We have officially passed Week 8 in the NFL and Week 9 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:
Sam Darnold – Quarterback
Sam Darnold has been incredible this year. Although the manager who owns Darnold likely has another great quarterback waiting in the wings. This would make potential trades viable, and Darnold is someone that you should covet right now. He scored at least 15 points in all but one game this season. With the Vikings on a two-game losing streak, maybe people think the magic is gone. I don’t though, Darnold will continue his stellar year.
Alexander Mattison – Running Back
Alexander Mattison is officially the top running back in the Las Vegas Raiders offense. He had 14 rushes compared to Zamir White’s two last week, and his value isn’t very high. For a player that gets this many touches to be valued extremely low, that almost seems too good to pass up on.
Davante Adams – Wide Receiver
Davante Adams has had back-to-back underwhelming weeks for the New York Jets now. However, I am one who still has faith in Aaron Rodgers and believes that he will start to gel with Adams in this offense as the season progresses. If these two get comfortable, he’ll be worth the buy low price.
Cole Kmet – Tight End
On National Tight Ends Day, everybody seemed to get in on the action except for Cole Kmet. The Chicago Bears tight end was limited to just one catch and another on a two-point conversion. It was disappointing, though the Bears offense overall didn’t do much of anything offensively until late in the fourth quarter. With Caleb Williams getting more experience, the hope is that this worrying trend will change soon.
College:
Devon Dampier – Quarterback
Devon Dampier had his worst game of the season this weekend. He totaled only 17 fantasy points, with his next lowest outing coming back in the season opener when he had 24. It was a disappointing afternoon, but he’s been so consistent that this is just a blemish. I expect him to bounce back next week against Wyoming, so grab him if anyone loses faith in him.
Star Thomas – Running Back
In the last three games for Star Thomas, he hasn’t been able to cross 100 rushing yards, nor has he passed 15 fantasy points. However, he’s had over 14 touches in all of those matchups and scored touchdowns in two of those games. Get him now before he breaks out for another 100-yard performance while continuing his scoring streak.
Jayce Brown – Wide Receiver
Jayce Brown has had 12 fantasy points in the last two games combined, though he’s already shown that he can perform well. He’s had two games over 13 points this season and has seen at least five targets in all but one contest. He’s one of the most consistently productive wideouts at Kansas State, so he could be worth a look when coming off a bad week.
Elijah Arroyo – Tight End
Elijah Arroyo, in the last two weeks, has had three targets, and two receptions, for 24 yards without a touchdown. Those aren’t good numbers. However, he has Cam Ward throwing him the football in an explosive Miami offense, and we’ve seen Arroyo make big plays and score two touchdowns already this season. It feels like another good game is on the way.owing last weekend in a loss, and Kuithe could be up for grabs.
Sell High Candidates
NFL:
Jared Goff – Quarterback
Jared Goff had 85 yards passing this weekend and somehow managed three touchdowns out of that. The Detroit Lions are a run-first team and always will be. Couple that with their dominance, and blowout wins push them even further from the passing offense. Goff isn’t going to continuously produce these touchdowns with how great their backfield is.
Tank Bigsby – Running Back
After back-to-back good outings, Tank Bigsby should fade a little bit. The Jacksonville Jaguars will face the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions in the next few weeks, with all of them stopping the run well this year. Couple that with Travis Etienne’s expected return to action and Bigsby’s value “tanks”.
Josh Downs – Wide Receiver
Josh Downs has immense potential, and the same goes for Anthony Richardson. The problem is that one is showing up, while the other is literally pulling himself out of the game. Richardson has not been good this season, and fear has officially crept in on his future. Downs with Richardson as the starting quarterback is unreasonably unpredictable, and until that changes, his value will be volatile.
Kyle Pitts – Tight End
Kyle Pitts has been a very strong tight-end option in recent weeks. He’s had at least 10 fantasy points in each of the last four games, and just had two touchdowns this weekend, but he could cool off at some point. His target share has been wildly inconsistent this season and he ran over 10 fewer routes than other notable weapons like Drake London and Darnell Mooney. His value is absurdly high, so it could be worthwhile capitalizing on that now.
College:
Taylen Green – Quarterback
Taylen Green just dropped 46 fantasy points against Mississippi State this weekend, making him a perfect sell-high candidate. Outside of this game, he has yet to score over 18 points and only had one other game over 15. Plus, he matches up with Ole Miss next week, a very difficult matchup.
Jarquez Hunter – Running Back
Auburn got their first conference win thanks to Jarquez Hunter; he tallied 23 rushes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He had 42 points on the afternoon but has only passed 10 points two other times this season, those were 16 and 11-point performances. The volume is there, but Auburn has been inconsistent as a whole offensively, which limits Hunter’s output.
J.J. Jones – Wide Receiver
J.J. Jones just had five receptions for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, I see him falling back down to Earth a little bit. He’s yet to have more than five receptions in a game this year and has had two matchups with three or fewer. It’s made him very touchdown-dependent, and the fact that he scored twice last week could raise the value.
Luke Hasz – Tight End
Luke Hasz had four receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown this weekend but that will be hard to replicate. This season, he’s been very uninvolved in the offense. Not including this last game, he hadn’t seen more than two targets in game and hadn’t scored either. Even in this “breakout” game, he had just four catches on four targets. The volume isn’t there, and the production isn’t either.
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:
Anthony Richardson – Quarterback
Well, if you’re a believer in Richardson, then there won’t be a better opportunity to go get him. His reputation and potential have tanked in the eyes of football fans around the world, which makes him a very easy trade target. If you want a long-term answer and think he’ll be fine through this rough stretch, then a deal will be well worth it.
Javonte Williams – Running Back
Javonte Williams started the season off slow, but lately, he’s picked up some steam. Not just him, but the entire Denver Broncos offense looks completely different nowadays. This increases the potential for touchdowns, and Williams is improving his value even further by getting involved in the passing game. If you need a running back, the 24-year-old out of Denver can fill that gap.
Tank Dell – Wide Receiver
Even if Nico Collins returns soon, Tank Dell’s value should be through the roof. Stefon Diggs went down with what appeared to be a non-contact knee injury. If that’s severe, Dell will be the number two option even when Collins returns, and if his injury holds him out longer, Dell is the number one. Get him while you can.
Cade Otton – Tight End
Cade Otton is the biggest beneficiary of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers injury woes. With Mike Evans and Chris Godwin out, Otton just hauled in two touchdowns on nine receptions which also turned into 81 yards. He’s the top option in this high-volume passing offense, and that won’t change until Evans returns.
College:
Brendan Sorsby – Quarterback
It’s been a welcome surprise for Cincinnati, but Brendan Sorsby is a good quarterback. He’s surpassed 20 fantasy points in each game he’s played this year and gets the job done on the ground and through the air. Still, many don’t know what they have in him yet, so training for him could be a great option.
Brashard Smith – Running Back
Trading for Brashard Smith won’t be easy, though I think it’ll be worth it. He just had 26 rush attempts, the only time this season that he’s gone over 18 in a game. And the reason I bring this up is because I think that SMU will lean on Smith more in the run game as the season progresses. This could be the liftoff he needs to become a top-back.
Devonte Ross – Wide Receiver
Devonte Ross is just steadily consistent when it comes to his volume, and I love that. He’s had at least 10 targets in all but one game this season, and he’s eclipsed 14 targets three times. On top of that, he’s had five scored touchdowns but has only broken 100 receiving yards once. His inconsistency might turn people away, yet I love his target share.
Mason Taylor – Tight End
I really like the consistency that Mason Taylor brings to the tight-end position. He’s had at least four targets in each game this season, and at least three receptions in all of them. He’s only scored one touchdown, but it came this weekend, potentially showing a positive outlook for the rest of the season.
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:
Matthew Stafford – Quarterback
If Matthew Stafford isn’t on a roster, he should be. He just got both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back from their injuries last week and the Los Angeles Rams scored a season-high in points because of it. Stafford and this offense dramatically improved their scoring potential.
Miles Sanders – Running Back
This might sound crazy, but Miles Sanders could be worth a look on the waiver wire. Why? Well, because all rumors point towards him possibly getting traded at the deadline. He’s a very capable running back averaging 10 yards per rush in the last two weeks, and if he’s on a better team, his outlook will be very different.
Cedric Tillman – Wide Receiver
The second that Jameis Winston took over the starting quarterback job in Cleveland, Cedric Tillman broke out. He just had seven receptions for 99 yards and two touchdowns last weekend, making it back-to-back great outings for him. He should be on everyone’s radar this week.
Mike Gesicki – Tight End
Mike Gesicki is hard to trust, especially due to the Cincinnati Bengals already having Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Gesicki has stood out lately though, taking in seven receptions for 73 yards against the Eagles. He’s worth a stash for at least a week to see if this continues.
College:
Jake Retzlaff – Quarterback
Jake Retzlaff has faced some difficult defenses this season, and he’s responded well in each one. He’s had over 10 fantasy points in every game and over 19 points in all but one. He can run the ball and pass it under duress, he’s a solid option if you’re in need at the position.
Fluff Bothwell – Running Back
Fluff Bothwell got picked up a lot this weekend thanks to a strong outing. He had 17 rushes for 119 yards and two touchdowns this weekend and had 12 rushes for 53 scoreless yards a week ago. His volume ramped up, and he could be the hot hand in South Alabama.
Kisean Johnson – Wide Receiver
Kisean Johnson will fly under the radar because he had just two fantasy points this week. Luckily, he’s been a monster in racking up target share. He had a season-low five targets over the weekend, but it’s the only time he’s dipped below seven this season. He’s also had at least 56 receiving yards in each game besides the most recent outing and has scored four touchdowns in five games.
Dorian Fleming – Tight End
We’re going to keep Dorian Fleming here for another week. Volume alone gets him to keep this spot because he isn’t rostered in many leagues and continues to receive a ton of targets in this Georgia State offense. He’s had at least five targets in every game this season, and for tight ends, that’s a luxury.
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.