RADIO
How's it going RotoBallers? I'm Joe Nicely and I'll be filling in for a vacationing Jorden Hill this week!
With the NFL's trade deadline now come and gone, we've seen some shake-ups around the league. How will the changes impact our fantasy rosters for the rest of the season? As the fantasy trade deadline begins to approach us, how can we strengthen our squads for the stretch run?
In an attempt to answer those questions, I will be highlighting two players that should see their value increase in the coming weeks and two others that could plummet down the rest-of-season rankings. Before we dive into it, let's review how things are trending for the players discussed last week.
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Last Week's Recap
Ok...after reviewing last week's article, I've learned that Jorden is really, really good at this and that you guys are very smart for getting his fantasy trade thoughts every week.
Jorden started out last week's Buy recommendations with Jonathan Taylor, a player that was the consensus No.1 fantasy player in most preseason rankings. I really like Jorden's thought process here, as it makes sense to attempt to buy low on such a talented player. Unfortunately, it appears as though Taylor is still playing hurt. He seemed to lack burst en route to 76 yards on 16 carries last week.
Jorden was also bullish on D.J. Moore's prospects heading into Week 8 and it looks to be a tremendous call. Moore has regained his groove with P.J. Walker at QB for Carolina. He exited Week 8 with six catches for 152 yards and a score. With CMC long gone, Moore is the alpha in this Panthers offense and has now been targeted a massive 21 times over the last two weeks.
I'm in agreement with Jorden on three of last week's four recommendations. I don't know that I can get down with selling Terry McLaurin as long as Taylor Heinicke is the starting QB in Washington, as F1's numbers have spiked with Heinicke at the helm. In Jorden's defense, there is the looming threat of Carson Wentz's return to the lineup, which could tank McLaurin's fantasy value.
In another home-run call, Jorden closed Week 8 by advising fantasy managers to deal Ezekiel Elliott while they still could. After Tony Pollard filled in for the injured Zeke in brilliant fashion last week, that window might already be closed.
Players to Target in Trades for Fantasy Football
Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars
We can't really label Travis Etienne a "buy-low" candidate, since fantasy managers that are even halfway paying attention have seen his fantasy output over the last two weeks.
That said, this is the rare spot where fantasy managers that confidently feel they are just a running back away from making a championship run should be willing to gamble a bit and overpay for Etienne. That's the type of upside the Jags' back carries for the rest of the season.
As if trading James Robinson to New York didn't make it clear, the Jags' have left no doubt about their belief in Etienne as their workhorse back. He's been on the field for a massive 80% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps over the last two weeks.
Etienne hasn't just been on the field taking up space either. He's looked absolutely dynamic in the lead role for the Jags and his production reflects that. The former Clemson star has rushed for a combined 270 yards and two TDs in Jacksonville's last two. It's easy to throw around the term "league winner", but with a clear path to high usage and gamebreaking talent, Etienne could prove to be just that for those that have him on their rosters down the stretch.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
The Sun God's fantasy stock was at an all-time high after a 9/116/2 performance against Washington in Week 2. However, injuries have led to a lull in St. Brown's fantasy production over recent weeks and the sentiment around him in the fantasy community appears to have dipped.
After being inactive in Week 4 against Seattle with an ankle injury, the second-year wideout was then forced to exit a Week 7 matchup with Dallas due to the NFL's bulked-up concussion protocol, despite not actually suffering a concussion.
When St. Brown has been on the field for Detroit, he's been a legitimate target magnet and has garnered an average of 9.8 targets across his five healthy games.
Already the owner of a massive 23.7% team target share, St. Brown will now get to experience life without T.J. Hockenson, the recently-traded TE that was second on this Lions offense with an 18.1% target share. With Hock now in Minnesota, D.J. Chark currently on IR, and pass-catching back D'Andre Swift perpetually banged up, St. Brown's already-massive role should only grow in the coming weeks.
Players to Trade Away for Fantasy Football
David Montgomery, Chicago Bears
Oh, how things can change over the course of an NFL season. At the outset of the year, David Montgomery was basically the only desirable piece on this Chicago Bears team, but as we look toward the second half of the season, he's the Bear I have perhaps the least amount of interest in.
Montgomery started the season as Chicago's clear-cut workhorse back, but that role has slowly eroded throughout the year, and he's now the starter in name only. The Bears' backfield has morphed into practically a 50/50 timeshare between Montgomery and Chicago's dynamic second-year back, Khalil Herbert.
This split backfield situation is due to a combination of Montgomery's injury issues and ineffectiveness, coupled with Herbert consistently demonstrating explosive playmaking ability.
Herbert's 6.2 yards per carry overshadows Montgomery's meager 3.9 average. As a result, Herbert has all but drawn even with Montgomery in total opportunities over the last two weeks (30 vs 33).
As fantasy managers know, when a team has two RBs, we don't really have one. If you can find someone in your league that's desperate for running back help, get what you can for the TD-dependant Montgomery while there might still be a lukewarm market for him.
Brandon Aiyuk, San Francisco
The Christian McCaffrey trade to San Francisco will continue to reverberate for fantasy managers over the rest of the season and perhaps no one stands to lose more than Niners WR Brandon Aiyuk.
Aiyuk entered Week 8 on the heels of back-to-back 11 target outings. Despite the absence of Deebo Samuel, that number slipped to six in Week 8. Call it the "CMC Effect", as Kyle Shanahan's shiny-new toy soaked up a massive 27 total opportunities against the Rams last week, a mark that was the third-highest in the NFL in Week 8.
As McCaffrey fully integrates into this already-run-heavy Niners offense, we can expect the opportunities for those around him to shrink. This will likely be especially true for Aiyuk, as San Fran TE George Kittle continues to look better each week and Samuel makes his way back into the lineup.
Listen, it's called "selling high" for a reason. This is a player that's been very productive in recent weeks and there should be a strong trade market for him as a result. I don't doubt Aiyuk's talent and ability, but I do have serious concerns about his usage going forward, which means his true value might not be as high as his current perceived value. This is a San Fran offense that suddenly has lots of mouths to feed and I worry about Aiyuk's place in that pecking order.
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