Trade Target: The upcoming schedule looks
favorable for Jordan Matthews (DET, WAS, DAL, ATL).
Week 4 Review
Let’s start out by taking a look at last week’s results…
Hits:
(Sell) Tevin
Coleman: He had 8-for-19 rushing and 3-for-14 receiving.
Need I say more? Devonta Freeman is the lead back in Atlanta and
had a solid game to prove it (13 carries for 57 yards and a score
along with 2 catches). If you got anything for Coleman last week,
then you’re ahead of the game.
(Sell) LeGarrette
Blount: The entire Patriots offense had a down night
(outside of Martellus Bennett), but that doesn’t mean selling on
Blount wasn’t a hit. He still has some good games in front of him,
but his three game scoring streak is over and if you were able to
sell high, I’m guessing you’re grinning from ear to ear. Brady is
back, and the offense will be firing on all cylinders against the
Browns but expect the passing down backs (James White) to get heavily
involved.
(Buy) Jordan
Howard: Howard taking over as the lead back was blatantly
obvious to most people with Langford being underwhelming/hurt, and
no one else on the roster. He rumbled for 111 yards on 23 carries
and even got involved in the passing game with 3 catches for 21
yards. Not too shabby for his first week with lead back duties?
If you bought in early enough you probably paid pennies to the dollar.
Good job.
(Sell) Charles
Sims: Sims turned in an abysmal effort against Denver’s
bottom half ranked run defense (15 rushes for 28 yards) and was
only moderately involved in the passing game (2 catches). Can he
bounce back this week against the reeling Panthers? I think he could,
but for now I’m taking the win on this sell high seeing how he hasn’t
taken hold of the backfield even with Doug Martin being out.
Undecided:
(Sell) Matt
Ryan: 500 yards and 4 scores. Ouch. I’m keeping him here
for now considering he has Denver and then Seattle on deck. I smell
a huge regression coming and I’m still considering him a sell high
candidate as you most likely drafted him as your backup QB.
(Buy) Julian
Edelman: As I forecasted last week, Edelman had another
down game without Tom Brady. I guarantee he is on the “hits” section
next week when Brady targets him 12 times and he has 9 catches for
110 yards and a score.
(Sell) Trevor
Siemian: I can’t take the win for saying sell high on
Siemian after he was on his way to a solid game before getting taken
to the locker room with a sprained AC joint in his non-throwing
shoulder. He may still play this week, and has a juicy matchup against
Atlanta who has given up the most fantasy points to QBs this season.
(Buy) Cam
Newton: I’m not giving up on Newton yet. He was on his
way to a solid fantasy day with all the garbage time left in the
game. Derek Anderson came in and threw two touchdowns so let’s not
get crazy here and think Newton doesn’t still have elite QB1 potential.
He remains a buy and will stay in the undecided column until he
either plays to his potential, plays poorly, or gets reinjured.
The latter two options will land him on the “miss” list.
(Buy) Golden
Tate: Uninspiring is the best word I can come up with
at this point. The whole Lions offense got shut down by the Bears,
and is the only reason I’m giving Tate a chance to prove himself
worthy of being rostered. If you invested minimally as I suggested,
hold on for another week or two. I actually sold relatively high
on Tate and Sims in one league and got Theo Riddick and Tyler Eifert.
I feel like that trade could go in any direction in the next few
weeks, but I have Julius Thomas in case Eifert remains unhealthy.
Misses:
(Buy) Carson
Palmer: I’m going to take the L here. Palmer looks like
a shell of himself, and to be honest he looked scared to go back
in after the hit to the head last week. I still like his playoff
schedule, but he has to get his head right before I’m putting any
stock in him.
(Sell) Zach
Miller: Another touchdown. Another handful of catches.
Kevin White to IR. This all add’s up to a solid hold for the
rest of the season. Brian Hoyer has been playing well and the defense
has stepped up too.
As always, I will continually reevaluate my recommendations as
situations can change throughout the season.
Week 5
And now on to Week 5…
The Bait:
Dontrelle
Inman: Inman had a big game last week (7-120-1) on
11 targets, but I am skeptical Rivers will show him that kind
of volume on a weekly basis. There are a lot of mouths to feed,
and his skillset isn’t very unique. If you can grab him off the
waiver wire and move him with another player to land a stud, do
so. Keep in mind, when Keenan Allen went out last year, he averaged
3.5 catches for 50 yards and .28 scores in that seven-game stretch.
Waiver wire fodder if you ask me.
John
Brown: Inman and Brown are similar players this week
in that they both got plenty of looks and capitalized big time.
They are also similar in that they are moderate value flex players
with Brown having the edge. If you can pair these guys up and
land a Jordan Matthews type you should get that done. Neither
will be No.1’s with the talent around them and will struggle with
boom-or-bust numbers all year. From the start of 2015 to now,
Brown is averaging 4.3 catches for 65 yards and .36 scores in
that 19 game stretch. Eerily similar, right?
Hunter
Henry: I like Henry, but guess what? Antonio Gates
is nearing a comeback. Maybe you package him up with someone else
to the Gates owner for a buy-low candidate? He’s amazing Gates
insurance as he appears to get better every week in his rookie
year. Not many tight ends come into the league and have the blocking/catching
ability that Henry has shown. His value gets murky with Gates
back so move on if you can.
Buy-Low Candidates:
DeAndre
Washington: I think everyone
is excited about Washington getting the bulk of the work this
week so it’s going to be tough to buy-low here. He is available
in 67% of leagues, but if you are in anything more than a 10-12
teamer, he’s probably rostered. Shoot the manager one of the bait
guys from above as his upside is massive. Latavius Murray is nearly
averaging a touchdown a week and has limited reception upside.
Kenneth
Dixon: Dixon makes his NFL regular season debut this
weekend and like Washington, his ceiling couldn’t be higher. Terrance
West could shape up to be the early pounder for a few weeks, but
Dixon has three-down back written all over him. In his Louisiana
Tech days as a four year starter, Dixon ran for 4,400 yards and
72 rushing TDs while catching 87 balls for 969 yards and another
15 TDs. This is what separates him from Washington. Proven track
record and durability is huge when it comes to the RB position
and Dixon has a huge chance to shine in Marc Trestman’s offense
that likes to lean heavily on workhorse running backs. Grab him
now while you still can.
Jordan
Matthews: After exploding onto the scene in Week 1
with 7-for-114 and a score, Matthews has been somewhat quiet since
by averaging 9 points a game in Weeks 2 and 3. He had a bye in
Week 4 and comes back to face a depleted Lions secondary in Week
5. At 26 targets through three weeks, Matthews is the clear-cut
No.1 receiver with Carson Wentz playing quality football as a
rookie. If you can pry him away, he can provide you with high-end
WR2 in PPR leagues going forward.
James
White/Dion
Lewis: When Tom Brady is on the field, the Patriots
throw the football roughly 40 times a game. So goodbye to LeGarrette
Blount and hello to the Patriot’s receiving backs. The problem
at this point is we could be only a few weeks away from Dion Lewis
coming back. If you can land them both by free agency and trading
then do so. James White will most likely win you a game or two
and when Lewis gets back, he will assume duties in your fantasy
playoffs.
Julian
Edelman: Keep trying to buy while you still can. Edelman
is a dynamic receiver, rusher, and punt returner that needs to
be locked into your lineup from here on out. I went into detail
last week so I’ll leave it at that.
Cam
Newton: Newton’s injured. The Panthers are washed up.
Perfect. Pounce now and thank me later. He was a buy-low candidate
last week, and he remains one this week. The 2015 MVP of the league
will regain his form soon.
I’ve pulled off five trades already, and I’m always
looking to better my team. If you have trades you’re interested
in making or need advice, feel free to email
me or tweet me
as I love providing insight.
As always keep those conversations active and hopefully you can
land some premier talent!
Follow me on twitter @ZeroRBJoe
for any questions about trades, lineups, or anything fantasy football
related.