Buy LOW
LeSean McCoy, RB, BUF - You might want to wait a week with McCoy facing the tough Seahawks defense and not even a sure thing to play this week, but that could also deepen the discount with a bye up next week. The bye is key as McCoy will get to rest. Last year he tried to play through a hamstring injury early in the season and had to be shut down for two weeks, then returned almost as good as new. This hamstring injury doesn’t seem to be nearly as severe, so he should be ready to be a fantasy RB1 again after the bye, and he gets three home games in the fantasy playoffs, including the crumbling Pittsburgh and Cleveland run defenses. In dynasty, any team out of contention will be willing to sell him.
Breshad Perriman, WR, BAL - Perriman is still tough to pry from his owners in dynasty, but in redraft, he might be on your waiver wire. Steve Smith is possibly back this week, but Perriman should still get at least a few deep shots coming out of the bye as the Ravens have had two weeks to prepare for this key game. He and Joe Flacco are rested and the Steelers lack the pass rush and secondary to take the deep passing game away. Perriman has made a few spectacular plays already this year. They could become a regular occurrence in the second half of the season.
Allen Robinson, WR, JAX, T.J. Yeldon, RB, JAX - There is no turnaround coming for Blake Bortles this year. There might not be one in the future, either. That doesn’t mean that Robinson or Yeldon’s talent has vanished. While the current situation is terrible, given time the situation for each of these 23-year-old players should improve, and they aren’t even close to their peak as NFL players. They are both good targets for rebuilding teams in dynasty leagues.
Dion Lewis, RB, NE - Lewis isn’t going to have the same size role as the one he took to RB1 heights last year, but he is still an ultra-talented player in an ultra-productive offense. With the running back position getting thinner every week, Lewis could be a shot in the arm in PPR leagues even if he only gets 8-10 touches a week. It is easy to forget that he looked like one of the best running backs in the NFL last year, but once we see him play again next week, the reminder will slam shut the buy low window in redraft and dynasty.
Latavius Murray, RB, OAK - Murray isn’t going to be a league winner, but he has scored in four of six games played, and the Raiders passing game is always going to be the focus of opposing defenses. It’s hard to adjust to Oakland being a winning team, but that means that their starting running back has a good chance to score and if they can control the game, rack up carries. Murray has some tarnish because of the split nature of his backfield, but he’s a good mid-range priced target if you’re shopping for a running back for the stretch run.
Russell Wilson, QB, SEA - When folks are asking me whether it’s time to drop Wilson, then it’s time to buy in redraft. Hopefully dynasty owners are not overreacting to his latest scoreless game. Wilson looked a little more spry as a runner in New Orleans, and he’ll get the Tampa, Carolina, and Green Bay secondaries Weeks 12-14 for teams needing a playoff push. Wilson is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, he has just been playing through an injury that would sideline most players. We will put this nightmarish stretch behind us, I promise.
Dontrelle Inman, WR, SD - Travis Benjamin didn’t have to have surgery on his balky knee, but he still didn’t trust it so much that he had it checked out. Tyrell Williams’ knee issue doesn’t seem to be getting better, either. Inman has already shown us he can have late season value with Philip Rivers when injuries force him into action. Inman can help more than you think if the top two receivers knee problems don’t clear up soon.
BUY HIGH
J.J. Nelson, WR, ARI - Nelson was a waiver wire pickup this week, so his owners probably aren’t too attached to him. It was just garbage time, but Nelson looked better than John Brown or Michael Floyd have at almost any point this year, and the Cardinals actually have a good schedule against the pass in the second half of the season. Don’t let his small frame fool you, Nelson has a big game, and Bruce Arians previously compared him to Emmanuel Sanders.
Jordan Howard, RB, CHI - Howard’s highly visible Monday night game will make it hard to buy him for close to the same price he was entering Week 8, but the specter of a John Fox RBBC still looms. We can exorcise that demon because as Matt Waldman has pointed out, Howard is the newest version of Stephen Davis for Fox, and he will get as much as he can handle coming out of the Week 9 bye. If Howard isn’t essential for his team, his owners might be eager to sell high in redraft leagues.
SELL HIGH
Charcandrick West, RB, KC - West is probably going to be a one week fill-in and handcuff to Spencer Ware. While Ware’s concussion came at a terrible time for his owners, it shouldn’t be a long term issue. If you don’t need West this week and can sell him to the Ware owner to upgrade your starting lineup, it’s a smart move.
Julian Edelman, WR, NE - Edelman isn’t going to be a WR1 or even a WR2 this year. Last week he scored and against Pittsburgh the previous week he at least had nine catches, but those 15 point PPR games are his ceiling with the Patriots offense stocked to the gills with weapons. His value isn’t going to get higher unless injuries strike this offense in the second half, and history tells us that if they do, he is one of the more likely players to go down because of his foot injury history.
Matt Forte, RB, NYJ - Forte predictably came through against the Browns, and he has the Colts/49ers combination in Weeks 13 and 14, but he’s still not an everyweek fantasy starter. Just like last week, this is a reminder that unless you have nothing behind Forte, it’s not a bad moment to test the waters for his redraft value, and if you are rebuilding in dynasty, take the best offer you can get this week.
Brandon Marshall, WR, NYJ - Marshall didn’t predictable come through against the Browns, and the reality is that the Jets are going to keep Ryan Fitzpatrick on a short leash with Bryce Petty getting closer to being able to start. The installation of Petty could be a disaster for Marshall, and if Fitzpatrick holds him off, it likely means that Fitzpatrick is playing it close to the vest and not gunslinging like he was when he fueled Marshall to a top five fantasy season in 2015. Marshall might still fetch fringe WR1 value. He also hasn’t had his bye yet. Be open to offers.
Demarco Murray, RB, TEN - Murray should be able to play this week against San Diego, but there’s no way his toe injury is going to allow him to have the huge workloads he had earlier this season. On top of that, when the Titans see what Derrick Henry can do with his larger workload, they aren’t going to be inclined to go back to letting him warm the bench. Murray might still be a solid RB2 for the stretch run, but his dynasty and redraft value has peaked and fallen already. See if you can avoid the full downhill ride.
SELL LOW
Christine Michael, RB, SEA - Michael is going to cede more work in the backfield to CJ Prosise and Thomas Rawls will be back sooner or later. The running back coach basically publicly challenged him to finish runs with more physicality and create more, so you know where the team stands. Soon, he will be either a committee back or a handcuff, and not even a handcuff to feature back role. The awakening was fun, but it’s getting late and I’m sleepy.
Marvin Jones, WR, DET - Jones was once the #1 wide receiver in fantasy this season, now he’s not even an automatic start. Eric Ebron’s return to health and Golden Tate’s redemption both spell bad news for Jones’ weekly target share, and he hasn’t been doing enough with his 5-7 targets a week to merit a start. While the true sell high moment has come and gone, Jones’ hot start isn’t completely erased from our memories, so someone that covets him might still come calling. Answer and listen in redraft, as Jones is just bench depth at this point.