The fantasy playoffs are now breathing down our necks, and a lot of us are unsure if we're going to make or miss the cut. To ensure we do everything we can to get in and have a chance at winning a fantasy championship, we need to have our the best rosters we can assemble. That means looking at the trade market -- in leagues where the deadline hasn't passed -- and the waiver wire to find ways to buy low and sell high on key players ahead of Week 12.
Sometimes, it's hard to make a deal -- or even an add/drop transaction -- without feeling at least a bit of regret about getting rid of a guy. Still, we're here to provide advice to help you win your fantasy league. Here is a list of guys we should look to acquire (or add) or deal (or drop) before making a last-second playoff push.
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Fantasy Trade Value: Buy low
Golden Tate, WR, Eagles. The Eagles looked abysmal, to say the least, this past week against the Saints, but head coach Doug Peterson stayed true to his word when he said Tate would be more involved in the offense. Tate paced the Eagles' passing game in targets, receptions, and yards. The reason we buy low on someone like Tate, especially in PPR formats, is because of the sheer volume he gets year in and year out. He’s had 90 or more receptions for four straight seasons while eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark three of the aforementioned four years. The Eagles lack of running game will force Carson Wentz to throw the ball a lot each and every week if this team is going to make any sort of playoff run. That is perfect for a high-volume receiver that you could land and slot is as a WR3/FLEX for the stretch run.
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals. We’re all scouring our waiver wires looking for the new shiny toy, but sometimes our savior is already on somebody else’s roster. Fitzgerald has been quite the fantasy producer of late, scoring four touchdowns over his past four games and going over 11 fantasy points in PPR leagues in all four of those contests. The Cardinals seemingly fall behind every game, meaning they’re going to need to throw the ball a lot to pick up big chunks of yardage. Before his Week 11 game against Oakland where he only saw four targets -- two going for touchdowns -- he saw eight or more targets in four consecutive games. His touchdowns make him viable in standard formats, and the amount of volume he’s receiving lately puts him firmly in play in PPR leagues, as well. The best part about all this is that Fitzgerald won’t cost you a lot.
Week 12 Rankings:
Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | D/ST | Kicker
Fantasy Football Trade Value: Sell high
Tre’Quan Smith, WR, Saints. Smith isn’t landing in this spot because he lacks talent, but his value won’t be higher than it is right now. With many leagues near the postseason, if Smith doesn’t play in Week 12 he does your team no good if you’re on the outside looking in or currently in one of the last playoff positions. Smith had the breakout game everyone has been waiting for, catching 10-of-13 targets for 157 yards and a touchdown. He’s now scored a touchdown in two of his past three games and has four over his last six contests. Smith flashed the upside he possesses, but with so many mouths to feed in New Orleans, we’ve seen this isn’t an every-week thing. Sell now, especially if you’re a fringe playoff team, because your return on Smith will never be better.
Tevin Coleman, RB, Falcons. It’s not that Coleman hasn’t been productive this year, but Atlanta would rather put the ball in other players' hands for some reason. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry against Dallas in Week 11 but he only saw eight carries. Huh? Coleman has 13 carries within the red zone this year, but Ito Smith -- again, Ito Smith -- has 17. What? Coleman is averaging a full yard more per carry than Smith this year and has also been more explosive in the passing game, averaging nearly 10 yards per catch while Smith is at 6.3. Coleman should be the guy, as all signs point to him on a weekly basis being that guy. The Falcons offense is just seemingly backward, and moving Coleman could be beneficial to your team. The six touchdowns he’s scored this year is definitely a selling point you could use to other owners in your league.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS: Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end
Fantasy Stock Watch: Moving up
Theo Riddick, RB, Lions. It’s hard to envision Riddick not being owned in a lot of 12-14 team PPR leagues already, so the Kerryon Johnson injury news tremendously improves his stock. LeGarrette Blount is no threat to him in the passing game, and we know the Lions love airing it out on a week-to-week basis. Riddick already had a role on this team as the primary pass-catching back, notching 41 catches up to this point in the year. He has 18 catches over his past three games and is poised for even more volume coming his way in Week 12. Riddick is someone on my radar for not only this week, but also moving forward with the extent of Johnson’s injury uncertain.
THANKSGIVING DFS LINEUPS: FanDuel | DraftKings
Fantasy Football Stock Watch: Moving down
Sterling Shepard, WR, Giants. I, for one, thought that Shepard would have a prominent role with the New York Football Giants, but outside of a couple of weeks this season, that just isn't the case. He only has five targets and 31 yards combined over the past two games, and you can see the concerted effort the Giants are placing on putting the ball in Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., and Evan Engram’s hands. Shepard does have seven games with seven or more targets, which is something you can sell to other league owners, but he’s also had fewer than 40 receiving yards in four of his past five games. You could still get some value out of him despite his struggles because he has flashed big upside not only this year, but also last season.