The College Football season has officially begun, and the NFL season is right around the corner. With so much excitement in the air for sports fans, let’s dive right back into some buy-low, sell-high candidates for the upcoming season. Along with a couple of waiver wire/trade targets, you might be interested in.
Buy Low Candidates
NFL:
- Bo Nix – Quarterback
Given his age, Bo Nix might be a little difficult to trade for. The reason he’s here is because some managers don’t know what they’re getting from him. He’s not played a regular season game after all. Nix was already voted as a team captain by his teammates, and in the preseason, he marched straight down the field repeatedly. Nix could be the next big thing, and his value might never be lower.
- Brian Robinson – Running Back
Brian Robinson had a great season in 2023 with the Washington Commanders and the hope is that he’d be able to replicate that success. Unfortunately, the team did bring in veteran Austin Ekeler to eat into his work on the field. That dropped his value a bit, but if Ekeler misses any time, or leaves the team after one season, Robinson immediately reverts to a three-down player.
- Tee Higgins – Wide Receiver
Tee Higgins not only might be on a different team by the end of the season, but he also is second on a strong passing offense led by Joe Burrow. Given his franchise tag status, his value might be low, and given the fact that the number one wideout on the Cincinnati Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase, is thinking of holding out for a new contract, this opens the door for a big season from Higgens.
- Pat Freiermuth – Tight End
There is a lack of faith around Pat Freiermuth simply because he’s on the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that notoriously hasn’t had many quality fantasy options lately. However, with two new quarterbacks in the building, Freiermuth can shine, not to mention there’s a new offensive scheme in place.
College:
- Conner Weigman – Quarterback
Conner Weigman did not look good in the opener. He threw for 100 yards, had a 40 percent completion percentage, threw two interceptions, and racked up only 26 rushing yards. Then again, he did go up against a tough Notre Dame defense. He might be worth buying low and holding onto to see if he can turn this ship around.
- Ahmad Hardy – Running Back
Ahmad Hardy started the season nowhere on the depth chart. Now, Hunter Smith has been bumped from his top spot, with Hardy listed as the primary back. In Week 1, he had 19 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown. If you can get him, this might be the time.
- Germie Bernard – Wide Receiver
Germie Bernard was supposed to have a huge year, but in the opener, he had just one catch for 17 yards on his lone target. Despite being very hyped as the top receiver at Alabama, he was invisible. His value is low, and I still have faith in his production this season.
- Caden Prieskorn – Tight End
Fantasy managers probably remember a disappointing 2023 season for Caden Prieskorn. In Week 1 though, he had three receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. Things are looking up for him in 2024.
Sell High Candidates
NFL:
- Jalen Hurts – Quarterback
This might sound crazy, but Jalen Hurts could be a sell-high candidate right now. The reason is that he was so good in fantasy due to his rushing numbers. Take away Jason Kelce for the Tush Push and add Saquon Barkley to steal some of those yards and touchdowns, and Hurts loses value in fantasy. If you trade him, you’d likely get a large return, and that might be worth it for you.
- Zamir White – Running Back
I’m a big fan of Zamir White, the running back for the Las Vegas Raiders. The reason he’s on a sell-high list is that he doesn’t have much receiving upside right now, and the Raiders offense doesn’t have much scoring potential in general. White will get a ton of work and reps, which is why his stock will be higher, though you might be able to flip him for a strong haul.
- Stefon Diggs – Wide Receiver
Stefon Diggs is coming off a season where he didn’t exactly play at his best. Now, he’s on a new team again, this time with the Houston Texans. The sky is the limit here, but people are getting a little too carried away in terms of his value. The Texans still have two other younger receiving options in Tank Dell and Nico Collins, who have more chemistry with quarterback CJ Stroud already. Diggs is also in the later years of his career.
- Cole Kmet – Tight End
Cole Kmet is coming off a fantastic season where his value might be at its peak. The Chicago Bears also added Caleb Williams to replace Justin Fields. Williams is a definite upgrade, but Fields targeted Kmet relentlessly, especially in the red zone, that chemistry might not be there with Williams. On top of that, Chicago added Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen to further take targets away from Kmet.
College:
- Payton Thorne – Quarterback
Payton Thorne just threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns along with 49 rushing yards and another touchdown. His value is through the roof, but it might be unsustainable long-term. You might be able to take advantage of his quickly rising value before it dips.
- James Jones – Running Back
Despite surprisingly cracking the top two running backs alongside Ahmad Hardy, Jones wasn’t as involved. He had nine carries for 54 yards and a touchdown though was significantly out-touched by Hardy. It feels like, if anything, Jones could lose more touches than gain them. At least right now.
- Shamar Sandgren – Wide Receiver
It might be enticing to try and swoop Sandgren or hold onto him, given that he had nine targets and finished with three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown. However, his quarterback threw 49 passes, and it still needed a touchdown to save Sandgren’s day. His value is higher than it was before, but still not enough to keep him.
- Colin Weber – Tight End
Once Colin Weber proves he can find the end zone, then this changes. For now, he’s a sell-high candidate due to his production. He had six receptions on eight yards but only had 45 yards in a blowout loss. On a good day, he might have a good chunk of targets. Historically though, he’s struggled to find the end zone, not scoring last year at all.
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:
- Jordan Love – Quarterback
Trading for Jodan Love won’t be easy. He’s a young quarterback who is expected to air the ball out a lot, and he’s got nothing but young/explosive receivers around him. There’s a good chance that he throws a ton of touchdowns and racks up the yardage. He’d be a great addition to any fantasy team.
- Trey Benson – Running Back
Drafted in the third round this season, Trey Benson is stuck behind James Conner on the Arizona Cardinals depth chart. If Conner misses time with an injury, Benson is immediately the three-down back. Next season, if Conner leaves, Benson becomes the future of the position in Arizona. Either way, getting in on Benson before the season starts would be a good idea.
- Diontae Johnson – Wide Receiver
It’s a bit of a risk, though Diontae Johnson is easily the best receiving option that the Carolina Panthers have. He’ll receive a ton of targets, and the team is likely to be losing often, so they’ll air it out a lot more than other squads.
- Kyle Pitts – Tight End
This might finally be the breakout year we’ve been waiting for. Kyle Pitts gets Kirk Cousins throwing passes to him this year. Not only is Cousins much better than what Pitts has had before, but he’s a quarterback who is known to target his tight ends early and often.
College:
- Ethan Vasko – Quarterback
Ethan Vasko might be getting picked up a lot in your league, which is why he falls into trade-target territory. Vasko had 249 passing yards and 39 rushing yards with three total touchdowns behind him.
- Ja’Quinden Jackson – Running Back
Ja’Quinden Jackson didn’t need many touches to have a huge day in Week 1. He had just eight carries and turned them into 101 yards and two touchdowns. This kid is clearly explosive.
- Nick Nash – Wide Receiver
Nick Nash got a new head coach this season and immediately had 10 receptions for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 15 targets He only ran 36 routes as well. Given his target share and production, Nash will continue his great season.
- Jake Bech – Tight End
Jake Bech racked up nine targets in the season opener, which, for a player in his position, feels unheard of. If Bech keeps getting a high target share at tight end, he’s going to be impossible to part ways with, so get him now before his value rises too high.
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:
- Baker Mayfield – Quarterback
Baker Mayfield had a strong season last year and is coming back with essentially the same roster around him. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out wide, Mayfield will continue to be great in a pinch for your fantasy team.
- Rico Dowdle – Running Back
It’d be shocking if he’s still available, but if he is in your league, immediately go after him. Dowdle was recently announced as the starting running back for the Dallas Cowboys over Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott.
- Demario Douglas – Wide Receiver
The New England Patriots offense is a tricky mess right now, which opens the door for Demario Douglas to be a hidden gem. He wasn’t bad a season ago and is mostly slept on by managers.
- Luke Musgrave – Tight End
You never really know with tight ends, especially Luke Musgrave. As a rookie, he was stuck second on the depth chart for the Green Bay Packers. He might very well start the season in the same place, but his potential could have him being a top option in a high-flying Green Bay offense. Maybe it’s worth taking a flyer on him.
College:
- Behren Morton – Quarterback
Behren Morton had to throw for five touchdowns and 378 yards just to narrowly escape Abilene Christian with a one-point overtime victory. His defense is not very good at all, and that means he’s going to continue airing it out to try and keep them afloat.
- Anthony Tyus – Running Back
Anthony Tyus went up against a tough Syracuse defense and ran for over 200 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries. He also had a few receptions to bump his touch count to 18. If he can do that against Syracuse, he might have future success a few more times.
- Damon Ward – Wide Receiver
Damon Ward was on this list last week and he should be again. Ward had 230 yards on 12 receptions with two touchdowns. There’s nothing else to say about him, Ward should be picked up when possible.
- Bauer Sharp – Tight End
Bauer Sharp was an interesting target before the season. In the first game, he had five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown. If this can be consistent, Sharp will be a tremendous waiver wire pickup, at a position that’s tough to gauge.
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.
Conclusion
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 towards the top of the standings. afraid to shoot out a couple of trade offers if you’re interested. Use all of the above information to get your year started off right.