Fantasy Football Wrap: Marshall Law

Sunday Evening Wrap checks out players who increased or decreased their value during the Sunday afternoon games.

Riser of the Week: It's pretty evident the only person Kyle Orton trusts in his offense is Brandon Marshall. Orton found Marshall 21 times (to set an NFL record in single-game receptions) for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Orton only completed eight other passes all game and many of his incomplete passes were directed (read: forced) in Marshall's direction. Orton attempted 41 passes and targeted Marshall a whopping 28 times. I'm honestly not sure I've ever seen a quarterback so locked on one particular receiver.

The Broncos face the Raiders next week, which means Nnamdi Asomugha, but Marshall had five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown last time against Oakland. Plus, he's in a much better groove now. He was superb both before and after the catch Sunday, so there's absolutely no reason to even think about sitting him next week. Marshall is a WR1 again.

Faller of the Week: Tom Brady threw for over 300 yards in five straight games. During that stretch he tossed 14 touchdown passes and four interceptions. Last week, despite the loss and two interceptions, he came through with 352 yards and two touchdown passes. So he still seemed a pretty safe start in your playoffs -- after all, now is not the time to get cute and plug in a Bruce Gradkowski over your weekly starter. Instead, the threw for just 192 yards and one touchdown. He also threw a pick. Needless to say, it was a hugely disappointing outing for someone who was drafted as an elite-level quarterback.

It's worth noting the Patriots were facing a Panthers' defense that was ranked sixth against the pass and 26th against the run. So the Patriots just took what was given to them. The scary thing about that is the Patriots face a similarly assembled Bills team next week -- only more extreme. The Bills rank dead-last in run defense and fourth in pass defense. Definitely something to scare us when it comes to starting Brady in the semifinals.

Other Shifts in Value

Jets Receivers - They are playing winning football with running and defense, so they have no incentive to change the game plan. That kills the collective value of the entire passing attack.

Cadillac Williams - He's banged up and he ran for just 14 yards on 11 carries.

Jonathan Stewart - Not only was he hurt by the return of DeAngelo Williams, but -- again -- the Panthers passed the ball much more than they ran their two studs. In a close game. The two combined for 111 yards on 20 carries (5.55 yards per), but the Panthers attempted 30 passes. I'm lost. Can anyone justify this?

Carson Palmer - Less than 100 yards passing in 25 attempts against a team Kurt Warner just torched. It's pretty safe to say Cincy's passing offense sucks.

Brett Favre - Three picks and three touchdowns in the past two games, and his yardage fell below 200 for the first time since Week 2. Next week, they'll play the same Carolina Panthers who let the Patriots run all over them but stopped the pass. And Favre has Adrian Peterson instead of a Maroney/Morris/Faulk monster. Bad timing, huh?

Jamaal Charles - 181 total yards, a touchdown, zero fumbles, seven receptions. Lots to love about Charles, especially since he's clearly their only real offensive weapon. Good thing he wasted all that time behind Larry Johnson early in the season (yes, I'm still bitter).

Fred Jackson - He's still the top option for Buffalo, compiling 99 yards on 20 carries Sunday. He was also -- sadly -- the Bills' leading receiver with three catches and 23 yards.

Greg Camarillo - The Dolphins are getting more balance, offensively, and that means you can start finding wideout help with him off the waiver wire. Sunday's big beneficiary was Camarillo -- seven catches for 110 yards.

Mike Sims-Walker - He's dead to me.

Dallas Clark - Yet another illustration that you can't sit your studs in the playoffs. Three touchdowns from your tight end goes a long way toward winning a championship.

Matt Schaub - I guess his shoulder is fine, eh? Oh, and they play the Rams next week. Gotta love some Schaub.

The Seahawks - As far as I can tell, only John Carlson (in deep leagues) was of any use. Any other player left you wishing you played someone else. It's not time to completely bail, though, because they do face the Buccaneers next week.

Ryan Grant - Big game to get from someone likely slotted as an RB2 on your fantasy team.

Johnny Knox - Thrived in the absence of Devin Hester, but he's too fickle to count on. Though the Bears travel to Baltimore next week and that smells like a blowout. Maybe he garners some stats in trash time?

Matthew Stafford - Thank God he didn't play on Sunday. He might have been thrust into a coma.

Derrick Mason - He's been a good play eight times of 13 this season, including four of the past five games. It's a nice little streak for a lower-tier WR2.

Reggie Bush - With Mike Bell out, the Saints needed to use more of a perimeter-attacking offense. The biggest beneficiary of that game plan is Bush and he came through in a big way. The Cowboys, next week's opponent, have a tougher outside defense, but Bush is the type of player who can destroy the Bucs in Week 16. Definitely hold on to him on a flex play.

Michael Jenkins - The tall Jenkins snared a 50-yard touchdown pass. I'm not buying sustained success, but peering at next week gives him hope. The Falcons face the Jets, which means Super Fantasy Killer Darrelle Revis will be locking down Roddy White. In turn, that means more looks for Jenkins and Tony Gonzalez.

Steven Jackson - If you own him, hopefully you were in my situation this week (on a bye!). He'll be able to run on Houston next week.

Rob Bironas - What? A kicker here? Hey, when you light up the scoreboard, I'll notice. Four field goals, including a 50-yarder and five extra points is a nice day at the office.

Quinton Ganther - We recommended him to a ton of people in the Fantasy Tailgate Sunday morning. There were probably a few disgruntled customers when he entered the fourth quarter with less than 40 yards and no scores. Fortunately, he got two touchdowns late and ended up being a very nice play.

Bruce Gradkowski, Louis Murphy - Huge steps backward, which were due in equal parts to facing the league's top pass defense and Gradkowski's early exit (knee injury). Still, let this serve as a reminder to only rely on reliable players in the playoffs.

Vincent Jackson - He's baaaaaaack. Seven catches for 120 yards should help bring back some confidence as the Chargers continue their dominant run at the AFC's No. 2 seed. Now, a word of caution: Jackson faces two tough matchups on No. 1 wideouts over the next two weeks vs. Cincy and Tennessee. Don't slide him back into WR1 territory just yet.

Marion Barber - Still just 14 carries in a big game. Felix Jones is clearly a more effective runner when given the chance. Granted, he's not an every-down back, but he'll continue to cut into Barber's chances. Barber is only valuable from here on out if he can start getting back into the end zone.