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Fantasy Football Week 3 Trade Advice: Buy/Sell


With two weeks down in the 2018 NFL season, the reactions have gotten a little more real. Patrick Mahomes and Ryan Fitzpatrick are pacing fantasy scorers, and stars like David Johnson are struggling. Everyone wants to know what’s legit and what isn’t, so we’re attempting to cut through the noise by giving a buy/sell report entering Week 3.

 

Sammy Watkins

Some people were concerned Sammy Watkins was just going to be a well-paid decoy after a 21-yard outing in Week 1 against the Chargers, but he bounced back with a six-catch, 100-yard—along with a 31-yard carry—game in Week 2. The Chiefs paid Watkins top receiver money for a reason, and they’re going to use him a lot this season. Most are probably advocating for “selling high” on him, but most fantasy experts have been down on Watkins for a while now. I strongly advise against selling if you’re a Watkins owner, as he’s a very talented player playing in one of the league’s best offenses.

 

Verdict: Hold

 

 

Larry Fitzgerald

I think people are overreacting just a bit to one 3/28 line against the Rams—perhaps the best defense against wide receivers—in a game Larry Fitzgerald didn’t even finish because of a minor hamstring injury. After seeing how bad Arizona’s offense has been through two weeks, owners might even be considering releasing Fitz if someone like Kenny Golladay or John Brown is still available in a league. That would be unwise. I do, however, recommend trading Fitzgerald if you can get a fair return for him. He’s still one of the league’s best receivers at 35, and he has an accurate quarterback throwing him the ball. There will be big games if Sam Bradford is given time to throw, but there might be ugly outings if the line plays like it has through two weeks.

 

Verdict: Sell, but not for peanuts

 

 

Patrick Mahomes

It’s highly unlikely Patrick Mahomes continues tossing a handful of touchdowns each week, especially as teams start to put all their focus on stopping the passing game. (He’s not listed, but you should consider buying low on Kareem Hunt, who should get better as the weather gets colder.) We haven’t seen Mahomes’ floor quite yet, but the second-year quarterback has shown his massive week-winning ceiling to start the season. You should only trade Mahomes if you’re set at quarterback with an earlier draft pick like Tom Brady.

 

Verdict: Hold

 

 

Matt Breida

Through two weeks, the NFL’s leading rusher is Matt Breida. The second-year Niners running back is also averaging 8.4 yards per carry while splitting time with Alfred Morris. If you can somehow deal him for someone like a Joe Mixon, who is currently out with a knee injury, then you should take it. But on the other side, the buy opportunity for Breida is probably fading. We know he has a floor of about a dozen touches per week, and he has top-ten potential if he gets up to 15-20 touches.

 

Verdict: Buy

 

 

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Undrafted in nearly every single league, Ryan Fitzpatrick has exploded for fantasy-point totals of 41 and 30 while throwing for 819 yards and four touchdowns, along with a rushing score, for the Bucs. He’s the No. 1 fantasy scorer after two weeks, and it’s hard not to love his weapons moving forward. However, it might be difficult to keep this pace up for an offense with nearly 50/50 run-pass balance—the big plays have been huge, but are they sustainable?

 

Verdict: Sell high

 

 

Josh Gordon

With the hype surrounding the deal, it might be tough to trade for new Patriots receiver Josh Gordon. It’s difficult to blame a Gordon owner for wanting to keep an ultra-talented player that’s going to be catching passes from Tom Brady, as the upside is huge, but off-field concerns could be the way to acquire Gordon from another owner. If you have the depth to part with a reliable top-20 player at running back or wide receiver, it might be worth the risk. For example, a Larry Fitzgerald-for-Gordon trade is something worth exploring.

 

Verdict: Buy if the price is right

 

 

Le’Veon Bell

Those that drafted Le’Veon Bell with a top-five pick are in a very unfavorable position if they don’t have James Conner rostered. At this point, Bell owners should at least consider trading him. Angles can be deceiving, but Bell didn’t look to be in his normal tip-top shape when a video of him on a jet ski circulated, and he probably isn’t going to help fantasy teams until after Week 10. It isn’t a bad idea to try and convince someone else that Bell will return as a big-time difference-maker in the playoffs, while potentially getting a couple of usable assets in the meantime.

 

Verdict: Sell

 

 

David Johnson

Similar to the Larry Fitzgerald situation, it’s not fun trusting someone in an offense that has trouble blocking anyone. If the Cardinals don’t pick it up, David Johnson could have the type of season Todd Gurley had on a bad Rams offense in 2016. But those concerns could create the perfect buy-low opportunity for a player that dominated that 2016 season. Things can only go up from here for Arizona’s offense, and remember, it’s only been two weeks. Adding Johnson to your fantasy squad now could turn into be a lot of fun in a couple of months.

 

Verdict: Buy

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