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
Ezekiel Elliott (RB – DAL)
The Cowboys have been throwing the ball a ton early in the season. It hasn’t worked out very well for them. They need to get back to a balanced attack despite the firepower they have at receiver because this team needs to keep their defense off the field. That would mean making Elliott a focal point once again. With matchups against the Giants, Cardinals, and Washington over the next three weeks, they have the perfect opportunity to do just that.
Derrick Henry (RB – TEN)
Those who spent a high first-round pick on Henry have not reaped the rewards of having them on their roster outside of one game. That may have led to a 1-3 start for their team and leaving them nervous about the future of the Titans team now that COVID has struck them. In the end, the NFL will find a way for all teams to play the same number of games, even if they have to extend the regular season. Keep in mind that Henry has already gotten his bye out of the way, so you’ll never be without him. This is a buy-low opportunity.
Christian McCaffrey (RB – CAR)
He’s now missed two weeks, and considering the lack of running back depth available on waiver wires, McCaffrey managers may be looking at an 0-4 or 1-3 start to their fantasy season. That means they can no longer afford to wait it out with McCaffrey who is supposed to be out another 2-4 weeks. Approach that manager and remind them they don’t have time to wait around for him to return. You’re going to be forced to pay up, but this is the cheapest he’ll ever be.
Tyler Lockett (WR – SEA)
He won’t come cheap, but he’ll come cheaper than he would’ve coming into Week 4. His managers were let down last week against the Dolphins where he walked away with just two catches for 39 yards. Those games will happen for any receiver, so don’t take it to heart. Russell Wilson is throwing more this year and is on pace for almost 550 pass attempts, which could lead to a historic season considering his efficiency. Lockett is still a top-12 wide receiver for the remainder of the season.
D.J. Moore (WR – CAR)
It’ll be a mixed bag for Moore over the next month, but know that his buy-low window will slam shut in Week 5 when they play the Falcons defense. He’ll actually play the Falcons twice in the next month, which is good news for any receiver, let alone one who’s the No. 1 target on an offense that throws the ball 35-plus times per game.
A.J. Brown (WR – TEN)
Remember when people were drafting Brown as a top-12 receiver? While I never advised that, those who did roster him knew there was risk. Now you add in a knee injury and the Titans outbreak with COVID, and they are surely spooked. This is the time to buy a receiver who has top-12 upside for the remainder of the season. Nothing has changed except his price, which is now going to be much more affordable.
Le’Veon Bell (RB – NYJ)
You don’t like Le’Veon Bell. I get it. You don’t like Adam Gase. I get it. What you need to understand, however, is that running back depth is more important than ever. Have you seen some of the running backs that fantasy managers have had to field over the last few weeks? If COVID continues to affect the league, depth will be tested. Bell may not be sexy but he’s someone you can continually plug into your starting lineup and expect 15-plus touches.
Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT)
His fantasy managers still may not know what they have in him. His concussion in Week 3 left them high and dry, and then his bye in Week 4 may have dug them a deeper hole. He’s seen the highest target share on the Steelers team, and it’s not even close. While JuJu Smith-Schuster has had some great matchups, he’s seen just 6, 8, and 5 targets in their three games. Johnson might be the No. 1 receiver for the Steelers this year and that needs to be baked into his rest-of-season ranking. If you can land him for middling WR3 prices, you absolutely should. He also got his bye week out of the way, which is an added bonus.
Players to Sell
Odell Beckham Jr. (WR – CLE)
It’s not very often you’re going to see the Browns play in a game where they throw the ball a lot; that’s just not the way Kevin Stefanski wants to win. It’s also not every week that they’ll play a secondary as bad as the Cowboys’ has looked to this point. While I still have plenty of faith in the player Beckham is, this offense isn’t going to guarantee him more than six targets per game. He’s going to be a semi-volatile WR2.
Keenan Allen (WR – LAC)
If we knew Allen was going to have Justin Herbert under center for the rest of the year, he wouldn’t be here in the sell column. In fact, he’d be someone to buy. Unfortunately, Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn has been adamant about Tyrod Taylor being the starter once he’s ready due to “wins” being the most important stat. Despite Herbert’s phenomenal play, they haven’t won any of the games he’s started, which is what will put Taylor back under center.
Kyler Murray (QB – ARI)
Opposite from last year, Murray has been getting almost all of the goal-line touchdowns rather than Kenyan Drake. It’s not to say that he can’t get most of them, but he’s due for some regression. His 6.4 yards per attempt is among the worst in the NFL, while his rushing and high touchdown-rate have been carrying his fantasy days. Things will even out over the course of a season, so you should put the feelers out there to see what you could net in a trade. Streaming quarterbacks has never been easier.
Mark Ingram (RB – BAL)
If there’s someone out there who believes Ingram is still an every-week starter in fantasy, you should look to find them in order to sell. He’s now gone four straight weeks without eclipsing 10 carries in a game, and the rookie JK Dobbins will only build up steam as the year goes on. What’s the upside with Ingram at this point? A multiple touchdown game with 50 rushing yards? What’s the difference between him and Latavius Murray? He’s just a touchdown-dependent RB3.
Ronald Jones (RB – TB)
Jones may have had a good game on paper, but if you watched the game against the Chargers, he cost them quite a few yards with multiple drops. This was a game where Leonard Fournette would’ve played more snaps if he were active, as the Bucs are looking for a reason to bench Jones. There will be flashes with Jones from time to time, but in the end, you’ll never feel completely confident when starting him.
Mike Davis (RB – CAR)
Davis has lived up to the FAB money you spent to acquire him, that’s for sure. However, this is the time you should look to cash in, as he’s coming off two games in which he scored a touchdown and performed like a top-15 running back. WIth an upcoming schedule against the Falcons, Bears, and Saints, he may struggle to repeat. With Christian McCaffrey still 2-4 weeks away from his return, you should still be able to get a decent return for Davis.
Player to Hold
Kenyan Drake (RB – ARI)
It’s ugly, there’s no question about it. However, this is the classic “do not go overboard” mode. He’s still totaled over 70 percent of the running back touches in the Cardinals backfield. Kyler Murray having three touchdowns while Drake has none is flip-flopped from how things were last year. Things are bound to even out. Remember Joe Mixon and how much his owners were panicking last week? Well, he’s once again in their good graces. We must dial back expectations for Drake into the low-end RB2 range, but he’s still a starter in fantasy.
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Mike Tagliere is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @MikeTagliereNFL.