RADIO
As long as your trade deadline has not passed, there will be a buy-low window open. The eligible players may vary from league-to-league based on how patient and/or savvy other owners are, however, everyone has a price, it is just about finding that sweet spot in trade negotiations where you can maximize returns properly while not giving too much up on your end.
Of course, to get talent, you have to give talent. Assess your needs and target a few players listed here that will bolster your roster the best. The windows can shut in an instant, or creep open even more if one of these players has another rough week. If you feel it best to hold off and wait until next week to target someone, that could work as well.
Le'Veon Bell - RB, NYJ
The Le'Veon Bell buy window is a tricky one to navigate. Sam Darnold is back and will boost the offense as a whole, but everybody who owns Bell has been waiting for this. Bell, despite carrying a major load over the past three weeks, has failed to produce as an RB1 outside of full-PPR leagues. His value has certainly dipped, but for now, it is back up a tick. If you can manage to buy-low now from a desperate owner who would rather have a player that has produced of late, do what you must. However, a more savvy owner may not let go after holding on through the struggles. To rip Bell from their hands, wait a week or two after the Jets face the Cowboys and Patriots. If Bell continues to struggle, his price will be so diminished that he can be attained for 50 cents on the dollar.
Keep tabs on the owner in your league and see where his head is at after this week, if he is still holding firm, wait until after the Patriots matchup, then pounce with a "fair" offer.
David Montgomery - RB, CHI
David Montgomery is a tease. He has yet to break out and put together anything more than a low-end RB2 performance. Unfortunately, he is sitting on a bye with a matchup against the stout New Orleans run defense next week. This buy window is more open than the others on this list but could slam shut right after. The expectation was that this past week against Oakland he would finally put things together, but that was not the case. The Raiders grabbed an early lead and Montgomery could not replicate his 20-plus touches due to the increase in Tarik Cohen usage. Montgomery is not game-script dependent on production, he has 13 targets through the past five weeks and has split out wide on occasion. However, he will not be running two-minute drills too often.
The second-half schedule for Chicago opens up plenty of opportunities for Montgomery to take advantage of weaker run-defenses. Buy now, or after the Saints matchup if he underperforms and profit.
Josh Gordon - WR, NE
Josh Gordon has not lived up to the manufactured hype. For years, several crevices of the internet have clamored over Flash as the second coming. If he just could stay on the field, he would be a revelation. Fantasy football players cling to his 2013 season as if it were the sweetest nectar they had ever tasted. Yet, Gordon has played in every game for New England this season and has failed to crack much more than WR2 status. His Week 1 performance against the Steelers was the pinnacle of his season thus far. Since then, there have been three dud performances and one other sufficient outing.
Nevertheless, there are brighter days ahead for Flash. A big reason why his production has dwindled is due to the uncompetitive nature of these games for New England. They have blown every opponent out of the water, outside of a brutal Week 4 in which they could not get anything going offensively. Once the games become more competitive in a few weeks, Gordon will get going. The targets are there and the second-half schedule for New England is full of playoff teams and contenders. Gordon will see plenty of work downfield in an attempt to create chunk yardage, rather than mostly short and intermediate passes solely to move the chains.
The risk of suspension is always looming with Flash, which could drive his price a bit lower to an owner who may be skeptical as to whether he might even finish the year. If you need upside at WR for cheap, he is your guy.
Stefon Diggs - WR, MIN
There are brighter days ahead for Stefon Diggs. The talented wide receiver will not have his output repressed all season long. Whether it be due to trade, or via an increase in targets, Diggs is due to regress. His ability to produce cannot be neglected all season long. In the two games in which he received more than five targets, he supplied double-digit fantasy points. The dude can still ball, he just needs to get the ball. Minnesota has notoriously altered their offensive gameplan to focus on the ground game. This has hurt both Diggs and Thielen, and their alternating production is worrisome. However, in the three games where Diggs failed to produce, he received four or fewer targets and the Vikings won by more than two touchdowns. These games where they significantly outmatch their opponents, the passing game is neglected. However, their ROS schedule presents just two or three matchups in which Minnesota could dominate. There is plenty of competition in this back-half, and ignoring Diggs would only be due to gross misuse of their best receiving talent.
The possibility of trade also remains open, and if he were to get dealt, there may be an adjustment period that could span a week or so. Nevertheless, any team trading for him is likely a contender with a better quarterback and/or offense in which Diggs may thrive.
Curtis Samuel - WR, CAR
Curtis Samuel is one of the fastest players in the NFL. He runs a 4.31 40 and has displayed that blazing speed on various gamedays. This season, that has not translated into production (yet). Samuel is a prime regression candidate based on air yards and targets. Samuel is a favorite of Kyle Allen's. He has five more targets than fellow Panther D.J. Moore over the past three weeks. The deep balls have not yet connected, but they are coming. I expect that this weekend against the Buccaneers, everything clicks given that the factors previously stated are there along with the matchup against a poor Bucs' secondary. After this week if the Carolina bye, and if Samuel does not go off, he is still a buy.
Cam Newton is rumored to return the week following the bye, and if so, this offense could take off if he is back to form. Newton targeted Samuel 13!! times in the last matchups against Tampa and could continue to look for him as the season goes on.
