Buy Low
Lamar Jackson, QB, BAL - Jackson had his huge games against terrible defenses, but he’s facing plenty of those before the end of the season with Cincinnati X2, Seattle, Houston and the Rams still left. The Steelers blitzed him a ton, an approach that could lead to big offensive plays if teams try to copy it.
Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder, WR, Le’Veon Bell, RB, NYJ - The Jets are still in the midst of a brutal opening schedule but soon the clouds will part and they will face a run of Miami, the Giants, Washington, Oakland, Cincinnati, Miami again, and Baltimore. This passing game could heat up as the weather gets colder. Sam Darnold is a buy low target in 2QB/Superflex leagues too.
Devin Singletary, RB, BUF - Another reminder that Singletary was sensational as a runner and receiver to open the season, but it happened long enough ago that his team might not be valuing him correctly. He should be fully healthy after the bye and have little risk of reinjury of his problem hamstring.
Rashard Higgins, WR, CLE - Higgins is finally getting in full practices, so it’s time for another reminder that he had two catches for 46 yards on the first drive of the season before he got hurt. He’ll face a Seahawks secondary that has been suspect against middling pass offenses this year.
Dede Westbrook, WR, JAX - Teams are going to start treating DJ Chark as a #1 receiver and giving extra attention to him, which should leave Westbrook a very attractive target for Gardner Minshew against one-on-one coverage that he can beat with regularity. The Jaguars have Cincinnati, Houston, Tampa, Oakland, and Atlanta still left on the schedule, with the last two coming in Weeks 15 and 16.
LeSean McCoy, RB, KC - McCoy has looked like the best inside runner on the team, but Andy Reid went away from him in Week 5. We’re asking for rational coaching, but Reid is reliable for the most part and he knows what McCoy is capable of. He still has a chance to be the primary red zone back for a high scoring team sooner than later.
Buy High
Josh Jacobs, RB, OAK - Jacobs hit a speed bump when he got sick and dropped weight before one game, and the Raiders weren’t competitive against Kansas City - although Jacobs still got 99 yards on only 12 carries in that game. The team has been surprisingly competitive in wins over possible playoff teams the last two weeks, and he was a true workhorse in the win over Chicago. He’s having a very successful rookie year even though it hasn’t felt that way until last week. He might be available for trade during his bye.
Chase Edmonds, RB, ARI - Edmonds goes from buy low to buy high, but he’s still a buy. The David Johnson back injury and his long touchdown run vs. Cincinnati have increased his value, but the possibility of being a big part of the offense no matter Johnson’s health still hasn’t been factored into his value.
Stefon Diggs, WR, MIN - He’s too good to be held down for long. After Philadelphia this week, Minnesota faces Detroit, which is a tough matchup for wideouts, but Washington and Kansas City are up after that to help build momentum for the frustrated receiver.
Sell High
Austin Hooper, TE, ATL - Hooper is still going to be a viable TE1 in a wasteland at the position this year, but his stats might lose their edge as Matt Ryan goes into a manageable part of the schedule with Arizona, the Rams and Seattle up next. Hooper has been at his best when Ryan has struggled to throw downfield, which might be not as much of an issue in those matchups. The Cardinals matchup will be anticipated and potentially help you get strong TE1 value for Hooper if you have another option to turn to at the position.
Amari Cooper, WR, DAL - It’s a risky move to deal him at a high point, but Cooper is now on the injury report with multiple issues, and Michael Gallup is actually healthier than him. Cooper had a massive game last week, but it was the product of a come from behind game script against a soft defense. You might be able to make a lateral move to a healthier WR1 and get something else for your trouble coming off of this peak score.
Sell Low
Todd Gurley, RB, LAR - We’ve reached the scary part of Gurley’s outlook, where he has an injury that seems to befuddle the team and shouldn’t be as severe as his lack of practice indicates it is. The team made sure to note that they didn’t know about the injury coming off of the mini-bye after the Thursday night game. His weekly usage could get very unpredictable from here on out after it was just stabilizing with a season-high number of snaps last week. His missing practice after that game might not be a coincidence.
Opportunity Knocks
Young players who will get a chance to increase their dynasty value this week
Devlin Hodges, PIT - Was it me or did Hodges look better than Mason Rudolph last week? He’s also a dangerous runner who could have a surprising fantasy ceiling if he gets a chance to play.
Benny Snell, PIT - Snell should at least get a handful of carries to give James Conner a break this week in place of Jaylen Samuels.
Auden Tate, Damion Willis, CIN - The unheralded #2 and #3 receivers (for now) will face a Baltimore secondary that has been very vulnerable.
Byron Pringle, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson, WR, KC - Sammy Watkins should be out and Tyreek Hill isn’t a sure thing to play against a mediocre Texans secondary.
Mark Walton, RB, MIA - Kalen Ballage should be put aside after the bye gave the Dolphins time to reflect. Walton was already the #2 back for the most part going into the bye, now he gets a larger role in a winnable game against Washington.
Darrell Henderson, RB, LAR - Sean McVay lies to us, but he did say that this could be the week they finally use Henderson.
Jon Hilliman, RB, NYG - The Patriots are a tough draw, but Hilliman will get a start after going undrafted this year.
Darius Slayton, WR, NYG - Slayton has looked like one of Daniel Jones favorite targets this year so far, and the fellow rookie will need his speed to help keep a vicious Patriots defense honest.
