Can we have a redo on week two? That was B-R-U-T-A-L! We lost Saquon and Courtland Sutton for the year, and CMC for weeks. Week one waiver wire darling Parris will miss time with a PCL injury. Will Fuller (of course) and Davante Adams are dealing with hamstring issues. Raheem Mostert took it 80 yards to the house with his first carry and then proceeded to sprain his MCL. Who did I miss? It seemed as if fantasy managers were taking one punch to the gut after another on Sunday. Whether or not you survived the injury onslaught in week two, your team could probably use some tinkering. Here are our favorite buys and sells of the week.
Zach’s Buy – Any mildly injured but elite wide receiver – Specifically, Deebo Samuel
In your league, you may come across a team that hasn’t started as well as they would have liked. Odds are, they may have one of these high round draft picks that succumbed to injury early on in the season. If you’re sitting in a decent spot in your redraft league and can afford to hold onto one of the above-mentioned wide receivers for a few weeks while they sit on IR you could cash in for the 2nd half of your season. Consider floating a trade out to the Deebo Samuel owner of something like Mike Williams and Boston Scott. This gives them an average wide receiver who they can plug into their lineup this week and a decent handcuff running back. This would help their team by allowing them to try to field a more competitive lineup over the next few weeks in anticipation of climbing back up the standings, and helps you get an electric wide receiver option who will help you down the stretch. There is no doubt that once Deebo Samuel returns he becomes the best wide receiver on the 49ers. All of these elite wide receivers are perfect buy-low candidates right now, but that window closes soon.
Will’s Sell – Joe Mixon
He’s still a top-12 running back if you’re drafting today, but that’s almost by default due to injuries to guys who were going ahead of him in drafts. On the bright side, he has 20 touches in both games so far. That’s the only bright side. He hasn’t scored a touchdown yet. He averaged a paltry 3.6 yards per carry in week one and a putrid 2.9 ypc in week two. An optimist looks at those numbers and says that Mixon’s time is coming. A pessimist will see the same numbers and remember Mixon’s terrible start to 2019. You’re probably not 2-0 right now if you made Mixon your first or second-round pick. I’d be looking to move him for a running back in his tier who I feel is much safer. Add something to Mixon to get Sanders, Drake, Jacobs, or Taylor before it’s too late.
Zach’s Buy – Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS)
It is a bit of a homer pick, but when you have a guy who can get you double-digit fantasy points in a heartbeat, it is worth the investment. There appears to be an open competition for the number two receiving option in Green Bay and MVS is inching closer to being that guy. MVS has grabbed seven passes for 160 yards and a touchdown through the Packers’ first two games. He has game-breaking speed and appears to have built on his connection with Aaron Rodgers. He did have a bit of a drop issue but he looked much better in week two. MVS isn’t a plug-and-play wide receiver yet, but he offers fantastic upside as a flex option until further notice.
Will’s Buy – James Robinson
Jacksonville is one of the happy surprises through the first two weeks and their starting running back is one of the big reasons why. No, his name is not Leonard Fournette. The man I’m talking about is named James Robinson and he is eighth in rushing after two games. He’s the 15th-best running back in half-PPR scoring despite catching only four passes and scoring one touchdown. The Jags, once thought to be tanking, are feisty. They’ve scored as many points as the Cowboys, Rams, and Chiefs. Robinson doesn’t have the receiving volume to make him a top-12 guy, but he has the Jacksonville rushing game on lock. He’s probably burning a hole on someone’s bench, so he won’t cost you the low-end RB2 price tag he’s likely worth. Go get him.
Bonus: I talked about Joshua Kelley as a buy after week one. All he did in week two was out-touch Austin Ekeler, get goal-line work, break 100 yards from scrimmage, and get red-zone work. Must-add if he’s available… buy if he’s not.
Zach’s Sell – Austin Ekeler
This one is a bit tougher. If you roster Ekeler you drafted him to be your starting running back. Therefore, most likely in order to sell Ekeler you’re going to need to get a solid running back in return. That said, if you can flip Ekeler for a good running back and a solid flex wide receiver, I’m all in. Ekeler has had 40 touches through two weeks while rookie Joshua Kelley has had 37. In week two, Kelly out-touched Ekeler by a fair margin. Ekeler was supposed to be a monster in the passing game, so far 5 catches for 58 yards through two games. If there is an owner in your league who still feels strongly about Ekeler, see if you can flip him for a couple starting pieces. The Chargers offense with new quarterbacking and a new shiny rookie running back seems much different than anticipated and I’m not sure I want to wait around to see if things change.
It’s only week two and we’ve already been through the wringer. Check back weekly as @DFF_Ztrain and @Dynastywalrus help you navigate these rocky roads with some buys and sells!
