Week 1 has come and gone in a blink of an eye. There were some unlikely heroes and some unfortunate goose eggs. The good news, it can’t get any worse for the duds. The first week of the NFL season can be tough to decipher, but digging deep can help identify players to buy and sell in fantasy football. Identifying those players can be huge in trade negotiations, especially if you can buy a player as they’re about to get hot or sell before all value is lost.
Fantasy football is a season-long journey, but it’s also important to win the week-to-week battles and improve your team where you can. Looking towards Week 2, go out and make some offers involving these players. Or on the flip side, package them and try to tier up while a certain player still holds value. These are your weekly trade targets.
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Fantasy Football Week 2 Buy and Sell Targets
Players to Buy
Kenneth Walker (RB: Seattle Seahawks)
Much of the offseason there were debates about Zach Charbonnet “dethroning” Kenneth Walker as the top running back in Seattle. Well, after the first week, Walker led the way with 16 touches to three. The game script probably was a factor, but he also tied for the team lead in targets with five as well, which is always a positive. Walker also dominated the rushing attempts handling 71% of the running back carries. Some owners might get discouraged by a 10.7 fantasy stat line, but the volume of touches is encouraging. The next three games are against Detroit, Carolina, and the New York Giants. Last season the Lions and Giants were both bottom six in rush defense and the Panthers just got scorched by the Atlanta Falcons rushing attack. Things are about to get better before the Week 5 bye.
Tee Higgins (WR: Cincinnati Bengals)
The Cincinnati Bengals as a whole just looked flat and off-beat. Joe Burrow missed multiple weeks of training camp and all of preseason with a calf injury. It likely played a part in the underwhelming offensive effort, but the rust will come off soon. Tee Higgins was the biggest letdown from the Bengals group with a total of 0 fantasy points. On the bright side, he had eight targets, one shy of team lead Ja’Marr Chase. Of Joe Burrow’s 31 pass attempts, Higgins had a 26% target share on the day. This Bengals offense is too good to remain in a rut and it’ll find a way to revive itself. Go shoot some offers out to the Tee Higgins owner and see if they’re overreacting over Week 1.
Dallas Goedert (TE: Philadelphia Eagles)
A season ago on opening weekend, everyone was worried about DeVonta Smith after a dud in Week 1. Smith also put up a stinker with zero receptions on four targets. He went on to put up 80 yards on seven catches against the Minnesota Vikings the following week on Monday night. It just so happens the Eagles play the Minnesota Vikings on primetime in Week 2 again this season. Could there be a similar bounce-back for Dallas Goedert after his zero-catch performance? The New England Patriots have been a tough matchup for tight ends over the years and Goedert was just the latest victim. While some might be looking to sell Dallas Goedert, savvy fantasy football managers should use this opportunity to buy a few shares.
Bonus Buy – Tyler Allgeier (RB: Atlanta Falcons)
#Falcons RBs ran the ball 454 times. Tyler Allgeier led the team w/210 attempts. Bijan Robinson will surely get his touches, but why are we fading Allgeier & downgrading him to just a handcuff? He should have standalone value as a flex play w/ huge upside if Bijan gets injured.
— Austin Thomas (@Austin_Thomas18) May 31, 2023
Speaking of the Atlanta Falcons running game, Tyler Allgeier outpaced first-round pick Bijan Robinson 18 to 16 touches. Don’t expect that outcome every week, but it’s a positive sign that Arthur Smith wants to get both of his running backs involved in the game plan. The Falcons offense will literally run through their rushing attack and Allgeier is going to get enough touches to warrant weekly flex play. A top-24 PPR fantasy finish could be on the horizon.
Players to Sell
Alexander Mattison (RB: Minnesota Vikings)
Alexander Mattison was one of the most talked about fantasy running backs this offseason. Once Dalvin Cook was released, Mattison’s value skyrocketed, and was drafted as an RB2. Some analysts were optimistic about his new “workhorse” role, others were fading him into oblivion.
After Week 1, it was reassuring to see Mattison earn 73% of the offensive snaps. Although, he didn’t necessarily take advantage of his touches. Mattison dominated the running back touches 14 to four. However, he only managed 44 total yards with those touches and a reception touchdown. Touchdowns are hard to predict and shouldn’t be relied on week-to-week. It’s just a matter of time before his inefficiencies catch up and the backfield becomes more of a rotation and Mattison loses that desired “workhorse” role fantasy players were clamoring about. Playing against another stout run defense on a short week isn’t ideal to boost his stock, so you should sell him to any fantasy football owner willing to buy before his stock plummets.
Drake London (WR: Atlanta Falcons)
The London Bridge is falling down. Among all starting quarterbacks, Desmond Ridder attempted the fewest passes (18). Drake London finished the game with a 6% target share and zero receptions. Even Ridder himself had a reception in the game over London. Drake London has all the talent in the world and it’s not about him at all, it’s the situation he’s crippled with. In short, the Atlanta Falcons offense runs through their running backs and just won’t generate enough passing volume for the pass catchers to succeed consistently.
Dalton Schultz (TE: Houston Texans)
Rookie C.J. Stroud attempted 44 passes in his first NFL game. Dalton Schultz only saw four of those targets, finishing with four yards on two receptions. That doesn’t seem like a good ratio when a team is passing that much. The tight-end position isn’t exactly spewing out a high number of weekly must-starts. However, if Week 1 is any indication of the rest of the season, Schultz is going to be a touchdown-dependent player on a bad offense. Cut ties while you still can.
Bonus Sell – Cam Akers (RB: Los Angeles Rams)
All offseason the news reported from Rams training camp is that it was Cam Akers’ backfield. Well, the numbers determined that was a lie. On paper, Akers led the team in rush attempts 22 to 15 over Kyren Williams. Although, Williams outrushed him 52 to 29 yards and even had two targets to Akers zero. Piling on, Akers played 35% of the snaps compared to Williams’ 65%. More importantly, Williams even got the more crucial touches and found the end-zone twice. The Los Angeles Rams looked good and not many are talking negatively about them, so Akers’ usage is likely getting overshadowed. Sell him to anyone willing to buy in fantasy football.
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Main Photo: Dale Zanine – USA Today Sports
