2019 Fantasy Football Strategy: Week 4 Buy Low, Sell High

Whether you're 3-0 or 0-3, you can always take advantage of your leaguemates who don't focus on the big picture.

Every fantasy owner is looking for their own little miracle. That doubted, slept-on guy they can get as a last round “Penny Stock” or off the waiver wire for nothing. Yet, the less glorified, but often most important way to build a fantasy championship-winner is the art of Buying Low and Selling High.

See, fantasy football is truly a stock market (hence, the name Roto Street Journal). Just like in Wall Street, the Wolves of Roto Street know exactly when to buy the right players at their lowest cost, and sell others while they’re peaking. The right trade, at the right time is often the overlooked difference between hoisting the trophy at season’s end… or watching through tears as one of your league mates does so instead.

To help you navigate the tricky fantasy trade waters, I’ll be giving you some discounted slow-starters to consider Buying Low on before they turn it around. Players who may not be lighting up the scoreboards yet, but offer future improvements in their schedule, opportunity, or team performance that owners blinded with rage may miss, all for you to steal.

On the other hand, I’ll give you the players whose values are peaking, and that you should Sell High before their true worth reveals itself. Maybe they’ve been benefited from a few cupcakes in a row. Perhaps an absent teammate is soon returning, or the schedule is about to stiffen. Regardless, selling a player at his highest value is a crucial move to boost your team’s long-term outlook.

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Buy Low

Robby Anderson

(Week 3: 4.1 PPR points)

Many were high on Robby Anderson heading into 2019, expecting an improved Jets offense with the acquisition of Le’Veon Bell and progression from Sam Darnold. That offense has been derailed by inconsistency and a case of mono, but Darnold is set to return after the team’s Week 4 bye and Bell seems to always be a TD away from a great performance. Jamison Crowder hasn’t been a major factor in the offense since his 17-target, 14-reception showing in Week 1, and while he’ll also see a boost from Darnold’s return, Anderson should find himself in a better position to put up some numbers.

This week may be the perfect time to make your move on Anderson as the Jets enter their bye week. Impatient owners, especially ones who haven’t had a great start to the season, will be willing to unload the 26-year old for pennies compared to what he could be worth in just a few weeks.

George Kittle

(Week 3: 11.7 PPR points)

For most young NFL tight ends, a top-10 showing through 3 weeks wouldn’t be so bad. But with George Kittle being drafted as high as the late 2nd/early 3rd round after a monster sophomore season, his start to 2019 has been a disappointment. He’s averaging just 5 catches and 55 yards per game and has yet to find the end zone, although he only needed 5 TDs last year to finish as the fantasy TE3. The Niners are 3-0 and scoring over 30 points per game, and you have to think Kittle will get in on the action at some point.

Like Anderson, Kittle is heading into a bye week, so it may be the best time to sneak in with a trade offer mid-week. Nobody’s going to give him away for nothing, but you may make off with a solid steal if Kittle returns to form.

Will Fuller V

(Week 3: 10.1 PPR points)

Although Will Fuller V played just 7 games in 2018, he played himself into high expectations for a follow up. He put up three 100-yard games and averaged over 15 PPR points throughout his injury-shortened season but has yet to make much of an impact in 2019. Those who drafted Fuller should’ve known they could be getting a slow start as he comes back from a torn ACL, but they may already be ready to unload him. Taking advantage could get you the WR2 on a top 10 offense with a top 5 quarterback and a WR1 that demands constant attention and double-teams. Kenny Stills is emerging as another prominent option in the offense, but Fuller remains Watson’s No. 2 guy and a very likely turnaround candidate.

Honorable mention: Kyler Murray, Golden Tate, AJ Green

Sell High

Aaron Jones

Nobody was a bigger Aaron Jones fan entering the 2019 season than I was, but I have to acknowledge the Jamaal Williams-shaped elephant in the room. Matt LaFluer has said he wants to even up the touches between his top 2 running backs, which limits Jones’ ceiling considerably in an already pass-first offense. Jones has been a monster in his career when properly fed; in 8 career games with 15+ touches entering 2019, his numbers had him on pace for a 1,700+ yard, 15+ TD season. He’s only surpassed that 15 touch mark once so far this year, in a 25-point showing in Week 2, and the way this offense is trending it may not happen again for some time.

Jones’ Week 3 performance looked good on the outside with 15.3 points, but he registered only 19 yards on a season-low 11 touches — having been bailed out only by two short-yardage TDs. Williams, meanwhile, put up season-high marks in touches (14) and total yards (86) as the Packers improved to 3-0. Clearly their backfield committee is working, which makes now the perfect time to get something in return for its most talented member.

Greg Olsen

(Week 3: 25.5 PPR points)

After multiple injury-filled seasons, it’s been great to see Greg Olsen return to Pro Bowl form to start this season. Unfortunately, there are a few reasons it may not last. The quarterback situation in Carolina is all over the place, with Cam Newton sidelined for the foreseeable future with a foot injury and Kyle Allen in his spot. Allen looked great in his first start with 261 yards and 4 TDs, but that was against Arizona and is no guarantee of future success.

While his QB situation may or may not be a roadblock, if history’s any indicator, it’ll be an injury that derails Olsen’s 2019 season. He’s missed time due to injury in each of the last 3 seasons, never topping 9 starts or 27 receptions in a year. Coming off a huge performance and moving toward the middle part of the season, it may be a good time to swap TEs and/or stash someone like Chris Herndon who will return Week 6 from suspension.

Phillip Lindsay

(Week 3: 29 PPR points)

Week 3’s RB3 has narrowly out touched teammate Royce Freeman each week in 2019, and while it’s managed to work alright for Phillip Lindsay so far, it may be fleeting. Denver’s offense is averaging just 15 points per game, so there isn’t a lot of scoring to go around in an offense with 2 equally-used RBs and a couple solid wideouts. Lindsay could easily fall victim to the committee at any moment, locked in the 10-15 touch range with minimal scoring chances.

Two of Denver’s next three opponents are in the top 10 in fewest points allowed to RBs, and as long as Lindsay has to split RB production, it could be best to dump him now.

Honorable mention: James Conner, Devonta Freeman, Phillip Dorsett

Author

  • Fan of Boston sports, hazy IPAs, and chicken pot pie. Frequent user of obscure movie quotes that nobody else finds funny.

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