RADIO
The New York Giants are not the only team running out of healthy players. The injuries are piling up in the NFL and the bye weeks are underway, so fantasy football owners will have to make trades to make sure they have enough bodies to fill out a lineup in the coming weeks.
Now is the time to use the buy-low/sell-high strategy to help mold your fantasy roster into one that can lead you to a championship.
Without further ado, here are the buy-low and sell-high candidates for Week 6 of the 2017 NFL season.
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Fantasy Football Buy-Low Candidates
Alshon Jeffery (WR, PHI)
During a season where the overall quarterback play has been disappointing, super sophomore Carson Wentz has been one of the few sensational signal callers (1,362 passing yards, 10 touchdown tosses). The one problem Wentz has had, however, has been connecting with Jeffery. The pair have only been successful on 20 of 38 targets, which is why Jeffery has not been as valuable fantasy-wise as tight end Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor. With Jeffery playing on a one-year contract and hoping to have a huge season to cash in this offseason, the injury-prone pass catcher will do everything in his power to procure multimillions for 2018 and beyond. Look for Jeffery and Wentz to get on the same page real soon.
Jonathan Stewart (RB, CAR)
Normally sprained ankles are what slows Stewart down, but this season Stewart has been ineffective despite being relatively healthy. He is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry, he has not rushed for more than 70 yards in any of his five contests and his lone touchdown came on a reception. Rookie Christian McCaffrey is not the culprit since he himself is only averaging 2.8 yards per rush, so he has had less than half of the carries that Stewart has been afforded. Stewart will remain Carolina’s No. 1 RB since McCaffrey is not the type of back that is built with a body that can handle 25 touches per week. As long as Stewart stays injury-free (and there are no bigger ifs in the universe) he will score some touchdowns and have some 75-yard games very soon. Get him on the cheap him now if you need RB help during bye weeks or if your roster has been ravaged by injuries.
Evan Engram (TE, NYG)
New York Giants receivers do not suffer minor injuries. Fractured ankles, broken feet and season-ending ankle sprains are more their style. With Odell Beckham Jr., Brandon Marshall and Dwayne Harris all out for the season, and Sterling Shepard week-to-week with an ankle injury, rookie tight end Engram could be Eli Manning’s top target for the foreseeable future. Engram is coming off a triple-bagel game (zero catches, zero yards, zero targets), so the price might be right if you make a trade offer for him, especially if he is the No. 2 TE on the roster of the owner in your league who currently owns him. The Giants will be trailing in many if not most of their games from here on out, so Engram should be aimed at often the rest of the way.
Fantasy Football Sell-High Candidates
T.Y. Hilton (WR, IND)
Hilton had spectacular 153-yard and 177-yard performances (made even more spectacular considering Jacoby Brissett was the one throwing to him) over the last three weeks. Let’s not get things twisted, though, fantasy folks. These games came at home against San Francisco and Cleveland. Andrew Luck is still weeks away from returning, so Hilton’s numbers will be all over the place until No. 12 is back running the offense. Hilton’s targets-per-game is down (7.2 in 2017, 9.9 in 2016) and his fantasy value will be curbed by Brissett being his QB and Indy’s offense being more conservative while Luck is readying his shoulder for duty. Trade Hilton while someone in your league thinks he can still be a fantasy asset no matter which QB is throwing his direction.
C.J. Anderson (RB, DEN)
I know Anderson has gotten off to a solid start with 330 rushing yards and two touchdowns over his first four games, and I know that his next two games are against the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, who rank 29th and 32nd in run defense, respectively. I also know that Anderson has never rushed for 1,000 yards or scored 10 touchdowns in a season. He always gets sidetracked by an untimely injury or a backup who plays well enough to steal some of his touches. I don’t know if it will be a resurgent Jamaal Charles or a strained hamstring that impedes Anderson this season, but I would not want to find out. Hold on to Anderson for another week or two if you want him in your lineup when he faces these porous run defenses he is scheduled to face, but do not wait much longer to trade him in a blockbuster.
James White (RB, NE)
White leads all running backs with 29 receptions and is third at the position with 35 targets. He and receiver Chris Hogan have admirably helped Tom Brady and the Pats make up for the loss of Julian Edelman. The problem is Rex Burkhead is on pace to return this week, so New England’s backfield is more crowded than an Ed Sheeran concert. With Mike Gillislee dominating early-down work and Dion Lewis still seeing playing time, too, White could be losing some touches once Burkhead is back in the motley mix. Since White does not score (no TD) and is rarely handed the ball (20 carries), his only value is in PPR leagues where his eight-yard catches have worth. Trade him before Burkhead knocks White down a peg on the depth chart.
