Week three in the NFL was exhilarating, but also showcased a ton of injuries, and with it being early in the year and some people playing in leagues with a lack of knowledge on some of the replacements for guys like James Conner and Mike Evans, let’s take a look at who to buy and who to sell.
Week 4 Buys
Trey Benson
I have been waiting all season for this, and this is your last opportunity to buy Trey Benson. Now, I was not rooting for a season-ending injury for James Conner, but that is what had to happen for Trey Benson to be a full-go for the Arizona Cardinals, this early in the season. While splitting the workload with Conner, Benson has seen a steady upward trajectory in snap share; he will now undoubtedly face the bulk of the workload. He has been efficient as well and seen 11 targets through three weeks. I am excited to see what this looks like on Thursday night against the Seattle Seahawks.
I would trade players like Jacory Croskey-Merritt (Bill), D’Andre Swift, and Tyreek Hill for Trey Benson. If you do trade, Tyreek Hill, see if you could get just a little bit more for the name value. Believe it or not, these things do happen in trades all the time, even though you would be winning the trade.
Confidence: 9/10
Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka has been an absolute game-changer for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and that wide receiver room just got a lot less crowded with veteran Mike Evans on the shelf for 2-3 weeks. Chris Godwin may return soon as well. Even though Egbuka has competition on the horizon, he has been a steady hand for Baker Mayfield this season. He caught 6 passes last week, which is a career high. I want to see the ability for Egbuka to shine in the next two weeks. He is coming off a no-touchdown game, so maybe you can capitalize on that mini-regression and grab him for cheaper than what he would have gone for a week ago.
I would trade players like Chase Brown, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, and Tony Pollard for Egbuka. This range of players is too uncertain, and some managers may feel that is the case for Egbuka, too, so this could be the perfect timing to buy a player like this with an immense amount of talent.
Confidence: 6/10
George Pickens
George Pickens is a player I tend to stay away from in fantasy, especially because of his lack of consistent week-to-week production. He plays in a funnel offense, which means that Dak Prescott throws the ball to CeeDee Lamb and CeeDee Lamb only. Okay, Jake Ferguson gets some receptions, too, but with Lamb on the shelf for what looks like a month, you may want to buy Pickens from a manager who is not paying attention.
Dak Prescott loves to find one guy and spam him like a Madden game, and Pickens could be the guy. We did see tight end Jake Ferguson get 14 targets, so potentially, Ferguson is the guy to replace Lamb, but Dak needs someone on the outside. Pickens is coming off an identical stat line in back-to-back weeks with 5 receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown. He is probably priced a little high, but I see that price tag only going up if you can acquire him this week and then sell him a week before CeeDee Lamb gets back. I would trade players like Deebo Samuel with the uncertainty of Jayden Daniels’ status, as well as Jakobi Meyers, to acquire Pickens.
Confidence: 7/10
Week 4 Sells
Alvin Kamara
Alvin Kamara is a player I am looking to sell simply because of the offensive ecosystem that he is in. The New Orleans Saints got throttled by the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, and Kamara was really just scripted out of the game. He was extremely inefficient, displaying a stat line of 18 rushes for 42 yards and one reception for 14 yards. It was not good, and I can see this happening more often than not, unfortunately.
Getting out of having to watch Saints games may be the best practice for your own health as well. Would sell Kamara for Chase Brown, Trey Benson +, or Javonte Williams.
Confidence: 10/10
David Montgomery
David Montgomery is coming off an unbelievable game in primetime on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. He had only 12 attempts for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was only bested by a game-breaking Jonathan Taylor Performance once again. His value could not be higher, due to his usage and stats. Unless the Lions do what they did against the Ravens against every opponent, I cannot see this getting better for Montgomery or his value getting any higher than it is right now.
Try to sell Montgomery for Trey Benson, George Picks, or Emeka Egbuka (anyone on the Buy-list). Others to sell Montgomery for include Cam Skattebo and Jaylen Warren.
Confidence: 9/10
DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf was a player that I tried to talk myself into drafting some shares of this offseason, with him playing on the Pittsburgh Steelers with Aaron Rodgers this season, but ultimately, I only ended up with him on one of my teams. That is because we know who DK Metcalf is. He is a player who has a few blow-up games a year, but ultimately, you need him to score a touchdown to provide the same level of production that other guys do with volume.
He is doing the same thing he has done his whole career. Finish as a back-end WR2 or WR3 and be frustrating to start week after week. Metcalf has gotten in the endzone in back-to-back weeks. This is the time to get out. Now, he has not put up a crazy amount of production in those weeks, totaling only 6 receptions for 52 yards. Extremely disappointing, but those touchdowns will give you a chance to get out while you can. Sell him for players like Marvin Harrison Jr., DeVonta Smith, and Michael Pittman Jr., if you can; if not, deeper players like D.J. Moore and Chris Olave’s Volume will suffice.
Confidence: 7/10
