With trade deadlines approaching quickly, this column will be coming to an end in its present form. But for the next two weeks, I will still try to give you those trades to make to hopefully, build a playoff roster in your league.
Did you Buy Adam Thielen on the cheap? Did you get out in time on Austin Ekeler? I hope you did. If not, there is no use living in the past. So, let us move forward and find some more moves you can make to improve your team.
Time to Sell:
Terry McLaurin| Washington Redskins
I like McLaurin as much as the rest of you. He is looked upon as the best rookie wide receiver and it is well deserved. But the Redskins stink. Their left tackle refuses to show up, and the executive team has more trash in it than a land fill.
Case Keenum cannot do everything alone. And bringing in Colt McCoy and Dwayne Haskins is also not the answer. Of course, there is always the adage that losing teams need to throw the ball. Hence production for quarterbacks and wide receivers. But interim head coach Bill Callahan has already made it clear, you win by running more than you pass. This may mean some ok things for Adrian Peterson but not for McLaurin going forward.
There is also the upcoming schedule. Washington still has games left against Minnesota and Buffalo, who are two of the best pass defenses in the NFL. McLaurin has had an incredible season to this point. If you are in redraft leagues, it is time to cash in on that production before it goes away.
Julio Jones| Atlanta Falcons
Julio is a top three receiver in the NFL for sure. But on what has turned into a bottom three offense in the NFL, took yet another hit Tuesday when Mohammed Sanu was traded to the New England Patriots. Calvin Ridley has had a bit of a sophomore slump. Sanu leaving is not going to help matters, especially if Matt Ryan is truly hurt and is replaced by Matt Shaub. Yes, he is still in the league, I was shocked as well.
Austin Hooper has had a remarkable season for as bad as the Falcons are playing. But moving forward, it will be tough sledding for all players involved in this offense.
Getting some players to help you down the road is worth the trade of an asset like Julio Jones. If you can trade him for someone like Keenan Allen and a small piece, this may be a great move. If you do hold on to him, just realize, WR1 weeks are not going to be coming very often, if at all this season.
Time To Buy
Keenan Allen| Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers still feel like they are in the playoff hunt in the AFC. They might be the only ones, but they still believe. If they are going to do anything, it will be in the pass game. Melvin Gordon looks like crap so far since coming back from his holdout. Austin Ekeler is the better player, but the Chargers won’t commit to him.
This leaves Keenan Allen as the main guy who will do anything for this team. He has bouts every season in which he struggles for fantasy owners. While the consistency is not there, unlike others of this ilk, Allen is different.
Where most players have a good week or two followed by a bad week, Allen has a good segment of the season followed by a bad. This means that coming soon, Allen should return to form after his bad segment. He seemingly does it every season. So, it would behoove you to get in on him when the price is lower. Now is the time to buy him if you can. And if you can, he will bring you many happy returns late in the season.
Allen Robinson| Chicago BearsÂ
Mitchell Trubisky sucks. The Bears offense sucks. But Allen Robinson is the lone bright spot. He has at least six targets in every Bears game this season. Not to mention he had a nice garbage time touchdown Sunday against the Saints to save the weeks of many of his owners. I know he saved my butt, giving me a win despite starting Terry McLaurin, and Devin Singletary. Not to mention David Montgomery and losing Alvin Kamara earlier in the week. Got to love fantasy football, right?
Even with the struggles in Chicago, Robinson is going to continue to get work and a lot of it. He is the only thing working on the team at this point and he will be fed a ton moving forward. The Bears still think they are a playoff team. If they want to even sniff the post season, it will be on the back of Allen Robinson. A player who should be semi-cheap to trade for. With everyone down on the Bears offense, it may be easy to pry him from his owner. Especially if that owner is desperate to make a move. Go and grab him. If you can get him for Terry McLaurin? Done deal. He will provide more upside the rest of the season. I mean, as bad as Chicago’s offense is, it is still better than Washington. Right?
