Breakdowns
9/16/21
6 min read
Week 2 Trades: Players to Buy Low and Sell High
After a very eventful Week 1, some fantasy owners are deeply regretting their first or second-round picks. Many players that were ranked near the top of their position did not live up to their expectations. However, everyone has bad weeks and most of these players will eventually pay off for their owners. That being said, there are many players who outperformed expectations but will not maintain their production in the coming weeks. It is important to recognize overvalued and undervalued players and trade accordingly. Now is one of the best times to trade because many people are willing to give up their top picks just because of one bad week. Take advantage of overreactions!
Week 1 Recap:
Before the season started, the two players I recommended to buy low on were Damien Harris and DJ Moore. Despite a costly late-game fumble, Harris managed to finish with 100 yards on 23 carries and 2 receptions for 17 yards. This was a very promising effort, especially for a late-round RB, and my confidence in Harris remains high. Moore finished with 6 receptions for 80 yards. Despite having a mediocre game, the Panthers' offense looked very encouraging with Sam Darnold at the helm and Moore will definitely see an increase of targets in the coming weeks. I would still recommend trading for him.
The two players I recommended selling high on were DK Metcalf and Darrell Henderson. Metcalf finished his game with 4 receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Even though he scored, 4 receptions are not enough for a WR1 and he should still be a player to consider selling high. With tough matchups down the road, will have many underwhelming games. On the other hand, Henderson was able to get 16 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. His production was much higher than I anticipated, and he was able to put up some solid numbers. For now, I would advise fantasy owners to hold on to Henderson as he seems like he may turn out to be a serviceable RB2.
Buy Low:
Terry McLaurin
There are a lot of questions surrounding Washington after Ryan Fitzpatrick was ruled out for 6-8 weeks with a hip injury. Going into the season, many people thought Washington had a chance to be one of the best teams in the league. Despite the shift in public perception, that is still the case and Terry McLaurin is a big reason why. Last year, McLaurin proved that he could be a very efficient WR even with subpar QB play. He hauled in 7+ receptions in 9 of the 15 games he played. Three of his QBs from last season are either backups in 2021 or completely out of the league. On Sunday, McLaurin was able to get 4 receptions for 62 yards, all of which came after Taylor Heinicke entered the game. Right now McLaurin’s value is as low as it will ever be, meaning it is the perfect time to make a trade for him. A good strategy to trade for McLaurin would be to offer players who overperformed in week 1.
Mock Trade
Trade Away: Tyler Lockett, Melvin Gordon
Acquire: Terry Mclaurin, Devin Singletary
Sell High:
Josh Jacobs
Don’t let Josh Jacobs' 2 touchdowns on Monday Night Football distract you from the fact that he had 10 carries for just 34 yards. Unless you’re planning on Jacobs scoring 2 touchdowns every game, this will be one of his best performances of the season. Over the past few seasons, the Raiders have been a very pass-heavy offense and their week 1 performance against the Ravens continued that trend. Coach Gruden has also shown that Kenyan Drake will be the primary receiving back after getting a hefty contract in the offseason. Jacobs is a very talented running back, but he’s in a situation where it’s basically impossible for him to put up consistent RB2 numbers. Jacobs needs to be traded now before he has a more realistic performance in Week 2. A good strategy to trade Jacobs would be to go for a high-end RB2 while trading away a high-end WR2.
Mock Trade
Trade Away: Josh Jacobs, Chris Godwin
Acquire: David Montgomery, Brandin Cooks
Buy Low:Â
Sam Darnold
Last week, Sam Darnold and the Panthers proved that they plan on throwing many check-downs to Christian McCaffrey and that they aren’t afraid to throw the deep ball. This means Darnold will get plenty of yards and touchdowns throughout the season. The Panthers have one of the most underrated and explosive offenses in the NFL. Darnold finished with pretty mediocre numbers in week 1, but the Panthers were beating the Jets from the start and there wasn't any reason for them to run up the score. When Darnold plays in close games, he will be much more likely to throw some deep balls which is when his production will go up. I anticipate Darnold will finish as the week's top QB more than once this season. He is definitely a serviceable QB1 if you are in need of one, and he shouldn’t be too hard to acquire.
Mock Trade
Trade Away: Jared Goff, Mike Williams
Acquire: Sam Darnold, Marvin Jones
Sell High:
Rob Gronkowski
I had Gronk on my do not draft list before the season started and he immediately made me look foolish. At the risk of looking even more wrong, I’m going to double down on this take. Even though Gronk had an outstanding Super Bowl and Week 1, he will not maintain anything close to this level of play throughout the season. Tampa Bay has so many offensive weapons that unless they can score five touchdowns per week, players are going to underperform. It makes sense that Brady would prioritize Gronk in the red zone during the Super Bowl and opening night when everyone is watching. However, on most weeks Gronk won’t see nearly as much action. Right now his value is as high as it will ever be, meaning it is the best time to trade him. A good strategy to move Gronk would be to trade for a tight end who saw a lot of targets in Week 1.
Mock Trade
Trade Away: Rob Gronkowski, Juju Smith-Schuster Â
Acquire: Noah Fant, Kenny Golladay
Right now, players are being over and undervalued more than they will ever be. After week 2, it is much easier to tell which players are actually good and which ones are just flukes. Trading for players who underperformed in Week 1, but will bounce back, is one of the best strategies in building a championship fantasy team.
