My goal with this article is very simple: I’m trying to isolate players whose values — both perceived and in reality — will be shifting in the near future. I’m always looking ahead, always looking for opportunities to buy or sell every week after I watch all the games, scan all the data, and examine all the schedules.
It’s hard not to list some of the more obvious entries, but I try to think both outside and inside the box, so I’ll sometimes stray from my logical approach and come out of left field every once in a while with a recommendation. Whatever it takes to find an edge in the trade market.
PLAYERS TO TRADE FOR
Drake Maye (QB, NE) — He’s hardly a must-have, and a boring 15 FP floor looks more possible than it did a week ago, but there’s a small opportunity for a guy with needle-moving potential (if he runs). He has a tougher schedule for the fantasy playoffs Weeks 15-17 (vs. Buf, at Bal, at NYJ), but overall, New England’s schedule looks solid with beatable matchups at Mia, vs. Car, at NO, vs. Atl, at Cin, along with some decent ones at Buf, at Ten, vs. Cle, at TB. It’s hard to love their receiving corps, but I think it could be solid all year, thanks to Maye's top targets Stefon Diggs and Hunter Henry, but also to Kayshon Boutte, and later in the season rookie Kyle Williams. It’s critical to see some more designed runs from Maye, but if/when they come, his value will rise. Another bad outing or two, and he might have to just start running, but to be fair, this was his first game in a brand new offense, and a complicated one under new OC Josh McDaniels.
Ashton Jeanty (RB, LV) — Jeanty had an underwhelming debut, but he got 21 of 24 opportunities in the Raiders backfield, which is absurd. I’m sure the Jeanty person in your league isn’t panicking, and he did score in his debut, but I’d also speculate his perceived value took a tiny hit after he gained only 40 yards on 20 touches. Looking at his schedule, it’s not bad at all, and there are a slew of weaker run defenses and/or matchups against lesser teams unlikely to run away on the scoreboard. They’ve got LAC, Was, Chi, Ind, Ten, KC, Jax, Den, Dal, Cle, LAC, Den, Phi, Hou, NYG, and KC and he looks like a good bet on paper to get rushing volume in more than half of those games. They didn’t throw to him as much as I’d hoped, but it was his first game, and I expect a bigger commitment to him and the running game most weeks.
