When a new week in the NFL takes places, players see different salaries. Sometimes they rise, sometimes they fall.
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Notable Salary Risers/Fallers
| Name | Week 15 Salary | Week 16 Salary | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Week 15 Salary | Week 16 Salary | Difference |
| Le'Veon Bell | $4,200 | $5,800 | $1,600 |
| Tony Pollard | $5,200 | $6,500 | $1,300 |
| Jalen Hurts | $5,900 | $7,000 | $1,100 |
| David Johnson | $5,100 | $6,100 | $1,000 |
| Greg Ward | $3,000 | $4,000 | $1,000 |
| Ryan Griffin | $4,000 | $2,500 | -$1,500 |
| Rams | $4,500 | $3,100 | -$1,400 |
| DK Metcalf | $8,600 | $7,800 | -$800 |
| Amari Cooper | $6,400 | $5,700 | -$700 |
Jonathan Taylor ($7,200), Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
Week 14 Salary: $5,800 ($1,400 increase)
No surprise to see Taylor take a massive jump up in his salary, as he produced his best game of his rookie campaign against the Raiders. Carrying the ball 20 times, Taylor went for 150 yards and two touchdowns while also adding two catches for 15 yards, which in total gave him 33.5 DKFP. That fantasy output was the third-highest overall on the week and second amongst running backs, trailing only Derrick Henry at 39.2 DKFP. After this game Taylor now has at least 114 scrimmage yards in three-straight games and has an excellent opportunity to make that happen again against the Texans.
Every time an opposing team runs against the Texans, I don’t understand what their defensive line does. Do they practice during the week? Do they try? What do they, really? On the season, this group of gentlemen have allowed an average of 33 DKFP, 137 rushing and 45 receiving yards to opposing backs. It’s honestly a bit absurd. Now they have to deal with Taylor, who has accounted for an average of 38.4% of the total touches in his last three games. He has only three other running backs more expensive than him in Week 15 and quite honestly, Taylor is going to be my favorite to roster this week, even WITH Henry going against another putrid run defense in the Lions. Taylor is a can’t miss play in Week 15 and it’s not a question.
Brandon Aiyuk ($6,300), San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys
Week 14 Salary: $5,400 ($900 increase)
Another rookie making a major impact late in the year has been Aiyuk for the Niners. Despite missing a couple of games due to the dreaded COVID/Reserve list, he’s been a monster when he’s been active, especially since Week 7. In five games, Aiyuk is averaging 21.74 DKFP with three touchdowns scored and no less than 75 receiving yards. With the news that Deebo Samuel (hamstring) will once again miss some time, Aiyuk should easily continue that trend in a very favorable matchup against the Cowboys.
In games where Samuel has been sidelined, Aiyuk has averaged a 26.5% target share, which is a nice jump from the 17.7% he averages overall. He primarily plays wide left, as he’s done on 48% of his snaps, but he also does go into the slot, doing so 20% of his snaps. Lining up on the left would match him up against CB Rashard Robinson, who has only been active since the beginning of Week 11 and has been targeted against 13 times, allowing 10 receptions for an average of 9.1 YPR and two touchdowns scored. In a game that could oddly become a high-scoring affair, in my opinion, Aiyuk is in a fantastic spot to produce for a sixth-straight week.
Jamison Crowder ($4,400), New York Jets at Los Angeles Rams
Week 14 Salary: $5,400 ($1,000 decrease)
Seeing one of the biggest drops this week is (or was) the top target in the Jets offense. Granted, he clearly was playing last week’s game at less than 100% as he was dealing with a calf injury (and playing for the Jets). Crowder drew five targets in the 40-3 blowout loss, making only two catches for seven yards and 2.7 DKFP. With this performance under his belt and seeing less than double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four games, Crowder falls to a season-low $4.4K.
Is this a good buy-low opportunity? I mean, this is still a receiver who is averaging 7.6 targets per game, went over 100 receiving yards in three-straight games and has the highest red zone target share at 29%.
While the salary is great and all, the matchup is far from it. As the Jets’ primary slot receiver, he’ll draw CB Troy Hill in coverage, who has allowed been targeted against 78 times, allowing 53 receptions (68% catch rate) for an average of 9.4 YPR and only one touchdown. Even before that, though, we have to worry about how efficient Sam Darnold ($4,800) can be against one of the best pass rushing teams in the league. For a quarterback that’s been under pressure on 34% of his drop backs — resulting in a 67.1% adjusted completion percentage and 5.5 yards per pass attempt — the matchup is simply a poor one.
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