Buy Low/Sell High: Week 8
How will Carlos Hyde affect T.J. Yeldon’s production? Is Big Ben a QB1? What should I give up for Alex Collins? These are just a few of the plethora of questions us fantasy football owners are trying to figure out. With these questions come decisions we need to make in regard to trading for or trading away players. Trading for players underperforming their expectations, or trading away players at their peak can save fantasy owners from an embarrassing last place finish, or help build a championship roster. Here are some players you should either buy low or sell high on this week in order to get great value for the rest of the season. FPPG = Fantasy Points Per Game.
BUY LOW:
QB: Tom Brady
FPPG: 19.3
Rank: 10th
Last Week: 21.7 pts
Tom Brady is coming off a nice week of 21 points, but his rank of 10th overall for the season is still lower than what we normally expect of Brady. Expect his numbers to go up over the remaining weeks, mostly due to the fact that Sony Michel is sidelined. Without a reliable run game, expect the Patriots to throw the ball a lot, which will result in good fantasy numbers for Brady.
RB: Alex Collins
FPPG: 9.4
Rank: 22nd
Last Week: 4.8 pts
Alex Collins had a poor fantasy showing last week, but it’s worth noting that he was up against one of the best run defenses in the league. More importantly though is the fact that Collins seems to have gained the trust of the Ravens organization as he outcarried Buck Allen significantly. With Collins’ new found role as the main back in Baltimore, he should be a solid RB2 heading forward.
WR: Doug Baldwin
FPPG: 3.3
Rank: 106th
Last Week: BYE
Doug Baldwin has done virtually nothing so far this season, but we shouldn’t let that cloud our preseason ranking of Baldwin. There’s a reason why most analysts had Baldwin as a top 15 WR, and now that he’s healthy there’s a good chance he can produce like expected. In the Seahawks’ last game, Baldwin had at least double the targets of every other Seahawks player, and he put up nearly 100 yards in that outing. Baldwin should be considered the clear WR1 in Seattle, and would be worth getting for any WR3 type player.
SELL HIGH:
QB: Ben Roethlisberger
FPPG: 21.5
Rank: 12th
Last Week: BYE
Many people are under the impression Big Ben is having a good fantasy year, but outside of one 40 point performance, Roethlisberger has been unspectacular. The road does not get any easier for Ben either. His next 4 games are against the Browns, Ravens, Panthers, and Jaguars, all of whom have respectable pass defenses. With the talent that Pittsburgh has at the skill positions there’s always a chance that Big Ben pops off, but he will be more of a boom-bust pick over this next chunk of the season. Trading Roethlisberger for another low end QB1 could be worthwhile to get a more consistent performer to lead your team.
RB: T.J. Yeldon
FPPG: 12.4
Rank: 9th
Last Week: 12.8 pts
T.J. Yeldon saved a bad fantasy week with a late touchdown, but last week should mark the last week for fantasy dominance for Yeldon. He is currently the 9th best RB in fantasy, but with Carlos Hyde bound to get carries in the next game, and Fournette getting healthier, there will not be another time this year that Yeldon gets the load of a workhorse RB. Trading Yeldon for any RB3 value player would be wise, but there’s a chance you’d be able to steal a low end RB2 based on how well Yeldon has done so far.
WR: Sterling Shepard
FPPG: 9.3
Rank: 25th
Last Week: 16.7 pts
Sterling Shepard has had a few solid weeks this year, but it’s hard to imagine his production keeping up. His 167 yards on just 5 receptions last week is not sustainable, and with Engram getting worked back into the lineup, it’s a possibility that Shepard becomes the 4th option in the Giants offense. Shepard is the 25th best WR right now, and trading him for any other similar WR3 would be a good value.