Fantasy Football: Buy-Low, Sell-High trade candidates for Week 2

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Buy-Low candidates

Philip Rivers (QB, Colts): It was far from the perfect debut for Philip Rivers as he made his first career start with the Indianapolis Colts. The veteran signal-caller completed 36 of his 46 attempts for 363 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

Above all, the Colts would lose in an upset to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. In terms of fantasy football, Rivers finished with only 14.82 points,. But there are reasons for optimism moving forward.

First and foremost, he attempted 46 passes, making it evident that Indianapolis isn’t afraid to let him sling it. And while he finished as the 22nd highest-scoring quarterback in Week 1, Rivers threw the third-most yards. Even though there is the concern he continues to throw interceptions, his next two games come against the Minnesota Vikings and the New York Jets, making him a prime buy-low candidate in Week 2.

Joe Mixon (RB, Bengals): Heading into the 2020 season, Joe Mixon received a ton of hype due to Joe Burrow becoming the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals. Burrow excelled at targeting his running back in the passing game at LSU, leading many to believe he’ll do the same in the NFL.

However, Mixon would catch just one pass for two yards in Week 1 and would finish with only 6.1 fantasy points versus the Los Angeles Chargers. His 6.1 fantasy points were just 0.3 more than Kyle Juszczyk — the versatile fullback for the San Francisco 49ers — scored.

Nevertheless, Mixon should see his role expanded and he’ll undoubtedly get more targets in the passing game moving forward. Provided that, right now is a perfect time to offer a trade that returns a decent bit of value for Mixon.

Nick Chubb (RB, Browns): Similar to Mixon, Nick Chubb was unable to perform well in Week 1 despite the expectations he was given this offseason. In his defense though, the Cleveland Browns fell down early to the Baltimore Ravens, forcing them to throw the ball more than they’d like.

As a result of that, Chubb had just 10 carries for 60 yards and a fumble, giving him 5.6 fantasy points to begin the season. While it was an alarming first game of the year for the Browns, no one should be panicking about Chubb just yet.

A year ago, Chubb was RB24 in Week 1 of the 2019 season, with him scoring just 10 points in half-point PPR leagues. Of course, Chubb would conclude the 2019 campaign as the seventh highest-scoring running back in fantasy football. In light of that, there’s no reason to believe that Chubb can’t replicate a similar bounce back in 2020, especially since he plays the Bengals in Week 2.

Cam Akers (RB, Rams): In a sudden turn of events, the Los Angeles Rams started rookie Cam Akers at running back in Week 1. Despite his starting status though, the Rams would rotate their three running backs throughout their bout with the Dallas Cowboys.

Even though it would be Malcolm Brown who was the most effective runner, Akers still saw 15 total touches and flashed his ability to make defenders miss. Seeing that Sean McVay wants to implement a committee until someone emerges as the obvious No. 1, Brown could get the nod in Week 2.

Still, the Rams used a second-round pick on Akers this year and once he gets acclimated in the offense, he could be handed the keys to the starting job for good. With that in mind, it might be worth making some offers for the rookie running back before he takes off.

Odell Beckham Jr. (WR, Browns): After a disappointing campaign in 2019, Odell Beckham Jr. and the Browns were hopeful for a quick turnaround to begin the 2020 season. Sadly, it was more of the same versus the Ravens, as Cleveland was trounced by the score of 38-6.

For Beckham, it was a rough first day at the office, being limited to three receptions for 22 yards while being blanketed by Marlon Humphrey. The one positive though is that Beckham was targeted 10 times, which was tied for the eighth-most in Week 1 among WRs.

Given the targets he had in Week 1, it’s only a matter of time a player as talented as Beckham takes advantage of the opportunities he’s given. With Beckham facing the Bengals in Week 2, there’s no reason not to offer something for the Pro Bowl wideout in your fantasy football leagues this week.

DJ Chark (WR, Jaguars): One of the biggest surprises of Week 1 was the performance by the Jacksonville Jaguars versus the Colts. The Jaguars, led by Gardner Minshew, were nearly perfect on offense, with the second-year quarterback completing 19 of his 20 passes.

What’s even more surprising is that of Minshew’s 19 completions, DJ Chark saw just three of them for 25 yards and one touchdown. Minshew and Chark had a decent rapport in 2019 and are expected to have more of the same this season.

If the Jaguars continue to have an impressive offense with Minshew under center, then Chark is going to be a valuable commodity in fantasy football. Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to target the LSU product for a fair price in Week 2.

Chris Herndon (TE, Jets): Many were wondering who Sam Darnold was going to throw to in the offense besides Jamison Crowder. While Breshad Perriman saw some run for the Jets, it was Chris Herndon who saw seven targets, catching six passes for 37 yards.

Even though he managed just 37 yards, it is a positive sign to see him be a go-to target for Darnold. Considering that New York doesn’t have many guys to steal targets, it could be more of the same for Herndon moving forward.

When it comes to Herndon, injuries are definitely a concern. But if he is able to remain healthy, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he has a breakout season in 2020. And for the price he could likely be had for, why wouldn’t you look to buy-low for Herndon this week?

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