Fantasy Football Buy, Sell, Hold: Deebo, Dell Offer Upside After Goose Eggs
No one wants a stagnant roster. It's time to make some moves.
Let’s get into some buyin’, sellin’, and holdin’.
BUY
WE'RE ON A WILD GOOSE CHASE, BABY!
Well, a goose egg* chase, I suppose. Don't let those Week 7 0-0-0 stat lines scare you. Depending on your current level of risk aversion, it might be time to buy:
WR Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Sooooo yea, Week 7 sucked.
You started Deebo Samuel, who only played four offensive snaps before exiting the game. But we're got more context to consider than just goose eggs here!
The 49ers took another blow to their roster with Brandon Aiyuk's season-ending torn ACL and MCL. In Aiyuk’s absence, Deebo is poised to be the next man up. And he's already posted two top-12 WR performances this year (WR 12, WR 6). Not to mention, Deebo is a dual-threat, providing fantasy points through the air and on the ground.
Now look, I'm not downplaying his illness that kept him sidelined for the majority of Week 7, but when Deebo returns to full health, there's a path for him to reach WR1 numbers. Buying now affords you a cheaper acquisition post-goose egg amidst lingering health issues.
Caveat: You need to take your full team/lineup into account, as well as your current record. Can you wait for Deebo to get back to full health?
Deebo might not suit up in Week 8, but if you can afford the risk the future reward looks enticing.
WR Tank Dell, Houston Texans
*deep breath* So Tank Dell isn't quite picking up where he left off in 2023, is he?
😃 Tank Dell's 2023 Fun Facts:
- Receptions: 47
- Yards: 709
- Touchdowns: 7
🙃 Tank Dell's 2024 Not-As-Fun Facts:
- Receptions: 20
- Yards: 194
- Touchdowns: 1
Through seven weeks of 2024, with nearly half the receptions as his 2023 outings, Dell is nowhere near half as productive. (Only 1 TD?!) And to top it all off, Dell hit us with a big, fat goosey 0-0-0 in Week 7.
But…
It's not allllll that bad! CJ Stroud was held to just 86 yards against the Packers, so it makes sense that Dell would struggle when Stroud couldn't move the ball down the field.
And it’s worth mentioning that Dell did almost secure a 10-yard TD in the first quarter of last week’s game. Sheesh! (™ Ian Hartitz.) And while it hasn’t paid off yet, Nico Collins is sidelined until at least Week 10.
If you're in the market for buying, Tank Dell's stock could literally not be any lower than it is right now.
So if your kink is buying-low on talented WRs who have a chance at re-establishing themselves with CJ Stroud… You know what to do. Don't let a lil' goose egg scare ya.
SELL
This week we're selling:
WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams
I actually want to buy Cooper Kupp right now. So writing this piece as a "sell" is quite frankly an exercise in pissing myself off. But future Cooterdoodle will have to take that up with herself at a later date.
Right now, I have to remember that there's a ton of hype around Kupp's return, COMBINED with the rumblings of potential NFL trade offers. Selling feels like the smarter move given the wildly hopeful market value.
The angel on my shoulder is telling me to "buy buy buy" before Kupp finds himself as the heart of a new offense. But the little bad boy on my other shoulder is telling me to capitalize on the hype and sell to someone who's willing to overpay. Decision, decisions!
Bottom Line: Everything comes down to your fantasy team's current needs and standings.
Do you have a hole that needs to be filled? (Pause…) If so, you should be able to get a major upgrade at another position with Kupp's return and rumor mill brewing. I mean, you've made it this far without him in your starting lineup… right?
OR…
Are you struggling for a win and needing a big swing-for-the-fences style comeback? You should go out and buy someone like Kupp, who has the potential to bring in some nice numbers. (But expect to pay up.)
In my RB-depleted leagues where I'm 5-2, I'm selling. But in my (ALLEGED!) 2-5 leagues, who's to say… maybe the lil bad boy on my shoulder wins.
HOLD
Sometimes we need to just take a second to think. Don't overreact.
This week, we're holding:
RB Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars
No no no no. Disregard anyone telling you to sell Tank Bigsby because his success is only due to Travis Etienne's absence.
Does it help? Well, YEAH. DUH! But we can't ignore the role that Bigsby's carved out for himself this season, even with Etienne on the field.
I know Tank, who was likely acquired as a waiver wire darling just a few weeks ago, feels like a great sell high candidate with Ettienne's inevitable return. But what if I told you Bigsby is just… better.
😃 Travis Etienne's 2024 Fun Facts:
- Top-20 RB finishes: 1
- Best RB finish: RB 20 (Week 2)
- 100+ yard games: 0
- TDs this season: 2
😃 Tank Bigsby's 2024 Fun Facts:
- Top-20 RB finishes: 2
- Best RB finish: RB 1 (Week 5)
- 100+ yard games: 2
- TDs this season: 4
Sure, Bigsby isn't getting any attention in the passing game. Sure, Bigsby won't always get the full load. (Pause…) But Etienne’s return doesn't scare me.
Even with a decrease in production, we’ve seen Bigsby best Etienne when they share the field. Bigsby was a low-risk acquisition that has the potential for decent outings moving forward. E-N-J-O-Y!
Honorable mentions
HOLD - TE Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens: I know he’s burned you recently, but HOLD.
SELL - WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins: I truly do hope Tua can stay healthy, but we’ve seen how dependent Hill is on his presence. This may be controversial, but I’d sell on the upswing of Tua’s return not knowing how this story plays out long-term. BUT don’t give him away... It’s still Tyreek mf’in Hill.