Fantasy Football trade advice: week 3 buy & sell
The fantasy season is just two weeks in but it already feels like a lifetime. Injuries and benchings have already begun in the NFL and there causing tidal waves across the fantasy-verse. Deebo Samuel, Cooper Kupp, AJ Brown, and Puka Nacua are all facing multiple week absences. Amari Cooper, Diontae Johnson, Christian Kirk, and Brandon Aiyuk have all gotten off to slow starts. Fantasy markets across the world are buzzing around receivers. This week let’s dive into one wide receiver to buy in our fantasy leagues. Not everyone is hurt or dragging ass in fantasy, there are players producing so I will also talk about a wide receiver that should be moved while his stock is high.
Buy
Zay Flowers
The answer to the Isaiah Likely or Mark Andrews question was actually neither. It was and will continue to be Zay Flowers as the number one pass catcher for Lamar Jackson. Through the first two weeks of the season, Flowers has seen 21 targets and he’s caught 13 of them. Both statistics currently lead the Baltimore Ravens’ offense. His 26.7-percent Target Share ranks 14th in the NFL among all pass catchers not just wide receivers. I understand that it has only been two weeks but Flowers is already seeing a larger target share, he’s getting more separation, and is on pace to have more yards after catch then he did in his rookie campaign. His value is high and making a deal will not come with a discount but Flowers is ready to truly break out in 2024 so get in while it’s still possible.
Who to trade away
Getting your fantasy team into the Zay Flowers business will not be cheap but there is a clear path to acquiring the second year receiver. Combining a wide out that has some production so far in 2024 plus a running back is the right way to go about it. So far this season Jerry Jeudy has been the most productive wideout in Cleveland but probably isn’t a main piece in any fantasy squads. So pairing him up with a running back like Javonte Williams, D’Andre Swift, or a Bengals back will get you in range according to most fantasy market indicators. Get Flowers on the squad and every Sunday will be Zay Day.
Sell
Rashid Shaheed
The biggest surprise of the young NFL season has to be the New Orleans Saints. This team has stream rolled the Panthers and the Cowboys and their offense has been humming. Rashid Shaheed has been the receiving leader for the Saints this year and that is causing his value to be at an all time high. He is eighth in the NFL in receiving yards and has averaged 18.6 fantasy points per contest which makes him WR 10 on the 2024 season. Shaheed has the speed to be hyper efficient but this type of efficiency is damn near impossible to maintain over the course of a season. He has 169 yards and two receiving touchdowns on just nine total targets. That’s a whopping 24.1 yards per reception on a 77.8-percent catch rate. In 2023, his most productive season as a pro, Shaheed finished with 15.6 yards per reception with a 61.3-percent catch rate. The speedster may have his best year as a professional but his value is peaking and that’s where fantasy managers can secure value this time of the season.
Who to trade for
It’s clear as crystal what fantasy gamers who roster Shaheed should do. Given what fantasy market indicators are showing, now is the perfect time to move the wide receiver for a running back. Jordan Mason (who will be the lead back for the Niners until Halloween), Najee Harris, Tony Pollard, Derrick Henry, and Brian Robinson could all be targets when selling a top 10 scorer like Shaheed. Even if it takes a smaller second piece, get the running back that will anchor the lineup for a majority of the season for a wide receiver that leads the fantasy world in bench scoring. Because no one has started Shaheed these first two weeks.
It may only be Week 3 but it is NOT too early to start making deals in fantasy. Slow and steady is for the NFL executives and the folks who don’t want to win their league. Doesn’t matter whether fantasy managers are looking to buy or sell, now is the time to act and show the team that you mean business. There is exactly ZERO research that backs this up but it feels true. Whenever fantasy managers believe in their team, show the team that they’re all in…the squad reciprocates the love via fantasy production. Stay trading my friends…