Photo: USA Today Sports

The heartbeat of any economy is its market. Usually driven by the highest performing companies, you essentially invest in the viability of its businesses, good or bad. The same concept should be applied to Fantasy Football. The team you drafted always looks good on day one, but what truly wins leagues is acquiring or letting go of players. You need to seek positive trends and let go of diminishing players as you try to assemble the championship team. Like the stock market, big names are always trending up, and there are players you need to try to move off of. For all you dreamers, there’s also that penny stock that may become Amazon someday. So for all you IDP degenerates like me, here’s your inaugural Stock Market. I’ll start by identifying the Top tier performers who are always there, your mid-tier performers, and your penny stocks. I’ll also have your projected “futures” for these assets and commentary on why. Ring the bell, folks, it's TIME!

High Dollar Stocks Trending up

Linebacker Bobby Wagner: New team, same dominance. If Thursday was any indication of what the year holds, it should make you feel better about his new situation. Seven total tackles and a sack are just the kind of production you need from a stud LB on your team. Maybe he isn’t prime Wagner, but managers can safely start and forget Wagner in your lineups like always. What more can I say? He’s still that dude.

Linebacker Devin White: This is no surprise to managers; the guy can flat-out play. Eight tackles, two sacks, and a defended pass is week-winning potential. Linebackers are the most important part of your IDP team. White is making a serious case for LB1 early with a dominating performance on Sunday Night Football. For that, he is a Fortune 500 level linebacker.

Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick: I’m tired of Safety slander! If you get the right guy, he can win you a game, and no one better proved that this week than Fitzpatrick. He was the number one scoring defensive player this week with 14 tackles and a pick-six. You can use the “dime a dozen” mantra when talking about safeties all you want, but if you have a good one, it’s noticeable. Good luck buying Fitzpatrick for a dime…

Defensive Tackle Jeffery Simmons: Some leagues are different from others. I’m somewhat wary of starting a defensive tackle in non-required leagues, but Simmons is different. Coming off his best career year, he showed no signs of slowing down with six tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble, making him DT1 this week, a spot that I believe he captures at the end of the year as well.

Defensive End Myles Garrett: Another no-brainer of a stud here. Garrett could take the baton from Aaron Donald this year as the NFL’s best defensive player. Four tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a defended pass put him on pace for career highs in each of the major categories at his position. Career highs for a player with league-winning potential. One of the few defensive linemen who are untradeable in my eyes.