Buy Low
Latavius Murray, RB, NO - The return of Alvin Kamara will deflate Murray’s perceived value, but if the Saints see that Murray is running as well as he has in his career right now, they’ll use him in the role that made Mark Ingram fantasy relevant even while Kamara was playing. Kamara had multiple injuries and there’s always a chance that Week 7 won’t be his only missed game this year.
LeSean McCoy, RB, KC - The Chiefs would be smart to use McCoy more for any games that Patrick Mahomes II misses and Mahomes should be back sooner than later to restore the fantasy potency of the Kansas City backfield. They have installed McCoy as the primary ball carrier and he could become the primary goal line back to go with that role.
Matthew Stafford, QB, DET - The Lions plans to be a defense and running game driven team are falling apart with Kerryon Johnson’s injury and the secondary’s collapse against the Vikings. Stafford is playing at a high level right now and almost matched Kirk Cousins last week. Oakland, Washington, and Tampa Bay are still left on the schedule and three remaining matchups with Minnesota and Chicago don’t seem so scary now.
Ryquell Armstead, RB, JAX, Jamaal Williams, RB, GB, Alexander Mattison, RB, MIN, Jordan Wilkins, RB, IND - It’s easy to feel secure if you are relying on Leonard Fournette, Aaron Jones, Dalvin Cook, or Marlon Mack. Despite their track record of missing game regularly, they have been healthy this year for the most part. Sheer force of history indicates that at least one of these starters will go down, and they all have decent to good talents behind him in decent to good offenses. Mattison is obviously the top redraft target. This is a reminder to stock your bench with backup running backs as we get through the bye week gauntlet. If Chris Carson had a clear backup on early downs, he would be on this list, but I’m not sure if R
Emmanuel Sanders, WR, SF - Sanders knows the Shanahan offense and the team has been pursuing him for a while. Remember when we bought into the “Shanahan #1 receiver” effect? Sanders can revive it this year against a favorable second half schedule.
Allen Lazard, WR, GB - Everyone is getting healthy in Green Bay, but Lazard has made his mark nonetheless. He has Aaron Rodgers trust and is playing like one of the better case scenarios in his range of outcomes at this early juncture of his career. With the three receivers ahead of him already injured this year, he could matter by the end of the year and the arrow is pointing up in dynasty.
J.D. Mckissic, RB, DET - McKissic has been more explosive than Ty Johnson and should be able to make more of his touches than Johnson. If the Lions are open-minded, they should employ a committee and if they let performance determining playing time going forward, McKissic could be the more valuable Lions back.
Joe Mixon, RB, CIN - I’m not sure I’d go after Mixon in redraft, but in dynasty, his price has never been lower. The bad taste of his fantasy contributions stalling out and the long term uncertainty in Cincinnati are drags on his once top 10-15 dynasty value. He’s only 23 and his best football is ahead of him.
Buy High
John Brown, WR, BUF - Brown is perennially underrated, and this year is no different. He was open enough to have a monster Week 7, and while it will take better play from Josh Allen to harness his full value, opportunities will be there against Philadelphia’s secondary this weeks and against Washington and Miami in two of the three following games.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, GB - Rodgers had one of the best games of his career last week and that’s not just statistically. He was making everything work against a Raiders defense that wasn’t humiliated like that in any other game this year, and he did it without his #1 receiver. Adams coming back will soon intersect with an overall favorable schedule.
Chase Edmonds, RB, ARI - We don’t know the extent of David Johnson’s health problems right now, but the team did sign two running backs this week. Edmonds had the kind of coming out party in Week 7 that can’t be ignored. He looked like an ideal fit in a very robust and effective running game that used the threat of Kyler Murray to distort the defense. Edmonds isn’t going away.
Buy Lower
Sam Darnold, QB, Robby Anderson, WR Jamison Crowder, WR, Demaryius Thomas, WR, Le’Veon Bell, RB, NYJ - The Jets were humiliated on national television. While I don’t trust Adam Gase to get this team where it needs to be spiritually, I do believe Sam Darnold is resilient and even if Anderson gets dealt, he and his main assets can deliver against a weak second half schedule. Anderson is a field-tilting receiver who hasn’t been adequately taken advantage of for a sustained period yet this year. If he ends up in Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Arizona, get excited.
Sell High
Ty Johnson, RB, DET - Johnson wasn’t worth emptying the FAAB wallet. He has looked average in NFL terms in initial burst and speed is his calling card. He has run with toughness and effort, but he’s not breaking or eluding many tackles and he won’t stand out next to JD McKissic (who has been outplaying him) in a mediocre running game.
Opportunity Knocks
Young players not listed above with a possible chance to get their arrow pointing up in dynasty leagues this week to consider when filling out your bench, especially if you are in rebuild mode.
Alex Erickson, Auden Tate, WR, CIN
Ricky Seals-Jones, TE, CLE
DaeSean Hamilton, WR, DEN
Keke Coutee, WR, HOU
Zach Pascal, Deon Cain, Chester Rogers, WR, IND
Mark Walton, RB, MIA
Brian Hill, RB, ATL
Adam Shaheen, TE, CHI
Olabisi Johnson, WR, Irv Smith Jr. TE, MIN
