Three Up, Three Down: Week 12

Photo: Kim Klement, USA Today Sports

As the season progresses, players have mostly shown us who they are. But injuries and changing roles leave a handful of players trending up and down as we approach fantasy football's playoffs.

Three Up

QB Tommy Devito, New York Giants

Regarding fantasy relevance, Tommy Devito shouldn't even be in consideration for a roster spot outside of two-quarterback and superflex leagues. But his performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 11 shouldn't be ignored. And Devito could make for an intriguing spot start in the immediate future with the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers on deck. Devito joined Josh Allen and Brock Purdy as the only other quarterbacks to sling three touchdowns in Week 11 and did so on an impressive 246 passing yards. Devito's 137.7 passer rating was third-best on the week. But the best thing about Devito's outing was that it resuscitated life into Saquon Barkley's value. Not only did Barkley finish as the week's RB1 in scoring, but it was the best fantasy outing he's had since the 2019 season. Barkley tied his season-high in targets but had his best receiving output by far. Devito has improved his fantasy output in every start this year, finishing as Week 11's QB7. While many expected Devito to help the Giants acquire this year's first overall pick in the 2024 draft, he's been a surprise and is worth a stash in multi-quarterback fantasy leagues.

RB Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers

Ceremoniously named the Week 10 starter, Jaylen Warren is doing everything he can to put Najee Harris out of a job. Warren currently ranks first in the league in yards per carry, explosive run rate, missed tackles forced per attempt, and yards after contact per attempt. He's watched his opportunities grow over the last few weeks and looks fantastic with his extra touches. After averaging just 6.4 carries per game through Week 8, Warren has seen 11.7 during the last three weeks. He's turned that into 106 rushing yards per game, including an electrifying 74-yard scamper in Week 11. Najee Harris hasn't been terrible, but Warren has been too good to ignore. He's the RB3 in scoring over the last three games. Expect to see the usage scales continue to tip in Warren's favor as he makes for a plug-and-play RB2 with immense upside in any matchup.

WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans

Nico Collins was the wide receiver to roster at the start of the season, but Tank Dell has taken over. As an undersized third-round rookie, many pundits were concerned about his transition into the NFL. Preseason flashes quickly proved that he was ready for the big lights, and he's been on a tear this season. He's PPR's WR16 on the year and has already eclipsed the 20-point mark in four of his nine games. Over the last three weeks, only CeeDee Lamb, Keenan Allen, and Amon-Ra St. Brown are averaging more than Dell's 25.8 PPR points per game. Nico Collins is still drawing the first reads in the offense, but Dell's downfield abilities and big-play upside make him the more valuable fantasy asset. He's averaging 16.4 points to Collins' 15.2 and trending up. His recent play puts him in the weekly WR1 consideration.