After spending the summer researching, analyzing, and preparing for fantasy football drafts, it only took one Sunday to realize that all of our teams are awful. Well, maybe you have a team with Saquon Barkley, Jayden Reed, Anthony Richardson, and Cooper Kupp. In that case, you're probably pretty fired up after Week 1.
But if you were left disappointed by the results of Week 1, there's no need to worry, there's still time to recover. Savvy waiver wire play and making a strong trade or two are the best ways to completely turn a season around.
Even if you're brand new to fantasy fantasy football, you're probably familiar with the concept of buying low and selling high. Looking to invest in players who are underperforming while moving on from those who are exceeding expectations is one of the key strategies when approaching the trading block. Today, we have the top buy-low and sell-high candidates as we move into Week 2 of the NFL season.
Who are the top buy-low players heading into Week 2?
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Is Isaiah likely a talented player who will eat into Mark Andrews' fantasy value to a degree? Yes. Will Likely snap his fingers like Thanos and turn Andrews to dust? No. Andrews is still a starter in leagues of all sizes. Thursday night's performance was disappointing, but taking a closer look at the tape, the outcome isn't exactly shocking. Andrews was double-teamed in coverage at the highest rate of any game since 2021 according to PFF. The Chiefs worked to take Andrews out of the game and succeeded in doing so. The emergence of Likely puts a damper on Andrews' value, but if someone in your league is fully panicking, take this as an opportunity to buy extraordinarily low.
Buy-Low Rating: 6/10
Potential Trade Package: Brock Bowers and Ezekiel Elliott
Editor's Note: Here's a reminder to consult our rankings to see which other players are considered of similar value if suggested players are not on your teams.
WEEK 2 FANTASY PPR RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona Cardinals
Marvin Harrison Jr. will likely be a popular name on buy-low lists this week, and it comes with good reason. Harrison was highly disappointing in his NFL debut, finishing with just one catch for four yards. But the encouraging aspect with Harrison was how he was deployed. He was on the field for 90 percent of all snaps and 95 percent of passing plays. The rookie was utilized as a full-time receiver as we had hoped. Don't expect him to be out-targeted by Greg Dortch in too many more games this season.
Buy-Low Rating: 6/10
Potential Trade Package: Stefon Diggs and Brian Thomas Jr.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
The concerns about Chris Olave have never been about his talent; the lack of fantasy production has always stemmed from the offensive environment around him. It seems new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has successfully breathed life into the New Orleans offense. Not only did the Saints put a hurting on the Panthers, but they exhibited signs of a modern offense that utilizes the concepts that generate fantasy points at a high level. The Saints utilized pre-snap motion and play action at the lowest rate in the NFL last year. They ranked 1st and 3rd in these categories on Sunday. In an offense with some sense of competency, Olave has a legitimate chance to break out in the way we have hoped for two straight years.
Buy-Low Rating: 8/10
Potential Trade Package: Deebo Samuel and Aaron Jones
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Bijan Robinson doesn't seem like your typical buy-low candidate after scoring 16.1 PPR points this week. But this may be the last time that you don't have to pay an astronomical price to acquire him. Robinson's usage from Week 1 has the makings of a running back who will be a 20 PPG player and could realistically challenge Christian McCaffrey for RB1 status.
Bijan Robinson Week 1 Utilization 👀👀👀
— Dwain McFarland (@dwainmcfarland) September 8, 2024
90% snaps
82% attempts
85% routes
22% targets
16.1 PPR
13.6 Half PPR
Solid day but HUGE days ahead. Bijan will challenge for RB1 overall if north of 65% snaps this year.
People hoped all offseason that Robinson would get CMC-like usage. He got it, so go scoop him up before he's dropping 20-25 points on a regular basis.
Buy-Low Rating: 9/10
Potential Trade Package: Jonathan Taylor and Davante Adams
Fantasy Football Trade Advice Week 1: Sell-high candidates
J.K. Dobbins, RB, Los Angeles Chargers
There's no denying it, J.K. Dobbins exceeded all expectations in Week 1. Take this as an opportunity to ship him off to a manager who is desperate for running back production. Even though Dobbins seems to be (almost all the way) "back", there remain doubts about his ability to consolidate touches in the Chargers' backfield. It's incredible that he was able to return to the NFL and compete at a high level, but 22.9 PPR points will likely be the best performance out of Dobbins that we see all year.
Sell-High Rating: 7/10
Potential Trade Target: Jaleel McLaughlin
Stefon Diggs, WR, Houston Texans
People may declare that Diggs is a fantasy WR1 again after scoring 21.9 PPR points on Sunday. But taking a closer look at his role within the Houston offense, he becomes an easy sell. As anticipated, Nico Collins operated as the clear alpha, Tank Dell was the big-play threat, and Diggs soaked up the underneath targets. Diggs' 1.7-yard aDOT ranked 108th among 116 wide receivers who saw a target on Sunday. This is not the sort of role you want for your fantasy receiver in an offense where target competition is heavy. Diggs' fantasy production was quite clearly propped up by two touchdowns and this output is not sustainable given his usage.
Sell-High Rating: 8/10
Potential Trade Target: Tank Dell
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, New England Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson is a tough player to evaluate after Week 1. He was utilized in a feature role, playing 80 percent of snaps, taking 78 percent of RB carries, and earning a 13-percent target share. Stevenson toted the rock 25 times, which tied a career high. However, it's hard to imagine that he'll approach this level of volume again considering the Patriots will be operating in a negative game script for the majority of their offensive snaps this year. Stevenson is a fantasy starter given his role, but he can be sold if someone drastically overvalues him following Sunday's performance.
Sell-High Rating: 5/10
Potential Trade Targets: James Cook or James Conner
Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
Jayden Reed was absolutely electric on Friday night against the Eagles. But this didn't come as a huge shock as the Eagles allowed the most fantasy points to wide receivers last season and were relying on young contributors in the secondary this week. Reed also quite clearly outperformed expectations based on his usage. He turned seven opportunities (six targets, one carry) into 33.1 fantasy points. Reed will now have to deal with one of Sean Clifford or Malik Willis under center for the next 2-4 weeks. Given the quarterback situation, Reed managers will likely get little compensation for him and will be forced to hold. But if a manager in your league is bullish after his Week 1 performance, he is a great piece to utilize in trades.
Sell-High Rating: 6/10
Potential Trade Target: Terry McLaurin
