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Buy Lows & Sell Highs: T.J. Yeldon, Stevie Johnson, Jacob Tamme & More

The waiver wire isn't the only place to change the course of your team. The right trade can make or break your season.

The key is to buy low on cold players and sell overachieving players whose values have skyrocketed. While this is a well-known method, some owners still tend to overreact when a play over- or underachieves, so it's important to take advantage of those opportunities.

With the halfway point of the fantasy football regular season behind us, it's time to start making those moves that can help you in your playoff push.

Editor's Note: Identify fantasy football draft busts, overvalued ADPs, and key players to avoid so you can draft with confidence this season.

 

Fantasy Football Buy Candidates

T.J. Yeldon (RB, JAX)

Yeldon has been extremely inconsistent, going for 33, 105, 32 and 115 yards in his last four games. However, despite the games in which he has disappeared, two 100-yard showings over the last three weeks proves that he is coming into his own as a back. While the rookie from Alabama is a risky play this week against the Jets, his schedule gets exponentially easier afterwards, with favorable match-ups every week through the end of the NFL season.

Yeldon will clearly not carry you into the playoffs, but if you already have a solid team and are simply looking for some running back depth, he can be your guy. He won't be free in a trade, but with the news that he may be limited against a stingy Jets defense this week, his price is a lot lower now than it will be in two weeks.

Carlos Hyde (RB, SF)

Hyde has fallen off a cliff since his 168-yard, two-score performance in Week 1 against the Vikings. He has yet to surpass 100 yards since, but that doesn't mean he's a bust. Of course, a foot injury is not going to help convince fantasy owners to hold on to him. Still, Hyde is a highly-regarded young back who has shown signs of excellence over his first year-and-a-half in the league, and he should not be sidelined for more than a week or two. Pierre Thomas, Kendall Gaskins and Shaun Draughn are expected to split carries in the meantime, so one can imagine head coach Jim Tomsula is eager to get Hyde back on the field. As long as Colin Kaepernick is either benched or faltering, the Niners are likely to rely on the ground game.

Hyde has appetizing match-ups against the Bears and Browns in Weeks 13 and 14, so owners whose playoff hopes might come down to the wire should consider adding Hyde for a boost in those weeks. He should be very cheap, given his recent struggles and injury concerns.

Stevie Johnson (WR, SD)

Keenan Allen is out for the rest of the season with a lacerated kidney, and as a result Malcom Floyd and Stevie Johnson will slide into the top two wide receiver slots on the Chargers' depth chart. However, Malcom Floyd should see tougher coverage, leaving Johnson with a prime opportunity to put up big numbers.

While Johnson is far-removed from his three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in Buffalo, the 29-year-old can still play. He has received at least four targets in every game he's started so far, and those numbers are sure to increase throughout the rest of the season. As the possession receiver in a high-volume air attack, there is a good chance Johnson becomes a WR3 or higher down the stretch.

Fantasy Football Sell Candidates

Carson Palmer (QB, ARI)

Palmer heads into his bye week as one of the elite fantasy performers to date. However, that production is likely to take a fall, as the Cardinals face the Seahawks, Bengals and Rams in the four weeks after their bye. Seattle has allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game this year, and Cincinnati is in the top 10 in both sacks and interceptions. St. Louis' defense has surrendered the fewest passing touchdowns and recorded the second-most sacks in the NFL. In fact, Palmer's season-low in fantasy points came at home against the Rams in Week 4.

Additionally, 14 of his 20 touchdowns have come in half of the team's games-- against the Saints, Bears, Lions and Browns, all of whom have allowed at least 15 passing touchdowns to date. In a deep league, a team looking to upgrade from a struggling Russell Wilson or Peyton Manning could be anxious to grab Palmer. The return can be pretty hefty, given his recent success.

Jacob Tamme (TE, ATL)

Tamme is fresh off of his first 100-yard game since Week 9 of the 2010 season, when he was catching balls from Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. This year, Tamme has 22 receptions and 274 yards in three games, but just 10 catches and 95 yards in the other four. He is not a consistent enough threat to warrant a spot in your lineup every week.

You likely have a better tight end on your roster already, or you can pick up one with similar production from the waiver wire. You don't need Tamme by any means, but an owner in your league might be excited about his big day last week. If you can find someone willing to give up any kind of decent return, don't hesitate to send Tamme packing.

Pierre Thomas (RB, SF)

This actually applies to any running back who may suit up for the Niners this week, but is only relevant for owners in very deep leagues.

My advice is to not even wait for this week to play out--trade him now. By next week, Carlos Hyde might already be ruled active, and any value Thomas may collect on Sunday will vanish. Thomas' owned percentage went from 0% to 22% in two days, so owners are desperate to steal production from anywhere. If you already added Thomas, find a trade partner interested in taking him on and pull the trigger immediately.

Again, if you're in an extremely deep league and there is any sense of demand for Gaskins or Draughn, try to ship them off, too. None of these San Francisco backs are worth owning-- especially beyond this week.

 

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