Each week, I’ll break down the players I think you should buy low, sell high, or hold onto as the fantasy season unfolds. Whether you’re chasing a playoff spot or trying to keep your roster steady, these moves can give you the edge you need to stay ahead of the competition.
Buy – Trey Benson
The Arizona Cardinals have been god-awful running the ball all season. Even when James Connor was healthy, his highest output all season was 39 rushing yards in week 1. To add fuel to the fire, the Cardinals haven’t had a rusher eclipse 69 rushing yards all season, which again was Trey Benson in week 1. Oh yeah, and they also only have 4 rushing touchdowns on the year from running backs. The good news? Trey Benson returns after the bye week, coming off of IR, and I would expect to get a heavy dose of him the rest of the year. He’s young and explosive in the running game as well as the passing department. Fantasy owners have forgotten about Benson at this point since he’s on IR, so there couldn’t be a better time to buy low on him during his bye week.
Buy – Joe Burrow
Let’s be real, Joe Burrow is great for football. I’m rooting for the Bengals to continue winning games so they have a chance to make the playoffs, and also for a return of Mr. Burrow around week 15. If Burrow was dropped in your league and you have space for him on your bench, I’d highly recommend scooping him up. If he’s on someone’s IR spot, I would trade for him if possible; let’s be honest, it won’t cost you much. A return of Burrow just in time for a friendly fantasy playoff schedule could be a huge boost for your fantasy team if QB is a weak spot for your roster. Getting a top 5 fantasy QB for almost free is a no-brainer to me.
Sell – Chase Brown
I was a huge Brown fan entering the season, had very high hopes for him, just like a lot of others. Unfortunately, it hasn’t panned out. Between bad offensive line play mixed with bad quarterback play, it has killed Browns fantasy upside. Yes, Joe Flacco has looked like 2012 Flacco the past two games for the Bengals & Browns were averaging over 8 YPC in week 7, but my eyes tell me something different. This team just wants to sling the rock to Chase & Higgins. Brown hasn’t scored a touchdown since week 1, so I’d bet an anytime TD on him this week, but the lack of rushes (19) in the last two games with Flacco isn’t encouraging. In his first three games, he rushed 47 times, & over his last three games, it’s dwindled to 27 attempts. On top of all that, Samaje Perine has been very active in the game plan the last few games. Coming off a very low-touch, high rushing output, I’d be selling high on Brown.
Sell – Isiah Pacheco
Coming into the season, Pacheco looked to be a great bounce-back candidate. Coming off an injury last season, he still doesn’t look like the same player pre-injury. What makes the situation even worse is Mr. Hunt is getting a majority of the goal-line touches, which used to be Pacheco’s bread and butter pre-injury. His lack of participation in the passing game mixed with the drafting of Brashard Smith, who’s electric, has really made this backfield a guessing game. Pacheco, coming off his best game of the season in week 7, is someone I’d be looking to sell, even if it’s for an RB on another team who’s the handcuff to one of your starters.
Hold – Jaydon Blue
Jaydon Blue is the definition of lightning in a bottle. He’s shifty, explosive, and has great athleticism. Not to mention he rocks Louis Vuitton cleats. He hasn’t been much of an action this season, but due to other RB injuries, he’s slid into the #2 spot on the depth chart and is a good complement back to Javonte Williams. The Cowboys have a top 5 offense and have shown they love to pound the rock, so if something happened where Javonte has to miss time, Blue would be the feature back. Not saying he would be handed the Williams role, but he would certainly absorb a good amount of touches. A lot of fantasy owners have dropped Blue, and I would encourage owners that he’s a strong add if you have room on the bench, especially if you are a Williams owner. His 4.25 at his pro day was Chris Johnson-like, and in the NFL, you can’t teach speed.
Hold – Khalil Shakir
The Buffalo Bills went from the Super Bowl favorite to the team nobody has faith in anymore in a matter of two weeks. Welcome to the NFL, overreaction city. Josh Allen and company got a much-needed bye week in week 7, and I can guarantee you they are chomping at the bit to get back on the field in week 8. They head to Carolina to prove a point. Enter Khalil Shakir, who has been mediocre thus far this season. If this Bills offense wants to get going, Shakir needs to play better, and the Bills need to get him more involved. He gets a fantastic opportunity in week 8 as the Carolina Panthers play mostly zone defense at a rate of around 80%. Shakir eats up zone defenses and should be in for a high target day as the team still deals with injuries to Curtis Samuel and Joshua Palmer. Shakir should see 6+ targets this week with a good chance at scoring. If you have Shakir on your bench, I would hold him, as you need to remember the Bills are still a top 7 offense in the league, and last season Shakir did have 76 receptions.