Sell-high candidates

Teddy Bridgewater (QB, Carolina Panthers): One of the most inspiring storylines of the 2020 season has been the resurgence of Teddy Bridgewater as a starter. In his first five games with the Panthers, Bridgewater is fifth in the NFL in passing yards and has Carolina boasting a 3-2 record.

When it comes to fantasy football, Bridgewater is the 14th highest-scoring QB and has posted 20+ fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. As good as he’s been in recent weeks, Bridgewater has tougher matchups ahead in the season.

Over the past two weeks, he’s been able to have success against two porous pass defenses in the Arizona Cardinals and the Atlanta Falcons. Bridgewater is poised to square off against the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in four out of the next five games for the Panthers. While he won’t get a lot in return, trading Bridgewater for a RB or WR that holds value for the rest of the season could be wise.

Mike Davis (RB, Carolina Panthers): A week ago, I said to sell high on Mike Davis due to him reaching his peak value in fantasy football. Even though he slightly increased his value after another productive performance in Week 5, the sentiment remains the same with Davis.

Davis scored the most fantasy points among RBs in Week 5 (29.9) and he’s gone three consecutive weeks of recording 22+ fantasy points amid Christian McCaffrey’s absence with an ankle ailment. Sadly, the days of Davis being the No. 1 back in Carolina are numbered as McCaffrey is nearing a return to the field.

Provided that, similar to last week, I’m advocating for everyone to shop Davis around to see what you can get in return. If you’re able to get an RB1 or WR1 for Davis in a trade, pop open a champagne bottle and celebrate your victory.

Darrell Henderson (RB, Los Angeles Rams): Back in Week 2, it looked as if Darrell Henderson was seizing the reins as the top back for the Rams. However, after combining for 39.1 fantasy points in Weeks 2 and 3, Henderson would notch a mere 4.7 fantasy points in Week 4.

The second-year back out of Memphis would then follow that up with 21.8 fantasy points in Week 5 in a rainy game against Washington. Despite him bouncing back this past week, Sean McVay continues to have Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown cut into Henderson’s touches.

In light of that, with none of them having definitive roles in the offense, Henderson is worth selling high on following his third 19+ point outing of the season. Maybe offering Henderson to the person who has Akers could net you more in a trade than he would to another owner.

Emmanuel Sanders (WR, New Orleans Saints): Michael Thomas would be a late-week scratch for the Saints on Monday Night Football after being suspended a game for an altercation with teammates and coaches. The league’s leading wide receiver has been out since Week 1 due to an ankle injury as well, leaving more opportunities for the other WRs in New Orleans.

One of the WRs that has benefitted from more targets amid Thomas’ absence is Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders managed to total 24.2 fantasy points on Monday night versus the Los Angeles Chargers and has scored 15+ fantasy points in three consecutive weeks.

While he’s been a been a favorite target of Drew Brees in recent weeks, Thomas is expected to return in Week 6 — delivering a blow to Sanders and Tre’Quan Smith’s value in fantasy football. Getting a WR2 that is a consistent weapon in their respective offense for Sanders could be a smart move ahead of the upcoming week of NFL games.

Brandin Cooks (WR, Houston Texans): In the first game that the Houston Texans played following Bill O’Brien being fired, the offense looked as explosive as it has all season. Deshaun Watson pushed the ball down the field more often than previous weeks, allowing Brandin Cooks to have a breakout game.

I would completely understand if you’re someone that wants to hold onto Cooks after his performance in Week 5. After an extremely quiet start to the season — 23.8 fantasy points in first four weeks — Cooks exploded for 30.1 fantasy points against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Seeing that O’Brien is no longer calling the shots, there is reason for optimism for Cooks and the other weapons in Houston’s offense. At the least though, you should see what type of return you could get for Cooks before deciding on keeping him on your roster.