Buy-low candidates
Lamar Jackson (QB, Baltimore Ravens): Yes I know, how in the world could Lamar Jackson, one of the first QBs taken in drafts, be a buy-low target right now? Through the first five weeks of the season, Jackson has been outscored by Ryan Fitzpatrick in fantasy football, scoring one fewer rushing touchdown than the journeyman quarterback.
This past week, Jackson dealt with a knee injury and an illness that limited him in practice. He would still play versus the Cincinnati Bengals, but he would be held to a career-low three rushing yards on two attempts in Week 5.
The reigning NFL MVP continues to make strides as a passer this season and it’s only a matter of time before he begins producing in the running game more consistently. Once he gets going, people are going to regret trading him for a fairly cheap price given his immense value.
Le’Veon Bell (RB, New York Jets): Finding reliable RBs at this point in the season can be the deciding factor between you losing or winning your fantasy football league. One RB to keep an eye on via trade, after his release, is Le’Veon Bell.
Bell was released by the New York Jets on Tuesday, freeing him from Adam Gase. And in turn, he’ll have a chance to thrive elsewhere if he can find a team that can give him a reliable source of touches at this point in the season.
Some Bell owners may now decide to hold onto him to see where he lands before they choose what to do with him. On the other hand, throwing cheap offers to see if you can lure Bell away from the team that rosters Bell could be viewed as a big-brained move by the end of the season.
Antonio Gibson (RB, Washington Football Team): When is the Washington Football Team going to realize that Antonio Gibson is a stud in the making? Gibson continues to take advantage of the touches he’s given, only for J.D. McKissic to see just three fewer snaps than the rookie rusher in Week 5 versus the Los Angeles Rams.
Gibson is more dynamic than McKissic in every facet of being a running back and he’s been more effective this season. Sadly, Gibson has ran a route on only 40.3 percent of Washington’s pass plays (30th among RBs) and has seen a target share of only 9.6 percent.
With that being said, Gibson has scored a touchdown in three of Washington’s first five games, and has scored double-digit fantasy points in four of the first five weeks. Once they get him more involved as a receiver, he could be a league-winner at the RB position.
Mecole Hardman (WR, Kansas City Chiefs): You’re telling me that I could have a piece of the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense for a discount? Sign me up.
Sammy Watkins is dealing with a hamstring injury that will sideline him for a couple of weeks, leaving more opportunities for Mecole Hardman. Even before the injury to Watkins, Hardman was already seeing an uptick in snaps, taking part in a season-high 69 percent of Kansas City’s offensive snaps in Week 5.
We all know what Hardman is capable of with Patrick Mahomes and he proved he was efficient with limited usage in 2019. If you don’t have any shares of Hardman, now is the time to get him before his price skyrockets due to being used more in Kansas City’s high-octane passing attack.
Tee Higgins (WR, Cincinnati Bengals): Joe Burrow has made the Bengals a fantasy-relevant offense and Tee Higgins has been one of the main beneficiaries. While A.J. Green was expected to bounce back in 2020, Green has been a shell of himself, catching just 14 of his 34 targets for 119 yards and zero touchdowns.
Meanwhile, in Week 5 versus the Ravens, Green sustained a hamstring injury that will cause him to miss some time. As a result, Higgins should see a larger workload alongside Tyler Boyd moving forward.
Even though he’s had less playing time than Green, Higgins has essentially taken his role, hauling in 16 receptions for 214 yards and two touchdowns in the first five weeks. While some may be wary of targeting a Bengals player via trade, the rookie second-round pick out of Clemson is about to become a viable asset in redraft leagues.
