We have officially passed Week 13 in the NFL and Week 14 in College Football season. With all of this new information flooding in, let’s take a look at some buy-low candidates for the fantasy season, on top of looking into a couple of sell-high players, trade targets, and waiver wire additions you should make!
Buy Low Candidates
NFL:
Kyler Murray – Quarterback
Kyler Murray is coming off a very slow week. He had 260 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a narrow loss. He’s still a great fantasy quarterback who provides value on the ground with his legs. Plus, his receivers are still wonderful with Marvin Harrison and Trey McBride catching passes. Try and grab Kyler while off a bad game.
Tony Pollard – Running Back
Tony Pollard has been a really good fantasy running back this season, the problem is that he isn’t usually playing with a lead. That happened this week, with the Tennessee Titans in a four-score hole in the first half and leaving him with limiting opportunities. That won’t happen every week, and he’ll bounce back.
DK Metcalf – Wide Receiver
It was another one of those quiet afternoons for DK Metcalf, and it is something we’ve seen a good bit lately thanks to the breakout of Jaxon Smith-Njigba. However, it is hard to see this continuing when Metcalf is fully healthy and in a good matchup. He’s currently battling a few ailments, though I like him as a buy-low candidate off a mediocre showing.
TJ Hockenson – Tight End
TJ Hockenson worked a long way to get back from his injury. Since returning, he’s had three games of under six fantasy points and two games over 15. With him posting just three receptions for 28 yards, this opens the door for a buy-low opportunity. Once he gets some more reps underneath him, I believe Hockenson will thrive with Sam Darnold even more than he has.
College:
Jaxson Dart – Quarterback
We’ll see how a bowl game looks moving forward for Jaxson Dart, especially with the NFL looming in front of him. Despite that, I think he could be an intriguing trade candidate, coming off a mediocre 17 fantasy point performance. We’ve seen him have huge 40-plus point games in the past, it’s just a matter of consistency in the passing game.
Abu Sama – Running Back
Abu Sama is on a cold stretch, but we were all reminded that he’s the top running back at Iowa State. Sama had 15 rushes for 81 yards yet was held without a touchdown for the fourth time in five games. He’s been under 10 fantasy points in all of those games in which he didn’t score as well. Despite that, I like him as a buy-low candidate, because most managers are likely sick of this and hoping for a reason to trade. Sama has shown what he can do in the past, it’s hard to imagine he can’t snap back out of this funk.
Tez Johnson – Wide Receiver
Tez Johnson had just three receptions for 36 yards and a touchdown this weekend, and last week he had one reception for 11 yards. Back-to-back slow outings lower his value a bit, which makes it your only opportunity to try and haggle for him. Johnson had six straight 10-plus point fantasy games before these last two showings.
Jalin Conyers – Tight End
Jalin Conyers had a relatively quiet day, though he’s been good enough to make him a buy-low option. We’ve seen him go catchless one day, then record seven receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown two weeks later. It’s been a back-and-forth season for the tight end. With him nearing the end of his college career, it might be worth looking into his future.
Sell High Candidates
NFL:
Russell Wilson – Quarterback
Let’s face it, Russell Wilson is going to be a good fantasy option for the rest of the year. However, he isn’t the best that you can get, and his situation sure isn’t ideal long-term. He’s an aging quarterback who doesn’t often run the ball much. Despite that, he still put up 414 yards and three touchdowns with one interception this weekend against the Cincinnati Bengals. I wouldn’t expect his value to be any higher after this game.
Ray Davis – Running Back
This backfield in Buffalo is James Cook’s right now. He had 14 rushes for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Davis had 11 rushes for 63 and a touchdown. The reason the workload was so close, was because Buffalo played in a snowstorm, while simultaneously blowing out the San Francisco 49ers. That combination led to Davis getting more involved, but for most of the season, he hasn’t consistently stolen work from Cook.
Elijah Moore – Wide Receiver
Elijah Moore had eight receptions for 111 yards against the Denver Broncos. This feels like a bit of an anomaly considering that Jameis Winston threw for nearly 500 yards on the night. Moore hadn’t broken 100 receiving yards in a game all season, and he had only broken 45 twice coming into this one. Winston being the quarterback gives Moore a boost, but this might be the outlier game to sell high.
Dalton Schultz – Tight End
I don’t know if it is C.J. Stroud or Dalton Schultz, but this connection just hasn’t been there this season. Over the weekend, it finally was. Schultz had five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. This was the second-most yards in a single game for Schultz, and his first touchdown of the year. Not to mention it was just the second time he had five receptions in a single game. This has been a bad season for him, and it was a sell-high game here.
College:
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi – Quarterback
Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had his best fantasy showing of the season, dropping 37 points over the weekend. It was the first game that saw him throw more than three passing touchdowns, and the first game to see him go over the 25-point fantasy mark. It was a true outlier game, but a great one to end the season on. This is a sell-high game for anybody who might have stashed him.
Damien Taylor – Running Back
Managers still holding onto Damien Taylor were given a gift this weekend. He had 23 rushes for 169 yards and three touchdowns, putting up 35 fantasy points. It was a great sell-high week and one that you can negotiate on due to his high volume of touches throughout the season along with his multiple strong fantasy performances.
Ja’Kobi Lane – Wide Receiver
Ja’Kobi Lane had three receptions for 26 yards and three surprising touchdowns. He scored every time he touched the football this weekend. That’s great, but unsustainable long-term of course. I think if you were holding onto Lane, this might be the best shot at cutting ties with him, especially considering that he scored on his lone reception last week as well.
Pat Conroy – Tight End
Pat Conroy wanted to end his season with a bang. In the last two games, he had 11 receptions for 172 yards and two touchdowns for Old Dominion. The tight end had back-to-back games of two fantasy points before this stretch, which is kind of funny. Nevertheless, Conroy had two great games to end the season, making him a sell-high candidate.
Strategic Insights
The best way that you can identify buy-low opportunities is to look for players that other managers seem to be bullish on. Players that might be on a cold stretch, or have gotten injured recently, look at their potential down the line. As for sell-high opportunities, if you foresee a player potentially dropping in production soon, then take advantage of their current value and ship them off for a great return rather than waiting and getting nothing when they drop off.
An example of a buy-low strategy would have been last season. Let’s say you see Puka Nacua get drafted and you had high hopes for him in the NFL, but the manager that owned him didn’t feel that way. You could aggressively try and trade for him because you see past his draft position and look at his potential. Then, Nacua has his breakout season, and you got him for almost nothing. The same goes the other way, if you have Tyreek Hill who says that he’s going to retire around 31, and you know he’s getting up there despite being a top player at his position, you can trade him away at peak value before he retires and get a great return.
Trade Targets
NFL:
Brock Purdy – Quarterback
Brock Purdy has to have extremely low value right now. He is coming off a game in which his team lost by 25 points, he threw for just 90 yards, and he didn’t get a single touchdown. This was a game played in a snowstorm, and Purdy is still just one week removed from being held out of action with his shoulder injury. I think he’s going to bounce back, even if the team isn’t great.
Rico Dowdle – Running Back
If the Dallas Cowboys can find any type of easy matchup down the stretch, it is worth targeting Rico Dowdle. He is the clear-cut number-one running back in the backfield, and he has been all season long. His confidence has grown, he’s getting more touches with Dak Prescott out, and he can get involved in the passing game. All of this points to strong fantasy value.
Jerry Jeudy – Wide Receiver
Good luck training for him now, Jerry Jeudy is going to be hot on everybody’s lists. He had nine receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown and could have broken the 300 mark had Winston connected with him on what could have been a 70-yard deep shot early in the first half. Still, it was an awakening and a revenge game for Jeudy, who’s thrived with Winston under center.
Jonnu Smith – Tight End
When Tua Tagovailoa returned to the Miami Dolphins offense, Jonnu Smith became one of the best tight ends in fantasy football. He has recorded three straight games over 21 fantasy points, with 10 receptions for 113 yards over the weekend. He’s also scored three touchdowns during this stretch. If you’re able to trade for a tight end, this could be a great option for you.
College:
Kurtis Rourke – Quarterback
Back against the wall, needing a big day, and Kurtis Rourke delivers. That’s the type of poise I like to see from my fantasy quarterback. Rourke had six touchdowns on the day to drop 37 fantasy points for the Indiana Hoosiers. He’s gone cold in the past, scoring negative points last week thanks to five sacks and a blowout loss to OSU, but he’s also gotten extremely hot. You could probably target him for cheap, even after this big game.
Isaac Brown – Running Back
Isaac Brown has dropped over 20 fantasy points in four of his last five games. This week, he had 26 rushes for 178 yards and two touchdowns, along with three receptions for 12 yards. He scored four touchdowns in two games and rushed for over 1,000 yards during his freshman campaign. Brown is a very nice trade target at running back.
Jordyn Tyson – Wide Receiver
Jordyn Tyson is starting to put it all together. In his last five games, he has scored six touchdowns, caught over 40 passes, and recorded over 600 receiving yards. Arizona State is targeting him as often as possible, with him receiving double-digit targets in all but one of these last five matchups. If you can trade for him in any way, at least take a look. HOWEVER, Tyson is expected to miss at least the next game with an injury, so this would be more of a long-term move.
Gunnar Helm – Tight End
Gunnar Helm had six receptions on eight targets for 56 yards this week. It’s what we’re used to seeing out of Helm, who’s gotten at least three receptions in each of the last five games, as well as recording at least 30 receiving yards. With a bright future at Texas and overall given his position, Helm is a nice trade target.
Strategic Insights:
The best advice that I can give regarding trades is to be respectful to the other managers. Don’t horrendously lowball somebody for a player, and don’t insult them to make trades. Be nice and respectful and understand the value that you’re going for. Your first offer should be just thrown out there to see what happens, but both you and the other manager should just slowly throw offers out to see what works for each of you.
Waiver Wire Watch
NFL:
Mac Jones – Quarterback
Mac Jones isn’t your ideal waiver-wire quarterback pickup, but he has been good in limited action with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Given the nasty hit that Trevor Lawrence took last week, I would imagine that he misses time. This opens the door for Jones to get meaningful starts down the stretch. Coming in for Lawrence, Jones threw for 235 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Who knows, perhaps this could be a small resurgence.
Isaac Guerendo – Running Back
Isaac Guerendo is the only 49er running back left standing. Christian McCaffrey got placed on injured reserve once more, effectively ending his season. Meanwhile, Jordan Mason got a similar fate thanks to an ankle sprain, with these two joining Elijah Mitchell on that list. This opens the door for Guerendo to take the starting job for the rest of the year, and we’ve seen him take advantage of that already this season.
Parker Washington – Wide Receiver
Parker Washington has displayed chemistry with Mac Jones, and that is likely who will be throwing him the football again this weekend with Trevor Lawrence likely held out with a concussion. This weekend, Washington found six receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown with both Lawrence and Jones throwing the ball. Perhaps Jones could make him fantasy viable down the stretch?
Tommy Tremble – Tight End
Tommy Tremble had five receptions for 77 yards for the Carolina Panthers this week. It helps him out that Bryce Young is feeling the most confident that he ever has in the NFL, and that rookie Ja’Tavion Sanders missed action with an injury. If Sanders misses more time, Tremble becomes a genuine waiver wire target thanks to Young’s comfort level with him in the passing game.
College:
Micah Alejado – Quarterback
Micah Alejado is expected to start in Hawaii next season, so the true freshman made his first collegiate start to end the year over the weekend as a test run. He dropped 44 fantasy points, thanks to 469 passing yards and five touchdowns. We also saw him get value on the ground with his legs. This seems to be the big pickup of the week.
Andrew Laughery – Running Back
Andrew Laughery had under 10 fantasy points in each game of the season up to this point. However, this week, he was given a chance and made the most of it. He had 12 rushes for 172 yards and three touchdowns. This could potentially help him get some more touches out of the backfield for Illinois. It wouldn’t hurt to look into him.
Dean Patterson – Wide Receiver
On the waiver wire, Dean Patterson might be interesting. He has recorded over 10 fantasy points in three straight games, and over seven points in four consecutive. The wideout has scored four touchdowns in his last four outings also. After announcing that he’ll enter the transfer portal, Patterson could be a nice pickup long-term.
Garrett Oakley – Tight End
Garrett Oakley had four receptions for 78 yards and a touchdown to end the year. The game before this, he had zero receptions. With some time left in his collegiate career, Oakley could be a good waiver wire pickup for next season, even if he isn’t with Kansas State again.
Strategic Insights
The easiest way to prioritize waiver wire claims is to simply rank the players you want before going after them. Take them one at a time and understand that you’re not going to get all of them. Waiver wire claims usually go based on the order you place them in, so target your top guys first.
At the end of the day, it is very important to keep up with things every week, otherwise, key players can slip through your fingers. Be sure to consistently search for buy-low, and sell-high opportunities, relentlessly look through the waiver wire markets, and don’t be afraid to shoot out a couple of trade offers if you’re interested. Use all of the above information to keep yourself at the top of the standings.