scott is coming back, a player who simply took away Sanders’ receiving opportunities as he finished with 25 receptions for 212 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles also put in a waiver claim for Kerryon Johnson, and they got him. Johnson is only 23 years old, and he’s two years removed from being Detroit’s workhorse RB. To make matters worse for Sanders, the Eagles drafted possibly the best pass-catching RB in the NFL Draft in Kenneth Gainwell. The incoming rookie caught 51 passes for 610 yards and three touchdowns last season for Memphis University. Expect Sanders’ fantasy value to plummet at some point this season if it hasn’t already.
Sanders’ 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 165 carries, 726 yards, 4 touchdowns
Receiving: 19 receptions, 163 yards
The Washington Football Team
Stock Up – Curtis Samuel
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs |
| 2017 | CAR | 9 | 15 | 115 | 7.7 | 0 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 0 |
| 2018 | CAR | 13 | 39 | 494 | 12.7 | 5 | 8 | 84 | 10.5 | 2 |
| 2019 | CAR | 16 | 54 | 627 | 11.6 | 6 | 19 | 130 | 6.8 | 1 |
| 2020 | CAR | 15 | 77 | 851 | 11.1 | 3 | 41 | 200 | 4.9 | 2 |
If you look at the chart above, you can see that Samuel has improved in each season he has played. He’s a “swiss army knife” who contributes well in the receiving game but also poses a threat as a rusher. He was incorporated in the running game back in 2019 when Ron Rivera was the HC of the Panthers. Now the two are reunited in Washington, and you can already expect Rivera to rely heavily on Samuel this season.
The do-it-all wide-out finished as the WR24 in PPR leagues last season. He put together nine outings of double-digit PPR-point games. He also put together double-digit outings in nine of his last 11 games of the season (four went for more than 20 PPR points). From Week 7 to Week 17, Samuel served as the WR12.
He will now play for a Washington team that lacks receiving talent outside of Terry McLaurin. The other receivers on the roster are: Adam Humphries, Cam Sims, Steven Sims Jr., and rookie Dyami Brown. Logan Thomas is a solid TE, but other than that, there isn’t a lot that will interfere with Samuel’s potential production. He will also play with an upgraded QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick. Expect similar fantasy production we saw from Samuel between Week 7 and Week 17 of last season.
Samuel’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 86 receptions, 980 yards, 5 touchdowns
Rushing: 37 carries, 192 yards, 2 touchdowns
Stock Down – J.D. McKissic
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2016 | SEA | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | SEA | 13 | 46 | 187 | 4.1 | 1 | 34 | 266 | 7.8 | 2 |
| 2018 | SEA | 5 | 3 | 8 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2019 | DET | 16 | 38 | 205 | 5.4 | 0 | 34 | 233 | 6.9 | 1 |
| 2020 | WAS | 16 | 85 | 365 | 4.3 | 1 | 80 | 589 | 7.4 | 3 |
McKissic was a pleasant surprise both in the real world and the fantasy world last season. He wasn’t well known by fantasy managers until 2020 when he finished with 165 offensive touches, 954 scrimmage yards, and four total touchdowns. He quietly finished as the RB17 in PPR leagues last season as well.
As you can see in the chart above, McKissic was heavily utilized in the receiving game for Washington last season. Expect those numbers to drop this season as the team announced that they want to get Antonio Gibson more involved as a pass-catcher. Gibson finished last season with 36 receptions for 247 yards, and he played his college ball as a WR for Memphis University. Many were actually shocked that Washington converted him into an RB last offseason.
With Gibson likely seeing more opportunities as a pass-catcher this upcoming season, McKissic’s fantasy value will decline. Combine Gibson’s increased production with the arrival of Samuel, a WR who sees ample amounts of opportunities in both the receiving and running game, and it’s hard to imagine McKissic replicating his 2020 numbers.
McKissic’s 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 72 carries, 317 yards, 2 touchdowns
Receiving: 41 receptions, 295 yards, 2 touchdowns
Giants
Stock Up – Daniel Jones
| Year | Team | Games Played | Completion Percentage | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rushing Yards | TDs |
| 2019 | NYG | 13 | 61.9% | 3,027 | 24 | 12 | 279 | 2 |
| 2020 | NYG | 14 | 62.5% | 2,943 | 11 | 10 | 423 | 1 |
It’s finally time to see Daniel Jones take the next step as a pro. After a “bumpy” first two seasons in the league, the Giants decided to give Jones every opportunity to succeed. Last season, Jones played most of the year without stand-out RB Saquon Barkley. On top of that, his top pass-catchers were Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard, and Darius Slayton.
Barkley is now coming back, an RB who has dominated as a pass-catcher out of the backfield when on the field. The Giants also signed Kenny Golladay, John Ross, and Kyle Rudolph to solidify both the WR and TE rooms. Engram, Shepard, and Slayton are also back. And with their first-round selection in this year’s draft, they decided to pick speedy WR Kadarius Toney out of Florida University.
Jones finished as the QB24 last season. With the plethora of talent in New York’s offense, he will likely succeed. Even if he doesn’t, it’s hard to imagine that his fantasy production won’t increase in 2021. Expect Jones to at least finish inside the top-20 amongst QBs this season.
Jones’ 2021 Prediction
Passing: 3,821 yards, 27 touchdowns, 13 interceptions
Rushing: 431 yards, 4 touchdowns
Stock Down – Sterling Shepard
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2016 | NYG | 16 | 65 | 683 | 10.5 | 8 |
| 2017 | NYG | 11 | 59 | 731 | 12.4 | 2 |
| 2018 | NYG | 16 | 66 | 872 | 13.2 | 4 |
| 2019 | NYG | 10 | 57 | 576 | 10.1 | 3 |
| 2020 | NYG | 12 | 66 | 656 | 9.9 | 3 |
It’s almost a toss-up between Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton on whose fantasy stock is dropping the most. The reason why Slayton has a slight edge over Shepard is because of his durability. Shepard has played just two full seasons in his five years in the league. During that span, he has missed 15 career games.
The main reason why Shepard’s fantasy value is dropping is because of all of the offseason acquisitions New York made. As mentioned above, they signed Golladay, Ross, and Rudolph, and they also drafted Toney. Add that with the fact that a healthy Barkley will demand receiving opportunities out of the backfield, and now there’s simply not enough to go around.
Shepard has finished outside of the top-40 WRs two seasons in a row, and he might be headed for a third. Expect his targets and receptions to decrease this season, and his fantasy value is no longer intriguing.
Shepard’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 54 receptions, 531 yards, 3 touchdowns
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