With three weeks of action behind us, the trade market across all leagues are starting to come to life. We’re now at the point where many fantasy managers are starting to express major disappointment with their higher-ranked underperformers. If you’ve got at least a couple wins under your belt, those types of players on struggling teams make great buy-low targets, especially if you have an overachiever that you can swap. If your squad is having a rough start to the season, then you owe it to yourself to identify some buy-low players that you can exchange any of your sell-high guys for and bolster your roster. Knowing who the best trade candidates are is a challenge, so we’ve brought in our featured experts to lend a helping hand here. Read on below to see their top buy-low and sell-high targets.
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Q1. Who is your favorite buy-low trade candidate at this point in the season and why? Also, who are you willing to give up for him?
Calvin Ridley (WR – ATL)
“Ridley probably isn’t going to live up to his top-five billing like we thought in the preseason, but there’s reason to expect a bounce back. Matt Ryan hasn’t been below 8.1 intended air yards in any of the last three seasons, and yet currently sits at a 4.2 mark — that’s simply not sustainable, even with the change in coaching staff and generally poor offense. And when Ryan does push the ball down the field, it goes to Ridley, who has a roughly 50% share of the Falcons’ air yards. Ridley has 29 targets through three games and eventually things will look a bit more cohesive as they get further acclimated to their new offensive system. I’d try to swap Chris Godwin or Adam Thielen for him, or even a solid, but unspectacular RB2 like Chris Carson or Clyde Edwards-Helaire.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)
“I’m still a firm believer in Calvin Ridley as a WR1 this season. Drafted as a top-five play, he’s currently WR30 on the year, and his value likely won’t get any lower. Through three games, he’s drawn 29 targets (tied for 11th among WRs), including double-digit looks in each of his last two outings. He should continue to see heavy targets from Matt Ryan as the clear WR1 in Atlanta, and positive regression in yards per target and touchdowns would provide a major boost to fantasy value.”
– Zachary Hanshew (FantasyPros)
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
“It could be argued that Tee Higgins doesn’t qualify as a buy-low target, since he has two TD catches in two games, but Higgins might be on the verge of missing a second straight game with a shoulder injury, and the rapid rise of Ja’Marr Chase has Higgins investors nervous. There’s room for Chase, Higgins, and Tyler Boyd to coexist in the Bengals’ offense. Wonky game scripts have led to the Bengals ranking 31st in pass attempts so far, yet Chase is averaging 17.1 fantasy points per game (half PPR) compared to Higgins’ 13.4 and Boyd’s 9.0. Higgins is a rising star, but he’s surprisingly affordable right now. You might be able to get him for Kareem Hunt or Damien Harris.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
A.J. Brown (WR – TEN)
“Fantasy managers tend to fall into the trap of ‘what have you done for me lately,’ with Brown being a poster child for that scenario. After two sub-50-yard performances, less than a 50% catch rate, and an injury in Week 3, fantasy managers are furious with him. This scenario is nothing new to Brown after missing two games to injury early in 2020, he went on to score in 10 of his last 13 regular-season games. Some players I would be willing to trade for Brown include early-season phenom WRs Deebo Samuel and Ja’Marr Chase or RBs like Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Miles Sanders.”
– Matthew McCarthy (Gridiron Ratings)
Robby Anderson (WR – CAR)
“Anderson is frustrating a TON of folks right now. However, if you recall, D.J. Moore had just one double-digit big fantasy week over his first five, while Robby Anderson was killing it. These streaks happen. Anderson is not the forgotten man so much as his skill set of stretching the field has yet to be tested against the Panthers’ first three opponents. That will change over time, and Anderson will bounce back to being a steady WR3 for the rest of the season. When the game plans become less conservative, he will be useful once again. He can probably be pried away for a bench RB or WR right now.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Q2. Who is your favorite sell-high candidate at this point in the season and why? Also, who would you try to get in return?
Melvin Gordon (RB – DEN)
“Gordon is currently the RB10 in half-PPR scoring while teammate Javonte Williams is RB39, and there’s no way that can last. Through the first three weeks of the season, Gordon has 48 total touches for 269 yards and two scores. Williams has 44 total touches for 171 yards and just once score. Gordon busted a 70-yard touchdown scamper back in Week 1, accounting for a lot of the discrepancy in total yards between the two players, but the two are nearly even in total touches. That trend should continue, with the rookie Williams likely to see his role increase as the season moves along. I’d be happy to move Gordon now for a WR2 if I could pull that off or pair him with a WR2 to upgrade to an elite RB with a better rest-of-season outlook.”
– Zachary Hanshew (FantasyPros)
Kareem Hunt (RB – KC)
“After a big Week 3 performance, Hunt currently stands as the RB7 in half-PPR scoring. That single game has accounted for 54% of his total fantasy-point production and with only 29 carries, 32nd at the position, there is not a safe path to replicate his Week 3 output of 25 points consistently. Treat Hunt like the top-10 RB his point total says he is in trades. Trade for WRs like DeAndre Hopkins and Terry McLaurin, a RB like Jonathan Taylor, or a TE like George Kittle.”
– Matthew McCarthy (Gridiron Ratings)
Adam Thielen (WR – MIN)
“Surely there are people in your league who don’t realize that touchdown regression will come knocking on Thielen’s door. Logic tells us that 18 touchdowns in 18 games for a receiver who isn’t a Jerry Rice/Randy Moss type of talent is a statistical anomaly. But with Thielen continuing to find the end zone, there are fantasy managers who perceive him as a high-end WR2 or better. Realistically, he’s more like a low-end WR2. I’d happily trade away Thielen for Miles Sanders or Clyde Edwards-Helaire.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Deebo Samuel (WR – SF)
“Samuel’s stat line is greatly enhanced by his huge opening week performance. Since then, he’s finished at WR28 and WR50 the last two weeks in half-PPR scoring. With a QB change coming potentially down the line and a long injury history, Samuel is the perfect sell-high candidate for a more established WR who’s been slow out of the gate like Allen Robinson or Robert Woods.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Brandin Cooks (WR – HOU)
“Cooks has succeeded everywhere he’s been and with quarterbacks galore, but this feels like we may be reaching the zenith in terms of his value. Targets from Davis Mills just aren’t worth nearly as much as targets from Tyrod Taylor, and his upcoming schedule (Buffalo, New England, Indianapolis, Arizona, Los Angeles (Rams), Miami) is just brutal. Considering his big game on Thursday Night Football, fantasy managers may be more excited about him than they otherwise would be. I’d see if I could swap him for an underperforming Robert Woods or a borderline RB2 like James Robinson or Miles Sanders.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)
Thank you to the experts for naming their trade candidates. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.
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