Buy Low, Sell High: Week 8

By: Mike Johnson (@Mjohnson86)

These are the guys who public perception may be low on but have brighter days ahead…..as well as the guys who may be coming off a big game but have a tough schedule or potential role change in their future.

BUY LOW

C.J. Stroud, QB, HOU

• Stroud had a down game against the Packers, passing for only 86 yards in a close loss. However, the Texans’ offense still scored 22 points and their upcoming schedule against the Colts, Jets, and Lions should provide opportunities for Stroud to get back on track. Stroud will also be getting Nico Collins back around Week 10 or 11 and should have a nice stretch late in the season with his pass catchers back at full strength.

Alvin Kamara, RB, NO

• The perception of the Saints offense is about as low as it can get right now, and Kamara has had his three worst games of his career the last three weeks while heading into a tough matchup against the Chargers this week. However, with Rashid Shaheed done for the year and Derek Carr likely to return soon, Kamara should be a massive focal point for New Orleans and the offensive environment should get much better soon. After this week, Kamara has pristine matchups with the Panthers, Falcons, and Rams in the coming weeks as well as matchups in the fantasy playoffs with the Packers and Raiders, who have given up some massive production to workhorse RBs this year.

Deebo Samuel, WR, SF

• Deebo crushed the souls of his fantasy owners on Sunday by being active then playing only four snaps as he battled an illness that hit him that morning. He has since been diagnosed with pneumonia and is questionable for this week. However, the 49ers just lost Brandon Aiyuk for the season and Deebo has the potential to be a top-three WR down the stretch as the clear WR1 for a very good offense. The 49ers have a Week 9 bye, so he will likely sit out this week, and if his current owner is in need of wins, they may move him on the cheap. Deebo is the ultimate trade target for teams with a 5-2 record or better.

Sam LaPorta, TE, DET

• We have listed him in this section before, but now things are really looking good for LaPorta. The issue for him has been with the emergence of Jameson Williams, the Lions’ offense has been far less condensed than it was in the past. Now that Williams has been suspended for two games, we can expect LaPorta’s role and production to spike a bit going forward. Williams will return in a few weeks, but LaPorta likely just needs a spark to be more involved in the offense. Once he does that and has some success, we can expect Detroit to keep him involved.

SELL HIGH

Mark Andrews, TE, BAL

• Andrews had a notoriously awful start to the season and was basically left for dead by many. There is a decent chance that if he is on your roster right now it is because someone dropped him and you picked him up or you traded for him when his value was down. He has now scored three TDs in his last two games, and the market and perception around him has bounced back. The reality, however, is that Andrews still has not been targeted over five times in a game this season and the Ravens’ offense is a low-volume unit that has four players (Andrews, Flowers, Likely, and Bateman) who are all relatively even in terms of usage and importance. He will have some more good games ahead, but he will also likely disappear at times again. Coming off a two-TD game in prime time, you may be able to cash in the profit on him now and upgrade to a more stable tight end.

Join us Thursday for Week 8 Starts/Fades!