With week two in the books, it starts to become panic time for some drafts picks in fantasy football after two unproductive weeks. At the same time, buy windows start to close for previously unknown players who are breaking out. Devonta Freeman and Mike Evans are veterans who have proven they can put up big numbers in the NFL. People looking to make deals can take advantage of their lack of production in the first few weeks of the season. On the other hand, Terry McLaurin is quickly making a name for himself and will be scooped off waivers this week. Trade for him now while his value is still low.
Fantasy Football: Buy Low on Devonta Freeman, Mike Evans, and Terry McLaurin
Devonta Freeman
Just a few years ago, Freeman was being drafted in the first round of fantasy drafts. However, after missing most of the 2018 season, Freeman tumbled down a few rounds in drafts this season. And so far, Freeman hasn’t even lived up to his more humble draft stock either. He completed laid an egg Week 1, totaling 2.6 points in half-point PPR. However, the entire Falcons team came out limp that week, not giving him much of a chance to do anything.
He improved in Week 2, but still didn’t even put up FLEX numbers. He put up 22 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 42 yards. The silver lining is that Freeman went up against two very good run defenses. The bad part is that he still hasn’t even totaled 20 carries in two games combined.
Luckily, the backup Ito Smith only has ten carries total, so it doesn’t look like Devonta Freeman is in danger of losing his job. It looks like the Atlanta Falcons just need to re-evaluate and get their run game going. Whether or not that will happen, however, is to be determined.
Freeman is a risky candidate to trade for, even with his value being as low as it is right now. There is a big chance that things don’t get much better for him. However, his ceiling and past success make him worth the risk for the right price. A good trade would be to find someone who lacks depth and try for a two-for-one. Still, be careful on the players offered up, as they might end up outperforming Freeman in the long term.
Mike Evans
Evans is a guy who should be aggressively targeted in trades right now. His production is inexplicitly bad compared to his talent. He is the youngest player in NFL history to have five seasons with over 1,000 yards after starting his career with five straight. 2018 was his best season too, where he blew up the stat sheet with 1,524 yards and eight touchdowns.
So what is going on with him in 2019? Many thought that he could have an even better season in 2019 than last year after offensive guru Bruce Arians came out of a brief retirement to become head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But so far, it hasn’t translated. Through two games, Evans only has six receptions for 89 yards and no touchdowns.
Looking a little bit deeper, Week 1 of 2019 was one of the Evans’ worst career games ever. He managed only two receptions for 28 yards. However, Evans was sick and missed practice leading up to the game. There were even reports that he could miss the game altogether. If it was that bad, he may not have even been completely recovered on a short week before the Bucs took on the Carolina Panthers.
There is just no way that Evans’ production remains as low as it has been all season. Now is the time to trade for him, while his value is lower. This one could take some negotiating, so it might be best to ask whoever is rostering him to make the first offer.
Terry McLaurin
The Terry McLaurin buy window will be one of the smallest in history. Just a week ago, McLaurin was basically un-rostered. But, two great performances in a row have him at the top of the waiver wire for Week 3. Those that miss out on him should definitely look into acquiring him via trade.
After putting up over 35 combined points in the first two weeks of the season, McLaurin is sitting at the WR9 spot in wide receiver rankings this season. While the odds are against a third-round rookie wide receiver finishing in the top ten at the end of the season, there is a good reason to believe that he will continue to produce solid stats all season.
There are a few key points that give McLaurin an excellent outlook for the season. For one, his targets. Week one, he saw seven, and week two, he got nine looks. His total of 16 is second on the team, behind only safety valve back, Chris Thompson. And there is no doubt that McLaurin is the best option for this team. Washington felt so good about McLaurin that they let Josh Doctson go.
For now, McLaurin’s stock is still low based on name value and small sample size. Those that claimed him on waivers probably don’t have much attachment to him. This one could take some feeling out and is another to attempt negotiations first. But, making the first offer could be a nice starting point to gauge how much the player values him at. Try offering a bench player with more name value and see if the other person bites.
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