After a hectic week to open the season, Week 3 of fantasy football brought us more ups and downs and head-scratching moments. Here are a handful of players entering Week 4 of the fantasy football season that presents an optimal opportunity to buy low or sell high on.
Who are some fantasy football buy-low Week 4 trade targets?
Since expectations vary across fantasy managers, there could be a window for you to acquire some of these players at a value. All of these candidates are in a position to exceed expectations this season.
Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings at NO
Dalvin Cook managers were already on edge with how his season had started. Through two weeks, Cook was as up and down as it gets. Against the Packers, Cook posted 108 total yards on 23 touches. But in Week 2, he had 17 rushing yards on six carries against the Eagles, with four of six receiving for an additional 19 yards. It also extended an unfortunate streak where Cook hadn’t scored in five games and 95 opportunities.
Week 3 appeared to be a turning point. Cook rushed 17 times for 98 yards, including finally getting into the end zone, scoring 13.6 PPR points. However, this came at a cost. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Cook suffered a dislocated shoulder on Sunday.
This instantly put managers into full-blown tilt mode, but I would caution against this and, if anything, use it as a buy-low opportunity. This is not the first time Cook has dislocated his shoulder. It happened last year, and according to Pelissero, Cook had an unrepaired labral tear, and not wearing the brace compromised its stability.
Cook has been able to wear a harness and get back on the field with either minimal or no missed time. Some will view this as Cook’s “injury concerns” popping up and, combined with his slow start, want to move off of him. That’s fine with me. Better days are ahead for Cook, and he is still a premiere fantasy asset at a position where difference makers can be a deciding factor in championship aspirations. Use this as an opportunity to buy low on Cook ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Saints.
DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers vs. ARI
If you want to read on to the next one, I can’t say I blame you, as trying to recommend buying low on DJ Moore is not the easiest thing I have done. There are zero guarantees things will get better. But there is likely not been a time where you can acquire Moore for a lower price than right now. So if you believe he is talented, it might be worth shooting over an offer to a manager.
Moore was the only WR in the NFL with three consecutive seasons with 1,250 scrimmage yards, a streak that certainly appears set to end. Moore caught only one of his six targets for two yards on Sunday and has yet to post 45 yards on the year. That’s not the league-winner some hoped he would be.
But there are positives. For one, Moore is playing a ton of snaps. He’s yet to play on less than 90% of the offensive snaps and actually has a higher route participation rate than last year. The difference is where last year Moore was targeted on 25% of his routes, it’s just over 15% in 2022. Combined with inaccurate targets at a league-leading rate, Moore is off to an awful start.
Even in his worst game of the year yet, Moore played on 99% of the snaps and had a 100% route participation. Better days are ahead, and they could start in Week 4 against Arizona, who have one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Yeah, there is a risk, but with many managers looking to bench Moore, you can buy low at a fraction of the price he held on draft day.
Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders at DAL
3.0 PPR points is not what many were hoping for from Jahan Dotson. Two receptions for ten yards doesn’t move the needle much. But if anything, it was expected to see a regression from the Commanders’ passing offense as the Eagles are a legit team.
The thing is, Dotson was very busy. In fact, all three Washington WRs saw seven or more targets, with Dotson recording eight while posting the second highest route participation (87%) and snap rate (87%). Dotson already has three scores on the year, and some will extrapolate this as the Commanders not being able to sustain three receivers with Dotson the man left out.
I actually don’t think so and view all three as likely undervalued, with Dotson the most straightforward buy-low of the trio heading into Week 4. Washington continues to flood the field with three-receiver sets, and in games where they are leading or are facing average defenses, any one of the three has WR2 upside.
Who are some fantasy football sell-high Week 3 candidates?
Actual value vs. perceived value is also something fantasy managers need to have the pulse on. It cannot only tell you when to buy low but also when to sell high before the floor crashes out. Here are three players that could be worth selling before their value drops.
Robert Woods, Tennessee Titans at IND
It took a few weeks, but we finally got to see Robert Woods produce for the Titans. The veteran had his best game yet, recording four receptions on nine targets for a team-leading 85 yards. But is it weird if I say he still didn’t look good out there against the Raiders?
To me, the rest of the receivers are trending up, where Woods finally had a game we had expected. It’s a trend I don’t see slowing down. Treylon Burks, despite being a bust before ever stepping on the field according to some, has steadily watched his snaps go up and led the offense in route participation on Sunday. His volume will only increase as he gets more comfortable in the NFL.
Additionally, Kyle Phillips was out this week due to a shoulder injury. Similar to Burks, his steady improvement only takes more and more targets away from Woods. Throw in Derrick Henry finally looking like himself, meaning Tennessee can remain run-heavy in their playcalling, leaving little upside for the 30-year-old receiver. I’d use this week as a sell-high opportunity in Week 4 and target a higher-upside fantasy option.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Kansas City Chiefs at TB
I cautioned fantasy managers to sell high on Clyde Edwards-Helaire last week as I am not convinced this is the real CEH. After all, what in the previous two years looked like the RB5 in fantasy? On Sunday, we saw the old Edwards-Helair show up and even managed to surprise me.
Although he tied for the team lead in rushes with seven, Edwards-Helaire failed to gain a single yard on the ground. Not that anyone did, as the Colts held the Chiefs to 58 net rushing yards. Edwards-Helair salvaged himself in the air, catching all five targets for 39 yards.
I would do what it takes to sell high on Edwards-Helaire before their game in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You’ll have a hard time moving him after two poor performances. You can talk your way through one down game when negotiating trades, not two.
Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns at ATL
I don’t feel this one is a necessity. If you drafted Amari Cooper at his discounted draft day value, you’re sitting pretty. However, it might be worth stoking the fires to see if you can get some interest.
After a 9-101-1 outing in Week 2, Cooper backed it up in Week 3, recording 101 yards and a touchdown again but on seven receptions (11 targets) against the Steelers. Cooper saw an 82% route participation on Thursday and led the team with a 34.3% target per route run rate. Thus far, he has a 31% target share. His previous high? 23%, set back in 2016.
There isn’t another WR on this roster who will supplant Cooper in the pecking order, but at any given moment, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt can take the game script over, and Jacoby Brissett will be perfectly happy spinning around and handing it off 35+ times a game.
I could see a slight dip in his production coming against A.J. Terrell next week and J.C. Jackson in Week 5, but Cooper is one of the best for a reason and would be a low-end WR2 at worst. However, if you want to use this renewed confidence in him and a Brissett-led passing attack, it might be worth looking into the return of selling high on Cooper.