Are you ready for some… Tuesday? Night? Football? Hopefully, everything goes according to plan and the NFL can stop playing hot potato with the schedule. But as we’re in unprecedented territory, you should be more and more willing to deal your guys. Don’t get attached to your favorite freight train of a running back (looking at you, Derrick Henry!) because anything can happen this season. Luckily, you have us to help you out. Here are our favorite buys and sells for the week.
Will’s Buy – Kenny Golladay
Golladay missed the first two games of the season and had an early bye in Week 5. That means that his manager was without a guy who probably cost a late second or early third-round pick. That team is probably hurting right now, which always represents a buying opportunity. Golladay has scored in both games he’s played, meaning he’s per-game average is in line with top options like Tyler Lockett and Mike Evans. However, he has yet to break even 65 yards receiving in a game, despite seeing seven and eight targets the last two weeks. Use that to your advantage. See if the Golladay owner flinches when you call him a touchdown-dependent receiver on a bad team. The Lions are bad, but it’s mostly due to their terrible defense. Terrible defense plus decent quarterback equals fantasy gold for most receivers.
Zach’s Sell – Kenyan Drake
I wrote about buying Chase Edmonds last week and I’ll be honest, this is a cop-out “sell” to essentially remind folks to buy Chase Edmonds. We have seen enough of Kenyan Drake this season against both good and bad defenses to know that he doesn’t seem to have it this season. With a 60-yard game and a touchdown last week, he may still be able to get you a good return, but just how long can the Cardinals keep Edmonds in a reserve role? Edmonds has been the more electric running back this season and has been substantially more involved in the passing game than Drake. Edmonds remains un-rostered in a good amount of leagues and could be a league winner if the Cardinals give him a shot at being the starting running back. Don’t wait until he is proclaimed the starter to grab yourself a share of Chase Edmonds, get him now while he remains cheap, and sell Drake while he has starting running back value.
Will’s Buy – Mecole Hardman
He might be on waivers right now, but I’d try to buy him if he’s rostered. Sammy Watkins is going to miss a few weeks with a hamstring injury. That opens the door for Hardman to seize a role in the Chiefs’ still-potent offense. That fact alone would make an average receiver interesting. Hardman, with big-play potential every time he gets near the ball, is much more than an average receiver. He’s WR44 so far on the season, so you won’t be looking at an exorbitant price tag. The potential return on little investment makes this move a worthy gamble.
Zach’s Sell – Any tight end not named Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, Darren Waller, George Kittle
There is a massive tier drop after these tight ends and at that point, the position can be used as a streamer. The top four tight ends are head and shoulders above the rest and this season we have seen some incredible waiver wire tight ends. Robert Tonyan, Dalton Schultz, and even Jimmy Graham have been serviceable off of waivers this season. If you have a big-name tight end like Evan Engram, Zach Ertz, Tyler Higbee, look to sell these guys for an area that you are thin at like running back or wide receiver, and play the streaming game the rest of the way.
Zach’s Buy – Julio Jones
Julio has been overshadowed for the first five weeks by Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage but that was largely due to an injury. Jones could be back in week six but his lack of playing time may have some owners in a hole and looking to cut bait. If you can get one of the most prolific receivers in the game for pennies on the dollar you may be in for an epic second half of the season. When healthy, Jones is arguably a top-five receiver on a Falcons team that will be playing in a negative game script for the rest of the season. Jones will get looks and those looks will undoubtedly turn into points.
Will’s Sell – Darrell Henderson
Henderson is RB15 right now. He’s right behind guys like Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Jonathan Taylor, and Miles Sanders. That looks even more impressive when you realized that he only saw three carries in week one. So why am I selling him? The last two weeks have been ugly for the second-year back on the ground. He posted 2.6 yards per carry in Week 4 against the Giants and followed that up with 2.5 yards per carry this weekend against Washington. The two touchdowns in week five are what saved his day and propelled him to what looks like a mid-tier RB2. Add in the fact that Cam Akers was much more effective after returning from injury and that Sean McVay wants to get Akers more involved, and you can see clearly that Henderson is fool’s gold. Go find yourself a fool. You won’t get one of those star names mentioned earlier, but you can at least find someone who will have a solid role going forward.
Enjoy your Tuesday Night Football, everyone! Hopefully, this is the last one we get. Will (@Dynastywalrus) and Zach (@DFF_Ztrain) would love to hear from you on Twitter to discuss buys, sells, and anything else fantasy!
