With Week 1 of the NFL season in the books, Broto Lead Writer Matt Ward has his eye on three buy low targets and three sell high targets heading into week 2!
Take advantage of your league mates by acquiring star players at their lowest value and dealing away volatile players at their highest values!
BUY LOW
Chase Edmonds RB - Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins Week 1 matchup against the Patriots spelled lousy news for Chase Edmonds and company from a fantasy perspective. Although Miami walked away with an impressive victory, the Patriots' stonewall defense was able to contain the vaunted rushing attack of newly minted head coach Mike McDaniel. Edmonds was the unquestioned leader of the multi-faceted backfield attack from the Dolphins, despite seven separate members of the Dolphins' offense recording a rushing attempt. The former Cardinals back led the team with 12 carries, seven more than the runner-up in the pecking order Raheem Mostert. Edmonds was his usual efficient self in the pass-catching department, hauling in all four of his targets for 40 yards. Projected as a late-round steal with league-winning upside, managers may fear that the opportunity split with Edmonds is closer than it appears after numerous teammates received snaps out of the backfield. The Dolphins' revamped offense appears strong out of the gate with the ability to put up points on any NFL defense. Make no mistake, Edmonds is the number one running back and is on track for a three-down workload throughout 2022.
JuJu Smith-Schuster WR - Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Addict
It was encouraging to see JuJu Smith-Schuster lead the Chiefs wide receivers in targets (8), receptions (6), and receiving yards (79). However, not finding the end zone on a night where Patrick Mahomes bombed on the Cardinals for five passing touchdowns is discouraging. Nonetheless, JuJu is the clear number two receiving option behind Travis Kelce and will surely benefit from The Chiefs' high-scoring output. Chalk the former Steelers' scoreless Week 1 up to unlucky touchdown variance and attack managers that are quick to ignore the peripheral stats.
Travis Etienne RB - Jacksonville Jaguars
The welcomed and unexpected return of Jaguars running back James Robinson in Week 1, only eight short months after rupturing his achilles tendon, has Travis Etienne managers heavily concerned. Etienne was afforded only four carries in his first game after returning from a season-ending injury. Encouragingly, the second-year Clemson product recorded 47 rushing yards on his limited share while out-snapping Robinson (51%/49%). The former first-round 2021 draft pick was targeted four times in the Jaguars' loss, including a costly drop that would have been a walk-in touchdown for six points. His dual-threat ability as a rusher and receiver coupled with a propensity for big plays will keep Etienne relevant all season despite Robinson’s triumphant return.
SELL HIGH
James Robinson RB - Jacksonville Jaguars
On the opposite end of the trade market spectrum, we have Etienne’s running mate and fellow Jaguars running back James Robinson. Robinson performed much better than his predecessors after returning from an injury that many define as a “career killer” for running backs. The former undrafted bruiser touted 11 carries for 66 yards with one catch for three yards and two touchdowns. The awaited return was capped off in style, with Robinson leading the Jaguars backfield in fantasy points in Week 1 (19.9). Etienne outplayed Robinson on a per-touch basis, averaging 8.12 yards per opportunity compared to his counterpart’s 5.30 yards per opportunity. Although Robinson is a serviceable weapon post-injury, it is only a matter of time before the Jaguars realize who holds the hot hand. Etienne currently leads the backfield in snap percentages after Week 1, a trend that is likely to continue upwards throughout 2022.
Carson Wentz QB - Washington Commanders
Once the madness of Week 1 was said and done, Carson Wentz settled in as the QB3 overall, registering 29.72 FPTS with 313 passing yards and four touchdowns. Wentz also succeeded on a two-point conversion to give the Commanders the go-ahead lead. The newly-acquired quarterback added 12 rushing yards for good measure as well. Wentz was a popular late-round quarterback target in drafts this offseason after finishing as a borderline QB1 in 2021 (QB14). The hysteria of Week 1 overreactions may have opened up a selling window. Wentz has likely given us his best performance of the season in the opening game against arguably the league's worst secondary defensive unit in the Jaguars.
Gabriel Davis WR - Buffalo Bills
Gabriel Davis scored the first touchdown of the 2022 NFL season on Thursday Night Football as the Bills faced off against the Rams. The polarizing wideout recorded four receptions for 88 yards, finishing with 16.8 half PPR FPTS against the defending Super Bowl Champions. Davis’ on-field performance did nothing but further fuel the fantasy football feud surrounding his much-anticipated breakout. Entering his third year of professional play, the former fourth-round receiver boasts a lowly career target share of just 10.9%. Josh Allen recorded 31 pass attempts against the Rams in Week 1. Davis earned only five targets, equaling a menial 16.12% target share. His lack of opportunities will not be supported by unsustainable touchdown production forever. The Bills' secondary option to Stefon Diggs is due for significant regression. Time to hop off the hype train before it derails into the land of mediocrity.
Much respect, thank you for reading. If you have any continued thoughts and would like to share, I am always available for an open conversation on Twitter: @PsychWardFF or Instagram: @psychwardff.
You can find my other works as the Lead Writer and DOC at Broto Fantasy Football.
The Fantasy Football by Broto app is now live on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store! Download it today for a start/sit tool, player cards, exclusive statistics, usage, rankings, interactive tools, coaching tendencies, and much, much more!
By Matt Ward
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.