“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t
refuse…” – Vito Corleone
If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a Godfather addict.
I’m having my first baby boy in October, and am still heavily
considering naming him Santino. Vito was a renaissance man that
best reflects what you need to be when you’re in the position
to make a great deal. Patient, calm, and confident are all the
traits of a highly successful business man. Vito trusts his instinct
and doesn’t waffle. This is what you must do when evaluating players
to either buy, sell, or hold.
Throughout the football season there will be flash in the pan
players that show promise one week and will fade into obscurity
the next. My goal in this column is to focus on those flashes
and capitalize on buying into known commodities that are not replacement
level like the bait you are giving up. If you can remember that
most bait is replaceable through waiver wire and other trades,
then you can truly exploit your roster to become a championship
team. I’m not saying it will be easy, but if you remember the
keys to trading from my previous article (Creating
a Powerhouse Playoff Team) you can constantly improve your
team up until the playoffs and build a powerhouse.
The Bait:
Spencer
Ware: This is the perfect time to sell on someone that
just led the league in Week 1 all-purpose yards (199). Yes he
could have value over the next few weeks, but if you package him
with someone you don’t need for great buy-low candidate, then
do it. Look for a situation where the Jamaal
Charles owner is enamored with Ware’s ceiling. His best game
is behind him, and he will trend downward from here on out.
DeMarco
Murray: He scored two touchdowns. I get why you’re
excited. He also averaged 3.2 YPC and Derrick Henry could easily
be in a 50/50 time share as early as next week. This is the perfect
time to pair him with another RB or WR to get a nice 2-for-1 deal.
Could you get Kelvin
Benjamin? Larry
Fitzgerald? Move now before this big name with a high Week
1 value rides your bench.
Theo
Riddick: Yes, he had 80 catches last year. He also
ran for a TD and caught one as well in Week 1. This is perfect
timing for you to pair him with another player and solidify a
position that you’re lacking in. There are a handful of PPR backs
available on the waiver wire that can replace his flex appeal
(Shaun
Draughn, Chris
Thompson) rather than holding onto this perfect sell-high
candidate
Melvin
Gordon: Two touchdowns and 14 carries. Seems like you
turned a mid-round pick into gold, right? Not so fast. He was
not involved in the passing game at all, and judging by how the
defense (if you can even call it that) played, the game flow of
the second half will be very familiar. I’m bullish on Woodhead
as he can flourish in both roles and has a knack for finding pay
dirt. so It’s time to get out now on Gordon while you still can.
Eli
Rogers: This kid is all over the field, and is the
primary slot man for the Steelers going forward. He turned 7 targets
into 6 for 59 and a score. Yes the TD was complete luck as it
was a redirected pass that ended up directly in his hands, but
that’s not the point here. Sammie
Coates/Markus
Wheaton don’t have the trust of Big Ben. If you can pair Rogers
with one of these guys, you can potentially grab a stud. Someone
in your league just lost Keenan
Allen, and they might have to break up one of their studs
to compensate.
The players above seem like great holds that could be dependable
flex players, but that’s not what you need. There are dependable
flexes constantly on the waiver wire. You must break the habit
of thinking you need these guys on your roster for stability.
What you need are surefire studs.
The Buy-Low Candidates:
Marvin
Jones: 4 catches for 85 yards seems paltry, but on
10 targets you have to be licking your chops. The Detroit-D could
struggle again this year, meaning Stafford will be airing it out
quite a bit with no high volume runner on the roster. If you have
a chance to buy in on Jones, now is the time to get on board.
He will be a mid-to-high end WR2 for most of the year.
Allen
Robinson: If you can find someone stupid enough to
be down in the dumps on Robinson’s 6 for 72 stat line (shhhh,
15 targets) than you need to make this deal happen. Look for a
2-for-1 here and don’t look back if you have to give up some decent
talent. AR15 could be a top 4 receiver this year.
Mark
Ingram: Travaris Cadet out-targeted Ingram 7-2. Big
deal. He’s a top 10 back and suffered to a crazy game flow that
should have gone in his favor. You no longer need to have any
concerns about C.J. Spiller eating into his workload. If you can
pick up Ingram by exchanging one of the ”bait” players above,
then do it.
Eddie
Lacy: He didn’t look like his spry 2014 self, but he
certainly showed some extra stamina and toted the rock 14 times
for 61 yards (4.35 YPC) and added a 17-yard catch. Not too bad
for an offense that seems like it’s on an upward trend. If you
can trade one of the above sell high candidates and land Lacy,
you will thank me.
Gary
Barnidge: Seems crazy to go after a player who got
targeted twice and had zero catches doesn’t it? Enter Josh McCown.
Do you like TEs who ended last year with 79 catches for 1,000
yards, and 9 touchdowns? I do. Give up Eric
Ebron, Jason
Witten, Vance
McDonald or some other mediocre TE who flashed during Week
1 for Gary “What do we live in, a…” Barnidge.
That’s all for this week ladies and gentleman. I will continue
this column every week, and I’ll even figure out a way to carry
forward my recommendations in a way that keeps me honest and accountable.
Follow me on twitter @ZeroRBJoe
for any questions about trades, lineups, or anything fantasy football
related.