Buy-low candidates
Derrick Henry (RB, Tennessee Titans): As mentioned above, the Titans and Steelers were forced to conduct their bye weeks in Week 4 due to Tennessee having a COVID-19 outbreak. Therefore, none of the players accrued stats this past week and some fantasy owners may be panicking on what to do with players involved in the situation.
One player that may be worth throwing trade offers at right now is Derrick Henry. Besides his 27-point performance in Week 3 versus the Minnesota Vikings, Henry has failed to find the end zone in two of the three games he’s played in. His lack of touchdowns thus far couple with the concerns surrounding COVID-19 could cause some people who rostered him to move him via trade.
The positives for Henry is that he has a stranglehold on Tennessee’s backfield duties, commanding 82 of the Titans’ 89 carries by RBs this season. Even with him not being a reliable threat in the passing game, Henry is still an RB1 that could possibly be had for a reasonable price right now.
D.J. Moore (WR, Carolina Panthers): After another underwhelming performance in Week 4, everyone is freaking out about Kenyan Drake — and for good reason. Drake finished with a mere 3.5 fantasy points against a Carolina Panthers defense that was bleeding points in bunches to opposing RBs in fantasy football.
While things are looking dire for Drake, on the other side of that game, D.J. Moore is beginning to cause concern for those that selected him early in drafts this offseason. Moore notched 8.9 fantasy points versus the Arizona Cardinals, giving him three games of scoring under 10 points in four weeks.
Yes, Moore has yet to perform at a level that everyone expected him to when he was being taken as a top-tier receiver in fantasy football. However, with the Panthers throwing the ball more often than expected, it’s only a matter of time before he gets on the same page as Teddy Bridgewater.
Diontae Johnson (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers): Once again, seeing that the Titans and the Steelers didn’t play this past week, some people may be concerned with the players involved in the postponement. Especially Diontae Johnson, who was in the concussion protocol in the days leading up to the game.
There is currently uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s status, making him a tremendous buy-low option. Prior to exiting early from Pittsburgh’s Week 3 bout with the Houston Texans, Johnson — not JuJu Smith-Schuster — was leading the team in targets with 23. He also turned those targets into 14 receptions for 149 yards and a touchdown.
Regardless of when he returns, which could very well be in Week 5, Johnson has an obvious connection with Ben Roethlisberger to begin the season. Also, the Steelers have attempted 36.3 passes per game this season (12th most in the NFL), making Johnson a valuable asset moving forward.
Deebo Samuel (WR, San Francisco 49ers): Deebo Samuel was able to make his debut for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was evident that San Francisco wants to ease him into the offense as he concluded the game with four total touches for 45 yards.
At the same time, rookie Brandon Aiyuk would look good in his limited touches and George Kittle was unstoppable, catching all 15 of his targets for 183 yards and a touchdown. It is likely, especially once Jimmy Garoppolo returns from injury, that Samuel sees his workload increased week-to-week.
There’s no doubt that targeting a wide receiver who’s coming off of a foot injury — and one I had as a sell-high option last week — is a risky proposition. However, if Samuel can gradually get more comfortable in the offense again, there’s a chance he still finishes as San Francisco’s leading scorer at wide receiver this season.
A.J. Brown (WR, Tennessee Titans): Similar to the situations with Henry and Johnson, A.J. Brown is a player that could be worth keeping tabs on in your leagues. Brown hasn’t played since Week 1 due to a bruised knee and he’s now had an extra week to recover.
Barring any setbacks, Brown is slated to return in Week 5 versus the Buffalo Bills and he should be Ryan Tannehill’s go-to option in the passing game again. While the Bills are viewed as a team that shouldn’t be targeted, they’ve allowed 38.83 fantasy points per game to opposing WRs (11th most in the NFL).
In addition to that, Brown faces the Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the next three weeks, who are all teams that surrender 34+ points per game to WRs this season. This is a perfect time to inquire about Brown before his price skyrockets in the coming weeks.
