Following Week 4 is usually about the time a lot of the trade chatter starts in most of my leagues. We’re now almost one third of the way through the fantasy football regular season. With September now behind us, there are some unique opportunities to sell high and buy low on some of the biggest names in the game.
Each week, I nominate a few trade candidates at running back, wide receiver, and tight end to sell high and buy low on. Let this be a guide on which players to consider acquiring or moving any given week.
For any specific scenarios or further elaboration on the ideas surrounding the inclusion of these players in your trades, find me on Twitter @LincoCammytan!
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Players to Consider in Sell High or Buy Low Trades Ahead of Week 5
SELL HIGH
Jonathan Taylor; Running Back, Indianapolis Colts
This may be a hard pill to swallow following a 103-yard rushing performance in Week 4. Taylor finally recorded a top-10 RB finish, which lines up with where most fantasy football managers drafted him to be. It’s likely Taylor is your RB1 which makes a sell-high scenario tricky.
It’s hard to overlook the fact that Taylor still has two matchups against a Texans defense allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game in 2021. One of said matchups is also at home in two weeks when many key fantasy football running backs are on a bye. However, Taylor has yet to play any more than 55% of the Colts’ snaps and did so in Week 1. Since then, both Nyheim Hines and even Marlon Mack continue to mix into the rotation.
Taylor’s outlook for the remainder of 2021 looks to be bleak compared to where he was drafted. It’s unlikely he puts up big performances like Week 4 on a Colts team that is more often than not going to playing from behind. If you have running back depth, try and sell high on Taylor for a top wide receiver, or Travis Kelce, especially in PPR leagues.
Tyler Lockett; Wide Receiver, Seattle Seahawks
You can try to sell high on Lockett this week based on potential. You’re certainly not selling based on his Week 3 and Week 4 performances. Lockett is still the PPR WR10 through four weeks despite a WR63 finish in Week 3 and WR70 finish in Week 4.
What’s more troubling, is that the Seahawks are running the fewest offensive plays across the entire league. When they are on the field, DK Metcalf is the obvious top target with 33 total this season to Lockett’s 25. If you can sell someone on the idea of Lockett’s boom potential with a top-tier quarterback in Russell Wilson throwing him the ball, then sell high for a player with more consistency.
Dallas Goedert; Tight End, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert’s top-10 season-long potential is completely suppressed by the presence of Zach Ertz. In fact, Ertz is leading the two in targets 19 to 16 through four weeks. Ertz also has 15 of his 19 targets the last two weeks to Goedert’s nine. Goedert is a prime sell high candidate this week following Week 4 where he landed as TE8. Before you look it up, Ertz was TE12. So, again, sell high and sell now.
Week 5 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | PPR | Flex
BUY LOW
Darrell Henderson; Running Back, Los Angeles Rams
I’m not sure whoever has Henderson is willing to move him, but if they’re skittish following his recent rib injury, then the time to buy low is right now. Henderson exited Week 2 with a rib cartilage injury that subsequently kept him out of the Rams’ Week 3 game, as well. However in the two full games Henderson played, in Weeks 1 and 4, he played 110 of 120 possible snaps, logged 30 of 34 running back carries, and saw 100% of the running back targets.
The Rams offense is currently sixth on a points-per-game basis with a 28.8 per game average. Henderson is so clearly the bell cow and gets the goal to go carries. With a Thursday night Week 5 divisional matchup against the Seahawks, who are allowing the most rushing yards per game, you should try to acquire Henderson as cheap as possible.
CeeDee Lamb, Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb is currently averaging 14.3 fantasy points per game on a Cowboys offense that’s averaged 31.5 points per game. He’s underperforming as his ADP rose as high as the third round in late August. There is going to be a continuous battle between him and Amari Cooper for who ends up as the top receiver in this offense.
As of now, it’s Cooper with the slight edge as the PPR WR16 compared to WR28 for Lamb. However, they’re separated by a thin margin of just 3.1 points per game. As Dak and this offense continue to find their footing, Lamb will undoubtedly be a focal point.
In the last two games, the Cowboys have run the ball 75 times while Dak has attempted just 45 total passes. Still, Lamb leads the team in targets and snap count at wide receiver. If whoever has Lamb is disappointed thus far, inquire and try to buy low. Better days are ahead and I expect him to finish as a top-12 wide receiver.
TJ Hockenson; Tight End, Detroit Lions
It’s not always going to be pretty relying on a Lions player every week. However, we do know that running back, D’Andre Swift, and tight end, TJ Hockenson, are the guys you want, if any, on your fantasy team. The two are tied as the top targeted players with 29 apiece through four weeks. The next closest is wide receiver Khalif Raymond who has 16 of his 22 total in the last two weeks.
Hockenson has yet to play fewer than 82% of the Lions’ snaps. After a hot start as the TE3 through the first two weeks, Hockenson came in at an average of TE26 in Weeks 3 and 4. Even with two poor performances in the last two weeks, Hock is still TE5 on the season. If someone is second-guessing his role in this offense, solidify your tight end position and buy low at this opportune moment.
More fantasy football fun for Week 5: Waiver Wire | FAAB Guide | Buy-Low, Sell-High Trade Targets | Start & Sit | Loves & Hates | Stock Watch | Sleepers & Streamers | QB Streamers | D/ST Streamers |
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