IDP Buy Low / Sell High - Week 6

Posted 10/9 by Anthony Borbely, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

This will be a weekly feature to assist IDP owners in creating deals in their leagues. In theory, players listed as "Buy Low" candidates should have a perceived value that is lower than they merit while the "Sell High" players are overvalued. Use this knowledge to offer viable trades to your leaguemates.

Buy Low

DL Dewayne White, Detroit Lions: White has virtually disappeared from the fantasy stat sheets this year. He has never been a stud, but he was a solid IDP performer last year. The Lions are nothing short of a disaster this year and there is little reason to believe it improves anytime soon. Adding White may or may not help this year, but his value is so low that it's time to take a chance. After all, take chances when it doesn't cost much, especially if you have room to save him for next year.

DL Ray Edwards, Minnesota Vikings: Edwards has been hurt this year and does not have a sack. He did have 3 solos in each of the first two weeks, but little since due to being hurt. Edwards has potential and also a great situation with three stud defensive linemen starting with him. With the low tackle numbers and no sacks, this is the best time to trade for Edwards. Fantasy owners can be very impatient and when you see those owners, target players like Edwards.

LB Will Witherspoon, St. Louis Rams: Witherspoon has picked up his stat numbers recently, but he has been in the middle of the discussion of proven players who have not put up big numbers like they did in the past. The Rams are getting healthier and so is Witherspoon. I tend to take chances on talented players who are playing below par and Witherspoon fits the bill. I don't believe he will be real cheap to buy, but he should be lower than what he is worth and that is what buying low is all about.

LB Tim Dobbins, San Diego Chargers: Dobbins has been stealing snaps of late from Matt Wilhelm and has been very impressive at times. Wilhelm is not the most athletic LB around and he is an average talent at best. Dobbins has some talent and he is getting more snaps. Dobbins' numbers are still low enough that he is still very under the radar and that is a good thing for us. Dobbins is still on the waiver wire in many leagues. Make a move while others are sleeping on him.

DB Chris Harris, Carolina Panthers: Harris had a brutal week statistically in week five against the Chiefs. But they simply did not have the ball much and Harris did not have a chance to do anything. Harris has been below par fantasy wise, but he has been a rock solid player for the Panthers. Prior to last week, I figured Larry Johnson would see 25-30 carries and Harris would have had a big game, but that didn't happen. Circumstances like that should be used to your benefit in making deals. A lot of fantasy owners do not look at the reasons for statistics; they just look at the numbers. Those are the owners you want to trade with because they are only seeing part of the story. Harris should be solid going forward and now is the time to buy a possible top ten DB for cheap.

Sell High

DL John Abraham, Atlanta Falcons: Right now, Abraham leads the NFL in sacks with seven and is the top fantasy DL. He has always been productive when healthy, and that is the key here. Abraham has always had problems remaining healthy. It is not easy to trade players who are putting up huge numbers, but sometimes it's best to do just that. This is a situation that is dependent on the team you have. Abraham is 30 years old and a player that age with injury issues who is putting up monster numbers is a definite sell high for a rebuilding team. If you have a contender, the only way you should trade Abraham is if you have a viable replacement or can trade for one.

LB Lamarr Woodley, Pittsburgh Steelers: Woodley has turned into an elite outside LB for the Steelers and is currently the second ranked fantasy LB behind 49ers standout Patrick Willis. Woodley has 5.5 sacks, and the only LB with more is teammate James Harrison. It is hard to imagine Woodley keeping up this pace over an entire season and 3-4 OLBs in general do not maintain high rankings from season-to-season. Unless you are in a big play league, I would be selling right now because Woodley's value will never be this high.

LB Takeo Spikes, San Francisco 49ers: Spikes has been putting up solid tackle numbers since earning a starting spot for the 49ers, but it seems unlikely that he can keep up this pace, especially playing next to tackling machine Patrick Willis. I would be selling as soon as possible. One good thing is Spikes has name recognition and a past history of success and those two things always raise a player's value.

DB Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles: Dawkins has long been a standout IDP and one of my personal favorites. He is playing at a very high level right now and is a borderline top-ten DB right now. But Dawkins turns 35 years old next week and he has been slowed by injuries in recent years. If you are rebuilding, by all means unload Dawkins as soon as you can, but realize he does not have the greatest value because of his age. If you are a contender, you may as well keep him unless you have sufficient depth. After all, he is putting up top ten numbers. Anytime there is a buy low or sell high candidate, you have to weigh all the facts before you decide what to do, especially the situation of your team.

DB Kevin Kaesviharn, New Orleans Saints: Kaesviharn usually puts up respectable numbers when he starts, but he is a liability in coverage. It is probably a matter of time before he is replaced in the starting lineup. Of course, this is just my opinion and it may or may not happen. I would be looking to move Kaesviharn while he is starting. Even if he remains a starter, it's not like he is an elite fantasy DB. He puts up solid numbers, but nothing that can't be replaced.