It’s never too early to scour the trade market in your fantasy football leagues, and it’s essential to gauge the market each week based on what you’ve seen from the current week’s slate of games.
Week 1 is always slightly chaotic, and this season was no exception. We saw some studs underperform, some lesser-known names explode for tremendous performances and a lot of players landing in that middle ground where they weren’t necessarily good or bad.
Each week, I’ll give you three players to buy and sell based on what we saw the week prior. So let’s get right into it with most of Week 1 now in the books.
Early Week 2 Fantasy Football Trade Advice
Players to Buy
The Baltimore Ravens offense featured Zay Flowers as their primary receiving weapon. This was in part due to the absence of Mark Andrews, but Flowers looked ready to assume that role. He easily paced the team in targets (10), receptions (nine) and receiving yards (78). Flowers even saw two rushing attempts in Week 1. Even when Andrews returns from injury, Flowers figures to be heavily involved in the weekly game plan. The Ravens lost JK Dobbins for the season to a torn Achilles, and they can look to use Flowers as an extension of the running game with manufactured touches close to the line of scrimmage to help offset that.
Michael Pittman Jr. (WR – IND)
There was hesitation from some fantasy managers about how quickly Anthony Richardson would be able to support a receiving option like Michael Pittman Jr. in his rookie season. However, those questions were laid to rest in Week 1. Richardson completed 65% of his passes, and Pittman Jr. was the biggest beneficiary. He is Richardson’s most trusted receiving option, and that connection should only continue growing as the season progresses. Pittman Jr. should be locked and loaded as a WR2 this season, but he could flirt with top-12 value if the Colts are forced to rely on the passing game like they were in Week 1.
The stats might not jump off the page for Roschon Johnson as they do for Flowers and Pittman Jr., but I wholeheartedly expect the rookie running back’s workload to increase as the season rolls on. He was more efficient than Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman in Week 1, and perhaps most importantly, he scored a touchdown on his attempt near the goal line. The team’s trust in Johnson should continue to grow, and his ability as a pass protector will help keep him on the field on third downs. While any running back in the Bears’ backfield has to share work with Justin Fields, look for Johnson’s workload to grow over the next few weeks. He’s a flex-worthy player already, and if he establishes himself as the leader of this committee, the ceiling is even higher.
Players to Sell
Arthur Smith and running the football go hand in hand, but I’m not sure how many fantasy managers had Tyler Allgeier out-touching Bijan Robinson in Week 1. Both players found the endzone in Week 1 – Allgeier twice on the ground and Robinson once through the air. Both players figure to be involved weekly, but Robinson’s role will be more valuable throughout the season. Now is the time to float Allgeier for trade offers coming off of his big Week 1 performance. I’d be looking for the manager in my league who has a surplus of wide receiver talent and a need at running back to try to strike a deal with them.
Nobody on the Steelers played particularly well against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, but there are plenty of reasons for concern with Najee Harris. Before the games kicked off on Sunday, we heard Jaylen Warren would continue seeing opportunities and eating into Harris’s workload. Harris operating as a three-down workhorse is really what made him most appealing from a fantasy perspective, so if his opportunities decrease, his fantasy value will likely decrease as well. I’d look to capitalize on whatever name value Harris has left in your league.
The passing game was funneled through Brandon Aiyuk for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, and I expect that to continue throughout the 2023 season. Deebo Samuel is a very good NFL player. Still, his ceiling for fantasy purposes is capped if he isn’t receiving all of the rushing work he saw a few seasons ago, and it’s improbable we see that sort of usage again with Christian McCaffrey in the fold. Samuel is best treated as a flex option instead of a WR1 or WR2 like he has been. If someone in your league values him that highly, now is the time to strike a deal.
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