X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Not In Kansas Anymore... Players Struggling in New Spots 

Eric Samulski examines big-name RB, WR, and TE free agents who switched to new teams in 2019 to determine if they are buy, sell, or hold candidates for fantasy football based on current value.

If you’ve ever been the new kid in town, in school, or on a team, you know that it can be tough. You’re put on the spot whether you like it or not, and everybody is looking to see what you can do. Sometimes you shine and make a great first impression. That’s been the case for guys like Mark Ingram, LeSean McCoy, John Brown, and Darren Waller.

However, for some people, the pressure of being new can be too much, and they never quite fit in with their new surroundings. There are a few players who have started slowly in their new locations and have both fans and fantasy owners beginning to grumbling. Are they worth the hype? Do we even need this guy here?

Before you break out the pitchforks and run the new guys out of town, I’m here to help you break down who is deserving of more time and who you can assemble to the mob to chase away.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

BUY

Invite Him Onto Your Team

Le'Veon Bell (RB, NYJ)

People who drafted Le’Veon thinking that he’d go back to being the top back in fantasy are going to be disappointed. We should have never expected him to replicate numbers that he put up with an elite Steelers unit. However, being currently ranked 10th in half-point PPR leagues, the same as Phillip Lindsay, has created a buying opportunity. With Saquon Barkley hurt, Leonard Fournette looking slow, Chris Carson fumbling everything, Aaron Jones sharing carries, a Chargers backfield timeshare looming, and Drew Brees’ injury leaving the Saints offense a massive questions mark, there are very few sure things at the running back position.

In a short time, Bell will become one of those. He currently only has two rushes inside the 20-yard line and leads the league in runs stuffed at the line of scrimmage with 16. In fact, he has gained 86.5% of his yards after contact. The Jets offensive line isn’t good, but with Sam Darnold and Chris Herndon on their way back, the offense should experience more success in the near future and put Bell in more advantageous positions once defenses stop keying on him. With the way the first few weeks have fallen out, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Bell finish the year as a top-five running back.

Odell Beckham Jr (WR, CLE)

The Browns offense has been bad. There are no two ways around that. They’ve accumulated the 9th fewest yards on offense. Their receivers have the third-fewest TD receptions, with three, and the third-fewest red zone opportunities in general. But they’ve also faced a near-elite Rams secondary and a much-improved Titans secondary in two of their three games. Even in those tough contests, Baker isn’t shying away from Odell, as he’s the ninth-most targeted WR in the NFL despite only being the 17th ranked receiver in half-point PPR. It just so happens that, according to Next Gen Stats, only 63% of his targets have been catchable so far. You’re holding onto Odell because the Browns offense will begin to click, and when it does, he’ll be right at the center because he can still do things like this.

Jamison Crowder (WR, NYJ)

Yay, more Jets. Part of this narrative is the same as with Bell: Darnold and Herndon returning will make the entire Jets offense better. That should be welcome news to Crowder, who is currently the 52nd ranked wide receiver in half-point PPR league. However, he’s also the 11th most targeted WR in the NFL and had 17 targets in his lone game with Sam Darnold under center. Yes, Herndon returning will take away some of the opportunities over the middle, but Adam Gase’s offense loves to target slot wide receivers, and Crowder is still one of the better ones in the game. If he was dropped, especially in full-PPR leagues, the time is now to scoop him up.

 

HOLD

Give Him Another Chance

Jordan Howard (RB, PHI)

Everybody is ready to hand the Philadelphia Eagles’ backfield over to Miles Sanders except, apparently, Doug Pederson. The Eagles have started the season 1-2 with losses by four and three points. It’s been little mistakes that have cost the team games, like Miles Sanders’ two fumbles. Considering Sanders had fumble issues coming out of college, coughing up the ball five times in his lone season as a starter, the early fumbles are a bit of a concern. Enough so that Jordan Howard has seen his snap count rise. He’s also seen the same number of red zone opportunities as Sanders in two of the three games.

Neither back is running exceptionally well right now, but Howard has fewer ball control issues and has a positive rush percentage of 90%, while Sanders only has positive results on 70.6% of his carries. If the Eagles want to clean up the small mistakes that are costing them games, they may keep giving the ball to Howard in crucial situations until they’re sure they can count on Sanders.

Adam Humphries (WR, TEN)

I know, nobody wants to trust Marcus Mariota, but hear me out. The Titans spent a lot of money to bring Humphries in because they knew Mariota needed a safety blanket over the middle of the field. With no ability to get the ball to his outside receivers, the thought was that Mariota would feel comfortable targeting Humphries over the middle. It didn’t happen early on, but in Week 3, Humphries saw nine targets, hauling in six catches for 93 yards.

With games coming up against the Falcons, Chargers, Bucs, Panthers, and Chiefs, it would be wise to hold onto Humphries, especially in PPR leagues, just to see if this Week 3 uptick in usage is a sign of things to come.

Antonio Brown (WR, FA)

I don’t want to talk about this any more than you do. We all know the details. We also know that Brown is still a talented football player. You should wait another week or two for the dust to settle before you chase him off your team. If he latches on with somebody else (it’s the NFL, so it’s certainly possible) you’d hate to have just given him away. If you can’t roster him because of his antics then just wait a week or two for a bit of news that suggests he’s coming back and try to trade him.

Mark Walton (RB, MIA)

Mark Walton is in his first year with the Dolphins after spending last year with the Bengals. In his career, he has 18 carries for 50 yards. I know you’re just salivating at the opportunity to have him on your roster. Walton is also a 22-year-old back who showed impressive ability in his Sophomore and Junior year at Miami before injuring his ankle and sitting out the rest of the season.

If the Dolphins are able to find a trade partner for Kenyan Drake, the only running back stopping Walton from becoming the Dolphins primary running back would be Kalen Ballage. The same Kalen Ballage who avoided a screen pass and has looked generally terrible for the Dolphins. In deeper leagues, Walton is not a bad bench stash. After all, opportunity is king in fantasy.

 

SELL

Get the Pitchforks Out

Jared Cook (TE, NO)

Jared Cook has always been more promise over substance. We waited for years for him to make good on his above-average athleticism, but we kept being disappointed. Until he exploded last year with Oakland, catching 68 passes for 896 yards and six TDs. Many people expected more of the same in New Orleans, but that was never going to happen. For one, there are too many options in New Orleans. As Darren Waller’s success has made clear in Oakland, the tight end is a feature part of Jon Gruden’s offense. Cook also dropped 8% of his passes last year. He succeeded because he saw 101 targets. Michael Thomas saw 147 targets for the Saints last year, and the next highest was Tre’Quan Smith with 44.

Cook was never going to see over 100 targets; he’s only had 12 through three games this season. That’s the same as Jason Witten, James O’Shaughnessy, and Noah Fant. What’s more, he only had two targets with Teddy Bridgewater under center in an offense that will no longer push the ball down the field. I’d much rather have Will Dissly, Chris Herndon, Trey Burton, or Vernon Davis.

Latavius Murray (RB, NO)

Latavius Murray’s value was tied to the role he was going to have in a dynamic offense. Not only is the offense no longer as dynamic without Brees, but Murray has only seen a 28% snap count on the season. That ranks behind Mike Davis, Dare Ogunbowale, and Jalen Richard. With the Saints offense now lacking teeth, he isn’t even afforded the ability to be successful on his carries. He has a 69% positive run percentage and has gained only 12 yards after contact for .9 yards after contact per rush. That means there aren’t holes being opened for him, and without Drew Brees to take attention away from the defenses, that likely isn’t going to change.

Duke Johnson (RB, HOU)

I’m shocked that the Texans gave up draft capital to acquire Duke Johnson just to play him behind Carlos Hyde. However, that’s been the case, and Hyde has looked good. Meanwhile, Johnson’s role has all but dried up. He only has 17 carries through three games, but, perhaps more importantly, has also only been targeted nine times in Houston’s crowded receiving core. With only two red-zone targets and one red zone rush, he’s also not getting high-value opportunities, which means he doesn’t bring much upside to the table. Add that to the fact that the Texans worked out CJ Anderson on Tuesday, which suggests they aren’t happy with their running back room.

I wouldn’t necessarily cut Duke yet in 12-team leagues or larger since the Texans offense is so good, but I’m looking to sell his upside on that offense to take a shot on an upside play like Rashad Penny, Ronald Jones, Rex Burkhead, or even Kenyan Drake if he’s going to be dealt.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Connor McDavid

Totals Three Points In Game 3 Win
Johnathan Kovacevic

Exits Early Friday
Seth Lugo

Tosses Eight Shutout Innings In Friday's Win Over Houston
Sam Montembeault

Suffers Lower-Body Injury Friday
Logan Thompson

Exits Loss With Injury
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez Will Throw A Bullpen On Sunday
Brandon Hagel

Suspended For Game 3
Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF