Buy Low Sell High Fantasy Football
In this article, I will be discussing 10 players that I believe you should either trade away before they drop off a cliff or welcome onto your squad with open arms to later reap the benefits. There’s no guarantee when buying low and selling high but when you hit, it will help elevate your game and give you a competitive edge over your opponents. Of course, trades aren’t made in a vacuum. Always consider your team’s needs and don’t trade away players you need for your squad to fill a starting roster and don’t buy players that would force you to drop or trade away weekly contributors that might be better than what you’re getting. But I believe each player below will make your squad better by either jettisoning them off of it or by adding them to capitalize on their production later on.
Buy Low
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions, QB
It may seem hard to imagine a top-12 QB being a buy-low candidate, but that is exactly what two bad outings can do to the value of a player. In weeks 7 and 8 (before Detroit entered their week 9 bye) Goff had performances of 9.36 and 14.68 respectively. He also threw just one touchdown over that span and with the bye that means that it’s been nearly a month since anyone considered Goff a startable fantasy QB. This could lead to some frustration on the part of his fantasy managers. It’s possible they found someone on the waiver wire they like more or acquired a quarterback via trade they plan on starting. But while others may be giving up on Goff, you should be buying him. Seven of Detroit’s remaining nine opponents are favorable to quarterbacks. On top of that, the Lions get to play five of their next six games in a dome, so the weather won’t be a concern. Goff could easily be a QB1 moving forward.
Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys, RB
To say Tony Pollard has been a disappointment through nine weeks is putting it lightly. Pollard was drafted as a top-10 running back in the late first round/early second round of drafts. Pollard has failed to reach even 10 fantasy points in four of his last five games. Yet, volume is king in fantasy football, and Pollard still gets solid volume in this Dallas offense. One would hope that eventually, the Cowboys would figure out how to maximize Pollard’s incredible ability. That could start this week when the Cowboys face a New York Giants team that they dominated in a 40-0 victory in Week 1. Pollard averaged five yards a carry and had two touchdowns in that game. Unfortunately, those are still his only two touchdowns this season. Expect Pollard to get 20 touches in this one, after which it may be impossible to buy low on him. In fantasy, it’s smart to bet on talent and opportunity. Pollard has both and will face five favorable matchups in the last eight weeks. Go get him.
Jerome Ford, Cleveland Browns, RB
With every week, Ford gets further removed from the ankle injury that sidelined him, and it shows in his usage. Although teammate Kareem Hunt has looked serviceable it is clear that when both are healthy the Browns prefer Ford. Ford played more than double the snaps of Hunt in week nine and saw 11 more touches. He finished with 20 carries for 44 yards and five receptions for 33 yards. While that’s not the most efficient afternoon that type of elite usage is something that should make fantasy managers take notice. In fact, since losing starter Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury, the Browns have leaned on Ford when healthy. There is no reason to assume that would change. Ford may not possess the league-winning upside managers were hoping for when they acquired him off of the waiver wire, but he is a solid and consistent RB2 that you can get for cheap. Buy if you can.
D.J. Moore, Chicago Bears, WR
Tyson Bagent has filled in admirably for Justin Fields as he recovers from a dislocated thumb. The Bears are 1-3 over that span but he put up a fight against the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints losing both by a single score. Still, he has not been good for fantasy wide receivers, specifically No. 1 wide receiver D.J. Moore. Fields and DJ Moore were just starting to click when Fields went down. Before Fields’ injury, Moore had five touchdowns in three games and was coming off a 45-point performance against the Washington Commanders. With Bagent taking over quarterback duties all that momentum was stopped in its tracks. With reports that Fields could return this week in a Thursday night contest against Moore’s former team the Carolina Panthers all that could change. Fantasy managers have short memories. The frustration of Moore’s production over the last three weeks may have them looking to shop him. If so, pounce. Revenge games are real and if Fields does play, Moore should produce and then it will be too late. Go after him now while he’s still cheap.
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals, WR
So far, through nine weeks, Brown has been a safe but unexciting fantasy asset. In those same nine weeks though he has had to overcome catching passes from journeyman Joshua Dobbs and not-ready-for-primetime Clayton Tune. That’s all about to change and Marquise Brown just might be a league-winner waiting in the wings. Kyler Murray is likely to return in Week 10. With his return, Marquise Brown’s production should push into WR1 territory. Yes, Murray is returning from an ACL injury, which means he could take a hit as a runner and be relied on more for his arm. This will benefit Brown who is above and beyond any other pass catcher on the Cardinals.
Brown averaged 17 fantasy points per game with Murray and no Hopkins last season, and while Brown may not light up the stat sheet in Murray’s first week back, it will not take long for them to get on the same page leading to weekly volume that approaches top-12 production With James Conner also set to return the Cardinals should again have a run game capable of opening up the passing game and a QB who can take advantage of it. This could be your last chance to obtain Hollywood’s services before he takes off. Don’t wait.
Honorable Mentions: Bijan Robinson, Zay Flowers, D.K. Metcalf, Travis Kelce
Sell High
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans, QB
Let me get this out of the way. I am not saying you need to sell Stroud. Stroud is legit. He is the real deal. An extremely talented rookie who has to be the current favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. There’s also a very real possibility that we just witnessed the single-best performance of his career. So if someone is willing to overpay for him based on that one performance, it might be worth kicking the tires to see what you can get. For those living under a rock let me remind you what he did. In week 9, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Stroud threw for 470 yards (a rookie single-game record), five touchdowns, and no interceptions, and was the overall QB1, and it wasn’t even close. With all the injuries and the state of the position this year it’s hard to make an argument against Stroud continuing to be a weekly startable QB1. It’s also hard to imagine him finishing as a top-5 QB the rest of the way so if someone is willing to pay an elite QB1 price for him, it’s worth exploring.
Raheem Mostert, Miami Dolphins, RB
After three subpar outings for Mostert the window to sell high may have passed. But there are still enough managers out there who remember what Mostert was doing earlier in the season and believe he will return to that form sooner rather than later. The thing about Mostert is that even looking at his early season success, he has been surviving almost entirely on touchdowns, with 13 total touchdowns through nine games. That is an impossible stat to rely on, so other than his weekly 10-18 carries there’s not a lot to hang your hat on. It would be different if he was involved in the passing game, but other than a two-week span that saw him receive 12 targets he has been nearly non-existent as a pass catcher. In the last two games, he only saw one target and didn’t catch it, and things are bound to get worse before they get better. With rookie sensation De’Von Achane trending toward a week 11 return Mostert’s production could truly crater. The market may have cooled too much to get anything of fair value for Mostert, but if someone is willing to pay an RB1 price, I’d jump on it.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions, RB
This all hinges on whether you believe coach Dan Campbell will, seeing how Gibbs performed over the last couple of weeks, change his offensive philosophy and future the rookie running back more, or stick with what he knows and likes. I’m betting on the latter. To his credit, Campbell did come out recently and say Gibbs has earned more touches. Don’t be fooled. That is coach speak and if it happens it will be 2-3 more touches. Campbell likes a thunder and lightning backfield and once Montgomery returns which is expected to be this week, he will regain lead duties and a heavy workload, leaving Gibbs to settle for the scraps. The best part about making this move now is you should be able to get something worthy of Gibbs’ talent and better than what Gibbs will provide in terms of production. After two straight weeks of 20+ points and an RB3 and RB2 finish you may find a trade partner willing to pay a premium price on the promise of Gibbs. Make that trade and let his inevitable inconsistency be someone else’s headache.
Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns, WR
It’s hard to honestly evaluate Cooper. He is coming off of a four-game span that saw him post solid numbers in three of them, including his five receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown performance in week 9. The issue is he is still attached to Deshaun Watson and he was only targeted five times in that game. Also, if you watched the game you know that his touchdown was a fluke play that ricocheted off his own teammate’s helmet and landed in Cooper’s arms. Not something we can count on every week. Plus, most of Cooper’s favorable matchups are behind him, with seven of his nine remaining games being against defenses that are good against opposing wide receivers. Cooper isn’t someone I’m suggesting you need to sell at any price. He is still a very talented receiver that can bring value to your squad. But if you find a trade partner willing to pay a WR1 price I would do that in a heartbeat.
Nico Collins, Houston Texans, WR
To start the season, Collins was the clear No. 1 target for rookie C.J. Stroud. In his first four games, Collins received 32 targets. In the four games to follow, he’s received 21. The good thing is in week 9, Collins saved his fantasy day with a touchdown. This is good for the ability to sell him because it will remind people of his early-season performances. But with his involvement in the offense beginning to fade this may be the last time you’re able to sell him for anything of significant value. With what Stroud did in week 9, there will be any number of suitors wanting a piece of this offense. I just think Collins is the wrong piece. If week 9 showed us anything it’s that Stroud can support more than one fantasy pass catcher. Unfortunately, there were also clues that Collins may not be one of them. When push came to shove and Stroud needed to make a play it was Tank Dell and Dalton Schultz that Stroud was looking for, not Collins. If someone is willing to pay a high WR2 or RB2 value for him, I’d make that trade.
Honorable Mentions: Gus Edwards, D’Onta Foreman, Davante Adams, Cole Kmet
