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.
To get our Stock Watches, Weekly Rankings and Podcast episodes directly on your iPhone, download our brand-new app in the App Store.
Buy Low
DJ Chark
(Week 9: 7.2 PPR points)
One of 2019’s biggest breakouts has been DJ Chark, who’s withstood QB injuries and the general incompetence of the Jacksonville Jaguars to put up a top 10 WR season so far. While he’s been very productive over the course of the season, his 2 worst performances have come over the past 4 weeks. Week 9 against the Texans in London was his season-low mark from a fantasy perspective, as he caught just 4 of 9 targets for 32 yards while teammate Keelan Cole turned just 6 targets into 5 catches for 80 yards. Many may now doubt the 2nd-year wideout heading into the homestretch of 2019, but with Jacksonville heading into a bye and Nick Foles set to return immediately after, this is the perfect time to make a move for Chark.
Chark and Foles have played less than a quarter together this season but showed some promise in that short time — in fact, the play that Foles’ broken collarbone occurred on also resulted in Chark’s 1st TD of the season. The 4-5 Jags will now attempt to make a playoff push upon Foles’ return, and that should benefit Chark greatly as the team’s leader in targets, receptions, yards, and receiving TDs. And with Jacksonville getting to face the bottom 3 teams in the league in terms of stopping opposing WRs — Tampa Bay, Oakland, and Atlanta — over its final 7 games, a move for Chark as Jacksonville attempts to make the playoffs could be huge as you do the same.
Terry McLaurin
(Week 9: 7.9 PPR points)
Also heading into a bye in Week 10 is Terry McLaurin, who’s been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the 1-8 Redskins. Despite playing with 3 different starting QBs who’ve combined for 9 TDs, 9 INTs, and an 82 passer rating, McLaurin is tied for the rookie lead with 32 receptions and 5 TDs and leads his team in virtually every major receiving category. Despite this, a three week stretch that’s seen him average about 6 PPR points per game has owners ready to part ways with the talented WR. That’s good news for you.
I’m not going to insinuate that Washington’s QB situation is going to get better, because realistically it’s probably going to get worse if anything. But McLaurin has proven that he has the talent to overcome shaky QB play, and his remaining schedule after the bye week is promising to say the least.
Some decent matchups are bookend by some great ones, and by the time the Skins face Dallas’ difficult secondary, you’ll already be counting your fantasy winnings. McLaurin’s price has never been lower, so take advantage before he turns it around starting in Week 11.
Golden Tate
(Week 9: 11.8 PPR points)
After a 4-game suspension to start the season, Golden Tate has gradually worked his way into a Giants offense that’s been a work-in-progress in 2019 as they’ve made the transition to Daniel Jones. Tate has been decently productive in his role with the Giants, but hasn’t made the jump necessary to become a consistent fantasy starter just yet. That could be changing soon, and it makes now a great time to put out some feelers for him.
Sterling Shepard‘s concussion symptoms have yet to subside and could keep him out even longer moving forward, which will allow Tate to continue garnering the lion’s share of New York’s targets. And looking at the Giants’ upcoming schedule shows that his role could be a lucrative one moving forward. Week 10 brings the Jets, and after a bye and tough matchups with Chicago and Green Bay, Tate will finish out the season against Philly, Miami, Washington, and Philly again. Those are some juicy matchups that make Tate a great FLEX option for the fantasy playoffs and could make you really, really happy you gave up your 3rd or 4th RB to get him after Week 9.
Honorable mention: David Johnson, Alshon Jeffery, Zach Pascal
Sell High
Devin Singletary
(Week 9: 23 PPR points)
One of the more hyped-up breakout candidates among young RBs this past offseason, Devin Singletary has been working to surpass the ageless wonder Frank Gore, and seems to finally be on his way to doing exactly that. After a strong first 2 games, Singletary missed Weeks 3-6 with injury and played sparingly in his Week 7 return. Over the 2 weeks since, however, he’s put up 190 yards of total offense with 2 TDs, averaging 19 points per game over that span. Most are finally going all-in on Singletary now as Buffalo’s starter, and shockingly enough, I’m heading the opposite direction.
While I’m certainly a believer in Singletary’s individual talent, I’m not so sure head coach Sean McDermott is. Gore’s carries have decreased gradually over the course of the season as Singletary’s have risen, indicating that McDermott may understand the young talent that’s in his backfield, but I still think Gore will be a thorn in Singletary owners’ sides throughout the rest of the season. He’s never going to fully disappear unless he’s hurt, and sitting around waiting for a Frank Gore injury is like waiting for the Sun to explode — it’ll definitely happen at some point, but I wouldn’t bank on it being any time soon. Factor in Buffalo’s remaining schedule:
And it becomes a lot easier to part ways with the rookie out of FAU. I wouldn’t fault you for waiting another week or 2 before making your move, but with the unpredictable nature of the NFL, the sooner you can get value for a guy who could be absolutely useless for the final 7 weeks of the season, the better.
Kenny Golladay
(Week 9: 23.2 PPR points)
As fantasy’s WR11 through 9 weeks, Kenny Golladay has emerged as a legit threat in a surprisingly competent Detroit offense. Accompanied by a running game that’s been marred by injuries and no-names and a defense that’s allowing over 27 points per game, Detroit’s aerial attack is 3rd in the NFL with 295 yards per game so far in 2019. Obviously Matthew Stafford has been strong, but he’s benefitted from great receiver play — most notably Golladay, who leads the team in targets, yards, and TDs from the receiver position. While all of this is well and good, it’s also stopping people from realizing how tough the end of Golladay’s season is going to be, and why you should try to get something for him now while his value is sky high.
Ignoring Detroit’s tendency to collapse when it matters most throughout their dismal 90-year, Super Bowl-less history, their 2019 2nd half schedule is a daunting one to say the least. Over his last 8 games, Golladay will play 4 against teams in the top 6 in the league in terms of slowing opposing WRs — the Broncos (6th), the Cowboys (4th), and the Bears (3rd) twice. Factor in the recent surge in production from teammates Marvin Jones, Jr. and Danny Amendola, and there likely won’t be enough production to go around in Detroit over the second half of 2019. Golladay won’t be easy to part ways with, but the haul you can get for him now will make it all worth it.
Carlos Hyde
(Week 9: 14 PPR points)
While much was made of Houston’s acquisition of Duke Johnson during training camp, the trade that brought Carlos Hyde to Houston in late August has undoubtedly brought the team more value in its backfield. Hyde has only outsnapped Johnson by 35 through 9 weeks but has more than doubled his touches and leads the team in every single rushing category. His 704 rushing yards are 8th in the league and his 4.7 YPC has him in the top 10 as well, all culminating in a top 30 fantasy season so far. And with two 100+ yard games in his last 4 and his snap percentage among the highest its been all year, Hyde’s value may be as high as its been since he was set to compete for carries in Kansas City’s backfield. By now, you should know where I’m going with this.
While I believe in Hyde as a player and Houston’s offense as a unit, their upcoming schedule is no joke. After a bye in Week 10, Houston won’t play one team that’s in the bottom half of the league against opposing RBs. Their slate of opponents rank anywhere from 1st (New England) to 15th (Tennessee) against running backs, but none will be easy to carve up like he’s done to a couple lesser opponents recently. He may not get you a massive haul, but trading Hyde for some depth or lumping him in with someone else for a stretch run hero could be the biggest move you make this season — and now’s the time to do it.
Honorable mention: John Brown, Kenyan Drake, Sammy Watkins
