FANTASY FOOTBALL TRADE ADVICE: WEEK 11 BUY & SELL
Believe it or not, we have seen ten fantasy football matchups come and go. As the fantasy world prepares for Week 11, the good fantasy teams are starting to look at the fantasy playoffs. It’s never about sacrificing the coming weeks to try and predict the future over a month from now but if you can stay in a tier or use surplus to add a player with a good playoff schedule then it’s a win-win. Of course there is a lot that can change from now until then but it is never too early to buy players that will help now but will have a chance to be a difference maker in the fantasy playoffs.
Buy
Brock Bowers
It has only been a few months into his professional career and it is already abundantly clear that Brock Bowers is a special player. Through nine games, Bowers has racked up 57 catches for 580 yards. He has put up over 14 fantasy points per game despite only scoring twice. The rookie is currently the second best tight end in fantasy football. Bowers has played as advertised. He has been great after catch, he leads the sport in TE YAC, and his utilization metrics strongly suggest that he is the alpha pass catcher on the Raiders. Not only is the kid awesome, Vegas has an upcoming schedule that looks great for tight ends. He’ll see the second easiest fantasy playoff schedule and it's nowhere near a gauntlet over the next month either. WoRP indicates that tight ends do not provide enough value to warrant buying but Bowers is the exception, not the rule.
Who to trade away
It is time to hope that the team that rosters Bowers is not playoff bound. Moving a tight end to turn things around, especially in seasonal formats, is a good process. That is where we can capitalize and acquire one of the very few difference makers at tight end. I’ve already added some Bowers and I used my depth to do it. Using Najee Harris, I have plenty of RB depth, so upgrading at tight end will solidify my roster for the post season. You get what you pay for and paying for Brock Bowers will end up being the lynch pin for a lot of fantasy football championship squads.
Sell
Mark Andrews
I salute everyone who showed off their diamond hands and continued to roster Mark Andrews through the hard times. After being left for dead five weeks in, he has produced enough over the last five for fantasy managers to cash in. Andrews has scored five touchdowns over those five games which isn’t a bad thing but the underlying metrics are not exactly what the fantasy world is used to. The veteran isn’t getting the volume of an elite tight end and his yards after catch is subpar. The Ravens have a number of tough matchups coming up including in the fantasy playoffs. Now bad defensive matchups are not enough to fade members of the high powered Baltimore offense BUT when you combine the schedule, the lack of supportive analytical metrics and Diontae Johnson getting more involved. Now is a great time to head to the fantasy football bank and make a Mark Andrews sized deposit.
Who to trade for
Cashing in on Mark Andrews would mean moving him for other players that will be weekly starters. Market indicators suggest that guys like George Pickens, Calvin Ridley, and Rachaad White are all on the table for Andrews. That would be the kind of deal that can be made in a one for one deal. He has also boosted his value to the point where tiering down can be lucrative. Tiering down from Andrews to Tucker Kraft or even lower to Ja’Tavion Sanders would keep rosters competitive while garnishing another valuable player. Don’t be one of those fantasy managers that puts in the tough work holding through the darkest days just to miss the boat to add value to a roster.
The fantasy world is through Week 10 and it’s time to either bolster up for the playoffs or make one last push towards winning. Now is the time to make moves. Now is the time to swing for the fences. Now is the time to set the fantasy team up to win in 2024 or gear up for a future championship run. Stay trading my friends…