Struggling to put up points early in the season? Frustrated with your early picks underperforming? Good new: it’s only week 5. Bad news: pressure is on.
Buys
Sam Darnold, QB, Carolina Panthers
Sam Darnold is playing outstanding football, which further shows how terrible Adam Gase is as a head coach. We should have expected this, but Darnold is playing at an elevated level. It helps that he has the best RB in football with Christian McCaffrey, but also allowing DJ Moore to show that he has the talent everyone expected him to have. In most leagues, Sam Darnold is a top 5 QB while being on the waiver-wire. If he’s free, grab him. Darnold is having a sneaky season being one of the most product fantasy QB’s in the league.
Javonte Williams, RB, Denver Broncos
This will either work out incredibly, or horribly. In my opinion, Javonte was the RB2 in this year’s draft class behind Najee Harris. He has three-down back potential with his pass-pro, while also showcasing his receiving ability. Javonte has been utilized in the Denver offense quite a bit, almost matching Melvin Gordon. If Denver continues to struggle on offense, I would expect Javonte to play a more critical role being one of the most talented playmakers for the Broncos.
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers
With all of the noise surrounding Mike Williams, now is the perfect time to buy Keenan Allen. He is an aging receiver, yet on an explosive offense. He is a PPR owner’s dream receiver, as Herbert will feed him all year. It is frustrating to see red-zone passes being thrown to the TE’s and Williams, but when the game is on the line, the ball is going to be thrown to Keenan. Currently teetering the top 20 WR line, I expect him to end the season near or above the top 10 point with a great showing the rest of the season. Mike Williams is going to shine now, Keenan will shine for the rest of the season.
Sells
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, San Francisco 49ers*
I do not see Jimmy G taking another snap for the 49ers, ever. However, if San Francisco do decide to move on from him, it will likely be via trade. The most interesting place for him to go would be the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have a three-headed monster at receiver. Another possible move would be to the Washington Football Team. Either of these two teams give him some value this season, but for fantasy purposes, I would hope that you can find a more productive QB this season.
Melvin Gordon, RB, Denver Broncos
This is doubling down on my Javonte Williams take. Melvin Gordon has done fairly well, however, I feel like he does not have the same juice he had for the Chargers. He is a great early down back, but he does not bring the same dynamic that Javonte does. This offense is going to need playmakers with injuries to their receivers, which is why I think Javonte will become a more crucial part of this offense.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons
Recently sold Calvin Ridley because of how bad the Falcons are. I don’t know if it is Matt Ryan, Arthur Smith, or the fact that they drafted Kyle Pitts over Justin Fields. Imagine being a Falcons fan, knowing that you have a talented QB sitting behind Matt Ryan to develop. I would be a lot more optimistic about Ridley’s outlook this season, but I just don’t see it. Talent is there, but I’m not buying his team.
UTL 