RADIO
Fantasy football owners are running out of time if they want to retool their rosters.
The NFL’s trading deadline passed last week, which means the trade deadline in many fantasy football leagues is coming up quicker than safeties crowding the box against L.A. Rams runner Todd Gurley. If you are looking to upgrade your roster and make a playoff push in your league, you may only have a week or two to pull the trigger on a blockbuster.
Without further ado, here are the buy-low and sell-high candidates for Week 10 of the 2017 NFL season.
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Fantasy Football Buy-Low Candidates
Stefon Diggs (WR, MIN)
Diggs was a top-10 fantasy receiver during the first month of the season, but a groin injury, a bye week and having Case Keenum as his quarterback caused him to be quieter than a church during a moment of silence the past three weeks. Diggs should be fully healthy heading into this week, though, and he has proven that when he is 100 percent that it does not matter whether Keenum, Sam Bradford, Teddy Bridgewater or Tim Tebow is his quarterback. Look for Diggs to bounce back and be one of the best receivers down the stretch, so making a play for him now when his stock is the lowest it has been all season would be Bill Belichick-like.
Detroit Lions defense
The 2017 Detroit defense has not been compared to the 1985 Chicago Bears or 2000 Baltimore Ravens defenses by anybody with half a brain. While the Lions are tied for third in takeaways, they rank in the bottom half of the league in total defense, scoring defense and sacks, so they have been mediocre-at-best fantasy-wise. No defense has an easier schedule from here on out, however. Detroit’s D faces Cleveland, Chicago twice, Minnesota, Baltimore, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati over the next seven weeks. See any world-beater offenses or quarterbacks there? Neither do I. Acquire the Lions defense in a sneaky, under-the-radar trade and it could be an underrated move that puts your fantasy team into the playoffs.
Emmanuel Sanders (WR, DEN)
After three consecutive 1,000-yard years, Sanders is toiling near the bottom of the receiver rankings this season thanks to a high ankle sprain and questionable quarterbacking. Sanders is still not 100 percent due to his bum ankle, but hopefully should be within a week or two. His quarterback problem might also be solved shortly if/when Denver turns the reigns of its abdominal offense over to former first-round pick Paxton Lynch. Sanders’ fantasy worth has been stalled with Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler throwing to him, so the more-mobile Lynch could be the one that finally gets the ball into Sanders’ hands. Sanders is probably stashed at the bottom of fantasy rosters right now, so if you want add WR depth to your fantasy squad for a bargain-basement price, offer a kicker and a beer to the Sanders owner in your league and see what happens.
Fantasy Football Sell-High Candidates
Jay Ajayi (RB, PHI)
Ajayi ran like Wilbert Montgomery in his first game with the Eagles, rambling for a 46-yard touchdown and making the most of his eight carries. The issue is that even if Ajayi emerges as the top tailback, Philadelphia’s backfield is almost as crowded as the city’s cheesesteak market. Rookie Corey Clement is not stepping aside to allow Ajayi to have 20-25 carries per game anytime soon. The kid just ran for 51 yards and a touchdown last week and is only getting better. LeGarrette Blount is not going anywhere, either. The veteran plower could still get carries inside the five-yard-line and late in the fourth quarter when the Eagles are attempting to salt games away. Ajayi might be the best of the backfield bunch, but he is still going to share the touches with other Eagles.
Marvin Jones Jr. (WR, DET)
Jones Jr. was probably on more waiver wires than rosters in fantasy leagues three weeks ago, but he has been on an A.J. Greenesque tear ever since, catching 19 Matthew Stafford passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns. One thing about Jones Jr. that has to scare you is his wild inconsistency. He did not have any 60-yard games during the five weeks of the season before this latest hot streak, and do not forget that last season after racking up 408 receiving yards over his first three games, he failed to have another 100-yard game over his final dozen contests. Detroit’s schedule might be filled with more cream puffs than the Cake Boss bakery over the next month, but I still do not trust Jones Jr. to keep this Pro Bowl pace up due to his track record.
Jared Goff (QB, LAR)
I know Goff is coming off his best start of the season after throwing for 311 yards and four touchdowns against the New York Giants. I also know that more than half of his touchdown tosses this year were in two games against the hapless Giants and San Francisco 49ers. Otherwise, he has been the walking advertisement for fantasy mediocrity, averaging 238 yards and 1.1 touchdown passes per game in his other half-dozen outings. With killer road games at Minnesota, Arizona and Seattle, along with tough home games against Philadelphia and New Orleans left on the schedule, you cannot ask Goff to win you a fantasy title this season. Trade Goff on the heels of his four-TD Joe Montana impersonation to someone in desperation mode and enjoy the return on your investment.
