After Week 1 is one of the best times to buy and sell players if trading is open in your leagues. Fantasy owners overreact after week 1 more than any other time, so it's a perfect opportunity to buy low and sell high.
Buy Low
All players with a disappointing Week 1 are certainly not good
buy-low options. But here are some players I expect to bounce
back in a big way over the course of the year:
He played on third downs, which was a
good sign, and it looks like he will get around 60% of the work.
That should be enough for a very good season in what should be
an above-average offense. Better days are ahead, when he is not
facing the vaunted Bears defense.
The Browns bought their own hype and were not ready to play.
However, Chubb still averaged over 4 yards per carry and touched
the ball 20 times with Dontrell Hillard and D’Ernest Johnson getting
5 touches total. When they figure things out and get back on track,
Chubb should benefit (and will not face nearly as many stacked
boxes this season).
He looked great against the Chiefs – quick
and agile, and got virtually every snap. The loss of Foles is
a concern, but Gardner
Minshew (22-25, 275-2-1) didn’t wilt under the pressure of
his first NFL game action and seemed capable of sustaining this
offense. If you can play the long game and wait for him to pop
in the second half of the year, I believe Fournette will still
put up huge numbers.
4. All Steelers (except Moncrief)
If you can get JuJu
Smith-Schuster, James
Conner, or Vance
McDonald at a discount, now is a good time to buy after a
predictable loss to the Super Bowl champions in Foxborough. They
will improve on offense, and will face lesser defensive opponents
(MIA in Week 8!). Just steer clear of Donte
Moncrief because his spot in the starting lineup may be in
jeopardy after his poor performance (10 targets, 3 rec, 7 yards)
in Week 1.
The Chiefs targeted him often (8 targets, 3 rec, 88 yds) but he
just missed on a few plays including a wide-open touchdown where
Patrick Mahomes
tried to get cute with a no-look pass and airmailed it 10 feet over
Kelce’s head. He is going to pile up some crazy numbers for as long
as Tyreek Hill
is out of the lineup. He likely won’t come cheap given his name
but should be well worth the price.
Sell High
These players with great Week 1 performances are worth being
shopped in case someone is willing to overpay:
It’s never a bad idea to shop a player after a blowup week and Brown
certainly fits the script. The rookie posted a 4-147-2 line after
connecting on a couple deep balls from Lamar
Jackson. He will have his big weeks when he hits on a big play,
but you’ll never know when to start him and he won’t be facing the
horrendous Dolphins organization each week. If you can package him
with a mid-range running back for one of the runners on the above
list, do it.
Ross will likely be a hot waiver wire pickup after his 7
receptions, 158 yards and 2 TDs against the Seahawks. However,
he has not proven he can stay healthy, including battling a hamstring
injury for much of the pre-season. He is also dependent on the
big play and this was easily Ross’ best game since entering the
league in 2017. If you are able to sell him for a decent price,
that is a smart move. In a couple weeks he may be on the waiver
wire.
Jackson will be a useful receiver this season,
but he is not a threat to score multiple times each game. We know
Jackson’s game and these blowup weeks against former employers
are mixed with lines like 4-38-0 and 3-19-0. He will have his
games where he doesn’t make the box score and the Eagles have
plenty of weapons to feed on offense. If you can package him for
a starter, it’s a great move.
There’s some optimism here that
the Cowboys have changed their offensive scheme enough under new
OC Kellen Moore that Prescott won’t be simply turning around
and handing off to the running back for most of the game. That
being said, I’d still sell Dak if you are able to get great
value. Quarterback is replaceable, and he is unlikely to throw
for 400 yards again this season (unless it’s against the
Giants the next time they play).
If you had him in your lineup you’re
obviously happy after a two-TD performance. But a huge chunk of
Henry’s RB3 finish this week was the result of a 75-yard
screen play that went for a TD. While he might be slightly undervalued
as a receiver, he’s not known for his receiving ability
and won’t be a weekly factor in the passing game. I mention
him here because someone in your league will likely look at his
Week 1 output and may now value him as a mid-range RB1. If you
can get a player like Conner or Chubb for him, that is a beautiful
trade.
