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Buy Low
Carson Wentz (QB-IND) - You might be able to wait on trading for Wentz until next week if you think he will have a poor showing against the Ravens edge rush featuring former Colt Justin Houston and breakout first rounder Odafe Oweh. After that, he will get the three other AFC South defenses and the Jets in four of the next five games. Wentz is also warming and developing better chemistry with his new targets and left tackle Eric Fisher should also round into form around the time stud guard Quenton Nelson and right tackle Braden Smith are healthy again.
Michael Pittman (WR-IND) - Like Wentz, Pittman will have the benefit of better matchups going forward, and he’ll also benefit from Wentz and the offensive line getting healthier. He should have had a touchdown in Week 3 but Wentz missed him, and last week he was tackled at one yard line. He has emerged as the #1 receiver as the Colts hoped, but that is being concealed in fantasy circles by the lack of a true breakout game. It’s coming.
J.D. McKissic (RB-WAS) - McKissic is getting better every year, but it isn’t being noticed because of his body type and the fact that his fantasy value was fueled by Captain Checkdown (a costume all Washington quarterbacks handed off like Tony Clifton) last year. Antonio Gibson is banged up and Washington should have to stay in passing mode a lot this year because their pass defense is putrid. His game-winning touchdown last week was one of the most athletic plays of the year and he is going to earn more and more trust from Taylor Heinicke as the season goes on.
Henry Ruggs III (WR-LV) - The Raiders offense was not at its best against the Chargers, but no offense has been, with Brandon Staley’s crew holding every team they have faced this year to their lowest point total on the year. Ruggs speed is obvious and apparent, and with the quality players they have in the middle of the field and Josh Jacobs getting healthier, Ruggs should have plenty of chances to roast his competition for big plays against weaker defenses after the Raiders opened with the Ravens, Steelers, Dolphins, and Chargers. Las Vegas still has the NFC East and two games vs. the Chiefs coming up over the next two months.
Robert Woods (WR-LAR) - When the offensive minded head coach says he wants to get a starter on offense more opportunities, you take notice. Matthew Stafford has been locked in on Cooper Kupp, but Woods is more than accomplished enough to believe that he’ll get his sooner or later, especially now that Sean McVay is echoing that thought. Get your offers in for Woods while you can.
Darrell Henderson (RB-LAR) - Henderson gets a weary Seahawks defense on Thursday night, and after that the Rams will face the Giants, Detroit, Houston, and Tennessee in games that feature suspect run defenses, easy W’s for the Rams, or both. Henderson was also as involved in the passing game as he has been all year in Week 4, so there are multiple ways for his value to explode over the next month.
Leonard Fournette (RB-TB) - How would we be talking about Fournette this week if he had scored the touchdown instead of Ronald Jones II? Teams are going to continue to dare Tom Brady to pass, and Fournette will get a lot of work against light boxes in high scoring games. Even with Giovani Bernard getting healthy, Fournette should be a bigger part of the offense than he was in September.
Buy High
Marquise Brown (WR-BAL) - Brown is not Troy Williamson or Ted Ginn Jr. Even though he had two ugly drops and another possible score that was slightly deflected against the Lions, he caught scores in each of the other three games, and if he had just converted one of those opportunities against the Lions, he would be in the top six fantasy wide receivers in PPR leagues. Lamar Jackson is growing up as a passer, and the running game should only get better and create more shot play chances once Nick Boyle is back on injured reserve. Rashod Bateman is coming back from injured reserve, too, but he doesn’t have deep speed like Brown, so he could also help keep Brown active in the touchdown column of the box score.
Kadarius Toney (WR-NYG) - Only the most ardent believers in Toney’s game would have expected him to translate so quickly and easily against NFL defenses. In his first game as a starter he made fools out of multiple would-be Saints tacklers and a good case to keep him in the lineup no matter who is healthy in the Giants wide receiver room. Toney has a knucklehead factor that could sabotage his value at any point, but he looks like one of the most sudden players in the league and we are in an era now when Cordarrelle Patterson can finally have sustained fantasy value in his 30s.
Daniel Jones (QB-NYG) - The Giants were right all along? 2020 first round pick Andrew Thomas is turning into a cornerstone of the line, the myriad of weapons on offense is making multiple injuries at wide receiver a moot point, and Saquon Barkley is turning games with his immense physical talent. Jones is at the intersection of all of this, and he made a trip into Superdome look like a walk in the park by the time the game was over. Jones is growing up into a fantasy QB1 no matter what Jason Garrett’s plans were for this offense.
Cordarrelle Patterson (WR/RB - ATL) - Everyone is going to want to sell high on Patterson after his three touchdown outburst, but few are going to want to buy high. Calvin Ridley being out this week should showcase Patterson again, and soon enough his value is going to solidify. Because those dangling him on the trade market will be eager to trade and they might not get many offers, this might actually end up being a good week to deal for him, especially in dynasty leagues.
Sell High
Sam Darnold (QB-CAR) - Five rushing touchdowns in four weeks is just unsustainable, and Darnold hasn’t exactly faced murderer’s row when you look at the schedule. He had a strong fantasy week vs. Dallas, who appears to be respectable on defense, but a lot of the production game when the game was out of hand. If you aren’t relying on Darnold, try to deal him to the QB-neediest team in your league.
Opportunity Knocks
Alex Collins (RB-SEA)
Samaje Perine, Chris Evans (RB-CIN)
Damien Williams, Khalil Herbert (RB-CHI)
Olamide Zaccheaus, Christian Blake, Frank Darby (WR-ATL)
Josh Reynolds (WR-TEN)
