Buy Low Sell High Fantasy Football
Waiver wire acquisitions aren’t the only way to transform your team after draft day is over. The art of the trade is knowing when to sell a hot hand about to cool and acquire a player with an upward trajectory. The purpose of this article is to identify players whose value has peaked and possibly trading them for a player with brighter days ahead.
Sometimes there’s nothing wrong with staying put, so always keep value in mind and demand more if you’re the owner of a player who is trending upwards. Timing is everything, especially in fantasy, so use this article as a tool to help your team turn the corner no matter where you stand this year.
Fantasy Football Buy Candidates
Chiefs – Running Back
Clyde Edwards-Helaire vaulted up draft boards in August, especially in redraft. Now, owners that used a first-round pick on the rookie are getting nervous after he averaged only 12 points per game in PPR scoring over the last three weeks. Without a doubt, CEH is the lead back in Kansas City. He ranks 7th in carries and 4th in targets for running backs with 8 targets in two of the last three games. His red-zone struggles have been well documented, as he only has one touchdown on the season; but with the high-octane offense of the Chiefs, you don’t have to depend on that being the only way to score. Look for him to get in the endzone soon — and more frequently down the stretch.
Le’Veon Bell
Free Agent – Running Back
In the process of writing this article and attempting to explain why you should buy someone on the Jets’ offense, Le”Veon Bell was released from the clutches of Adam Gase. In his return to action in Week 5, Bell rushed 13 times for 60 yards, hardly gaining the attention of anyone. Owners who have held onto him may be fed up, so you can pick him up pretty cheap. Bell’s value could jump significantly with the right team (similar to Drake last year) so look to acquire him while uncertainty looms large.
Rams- Running Back
Darrell Henderson Jr. has appeared to take the reigns of the crowded Rams’ backfield over the last three weeks, averaging over 20 points per game in PPR scoring. Two of these games took place while rookie Cam Akers was out with injury. Akers returned last week, adding 61 yards on the ground on just 9 attempts. In redraft, Akers was going as high as the fifth round on draft day, and now you can acquire him for much less — possibly even off of waivers in shallow leagues. In dynasty, you can still feel good about him as the back of the future, if not later this year. His price may climb quickly with another strong showing, so move quickly while his value is at its lowest since entering the league.
Fantasy Football Sell Candidates
Falcons – Running Back
Todd Gurley showed the resurgence this week that many thought he would, totaling 150 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. However, let’s take into account that he played the porous Carolina run defense. Over the next three weeks, he faces several more lackluster run defenses (including Carolina again), so you may be able to leverage that to an owner desperate for a win-now. I don’t expect Gurley to get stronger as the season goes, especially with the lighter part of his schedule in the rear-view.
Panthers – Running Back
Mike Davis’s performance has been nothing short of awesome; I’m not going to try and dispute that. He even has people on twitter referring to Christian McCaffrey as a “system back.” While they may be joking, it says a lot about how well everyone views Davis. Since taking over as the starter in Week 3, Davis is ranked RB3, catching 22 balls, trailing only Alvin Kamara for running backs. I doubted that Carolina would be contending without McCaffrey, but they’ve won their last 3 games, meaning McCaffrey will be back. Look to move Davis before CMC’s return, when he enters a time-share at best.
Giants – Running Back
Until last Sunday, Freeman hadn’t done much to inspire fantasy owners. Fortunately for him, playing the Cowboys defense can make just about anybody look great these days. Freeman put up 14.7 points in PPR scoring, but the picture becomes clear when looking more closely at how earned those points. It took 17 attempts for Freeman to total 60 yards (3.5 ypc); his total further benefited from a touchdown. Looking at the big picture, Freeman is only averaging 3.1 yards per carry on the season; volume like this isn’t likely going forward. More than likely you paid very little to acquire Freeman, so use consider moving him as a large return on your investment.
Jason Staples, better known to friends as “Stapes,” has been playing fantasy football since he was in high school in the 90’s. He has a 7x Diamond rating in Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football with much credit to his team “There’s No L in Stapes.” He has 13 years of experience in education and currently serves as a middle school Reading Specialist, helping students strengthen their literacy skills. He also coaches middle school football, focusing on wide receivers and defensive backs. His favorite aspect of Fantasy Football is hosting an annual draft party as the commish each year with close friends. Jason currently resides in Virginia with his wife and two dogs.
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