Whether you are at the top of your league, or dwelling in the basement, there are always moves to be made in fantasy football. With trade deadlines on the horizon, the time to make a move is now. Below are players I am buying and selling at the deadline.
Players to Buy/Sell at Fantasy Football Trade Deadline
BUY- Devontae Booker
Whether it is real football or fantasy football, where there is an injury, there is an opportunity. This could not be truer in Denver heading into Week Eight. The Denver Broncos seem to have lost bell-cow back C.J. Anderson to a knee injury for multiple weeks, if not the whole season. Anderson is undergoing knee surgery this week per ESPN, and the Broncos could opt to place him on injured reserve.
Enter rookie Devontae Booker out of Utah. Booker has averaged 5.2 yards per carry this season on just 35 attempts, which amounts to 182 yards rushing. When we first got a look at Booker this season on opening night, we cringed as he turned his first NFL carry into a fumble. However, that seems like a distant memory after Booker rushed for over 80 yards and a score in Week 7. He is a powerful and fast runner, and he will be a viable asset for the 5-2 Broncos and fantasy teams moving forward. Get Booker this week while you still can, because once the Broncos let this kid loose, fantasy owners are going to salivate over him like a Thanksgiving turkey.
SELL- DeAndre Hopkins
Look, it is no secret that the Houston Texans’ offense has been an absolute mess thus far. Brock Osweiler, the $72 million man, has not been sufficient in a starting role for the Texans, and their defense is depleted as well. The whole team seems to be in shambles this year, and Lamar Miller even did a Houdini act last week in which fantasy owners were wondering where the heck he disappeared to.
If I’m a fantasy owner in a fight for the playoffs I want guaranteed points, not a risky play every week, especially from my “number one” guy like Hopkins. So far this season Hopkins has 36 receptions for 390 yards, and a minuscule three scores. That is not the production owners envisioned from him as they wasted a first round pick on him. As long as Osweiler can’t throw the deep ball, Hopkins will not be consistent week-to-week, especially in non-PPR leagues. However, the good news is, there will be somebody who will take a chance on the all-pro receiver given either their rosters depth, their position in the standings, or because of his name alone. Take this opportunity before the deadline to deal Hopkins. You could easily get a low-end number one receiver and a solid RB2 for “Nuk.”
BUY- Brandon Marshall
Another top receiver from 2015 who has been struggling this season in the touchdown department is Brandon Marshall. I mean can you blame the guy though? He has had Ryan Fitzpatrick (whose back to being the Ryan Fitzpatrick we all know and love) and Geno Smith throwing him the ball. However, I am buying Marshall, especially now that you can acquire him at a reasonable price in many leagues.
The benching of Fitzpatrick seemed to light a fire under the veteran quarterback’s butt, and the Jets have an easy second half schedule on the horizon. Look for Marshall’s numbers to increase in every category, especially the touchdown department. Through seven weeks thus far, Marshall is tied for the league lead in red zone targets, so there is plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about the veteran receiver.
SELL- Jay Ajayi
Jay Ajayi has been absolutely dominant the past two weeks, even etching himself into the NFL’s record books, as only the fourth running back in history to rush for over 200 yards in consecutive weeks. Ajayi finally seems to get it after losing the starting job to Arian Foster coming into the regular season. However, in Foster’s absence it seems Miami may finally have their franchise running back.
I am not entirely sold though on the young running back out of Boise State. Yes, Foster has finally called it quits and retired, yes Ajayi has looked dominant, and yes he has been producing better than the likes of Todd Gurley, Lamar Miller, and Mark Ingram over the past couple of weeks. However, two weeks isn’t a huge sample size and Miami’s offense has looked downright terrible at many points this season. With Ajayi’s stock higher than any other running back out there at the moment, I am trading him away for a package deal of either a RB-RB, RB-WR, or WR-WR. The time to pull the trigger on an Ajayi deal is now; don’t bank on another 200-yard game happening in Week 9 after the Dolphins bye week.
BUY- Donte Moncrief
Donte Moncrief has been sidelined since Week 2 of the 2016 season with a fractured scapula. Ever since Moncrief went down, the Colts’ passing attack has been up and down. Remember, coming into the season Moncrief was predicted by many experts, including myself, to break out this season and maybe even surpass T.Y. Hilton as Andrew Luck’s primary option in the passing game. Now is the time to acquire Moncrief, as you can get him dirt cheap, and he should produce immediately once he returns to the gridiron on Sunday. He could be a high-end WR3 and even sneak his way into WR2 consideration over the remaining duration of the season. Pull the trigger!
SELL- Golden Tate
Just like Ajayi, Golden Tate has been very disappointing this season so far aside from the past two weeks. Tate has emerged as a solid threat for Detroit finally, but the return of Theo Riddick will definitely take a lot of these targets away from Tate. You can get a viable flex option for Tate at the deadline, and I would definitely make that trade. You can get a guy like Alshon Jeffery or even Dez Bryant if you are willing to sacrifice another player and Tate in a package deal which could play dividends down the stretch for fantasy teams in the latter parts of the season.
