Week 2 is in the past, and we have a somewhat clearer picture of what teams want to do. The Dolphins want to suck. The Patriots want to win another Super Bowl and apparently Dallas wants to play defense to go with their offense. With this in mind, we look at some move which you should consider making in hopes of cashing in on some of these trends. Whether it be selling a player before they lose value or buying early. Here are some moves you can make to get yourself, hopefully, to the playoffs in your fantasy leagues.
Buy Them:
Dak Prescott| QB| Dallas Cowboys
He is going to hard to buy. If you can do it, go for it, but don’t get fleeced. Quarterbacks are always replaceable. There is no doubt that Prescott is making a play to be the top paid quarterback in the NFL. Well, until the next one signs of course. Even with Ezekiel Elliott not being dominant, the Cowboys are sill leading the division and are looking like a true contender. This is in no small part to the man behind center and with their defense, they should remain elite for the long haul. Don’t be surprised to look up at the end of the season and see Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott leading the fantasy quarterback landscape. And for those of you saying, “see Mahomes was worth the draft pick.” Where were Jackson and Prescott drafted? Oh, that’s right. The tenth or eleventh round. Moving on.
David Montgomery| RB| Chicago Bears
Week 1 was scary. We were afraid Matt Nagy had lost his mind by playing Mike Davis over David Montgomery. Week 2 brought it all back to normalcy. Yes, he only had 62 yards. But he had 18 carries. This shows the type of work they want him to have moving forward. Plus, he is getting work in the pass game to boot. He is going to be the three down back in Chicago with Davis and even Tarik Cohen as secondary pieces. This is what we expected and of course what we wanted to see. If the David Montgomery in your league is still nervous, throw an offer their way and see what sticks. If you get him? You have a high-end RB two for the rest of the season. If not? You took a shot.
James Washington| WR| Pittsburgh Steelers
Why should you go and get James Washington? Well first, he is probably on your waiver wire. So, you won’t have to trade for him. But even if you do, he should not cost much. Especially with Ben Roethlisberger confirmed gone for the season. This leads us right into the second reason to get him, Mason Rudolph. The two not only built a connection in college at Oklahoma State, but they also built a rapport as the QB/WR combo on the second team for the Steelers. This is double good for Washington as Rudolph takes over and finds his comfort zone. He will see a familiar face down field and get the ball to him, or at least try. The question in Pittsburgh this off season was Washington or Donte Moncrief for the number two role. The job went to stone hands with Big Ben. But now that Rudolph is taking over the reins, look for this to switch immediately in the other direction. Be one of the early ones to get him as he becomes a solid WR three for your team. And if you have Moncrief? Drop him.
Sell Them:
Josh Jacobs| RB| Oakland Raiders
His value will never be higher than it is now. We have seen what he can do with almost 100 rush yards in week one. But we have also seen the Raiders are going to be bad again. This means more work for Jalen Richard in the pass game as well as Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams. This will not leave much work for the rookie from Alabama. If you can cash him in now and get a player like David Montgomery, you will be much happier with your final league standing. Sure, there may be a few more games of close to or even over 100 yards. But the Bears are far better. And if Mitchell Trubisky is actually this bad? The Bears will ride the run game hard as they try to win with defense. Get out now and save your sanity of trying to figure out a John Gruden team. Knock on wood if you’re with me.
Melvin Gordon| RB| Los Angeles Chargers|
You knew you shouldn’t have drafted him. But you did anyway. Now Austin Ekeler looks like the man in Los Angeles for the Chargers. Much like Le’Veon Bell last season, he overplayed his hand and his perceived value to the team. He came out Tuesday and said he would be playing somewhere this season. Whether this means another team, or if he joined a flag football league we don’t know. But the Chargers hold his rights and without them, he isn’t playing anywhere. The fact he said somewhere makes it clear the team has said it won’t be there. If he does go to a team in need of a running back, it will take him time to acclimate before he moves into a playable role. This is time we do not have to wait. If you can sell him for something, anything, do it. Otherwise you drafted an anchor on your bench. Much like those of you who drafted Kareem Hunt. So good luck holding on to him. If he works out and I am wrong, I will apologize. But it looks likely nothing will happen with Gordon and the Chargers and he will find himself on a new team next season. Hmm…. Maybe Pittsburgh.
