Whether you’re buying or selling, here’s a list of players to consider making a move on before it’s too late.
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Players to Buy
Adam Thielen (WR – MIN)
He’s the clear-cut No. 1 option in the Vikings pass attack, and judging how their defense has looked in their first two games, we’re going to see plenty of pass-happy games out of Kirk Cousins. Sure, he looked horrendous in Week 2, but that’s a blip on the radar, and one that’ll allow you to buy Thielen for WR2 prices.
Kenny Golladay (WR – DET)
There may be some teams who drafted Golladay in the second round panicking. If you look at their roster and notice they’re 0-2, throw an offer out there for Golladay before he’s back on the field. This is where you must take advantage of the situation they’re in. He’s going to be locked into WR1 production upon his return, which could be as early as Week 3.
D.J. Chark (WR – JAC)
When you know the best receiver on the team has had just seven targets over the first two weeks, you should thank the fantasy gods for a buy-low opportunity. Some will say that it’s a concern, but those same people are fading A.J. Green because he’s not efficient. Chark will get more targets in the coming weeks, and he’s already efficient. The buy-low window will slam shut when he gets those targets.
Leonard Fournette (RB – TB)
The Bucs were looking for a reason to go away from Ronald Jones, and he gave them one in Week 2 when he fumbled. From that point, we saw Fournette play more of a featured role, including a long run that clinched the win over the Panthers. With Tom Brady struggling a bit, Fournette and the run game could be leaned on heavily moving forward. He should be viewed as a high-end RB3 with upside.
Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT)
Based on Johnson’s expert consensus ranking this past week, there are still many doubters out there, which means you might be able to buy him cheaper than you should, despite a big performance in Week 2. His 31.5 percent target share is ELITE. It’s possible that he’s a top-24 option for the remainder of the year who you can still buy at WR3/4 prices.
A.J. Green (WR – CIN)
There’s some pros and cons to Green moving forward. The pros are that he’s seen a team-high 22 targets through two weeks and Burrow looks like he’s going to be a good one. The cons are that Green has turned those 22 targets into just 80 scoreless yards and hasn’t looked like the player he once was. His 3.6 yards per target is the 31st worst mark of all-time from wide receivers who’ve seen 20-plus targets. It seems every time he gets up off the ground, it’s a struggle. He might be working back into game-shape after having 2019 off, which must be the hope. If you can find a fantasy owner willing to sell on the cheap, the vital signs are pretty good. He can likely be bought for WR4-type prices at this point.
James Robinson (RB – JAC)
You know what I thought about last week? What’s the difference between Robinson and the Leonard Fournette many were drafting in the third round prior to him getting cut? Robinson is the clear workhorse on this team, and we now know that Thompson isn’t getting much work. So again, what’s the difference? I’ll be honest, I didn’t like Fournette at his third-round price, but as a back-end RB2? Absolutely. Robinson has totaled 32 of the team’s 34 running back carries and has averaged 5.1 yards per carry on them.
Drew Sample (TE – CIN)
The Bengals have thrown the ball 97 times through two weeks, with the tight ends accumulating a massive 21 targets (21.6 percent target share). Now that C.J. Uzomah is out for the season, Sample will be relied upon as the go-to option. He caught 7-of-9 targets for 45 yards against the Browns last week, which may not seem like a huge deal from a yardage standpoint, but seeing nine targets is huge.
Players to Sell
James Conner (RB – PIT)
I was a big proponent of drafting Conner before the season began, but he quiclky reminded us why he was a risky pick in drafts. The Steelers went back to him in a workhorse role in Week 2, but if he were to suffer another injury, it could be all they need to go into a full blown timeshare. He’s a risky player to own the rest of the season, so put the feelers out there to see what you can get.
Stefon Diggs (WR – BUF)
You won’t find a bigger fan of Diggs than me from a talent standpoint, but you’re kidding yourself if you think his WR1 production continues. Josh Allen hadn’t thrown for more than 266 yards prior to Week 1 of this year. He’s now thrown for a league-leading 729 yards through two weeks? This is a situation just begging to even itself out. If you’re able to get top-15 wide receiver value for Diggs, you should take advantage of his hot start.
John Brown (WR – BUF)
Do you think the Bills are going to have two top-10 wide receivers at the end of the year? Yeah, neither do I. This is your opportunity to sell high on Brown, who has managed to rack up 10/152/2 over the first two weeks while Josh Allen leads the NFL in passing yards. Brown is going to pop off from time to time, but he’s not going to be an every-week starter. If you’re able to get top-30 value out of him in a trade, you should.
Corey Davis (WR – TEN)
Those who are chasing production are likely to look at Davis’ 10 catches, 137 yards, and a touchdown through two weeks as a reason to buy the fourth-year wide receiver. Unfortunately, A.J. Brown will return to full health, and Derrick Henry will have much better games in the future. While Ryan Tannehill has looked great through two weeks, this is still a run-first team. Davis just took advantage of two great matchups.
Players to Hold
Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)
There are going to be a lot of Mixon owners panicking. Don’t be shocked if you get some offers for him this week as sharp owners look to buy low. The Bengals offensive line has struggled early on, and it’s left Mixon with little room to work with. However, as the weeks progress, we’re going to see defenses worrying more and more about the rookie Joe Burrow, and it’s going to lead to more lanes for Mixon. Don’t be selling him on the cheap.
Allen Robinson (WR – CHI)
The only player who had a chance to hold Robinson back in 2020 was Anthony Miller, so knowing Miller wound up with no catches in Week 2 should make you feel better. Robinson quietly had a tough matchup against James Bradberry in that game, so the fact that he saw nine targets is a good thing. He’s the only Bears wide receiver playing in a full-time role, and we’re not expecting the Bears to be in positive gamescripts very often. Expect Robinson to remain near the top of the league in targets, which is all you can ask for from your WR1. He’ll have better days ahead.
Carson Wentz (QB – PHI)
There’s going to be a lot of fantasy managers concerned about Wentz after his slow start to the season, but I urge you to hang in there. He and Deshaun Watson are the only two quarterbacks who’ve posted QB1-type numbers in at least 50 percent of games in each of the last three years. His receivers and offensive line have been dinged up early in the year, but they’ll right the ship in the coming weeks. It all starts against the Bengals in Week 3.
Tarik Cohen (RB – CHI)
There will be a lot of fantasy managers dropping Cohen this week and it’s hard to blame them considering his 74 total yards on just 15 touches over the first two weeks. You should hang tight unless you think the Bears are going to continue to win games. There are going to be negative gamescripts in their future, and it’s going to lead to a lot more opportunities. He’s never going to win you a fantasy league, but he can play a role through bye weeks.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.