I hope everyone made it through week 1 of Fantasy Football with no injuries and a win. If you lost don’t worry, I've got you covered with my running back rankings this week and below with some ideal trade targets. If you were one of the few unlucky players to have a star go down this week, we've got you covered with our week 2 waiver wire picks.
Week 1 affords a savvy Fantasy Football owner the chance to take advantage of overreaction. James Conner looked Elite, the Bucs offense is humming, and Hunt looked like a bust. Some owners will be panicking or looking to get the next big thing. Let's take advantage.
Players to Sell
James Conner: Don’t sell him for pennies on the dollar. You should not be looking to rid yourself of Conner because I believe he will be an Elite option as long as he starts. How long will he start? If you are able to get a RB1 that may have had a bad week for him, jump on it. Kareem Hunt and Devonta Freeman would be an excellent pickup for a player who won’t start an entire season.
DeSean Jackson: Jackson absolutely erupted this week. Too bad he sustained a concussion before the game finished. Concussions are tricky and can make you miss anywhere from a few days to weeks in the bad cases. If you read my pre-draft sleeper article, you know that I’m extremely high on Chris Godwin. If Jackson misses any time, I look for Godwin to make that #2 spot his. That makes it likely that this is the best game we see all season for Jackson. You should try to unload him for a low-end WR1 while demand is high. Crabtree, Landry, and Fitzgerald all make fantastic options.
Adrian Peterson: Peterson looked vintage in his game against the Cardinals. He’s back right? Maybe, maybe not. You probably don’t want to take that chance. He is still 33 years old, and his injury risk is high. He also had 70 yards receiving. How many times has that happened in his career? As a Peterson owner myself, I'm actively trying to trade him for a higher end RB2 with a defined role. Players like Lamar Miller, Kenyan Drake or Royce Freeman have been main targets of mine.
Players to Buy
Kareem Hunt: Hunt was dreadful Week 1. In a game that saw the Chiefs pile up 38 points, Hunt owners got a measly 4.9 PPR points. Spencer Ware and De’Anthony Thomas both outscored Hunt this week. Many owners spent a first round pick and may be panicking after seeing this. Hunt still touched the ball 16 times and saw many opportunities to score. It was just a bad game from last seasons leading rusher. With games against the Steelers and 49ers next up, grab him now. Trading away players with capped upside like Lamar Miller, Jay Ajayi, or Carlos Hyde for a player of Hunts Caliber could be a smart season-long move.
Corey Davis: Both Mariota and Walker went down in week 1. Tough breaks for any Titans fans out there. The injury to Walker opens up a prime opportunity for Corey Davis. Already the top option in the passing game with 12 targets week 1, he should now be even more of a target vacuum. With Mariota banged up, and Blaine Gabbert next man up, the Davis owner might be looking to get off the train. Now is the time to strike. Don’t be afraid to trade #2 receivers on bad teams who had a good game for him. Kenny Stills, Geronimo Allison, and Ted Ginn would all be perfect candidates.
Kyle Rudolph: Kirk Cousins loves his tight ends. While week 1 didn't go as planned for Rudolph owners, his only reception was still a touchdown. His owners might be a little wary that he only received two targets, even if one was in the redzone. If you had a tight end go down this week, or yours just didn’t go as planned, Rudolph is a great option. Trading a WR3 Phillip Dorsett, or DeDe Westbrook could pay off big for a tight end needy team.
Trey Burton: Burton was a massive disappointment in Week 1. Don’t let that stop you from going after him. We saw through the preseason that he’s a huge part of Matt Nagy’s system and we all saw what Kelce did with that. Burton showed us all what he can do in limited opportunities last season. Look for him to bounce back. I would make a similar trade as I would for Rudolph, or trade an overachieving Tight End from Week 1. Jesse James, Bruce Ellington, and Cole Beasley would be a win in my book.
Remember as you are making these trades what it really comes down to is what the other team needs. If they have two tight ends but are a little short on receivers, offer a receiver. My trade examples are just guidelines for the appropriate value. There are a bunch of ways to make your team better. Speaking of which, here's a few waiver wire sleepers I'm high on for the week.
Chris Godwin: Jackson was injured at the end of Week 1. If I'm correct, Godwin is going to run with the job while he’s out.
Brandon Marshall: With Baldwin now out, Marshall should be the #1 in Russell Wilson’s offense. I'm hearing it's an MCL tear, so it could be awhile.
Tyrell Williams: Williams dropped a sure-fire long touchdown, and still finished with 8.8 PPR points. He had 5 targets and with the way Rivers, looks could be a solid option.
Phillip Lindsay: It's no sure thing that he continues to play as much as he did in the opener, but if he does he is worth a speculative add.
Buck Allen: Alex Collins fumbled. Again. Kenneth Dixon got hurt. Again. Buck Allen is the next man up and should at least get passing work.
Antonio Gates: Gates is about as ho-hum as you can get but if you were one of the unlucky owners to lose a starting tight end this week, you could do worse. Gates always has touchdown upside and should be fresh after sitting out the entire preseason.
Ian Thomas: Next man up after Olsens newest foot injury. He looked great in preseason action and could end up a low-end TE1.
Follow me on twitter for more advice @fkz_David.