Graphic by Audrey Kim
Miles Pearlman & Nick Gilo
Sports Reporters
Another week of football in the books means another fantasy football recap. Whether you are sitting in first or last place right now, it’s not too late to improve your team and maybe even bring home that championship. A few good moves, which are outlined below, could take your team to that next level.
Booms:
Miles’s pick: D’Andre Swift
D’Andre Swift rushed for only 48 yards last Sunday, although he posted 28.4 points. How did he do this? By bringing in 8 receptions for 96 yards with a receiving touchdown. Those are WR1 numbers at the running back position. This week was just another one of his many elite performances this year. Going into the draft, Swift was a sleeper pick for many people, but I don’t think anyone would have predicted that he would be this elite. Swift has the second-most points of any running back this season only behind Derrick Henry. D’Andre’s elite target share at the running back position means that his ceiling is sky-high. Swift is proving to us that he may have Christian McCaffrey-level upside, and I see no reason for this production to slow down.
Nick’s pick: Cooper Kupp
The Matt Stafford to Cooper Kupp connection was on full display this weekend. In a reunion game for Stafford, Kupp trounced the Lions’ defense. Kupp ended the game with 156 yards and two touchdowns, which amounted to 37.6 points. We all know how good Kupp has been this year, but he has seemed to somehow pick it up a notch with back-to-back 30 point games. Kupp is the clear favorite target of MVP candidate Matt Stafford and has gotten over ten targets every game this year, which is a recipe for success in fantasy football.
Busts:
Miles’ pick: Tyler Lockett
As a Tyler Lockett owner myself, writing this is not easy. But, after week two, Lockett has been one of the biggest disappointments in all of fantasy football this season. Him putting up single-digit points in four of his last five appearances has every Lockett owner panicking now if they weren’t already. His target count says it all. He has had only two games all season with double-digit targets and four outings with five or fewer targets. I think the only positive thing about Tyler Lockett right now is that it can’t get worse than this. If you have him on your team, I would recommend just holding him because his trade value is next to nothing.
Nick’s pick: Aaron Jones
So far, Aaron Jones hasn’t reached our expectations besides his 40 point game against the Lions. He was only able to get 8.9 points this week, which was most likely because he only ran the ball six times. This is surprising because he should be the clear second option for the Packers behind Davante Adams. I wouldn’t worry too much about him yet as the touches will come, especially with Davante Adams being out this week. Nonetheless, he is still a top running back in terms of skill.
Buys:
Miles’s pick: Kyle Pitts
My buy for this week is Kyle Pitts. Now, this isn’t a buy low like normal, but instead, a buy high. Pitts is coming off of two 20+ point games in the last two weeks, and his trade value is higher than it’s ever been. Now is the best time to buy him since he has really only had two good weeks this season, so some owners might not be convinced that he’s the real deal. I can assure you that he is. After a rough start to the season, which is expected for all rookies (tight ends especially), Pitts has finally settled in. He has already proven to be one of the best pass-catching tight ends in the NFL. Additionally, he has managed to find himself as the TE7 on the year so far with only one touchdown. These points are all coming from his incredible target share, and when the touchdowns come, Pitts might become a league winner at the underwhelming tight end position.
Nick’s pick: Jerry Jeudy
Now, I wouldn’t go out of your way to trade for Jerry Jeudy because his injury brings quite some risk, but I would try to include him in a package deal if acquiring him. He will likely be the number one target when he comes back, which could be as early as this week. In the game that Jeudy got injured, he managed to get 13.2 points before getting hurt. Jeudy was being drafted as a low-end WR2 or a flex, and many owners probably forgot why they drafted him in the first place. Not to mention, he has a rather easy playoff schedule and will more than likely be back to his normal self by then. It definitely wouldn’t hurt to check out what he might cost you.
Sells:
Miles’s pick: DeAndre Hopkins
There is no question that DeAndre Hopkins is one of the most talented wide receivers in the NFL. However, real-life talent doesn’t always translate perfectly to fantasy football. Averaging almost 17 points a game as the WR12 this year, Hopkins has put together a good fantasy season so far. My concern comes with his touchdown dependency and concerning target count. Hopkins is averaging exactly one touchdown per game, which is quite a lot considering that he hasn’t been elite by any means this season. Furthermore, he hasn’t had a single game where he’s seen 10 or more targets. In addition to all of this, the Cardinals are 7-0, which means there is no need for them to change their game plan right now. Consequently, Hopkins will most likely not be seeing a drastic increase in targets. With that being said, he is still a great receiver with great upside, so you should be cautious if dealing him away.
Nick’s pick: Mike Evans
Coming off of a massive three-touchdown game, there is no better time to trade Mike Evans than right now. In games where he has scored touchdowns, he has been superb, but when he doesn’t have a touchdown, he just isn’t a viable WR1 option. He is a great player, but he’s is not consistent enough. Many people in your league may be willing to give up a much more reliable player in return for Evans, and it is definitely wise to trade him now while his value is sizable.
(All scoring is based on ESPN point per reception leagues)
