The heartbeat of any economy is its market. Usually driven by the highest performing companies, you essentially invest in the viability of its businesses, good or bad. The same concept should be applied to Fantasy Football. The team you drafted always looks good on day one, but what truly wins leagues is acquiring or letting go of players. You need to seek positive trends and let go of diminishing players as you try to assemble the championship team. Like the stock market, big names are always trending up, and there are players you need to try to move off of. For all you dreamers, there’s also that penny stock that may become Amazon someday. So for all you IDP degenerates like me, here’s your inaugural Stock Market. I’ll start by identifying the Top tier performers who are always there, your mid-tier performers, and your penny stocks. I’ll also have your projected “futures” for these assets and commentary on why. Ring the bell, folks, it's TIME!
High Dollar Stocks Trending up
Linebacker Bobby Wagner: New team, same dominance. If Thursday was any indication of what the year holds, it should make you feel better about his new situation. Seven total tackles and a sack are just the kind of production you need from a stud LB on your team. Maybe he isn’t prime Wagner, but managers can safely start and forget Wagner in your lineups like always. What more can I say? He’s still that dude.
Linebacker Devin White: This is no surprise to managers; the guy can flat-out play. Eight tackles, two sacks, and a defended pass is week-winning potential. Linebackers are the most important part of your IDP team. White is making a serious case for LB1 early with a dominating performance on Sunday Night Football. For that, he is a Fortune 500 level linebacker.
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick: I’m tired of Safety slander! If you get the right guy, he can win you a game, and no one better proved that this week than Fitzpatrick. He was the number one scoring defensive player this week with 14 tackles and a pick-six. You can use the “dime a dozen” mantra when talking about safeties all you want, but if you have a good one, it’s noticeable. Good luck buying Fitzpatrick for a dime…
Defensive Tackle Jeffery Simmons: Some leagues are different from others. I’m somewhat wary of starting a defensive tackle in non-required leagues, but Simmons is different. Coming off his best career year, he showed no signs of slowing down with six tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble, making him DT1 this week, a spot that I believe he captures at the end of the year as well.
Defensive End Myles Garrett: Another no-brainer of a stud here. Garrett could take the baton from Aaron Donald this year as the NFL’s best defensive player. Four tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a defended pass put him on pace for career highs in each of the major categories at his position. Career highs for a player with league-winning potential. One of the few defensive linemen who are untradeable in my eyes.
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High Dollar Stocks Trending Down
Linebacker T.J. Watt: In what appeared to be business as usual for arguably the NFL’s best defensive player, he unfortunately appears to have suffered a season-ending injury. Is the Watt family cursed with being so powerful their bodies can’t keep up? Whatever the case, it’s heartbreaking to see such a promising player go down in Week 1, especially after his great game. Prayers UP for Watt but trending DOWN, unfortunately.
Safety Jamal Adams: A perennial playmaking safety, he too has to deal with a potential season-ending injury in one week of play. A tackling machine who always seems to be around the ball, Adams was one of my candidates for surprising players this year, but alas, we will have to wait till next year it seems to have the answer to the question of if he was worth all the capital Seattle invested in him many moons ago.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks: This was intentionally my first non-injury-related shocker. Normally a consistent set and forget guy, Kendricks just had a bad game. Even more concerning is that it came in the first game of a new regime that leans more heavily on offense than it did with former Coach Mike Zimmer. Is it too early to panic? I would wait a little bit before trying to sell off Kendricks, but I have to say this initial four-tackle game isn’t worth the ADP or price I’m sure was paid to acquire Kendricks.
Linebacker Cole Holcomb: Holcomb is here because he was likely acquired or drafted higher than what his value should be. He has legit competition at his position in Jamin Davis, whom I believe will usurp him at some point this year as the linebacker to have in Washington. Holcomb played ok, but not good enough for the ADP associated with him. I’d hold him but would go after Davis as an insurance policy.
Defensive End Demarcus Lawrence: Lawrence is the first on this list I would try to move if possible. He’s 30 years old and, outside of Micah Parsons, is the only real pass-rushing threat the Cowboys have, meaning he will garner more attention than last year when they also had Randy Gregory. He also had a really bad injury last year; whether or not you like it, that’s significant at his age. It’s enough for me to start trying to move on. He’s a big enough name that I wouldn’t let go of him cheap, though…
Middle of the Pack Trending Up
Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill: It’s finally time to say it. Grugier-Hill needs to be rostered everywhere you can get him. Last year, he was a part of a muddied linebacking corps with Zach Cunningham, Christian Kirksey, and Neville Hewitt. He now appears to be the man there, posting the second game of 18+ tackles in his last five games. He has LB1 potential at a price not yet elite. Get him before you learn to pronounce his name! (GREW-JAY)
Linebacker Jordan Hicks: Teammate of the above-mentioned Kendricks, he may be a legitimate reason why Kendricks is trending down and was likely acquired cheaper than Kendricks. Through Week 1 he was far and away the best defensive player on the Vikings and was LB3 this week. Kendricks may have been there first, but it appears Hicks is here to stay. This is a position battle to watch.
Defensive End Kwity Paye: The Colts may have finally found their first elite pass rusher since Robert Mathis. Paye is likely on someone’s roster if you're a dynasty leaguer. If so, the price will be higher than a week ago. If not, get him off waivers asap. Seven tackles and two sacks is not an easy accomplishment, and the fact that it comes one week into his second year is too tantalizing to pass up. Keep your eye on the young stud for the Colts. This isn’t the last we’ve heard from Paye.
Linebacker Cody Barton: A career special teamer who finally got his chance, Barton didn’t let his opportunity go to waste, posting a ten-tackle and one-sack performance on Monday Night Football. He had tremendous shoes to fill next to Jordyn Brooks since former stud linebacker Bobby Wagner departed. For context, his tackle total in Week 1 was 25% of his career-high to this point. Barton may be this article’s Dogecoin at the rate he’s playing. Ride Barton to the moon!
Linebacker Myles Jack: Many probably had Jack on their radar but maybe failed to pull the trigger on this move from Jacksonville to Pittsburgh. If you did it, it paid off immediately. A ten-tackle debut made it feel like we were watching the Myles Jack of old. I think he will be a staple of this defense which proved savvy and fantasy productive. Jack is another guy who has top-ten potential here.
Penny Stocks with a chance to succeed
Defensive End Dominique Robinson: A late fifth-round rookie for the Chicago Bears, Robinson produced seven tackles and one-and-a-half sacks in his NFL debut. Maybe it was the weather, maybe Lance ran into a sack too many, who knows. What I do know, is that he’s likely available in 90+% of leagues and produced an outstanding performance many rostered guys didn’t. I’d rather be wrong on a penny than a high-dollar stock. Keep an eye on this guy.
Safety Talanoa Hufanga: Another guy who isn’t rostered in many leagues, Hufanga had a great game and is likely to continue being a defensive starter for the 49ers. Eleven total tackles and a pick is big-time production, and if you are rostering Adams and need a guy likely cheaper than others, I’d recommend starting here. For dynasty players, he’s 23 years old and has tremendous upside.
Linebacker Uchenna Nwosu: For those players that like a fair bit of risk, I present to you an edge rusher who isn’t rostered in many leagues and contributed seven tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. Look, when you’re digging for penny stocks, there’s an innate risk, and why not swing for the fences and get guys who can win weeks? An Edge rusher with a career day can have 2-3 sacks and win a game for you in a crucial spot. Who’s to say Nwosu can’t keep this pace up and be a depth guy for you?
Defensive Tackle Jordan Phillips: The Von Miller signing in Buffalo may be more important than we thought. I believe he will create opportunities for everyone, and in the short term, it seems Jordan Phillips’s stats agree. Four tackles and 1.5 sacks for the interior defensive lineman was great especially considering Miller got his as well. Look for teams to pay more attention to Miller and less to the interior line Of the Bills.
Linebacker Rashan Gary: Another edge-rushing specialist, but this one is different. This is arguably Green Bay’s best defense in years, and he could be the most talented player. He starts his season with seven tackles and a sack on an otherwise awful day from Green Bay. The other guys on this team will get the fantasy spotlight, but I’m a risk guy and Gary is worth the potential edge rusher risk.
There you have it, the closing bell. It’s okay, though. You got your stock advice and have plenty of time to discuss who you have and who you want. Buy low, sell high as always, but don’t be afraid to take a risk. Risks win leagues, trust me.