Players to Buy & Sell

As we approach the fantasy football trade deadline, we wanted to give you some names of players who you should be buying or selling. Some leagues have their trade deadlines this week while others pushed it back to next week with the extra game this season. However your league does it, it is a good time to look to trade to help you down the stretch.

If you are in the middle of the pack and need a little change to help you get in to the playoffs, these players should be able to help. Even if you are a top team, you should also look to sell some players high before it is too late. Trade deadline time is crazy and we want to make sure you have all the info you need when making the right moves. We have a guest writing with us this week; Dickie LaFlamme from the Cowboys Butts Drive Me Nuts podcast!

Players to Buy

Melvin Gordon – (RB-DEN)

I know this is supposed to be a Javonte Williams write up, but I am going in a different direction. I do believe Williams is also a great buy low player going forward, but people are acting like Melvin Gordon is just going to be erased. People have been saying it will happen all year, and we have seen close to an even timeshare between the two. Gordon is currently RB15 on the season, but he is viewed as an outside flex play most weeks. He has not played fewer than 49% of snaps all season, and currently has 6 total TDs. We have seen Teddy Bridgewater look great some games, then benchable in others. If the Broncos want to continue to win, they need to do that with the defense and their running game. A great running game opens up the passing game, and that is exactly what the Broncos want to do. Denver has the second easiest schedule for RBs going forward and I expect both Gordon and Williams to have success because of that. Williams is going to cost more to get because he is the young buck in the backfield, but do not sleep on Gordon. The fact that you can get Gordon for much cheaper is the reason he is my buy low right before trade deadline. Just imagine you winning your league championship with the help of a 28-year-old back. You can rub it in everyone’s face when you are holding that trophy. (Scott Miln-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Chase Edmonds; Tyler Lockett; Antonio Gibson

-Remaining Games: PHI, Bye, LAC, KC, DET, CIN, LV, LAC

Marquise Brown – (WR-BAL)

I’m going to Hollywood baby! The #7 WR on the year in PPR format. Averaging 18.8 points per game (good for 7th overall in PPR format) The third year player has really emerged as Lamar Jackson’s favorite target. With their bye week behind them, BAL does have a harder SOS for WRs the rest of the year, and faces Ramsey in Week 17. However, Hollywood has shown that he’s a different WR, one that these elite CBs are not used to. With his speed and CBs now having to cover rookie Rashod Bateman, I see no signs of slowing down for Brown. Buy this man, as I feel like his current owners are still not respecting what he’s doing on the field. (Dickie LaFlamme-Guest)

-Trade Packages: Leonard Fournette; James Robinson

-Remaining Games: MIA, CHI, CLE, PIT, CLE, GB, CIN, LAR

Cortland Sutton – (WR-DEN)

3 underwhelming weeks in a row, and I think Sutton owners are panicking. Game script can be used as an explanation for the decreased targets and target share, however his air yards share still remains high. Week 9 seems to be an anomaly for the entire Broncos offense as a whole, as they throttled the Cowboys, however prior to that, Sutton’s air yard share was close to 50% of the team’s total air yards… which indicates he is getting the ball down the field and typically when that happens it translates to fantasy points. People may see the correlation that since Jeudy is back, Sutton is taking a hit, and they can reaffirm that thought using the past 3 weeks as a sample size, but the opportunities for explosion are there and I would go out and get my hands on a player of Sutton’s caliber now.(Tom Penney-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Low End RB2 and Fringe WR2/WR3

-Remaining Games: PHI, Bye, LAC, KC, DET, CIN, LV, LAC

Darnell Mooney – (WR-CHI)

At the beginning of the season I put out a prediction on what I expected the season to look like for Chicago, and I am 90% the way there. I stated it would be painfully slow for the likes of Allen Robinson and Matt Nagy would likely get fired. Now Nagy is still employed so I was wrong at how fast it would be, but it is becoming very apparent he is on the hot seat. Nagy is calling ballsier plays and getting the ball into his playmakers hands and not being so plane jane or putting in a play that looked like the joker designed it. One player they have increasingly used is Darnell Mooney, it is hard to see his up and down performance as positive, yet the team has really been the main factor in his success. The bears put up 20 or more points in 5 games this season, in those games Mooney has an average of 11.8 fantasy points to the 6.1 average he gets when the Bears are below 20 points in the game, thus proving if the Bears are successful they need to go through Mooney. That was plainly evident last week with Mooney getting 2 touchdowns in their close contest with the Steelers. Mooney is currently on a bye week and is as buyable as any player in all of football right now, He only has 2 tough matchups coming up with one of the better roads in the fantasy playoffs playing against MIN, SEA, NYG. You can go after him with lower talented players like I have laid out, or a promising player that someone might be willing to take on, Mooney will be more valuable with his boom games and when the Bears continue to use him, you will see more boom games.(Craig Penney-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Antonio Brown; Zack Moss + Corey Davis; Donavan Peoples-Jones + Mark Ingram

-Remaining Games: Bye, BAL, DET, ARI, GB, MIN, SEA, NYG

Tyler Lockett – (WR-SEA)

Lockett had 5 down weeks in a row between Weeks 3 through 7, never surpassing 8.20 fantasy points. Most of this can be attributed to the Russell Wilson injury, but not all of it. However, he came out in Week 8 and caught 12 of 13 targets for 142 yards. But then he went on his bye week. And people forgot that he was on the road back to WR1 territory with the return of Russell Wilson looming. If some of your league manager’s aren’t aware that Russ is coming back in Week 10 to light the league on fire, then you need to take advantage of this and buy up your Lockett shares ASAP. With Wilson at QB he is a fringe WR1 with a WR2 floor. But right now, with the performances from the majority of the season still fresh in people’s minds, he can be bought at a discount. I would target him and then start him right away! (Cory Dows-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Kareem Hunt; James Robinson; RB2+WR2-3

-Remaining Games: GB, ARI, WAS, SF, HOU, LAR, CHI, DET

Players to Sell

Damien Harris – (RB-NE)

This one hurts to write about since I am a Pats fan and Harris has done everything so far this season to be a high-end RB2 in fantasy. He has a total of 7 TDs on the season, but 6 of those came within the last 5 weeks. I do believe that he is viewed as the lead back for the Pats, but Rhamondre Stevenson has more work in the last 2 weeks and has done well with the volume he is getting. Harris will still be the goal line back there, but what Harris lacks in fantasy is the receiving work. He has not had more than 2 targets since Week 2, and that work is going to Brandon Bolden and even Stevenson is seeing more work in the receiving game than Harris. The biggest reason I am selling Harris is the strength of schedule going forward. They have one of the toughest schedules for RBs from here on out, and they still have to face the Bills twice. Another reason is that the Pats have a Week 14 bye. If it comes down to Week 14 and you have to win to get into playoffs, you are trying to do so without your RB2. With a hard schedule going forward and the Pats looking like they will have to pass more in those games and a late bye week, you can move Harris high right now for another RB2 or WR2. (Scott Miln-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Elijah Mitchell; Courtland Sutton + Flex Player

-Remaining Games: CLE, ATL, TEN, BUF, Bye, IND, BUF, JAC

Matthew Stafford – (QB-LAR)

Okay, I’m going to preface this with I love this player… Matthew Stafford, I’m very happy to see you thrive in this new environment. That being said…QB4 ranking I’m selling. Reason I’m selling? The Rams have the 4th hardest schedule for quarterbacks. Watching how the Titans held this man in check was a realization that he’s not of the elite variety. You absolutely can’t doubt what he’s done up to this point, especially at where you drafted him. I see this is as an opportunity to sell high and add some depth to your team. There are diehard Stafford truthers (Scott) out there, who will typically overpay to acquire him… If you are not one of those players, find the manager in your league and target them to sell as they’ve probably been drooling over his production this year. Look to package him for the likes of a Ryan Tannehill or Carson Wentz and solid flex player who will give you the depth needed to go deep into the playoffs. (Dickie LaFlamme-Guest)

-Trade Packages: Ryan Tannehill or Carson Wentz, + Flex

-Remaining Games: SF, Bye, GB, JAC, ARI, SEA, MIN, BAL

Elijah Moore – (WR-NYJ)

It’s a no brainer to sell an overperforming Jets player, but I want to clue you in on something, the Jets stink. This player was a hyped up rookie coming into the season, and a lot of people love to jump on rookie trains. It looks like this one is rolling, however his target share is low even though his total targets have been decent and his air yards share has exceed 20% 1 time this season. This is a rookie coming off of a 2 TD game with a third string QB. A lot of people are looking at Moore right now thinking this success will continue and will want to actively try and buy him, but if I can take Elijah Moore and Jordan Howard (who I explain as a sell on the podcast) and get myself Courtland Sutton, then I’m all for it. Moore will be a great WR in the NFL, but until the Jets come out and permanently bench Zack Wilson and show they can be an NFL offense for more than 2 weeks, I want to get off Moore and I think this is a perfect time to do it. (Tom Penney-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Luxury RB2s

-Remaining Games: BUF, MIA, HOU, PHI, NO, MIA, JAX, TB

James Conner – (RB-ARI)

I really wanted to make a write up on why to buy James Conner, because on the surface I finally bought in, I knew he was a talented back early in his career subbing in for Lev Bell for the Steelers, but he got hurt a lot and had to switch teams. I saw him take on a nice role with the Cardinals and started to put up real fantasy points consistently as the goal line back, and then he started to eat into Chase Edmonds’ workload. Then BOOM! Last week Chase Edmonds goes down with a high ankle sprain and I’m saying to myself, self: Conner is going to be an RB1 the ROS…. But I started to look deeper. Almost anything positive I looked at had a “but” after it and it annoyed me. Last week he put on a hell of a performance against SF, BUT it was without Kyler Murray and the team’s top 2 WRs. Conner put up 12 and 14 fantasy points the two weeks prior, BUT each game it was TD dependent as he had 3 between both games. This week, Kyler Murray might not play again, and he should have a good game, but it’s against Carolina who has only allowed 4 rushing TDs all season. I’m seeing this pattern of possible positives and then it being unjustified… Again, he finally gets the workhorse job, but he has a bye week in 2 weeks and the other remaining games he faces off against above average to difficult matchups in 5 of the remaining 7 opponents, 2 of which happen to be in the top 10 against the run in the fantasy semi-finals and finals. I have always been hesitant on Conner, and on the surface I always have rooted for him, but dammit my due diligence has proven to me I can’t buy into him again and I’m saying sell him for all he is worth, sell him with a massive package in return, he’s worth it on perception alone. (Craig Penney-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Antonio Brown; Zack Moss + Corey Davis; Donavan Peoples-Jones + Mark Ingram

-Remaining Games: CAR, SEA, Bye, CHI, LAR, DET, IND, DAL

Deebo Samuel – (WR-SF)

This is a tough one to convince people to sell, because Deebo has crushed it all year for you, really giving you zero weeks you could actually be upset about, even his two lowest games at 7.70 and 8.80 fantasy points are not weeks to cry over. BUT, he has done this largely without George Kittle in the offense, largely with two backup RBs, and the Niners have ridden him hard. He is easily one of the most targeted WRs in the entire league, never mind in the 49er offense. We also saw Aiyuk flash in Week 9, and if he can finally apply some staying power to that flash, he could eat into Deebo’s work as well. The combination of the return of other players who can and should factor in as top targets for the SF offense, coupled with Deebo’s nagging injuries and deep injury history, have me firmly in the SELL camp for him as we approach the trade deadline for your leagues. You can also net a King’s Ransom for him based on the production he’s showcased up through this point in the season. You could likely get an RB1 or WR1 PLUS another piece in the RB/WR 2-3 territory if you can find a WR needy team. (Cory Dows-TSF)

-Trade Packages: Mike Evans + RB2-3; CeeDee Lamb + RB3; Aaron Jones or D’Andre Swift straight up

-Remaining Games: LAR, JAX, MIN, SEA, CIN, ATL, TEN, HOU