With many trade deadlines occurring this week, this will be our final buy/sell/hold article of the season. 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
D’Andre Swift (RB – DET)
Jamaal Williams (thigh) returned in Week 11 but Swift remained Detroit’s lead runner, out-carrying Williams 14-7. He also out-targeted Williams 4-0. The Lions’ offense struggled mightily with Tim Boyle under center on Sunday, and it quickly became clear that Swift was their only offensive weapon. The sophomore RB totaled 136 rushing yards on just 14 carries, highlighted by a 57-yard TD scamper. Swift is trending towards being a locked-in first-rounder in 2022 fantasy drafts.
Michael Pittman (WR – IND)
Pittman caught just 2-of-5 targets for 23 yards in Week 11. However, he simply wasn’t needed as the Colts rode Jonathan Taylor to an upset victory over the Bills. Pittman will be leaned on more heavily when Indy is forced to throw more. He has fully broken out in his sophomore campaign and qualifies as a “buy low” entering Week 12.
Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)
The 21-year-old has now been held to 62 receiving yards or less in each of his past four games. For the season he’s still at just one touchdown. Pitts looked to be emerging as a top-four fantasy tight end when he posted 119+ yards in back-to-back games after Week 7, but the absence of Calvin Ridley has led to a ton more defensive attention on him. It’s important to remember that he’s still a rookie playing in a playmaker-depleted offense. More importantly, the utilization remains fantastic. Pitts draws the Jaguars and Bucs in Weeks 12-13. The talent is still worth betting on.
Dallas Goedert (TE – PHI)
Goedert has yet to fully pop in the box score, but his underlying usage has been fantastic since the Zach Ertz trade. On Sunday against the Saints he caught 5-of-8 targets for 62 yards. He had a 33% target share. The Eagles have transformed into a run-heavy offense over the past month, which limits Goedert’s ultimate upside. Still, the profile is that of a mid-tier TE1.
Michael Gallup (WR – DAL)
Both Amari Cooper (reserve/COVID-19) and CeeDee Lamb (concussion) are either out or questionable for Thursday’s Week 12 game against the Raiders. Gallup is suddenly the top receiving option in a Dak Prescott-led offense. Week 11 was rough, but we’re chasing volume here.
Elijah Moore (WR – NYJ)
The rookie receiver scored for the fourth time in three games in Week 11. Moore saw a season-high 11 targets in Joe Flacco‘s Jets debut, catching eight of them for 141 yards and the aforementioned touchdown. His issue coming into Sunday’s game was playing time, but there’s now a case to be made that he is New York’s most dynamic receiver. His value is trending up entering a Week 12 date with the Texans.
Cam Newton (QB – CAR)
In his first start of the 2021 season in Week 11, Newton completed 21-of-27 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly for fantasy purposes, the former MVP ran 10 times for 46 yards and a score on the ground. The schedule moving forward is favorable for the Panthers. Newton draws the Dolphins in Week 12 and then the Falcons in Week 14.
Players to Sell
A.J. Brown (WR – TEN)
2021 just hasn’t been Brown’s year. There have been some blowup games, but overall the season-long results have been disappointing when factoring in preseason expectations. He dealt with hand and chest injuries in Week 11’s loss to the Texans. Up next is a date with a white-hot Patriots defense that is famous for taking away opposing teams’ top weapon. AJB’s short-term outlook is murky.
Damien Harris (RB – NE)
The 24-year-old returned from a concussion on Thursday night to rush 10 times for 56 yards, adding one reception for a gain of nine through the air. Harris looked good running the ball, but film watchers could make a case that rookie Rhamondre Stevenson looked even better. The first-year RB handled two more carries than Harris as the duo basically rotated series for most of the night. Stevenson isn’t fully taking over this backfield, but we can reasonably expect that he’ll remain involved down the stretch. Harris no longer has a vice grip on early-down carries with the Patriots.
Zack Moss (RB – BUF)
Moss saw just three carries on Sunday as the Bills once again struggled to open up their rushing attack. Matt Breida surprisingly remains involved as well, which means Buffalo’s backfield has transformed into a three-way RBBC. Moss can be left on waivers in shallower leagues.
Russell Wilson (QB – SEA)
In two games since returning from his finger injury in Week 10, Wilson has yet to find the end zone. It has been the worst statistical stretch of his career, and Sunday’s Week 11 results leave little room for optimism. It’s fair to wonder how healthy he is. Wilson draws a plus matchup against the Washington Football Team next weekend, but it’s difficult to trust him as a QB1 for fantasy purposes.
Player to Hold
Marquise Brown (WR – BAL)
“Hollywood” was surprisingly ruled out on Saturday, which comes immediately after an inefficient letdown game in Week 10 against the Dolphins. This is your reminder to hold him as a borderline WR1/2 in fantasy. Baltimore is passing more than ever during the Lamar Jackson era, and Brown’s target share has remained strong despite Rashod Bateman‘s recent emergence.
Miles Sanders (RB – PHI)
The 24-year-old rushed 16 times for 94 yards against the Saints on Sunday as the Eagles once again rode a strong rushing attack to victory. It was a nice performance in his first game since returning from IR. Sanders was splitting carries with Jordan Howard before the latter exited the game with a knee injury. Sanders served as Philadelphia’s lead runner from that point on. His workload would increase if Howard can’t play in Week 12.
A.J. Dillon (RB – GB)
The Packers have a Week 13 bye, which makes it likely that they keep Aaron Jones from playing in Week 12. Jones was originally given a 1-2 week timetable and it would be peculiar to bring him back with the bye right around the corner. Dillon didn’t erupt in his Week 11 spot start, but he was plenty serviceable for fantasy purposes. Dillon rushed 11 times for 53 yards and caught 6-of-6 targets for an additional 44 yards. He’ll be an RB2 next weekend against the Rams, assuming Jones doesn’t return.
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)
New England’s fourth-round rookie wound up receiving two more carries than Damien Harris on Thursday night. Both RBs were productive, but this makes two straight games where Stevenson has flashed production unrelated to the Patriots’ offensive line. Harris’ return from a Week 10 concussion meant that the two backs split carries against Atlanta. That’s a noticeable change from the early part of the season. Stevenson’s standalone value is limited to being a FLEX-worthy play in good matchups, but there’s league-winning upside if something happens to Harris. Hold him tight.
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
With the caveat that it came against the Jaguars, Aiyuk was remarkably efficient in Week 11. He hauled in 7-of-7 targets for 85 yards and a touchdown. This was the third time in four games that Aiyuk saw at least seven targets. He’s once again operating as a full-time player in a Kyle Shanahan-led offense. That makes him a borderline WR2/3 for the remainder of 2021. He isn’t a sell high. If you still roster Aiyuk consider his recent performance to be sustainable.
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Brendan Tuma is a featured writer at FantasyPros. To read more from Brendan, check out his archive and follow him @toomuchtuma.