Pollard sets the pace
Tennessee’s Tony Pollard has the largest production jump among these players through Week 9 of the 2026 season. His PPR average over the latest two games sits 24.1 points per game above his earlier-season average—a substantially bigger increase than anyone else on this list. Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase follows with a 15.1-point gain per game. Arizona’s Tyler Allgeier is close behind at 14.5 points above his baseline, while Kansas City’s Emmett Johnson has improved by 13.0. Joe Burrow gives Cincinnati a second player among the risers, lifting his average by 12.8 points per game. The New York Giants’ Tyrone Tracy Jr. rounds out the group with a 12.7-point increase. Those gains measure how far each player has moved beyond his own previous production. They do not rank the players by total fantasy output.
Flowers and Goff lead the declines
Baltimore’s Zay Flowers has the steepest drop among the listed players. His latest two-game PPR average is 17.7 points per game below his earlier-season mark. Detroit’s Jared Goff follows with a 15.0-point decline. Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor is averaging 11.6 fewer points per game, while Houston’s David Montgomery has fallen 10.7 points below his baseline. Lamar Jackson joins Flowers among Baltimore’s fallers with a 10.6-point decrease. Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba completes the group at 10.1 points per game below his earlier average.
Use the movement, not a forecast
For fantasy managers, these comparisons flag players whose recent results deserve a closer look when reviewing lineups. Pollard’s surge and Flowers’ decline are the largest departures from their respective baselines in this group. The two-game window describes a change in production; it does not establish what comes next. A rising average is not an automatic start recommendation, just as a falling average alone is not a reason to bench a player.