Week 2 of the NFL season is great for buy low and sell high candidates because people are either frustrated with a loss in Week 1 or salivating over someone's misleading performance. Let's take a look at who you should be a buyer on and who you should look to sell to someone else before heading into our weekly picks.
Buy Low
Andre Johnson: I've seen a few people frustrated with his 33 yards on three catches in Week one. I'm not saying people are looking to cut bait on him, but his value is at the lowest point in his owner's mind right now, so throw a trade out there and see if his owner will bite.
Shonn Greene: Greene fumbled twice last week and never touched the ball again after the second (2nd quarter). LaDainian Tomlinson played quiet well (78 yards rushing on 13 carries), but it is only a matter of time before LT loses his steam and reverts back to last year's form. I bet Coach Rex Ryan finds a way to get Greene the ball to rebuild his confidence and you should have the same confidence in trading for him at the right price.
Calvin Johnson: So many people have e-mailed me with their WR questions because Matthew Stafford is out and they are considering benching Megatron because of it. Look, he is all this team has on offense and I don't see him being worth benching even if Shaun Hill is the QB. Hill will rely on Johnson to bail him out time and time again and I am a buyer.
Beanie Wells: Wells missed the first game and is likely to play in Week 2 at less than full strength. But we all know that Wells is a Pro Bowl back and once he is healthy I envision him as a strong RB1 play most weeks. I wouldn't mind trading for Wells today if I could get him at the right price.
DeSean Jackson: I won't lie… I am a little worried about Jackson's value with Michael Vick starting games for the Eagles. I am not a Vick fan because he will only throw for around 175-200 yards while running for another 50-75 yards, and his two touchdowns are likely to be split 1-1 between rushing and passing. That being said, I think Kevin Kolb will return as the starter and that means Jackson will once again have value.
Sell High
Darren McFadden: I can't tell you how many times I have been burned by Run DMC, so forgive me if I don't buy into the Week 1 hype. Michael Bush practiced in full on Wednesday and that means we officially have a RBBC (Running Back by Committee) in Oakland until McFadden remembers he is Darren McFadden. I'd sell him.
Matt Hasselbeck: Hasselbeck didn't have the weapons at his disposal to break 200 yards passing, so why think he is worth playing as a QB1? His depth chart at WR is Deion Branch, Mike Williams and Deon Butler… why would you ever bank on that? See if the guy who owns Kolb is desperate and toss Hasselbeck his way and see if he takes the bait.
Brandon Jackson: Yes, I know he is the new starter in Green Bay. But I also know that Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday that he would support the Packers making a trade to acquire Marshawn Lynch. Until it happens this is a non-story… but if it does happen it will mean Jackson's value is gone. I am also not impressed by his 3.5 YPC average against the Eagles in Week 1. It is fine to grab him off your waiver wire, but be ready to flip him if the Packers do make a trade
Peyton Hillis: Hillis is now the new starting RB in Cleveland, which only means he is the first in the line of backs for the Browns. Hillis is a FB that is the best option the Browns have right now and his value only comes in the redzone, a place the Browns are not going to be in a ton this season.
Austin Collie: You can't bet against Peyton Manning, but Collie is not high enough on the depth chart to have another week where he gets 11 catches, 163 yards and a touchdown. He will have a good game here and there, but Reggie Wayne would have to fall off the map for Collie to have the trade value that he has right now.
Start 'em
Michael Vick: As I said, I am not a Vick fan. But the Lions are still the Lions and I am sure he will score at least two times with 300 total yards. The Lions allowed 463 total yards last week and that was in a Bears offense that amassed 168 total yards… and the Eagles are sure to surpass that total by halftime.
Donovan McNabb: This is one of the few weeks I will actually tell you to play McNabb. The Texans allowed Manning to throw for 433 yards last week, so there is little reason to think McNabb shouldn't hit 275-300 yards this week. Maybe he will have a good game and you can flip him before Week 3.
DeAngelo Williams: Williams is clearly the man in the Panthers backfield right now and the Buccaneers gave up 104 yards last week to a Browns backfield that isn't really that impressive. The Panthers passing game is suffering with Matt Moore hurting and struggling, and that means the running game will excel.
Jamaal Charles: Charles is one of the most explosive RBs in the NFL and he showed why last week as he finished with 92 yards and a TD. This week he runs into the Browns defense and we all know how well that can work for the opposing players. I'd start him as a low-end RB1 this week.
Hakeem Nicks: Let me say that I am not as high on Nicks as some other sites are. But the Colts are now without Bob Sanders and that means the secondary is vulnerable. Nicks was targeted eight times and that was 27 percent of the total passes thrown by Eli Manning, so I'd give him a shot this week as a WR1
Wes Welker: This is normally a no-brainer for fantasy plays, but the Patriots run into the Jets offensive-killing defense and a lot of owners are considering sitting Welker this weekend. I will just simply say you can't stop Welker and Brady… you can only hope to contain them. I'd start Welker as a high WR2 in most formats.
Visanthe Shiancoe: Shiancoe led the Vikings with four receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown and Brett Favre has few other reliable options to throw to. TE is a thin position and Shiancoe is a solid TE1 option against the Dolphins.
Dallas Cowboys defense: I didn't see a lot from the Bears offense last week against a fairly weak Lions defense, so there is little reason to not be a fan of the Cowboys defense this week. The Cowboys need a win badly if they want to be the first team to play in a Super Bowl in their home stadium, so look for them to come into this game locked, cocked and ready to rock.
Sit 'em
Carson Palmer: After a ridiculous Week 1 performance and revamped offense for Palmer, I've got to sit him in Week 2 because of a tough Ravens defense. The Ravens only gave up 60 passing yards to the Jets last weekend, so I am putting Palmer in the mid-QB2 range this weekend.
Matt Hasselbeck: I have already laid out why Hasselbeck is a sell high candidate, so it is just more of the same as to why he isn't someone to start in your fantasy league. The facts are still the same; his WR corps is weak and his owners are looking more at the total fantasy points than how he got them.
Ronnie Brown: Brown did rack up 85 total yards and a touchdown last week, but the Vikings held the Saints to 79 yards rushing. I envision Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown splitting snaps more evenly this week as the Dolphins struggle to move the ball against the Vikings defense.
Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson: You would be shocked to know how many e-mails I've gotten about Tomlinson this week. I am a huge LT fan myself, but the guy is running on two Fix-A-Flat inflated tires and it is only a matter of time before they pop again. And Greene's value is being sucked dry by the early play of LT, so neither is worth playing this week.
Michael Crabtree: I still have a bit of a man-crush on Crabtree, but until the Niners show some sort of understanding about offense, I would sit him. Alex Smith has shown he is a backup QB in the NFL and that is sad because Crabtree could be a stud… and so could Vernon Davis and Frank Gore for that matter.
Steve Breaston: Look, the guy had an unbelievable Week 1 performance (7 reception for 132 yards), but he is not going to fool anyone like that again. He is a solid WR3 in most formats, but people are trying to bump him all the way up to WR1 status and that just isn't going to happen with Fitzgerald on the roster. I'd put Breaston in as a WR3/flex this week.
Owen Daniels: Coach Gary Kubiak described Daniels as being "in his second preseason game" after missing all of the preseason with knee problems. People drafted Daniels as a late TE1 and even though Matt Schaub is sure to throw more this weekend, Daniels will only be worth playing if he scores because the knee and conditioning limit his yardage ability.
Chicago Bears defense: The Bears did somewhat well against the Lions last week allowing just 14 points while getting two forced fumbles and an INT. The problem this week is they head to Dallas and run into a team hungry for a win. The Cowboys offense can be high-powered when they are all clicking and I have to think Tony Romo will find a way to score with the weapons he has.
Question of the wee
Q: So the title of this week's article caught my eye because my first career was running the program that was in charge of finding permanent adoptive homes for the children in need in Foster Care here. Just thought I&39;d pass on my PSA for the program since there are over 300 children here in Duval County alone in need of permanent homes: http://www.fssjax.org/adopt-child/.
It would be wonderful if you could find a way to incorporate that website in to one of your columns. And, I actually DID take the advice with Foster and he was the highest scoring player on my team this week! (Jaime Bavier from Jacksonville Beach, FL)
A: I will always take the time and effort to plug an organization where needy children can get the care they so richly deserve! So many times in life we get caught up in our own lives or stuff throughout the world that we forget there are children in our own back yards that need our help as well.
As for Arian Foster, did you know he was born right here in Albuquerque, NM and attended Valley High School his freshman and sophomore years? I had no doubt the kid would be a sleeper in fantasy leagues this season… I just didn't expect him to break a team record the first week out!
