Now that we are through two weeks of the NFL season, panic is definitely
setting in for some fantasy owners. Starting 0-2 can feel like a
hole that is impossible to dig out of, so many owners will make
trades they will end up regretting. I do not like telling you to
steal from a friend after he’s fallen down in the mud, but
pursuing trades when fellow owners are tilting can help you produce
a juggernaut team ready for a playoff run.
Buy Low
We can get a feel for trends that are developing after two weeks
of play, so it is dangerous to simply assume that big-name players
will turn it around if they have struggled. However, the five
players below have a very good chance to get the ship on course
around after a slow start:
If a Hill owner is nervous about the
other Chiefs receivers maintaining a significant role in the offense
after Hill comes back, or are simply impatient waiting for his
return, trading for him at a discount would be very intelligent.
Hill’s usage and role will remain the same and estimated
return time is roughly 4 weeks.
Nothing has changed for Evans outside of
learning a new offense, which he has done multiple times in his
career. His quarterback is not playing well, but Winston has proven
to be a volatile player capable of posting 300-yard, multi-touchdown
games. And, the ascension of Chris Godwin should prevent teams
from doubling Evans making him a solid buy low.
The Vikings did not need to pass to
beat the Falcons in Week 1 and while the 32 attempts from Cousins
in Week 2 was respectable, Diggs only had one catch… but
he did get 7 targets. With Oakland and the Giants coming up on
the schedule over the next three weeks, better days should be
ahead for Diggs and company.
The Chargers No.2 receiver was struggling with a knee injury in
Week 2 and only saw 3 targets in Week 1. However, Hunter
Henry is down with another injury, and Williams will certainly
have some very big games ahead as he gets healthy. Defenses should
begin to gameplan around stopping Austin
Ekeler, which should lead Rivers to other weapons. Williams
will benefit.
He is the only tight end who played 100% of snaps in both Week 1
and Week 2. He has not produced yet, but if he is dropped in your
league he may be worth adding, as the Vikings ramp up their passing
game.
Sell High
If someone is willing to overpay, I do not see the five players
below continuing to produce at their current levels.
He makes the list for the second week in a row.
He is sixth-highest fantasy scorer over the first two weeks. While
he may continue to see 70%+ of the snaps when A.J. Green returns,
his target share will certainly go down. On top of that, he has
scored on long touchdowns in the first two weeks, and that simply
is not sustainable. If you can get an overpay, I’d take
it, even though he will be in Flex consideration in the Bengals
new offense even with Green on the field.
Two weeks in, and Sanders has scored 19
or more PPR points in both weeks. Yes, I am impressed he is doing
this after tearing his Achilles less than a year ago. But no,
I do not believe he will be able to keep up this pace all season.
Injury almost seems inevitable, and the Broncos have looked awful.
He is worth keeping if you don’t get a premium offer, if
only because the Broncos should be trailing often and forced to
pass. For as long as he stays healthy you can start him, but I’d
try to package him for a top-tier receiver now.
The Chargers starting running back is the number
one fantasy scorer over the first two weeks and it’s not
a fluke. He is very talented and in a good offense. However, if
he can fetch you a player like Barkley or Kamara in a deal, you
are going to come out ahead. When Melvin Gordon does return, he
will take a good portion of the workload and immediately downgrade
Ekeler to a Flex option.
In a week where quarterbacks were dropping like
flies, this is not a move many can make. But Ryan did not look
good during Sunday Night Football, against the Eagles and has
now thrown 5 INTs in two games. His stats were padded by the long
catch and run by Julio so if I could trade him to a QB-needy team
(perhaps the Brees or Roethlisberger owner) for a premium, I’d
pull the trigger.
He had a nice bounce-back game in Week 2,
scoring twice. I still like him, but he will now be playing with
Mason Rudolph and we have no idea how the offense will fare. It’s
safe to assume the offense as whole will take a production hit
so if someone is desperate at tight end and makes a generous offer
after McDonald’s two-TD performance, I would take the deal.
