Fantasy managers have been hit with some major injuries, while a new crop of recent weeks is making things more complicated. Last week it was a strong week for this series. I recommended Luther Burden AND Bhayshul Tuten as players to buy, during the listing Jaylen Waddle, Woody MarksAND Jacory Croskey-Merritt as players to sell. This week, I have a new set of players you should consider trading.
▶ PLAYERS TO BUY
Saquon Barkley, RB, PHI
Everything is going sideways for the Philadelphia Eagles right now, and sometimes that means it’s the perfect time to buy low. Jalen Hurts it’s off season, going away Tanner McKee as a starter. Traditionally, switching from a mobile quarterback to a traditional pocket passer means more checks on the running back. The waiting game was a major issue for Barkley before he got hurt. This season, with Hurts as the starter, Barkley had seen just seven targets in four games — a pace that would have put him in career-low territory. The other factor in Barkley’s value going forward is that the Eagles’ running back will have the program’s lightest remaining strength — a nice change of pace from their opponents thus far, who have been 10th-toughest. By all accounts, Barkley still has some juice left. Before his injury, he was ninth in forced fumbles and 15th in EPA for rushing attempts. The game against Dallas this week should get Barkley and the Eagles offense back on track, at least somewhat.
Parker Washington, WR, JAX
Washington is a true buy low scenario. He’s been outside the top 24 fantasy receivers in three of his last four games. The good news is that the peripheral numbers still look good. Washington is 15th in target percentage and 18th in targets per road run, while Jaguars receivers have the program’s seventh-easiest remaining power and sixth-easiest fantasy playoff schedule. Meanwhile, his central defender, Trevor Lawrenceis tied for the NFL lead in passing touchdowns. Everything looks good for Washington going forward, even if fantasy finishes over the past few weeks haven’t been ideal. Now there is a buyout window because this is his bye week. There’s a chance the Washington manager in your league is a little worried about the last few games and has to take a starting spot this week.
Tee Higgins, WR, CIN
It’s always beneficial to trade for players after they’ve had their good week because you get their full value over the course of the season. Higgins’ last game was a disappointment, and then the Bengals had their own good week. It feels like ages since Higgins put up WR6 numbers in Week 4. Maybe the luster has worn off a bit? Maybe his fantasy manager forgot how good he could be? Anything is possible, so I’ll kick the tires on a trade discussion. Over the next seven weeks, Higgins will have the seventh-easiest fantasy schedule for a wide receiver. This is a really nice track to get you into the fantasy playoffs. It’s also not that Higgins is a game-dependent player. This season, he has been WR19 in fantasy points per game while maintaining the ninth-highest air yards. Higgins is also seventh in first downs per route run, which is usually an indicator of a productive fantasy receiver. If you’re looking for a WR2 that you plug in every week regardless of the matchup, Higgins is your guy.
What Jacobs’ return means for the Packers
Mike Florio and Chris Simms discuss Josh Jacobs has returned to Green Bay Packers practice with a pending legal situation, discussing the factors that play into the comeback.
▶ PLAYERS FOR SALE
Bryce Young, QB, CAR
Thanks for Bryce Young to play as well as he has this season. It seems like last season we were all wondering if he was the long-term answer in Carolina. Well, here’s the thing: it was just last season. So despite being one of the best quarterbacks through the first six weeks of the season, some uncertainty remains. How can this be? He is QB4 in fantasy points per game and is on pace to set career highs in nearly every statistical category. The caveat is that Young has had the program’s second-easiest strength for a fantasy quarterback thus far. This changes dramatically ahead. Over the rest of the season, Young will have the program’s toughest stretch for a fantasy quarterback, including a Week 17 matchup against a formidable Seattle Seahawks defense. Normally, I wouldn’t let the strength of schedule bother me that much, but Young has a history of being a matchup addict. Since the start of last season, Young is averaging 19.7 fantasy points per game against a team in the top half of the league in fantasy points allowed. However, when he faces an opponent in the bottom half of fantasy points allowed, Young averages just 10.8 fantasy points. This division is quite alarming. My guess to you, the fantasy manager, is that you didn’t draft Young, but picked him up off the waiver wire, so you probably have another starting quarterback on your roster. My advice would be to start trade talks with Jalen Hurts manager and see what you can get for Young.
Josh Jacobs, RB, GB
Let’s start with the most obvious risk that Jacobs carries. He is dealing with a legal case in which video surveillance evidence has been sealed by a judge. That doesn’t mean the video will never come out, nor does it mean the NFL won’t suspend Jacobs at some point. I’m sure the idea of selling Jacobs after hiding it for so long isn’t ideal, but this is actually the moment you’ve been waiting for. Jacobs finally has fantasy value again. The problem is that we don’t know exactly what that value is. For starters, Jacobs hasn’t practiced since June 2, and while he’s scheduled to return to practice this week, there’s no guarantee he’ll be in football shape when he returns to the field. There’s also the possibility that Jacobs won’t have the ideal workload upon his return. But let’s say Jacobs returns to form and gets most of the touches in the Packers backfield; he’ll still be dealing with the toughest schedule for fantasy running backs over the next five weeks. If you need wins now, I’d trade Jacobs to a contender in your league that wants him as the proverbial cherry on top.
Jaylen Warren, RB, PIT
This isn’t really a high- or low-selling recommendation; it’s more like this: just sell uncertainty. This is what Mike McCarthy said Jaylen Warren deserves to get more touches, but he also said, “It’s simple. We both like the run a lot, and they have to touch the ball.” That’s enough uncertainty for me to try to sell Warren right now. Maybe someone in your league thinks last week was a fluke. Honestly, it could be. The drop in photos and taps wasn’t enough to make me panic. However, looking ahead, photos and touches may be split a little more evenly as the schedule gets a little tougher. From Week 7 onward, the Steelers will have the fifth-toughest schedule for fantasy running backs, which is nothing new for Warren, as Steelers backs have had the eighth-toughest schedule thus far. Now that we have uncertainty about Warren’s role at the helm of the challenging schedule, it may be time to sell.
▶ STASH PLAYER
Jauan Jennings, WR, MIN
Jennings hasn’t exactly lit up the scoreboard this season, but there’s a good chance he could end up in a bigger role soon. After collecting just five targets this season, Jennings has been the focus of trade rumors. It’s no secret that the San Francisco 49ers have had their share of injuries to wide receivers this season, but the latest injury to Mike Evans it could be the one that forces the team to make a move. The Niners are 6-0, making them buyers before the trade deadline. Last season in San Francisco, through Week 9, Jennings was WR16 in fantasy points per game. That should count for something when trying to project what his fantasy value might be if traded.
