Welcome back to the “Fantasy Stock Up, Stock Down” series. This week’s coverage will be all about the NFC West. You can find breakdowns on the AFC East, the NFC East, the AFC South, the NFC South, and the AFC West divisions here at DFF as well. 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 rolling.
CARDINALS
STOCK UP – CHASE EDMONDS
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | ARI | 16 | 60 | 208 | 3.5 | 2 | 20 | 103 | 5.2 | 0 |
| 2019 | ARI | 13 | 60 | 303 | 5.1 | 4 | 12 | 105 | 8.8 | 1 |
| 2020 | ARI | 16 | 97 | 448 | 4.6 | 1 | 53 | 402 | 7.6 | 4 |
The elite receiving back has a chance at winning the starting role before the season begins in September. After a couple of decent seasons in his first two years, Edmonds broke out and became very fantasy-relevant in 2020. Not only did he finish as the RB25 in PPR leagues, but he also eclipsed the 50 reception mark and received 37 more carries than the season prior. He also achieved all of this while playing primarily as Kenyan Drake’s back-up last season.
Going into this season, Edmonds will have to battle James Conner for touches in Arizona’s talented offense. Although you can make the argument that Conner will likely receive more carries, Edmonds will surely produce more as a receiving back out of the backfield. Let’s rewind for a second though. We don’t know if Conner will receive the bulk of carries in this offense. After an abysmal season last year in Pittsburgh, it’s hard telling if he will be a sure starting RB in this league ever again.
Edmonds may not produce a ton on the ground, but his skill set as a pass-catcher makes his fantasy stock very enticing. Don’t be surprised if he out-touches Conner all season and becomes the team’s lead back at some point. Because he owns a 4.8 yards per carry average throughout the past two seasons, it’s going to be hard for Arizona to keep the ball out of his hands.
Edmonds’ 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 141 carries, 635 yards, 4 touchdowns
Receiving: 58 receptions, 481 yards, 3 touchdowns
STOCK DOWN – ANDY ISABELLA
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2019 | ARI | 15 | 9 | 189 | 21.0 | 1 |
| 2020 | ARI | 13 | 21 | 224 | 10.7 | 2 |
Last season, you could make a case for Isabella as a viable dynasty player you must keep on your roster. Through 28 career games, he has only produced three games of over 50 receiving yards, and he has yet to top 100 in a single game. Now after two underwhelming seasons, A.J. Green signing this offseason, and the team drafting Rondale Moore out of Purdue, it’s hard to believe Isabella having much of an impact this season, or in future seasons.
When you look at Arizona’s depth chart, you find players like Green, DeAndre Hopkins, and Christina Kirk ahead of Isabella. It’s not even a sure thing that he will outproduce Moore. To make matters even worse, both RBs on this team, James Conner and Chase Edmonds, are very talented receivers out of the backfield. If you really sit down and think about it, there’s a real possibility that Isabella finishes as the seventh leading receiver on the team.
The third-year pro’s ceiling is still high as a WR in this league. It just may be in jeopardy right now because of the team he’s on. Hopkins and Moore are under contract until at least 2025. Both Green and Kirk will be potential free agents after this season, and once they do hit the market, Isabella will be in the final year of his rookie deal. Although it may hurt, it might be time to look for a trade partner for the 24-year-old receiver.
Isabella’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 14 receptions, 196 yards, 1 touchdown
49ERS
STOCK UP – TREY SERMON
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2017 | Oklahoma | 13 | 121 | 744 | 6.1 | 5 | 16 | 139 | 8.7 | 2 |
| 2018 | Oklahoma | 14 | 164 | 947 | 5.8 | 13 | 12 | 181 | 15.1 | 0 |
| 2019 | Oklahoma | 10 | 54 | 385 | 7.1 | 4 | 8 | 71 | 8.9 | 1 |
| 2020 | Ohio St. | 8 | 116 | 870 | 7.5 | 4 | 12 | 95 | 7.9 | 0 |
With the injury bug attacking San Francisco as a team in recent seasons, the rookie RB could find opportunities sooner than later. Jeff Wilson has already been struck with bad luck this offseason with a torn meniscus. Raheem Mostert is penciled in as the team’s starter for now, and he has played in all 16 games once in his seven years in the league. San Francisco also brought in Wayne Gallman from free agency this offseason, an RB who has never played in all 16 games and only holds 14 career starts under his belt in four seasons.
In comes the rookie out of Ohio State, Trey Sermon. He was drafted out of the third round in this year’s NFL Draft, and he may find a steady role in this offense. Although he isn’t known as an elite pass-catcher, it wouldn’t be surprising if he turned into one. Right now, there are the three other RBs that will battle with him for playing time, but if he could find a way to become a threat in the receiving game, there’s no doubt that he will take more snaps than both Gallman and Wilson.
There’s a reason why San Francisco drafted the 22-year old. The reason isn’t for him to play a ton on special teams and watch the others line up in the offense. He brings a dynamic skill set that will eventually set him apart from the others. There is a clear path for him to become the team’s starter, if healthy. It may not happen this season, but with Mostert, Gallman, and Wilson set to hit free agency next offseason, it ensures Sermon’s fantasy stock is rising even more.
Sermon’s 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 125 carries, 567 yards, 4 touchdowns
Receiving: 20 receptions, 166 yards, 1 touchdown
STOCK DOWN – RAHEEM MOSTERT
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2015 | CLE/MIA/ BAL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | CHI/SF | 3 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | SF | 11 | 6 | 30 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2018 | SF | 9 | 34 | 261 | 7.7 | 1 | 6 | 25 | 4.2 | 0 |
| 2019 | SF | 16 | 137 | 772 | 5.6 | 8 | 14 | 180 | 12.9 | 2 |
| 2020 | SF | 8 | 104 | 521 | 5.0 | 2 | 16 | 156 | 9.8 | 1 |
Now entering his seventh season in the league, Mostert’s future is at risk. He is entering a contract year, and San Francisco decided to sign Wayne Gallman in free agency and draft both Trey Sermon and Elijah Mitchell in this year’s NFL Draft. It does help that San Francisco is known as a running team, who utilizes multiple backs in their scheme, but there are too many weapons surrounding Mostert in their RB room for him to be a safe bet in fantasy.
If you’re looking to trade Mostert, you might’ve already missed your window. Sure, he is a starting RB in this league, but signs are indicating that it won’t be for long. For starters, he’s entering his eighth season in the league at 29 years old. The average age of a current NFL RB is just over 28. He’s also battled injuries throughout his career. Last season alone, he missed eight games and was placed on the IR two separate times.
Don’t be fooled, Mostert will likely start the season as San Francisco’s starting RB. He might be held on a short leash though. Expect him to be the team’s starter as long as he’s healthy, but if the 49ers start losing a lot towards the beginning of the season, the team may shift over and hand the reins to one of their younger RBs on the team.
Mostert’s 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 84 carries, 302 yards, 2 touchdowns
Receiving: 9 receptions, 61 yards
RAMS
STOCK UP – MATTHEW STAFFORD
| Year | Team | Games Played | Completion Percentage | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rushing Yards | TDs |
| 2009 | DET | 10 | 53.3% | 2,267 | 13 | 20 | 108 | 2 |
| 2010 | DET | 3 | 59.4% | 535 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 2011 | DET | 16 | 63.5% | 5,038 | 41 | 16 | 78 | 0 |
| 2012 | DET | 16 | 59.8% | 4,967 | 20 | 17 | 126 | 4 |
| 2013 | DET | 16 | 58.5% | 4,650 | 29 | 19 | 69 | 2 |
| 2014 | DET | 16 | 60.3% | 4,257 | 22 | 12 | 93 | 2 |
| 2015 | DET | 16 | 67.2% | 4,262 | 32 | 13 | 159 | 1 |
| 2016 | DET | 16 | 65.3% | 4,327 | 24 | 10 | 207 | 2 |
| 2017 | DET | 16 | 65.7% | 4,446 | 29 | 10 | 98 | 0 |
| 2018 | DET | 16 | 66.1% | 3,777 | 21 | 11 | 71 | 0 |
| 2019 | DET | 8 | 64.3% | 2,499 | 19 | 5 | 66 | 0 |
| 2020 | DET | 16 | 64.2% | 4,084 | 26 | 10 | 112 | 0 |
There hasn’t been an offseason with this much hype surrounding the veteran signal-caller since Detroit last went to the playoffs in 2016. Although he has battled injuries the past few seasons, Stafford has played a full season in nine out of the last 10 seasons. He has an impressive fantasy resume as far as consistency goes, but he’s never really been a top-tier fantasy QB.
Last season, the 12-year veteran finished the season as the QB15. In 2019, he played the first eight games of the season, and he served as the QB6 before he missed the remainder of the year. He also finished inside the top-10 amongst fantasy QBs five times between 2012 and 2017. It’s not like we are far off from a consistent QB option for your fantasy team(s).
Now, Stafford will join an exhilarating offense that features viable weapons on the outside in Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and DeSean Jackson. He also comes into L.A. with a new security blanket in Tyler Higbee at TE and one of the best play-callers in the game in Sean McVay. Stafford’s HC has been raving about how excited he is to have him on the team so much that he had to publicly apologize to Jared Goff, his former starting QB. If Stafford stays healthy, he could easily serve as a QB1 in fantasy for the next few seasons.
Unfortunately, Cam Akers was lost for the season this week due to a torn Achilles so stay tuned as to what LA does with their RB room.
Stafford’s 2021 Prediction
Passing: 4,516 yards, 26 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
Rushing: 26 carries, 101 yards
STOCK DOWN – VAN JEFFERSON
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2020 | LAR | 16 | 19 | 220 | 11.6 | 1 |
There was a ton of buzz surrounding Jefferson last offseason, but now he will have more competition surrounding him in Los Angeles. Although the team’s third-leading receiver from last season, Josh Reynolds, left in free agency, the team decided to sign veteran DeSean Jackson and draft speedster Tutu Atwell 57th overall in this year’s NFL Draft.
Jefferson still has a chance to prove himself in McVay’s pass-happy offense, but he has stiff competition surrounding him. Not only is the WR room loaded with playmakers, but Tyler Higbee will also demand a ton of attention as the team’s starting TE.
The second-year-pro will likely have a small role in the Rams’ offense in 2021. Don’t expect him to have much fantasy stock this season, or in the foreseeable future, with this team. To make matters even worse for Jefferson, L.A. also drafted Ben Skowronek out of Notre Dame, which should indicate that the team didn’t love their depth at the WR position last season. You can expect more production from the second-year pro in 2021, but not by much.
Jefferson’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 26 receptions, 281 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns
SEAHAWKS
STOCK UP – GERALD EVERETT
| Year | Team | Games Played | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2017 | LAR | 16 | 16 | 244 | 15.3 | 2 |
| 2018 | LAR | 16 | 33 | 320 | 9.7 | 3 |
| 2019 | LAR | 13 | 37 | 408 | 11.0 | 2 |
| 2020 | LAR | 16 | 41 | 417 | 10.2 | 1 |
After splitting time with Tyler Higbee the past few years for the Rams, Everett will get his shot as the Seahawks’ clear starting TE. He will likely compete with Will Dissly for the job, but considering his experience and success at the pro level, it’s hard to imagine him not winning it. He was signed to a one-year $6M contract, and he’s surely an upgrade over a then 35-year-old Greg Olsen from last season.
If you look above at his career chart, Everett has been a steady TE in this league since he arrived in 2017. He has finished as the TE26 and TE24 the past two seasons, respectively. Expect a better finish this season in a pass-first Seattle offense. Last season alone, Russell Wilson completed 75 passes for 715 yards and six touchdowns to the TE position.
With 17 games played this season, expect Everett to top the 50 reception mark. If the team stays healthy, both Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf will finish with better-receiving numbers than Everett, but he has a shot at becoming Wilson’s third-leading receiver in 2021. The likes of Freddy Swain, D’Wayne Eskridge, Penny Hart, and Cade Johnson shouldn’t eat away from his targets all that much. If Everett puts together a solid season, he could be due for a long-term contract, and it may be with Seattle.
Everett’s 2021 Prediction
Receiving: 51 receptions, 479 yards, 4 touchdowns
STOCK DOWN – RASHAAD PENNY
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | SEA | 14 | 85 | 419 | 4.9 | 2 | 9 | 75 | 8.3 | 0 |
| 2019 | SEA | 10 | 65 | 370 | 5.7 | 3 | 8 | 83 | 10.4 | 1 |
| 2020 | SEA | 3 | 11 | 34 | 3.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
Coming into the league, the expectation was that Penny would eventually take over as Seattle’s starting RB. Riddled by injuries, the three-year pro’s opportunities are now dwindling. How many chances should a player get? He has gone down with serious injuries three seasons in a row. Penny has also only played in 27 out of 48 games in three seasons.
Chris Carson is still the team’s starter at RB. Penny should be his sure back-up, but Travis Homer and DeeJay Dallas saw the field a lot last season when Penny was nursing injuries. He clearly has a higher ceiling than both Homer and Dallas, but once someone has suffered as many setbacks as Penny has throughout his short career, it’s hard to imagine he will outproduce them extensively this season.
This is the 25-year-old’s last year on his rookie deal. Unless he puts together an amazing season out of nowhere and takes the starting role away from Carson, Seattle will more than likely move on. His market will also be slim because of his health. At this point, his dynasty value has almost decimated completely. Don’t expect big things from him this season, and don’t expect much from him in the future either.
Penny’s 2021 Prediction
Rushing: 82 carries, 405 yards, 2 touchdowns
Receiving: 11 receptions, 95 yards
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