Hello, fantasy football fanatics. Welcome back to your weekly stock market. This week, we are over the hump! We are past Veteran’s Day and are rapidly approaching Thanksgiving, which in the football world means one thing. Money time! Whether it’s an NFL team making roster adjustments for a playoff push, or a fantasy manager’s same philosophy for their fake football glory weeks. One thing is certain about this time of year. The weather is cold and the playoff races are HOT. So, if you’re looking for reassurance about a guy you have or are looking for the next diamond in the rough, We have what you’re looking for. Understand, though, that having the right player is just as important as finding out who the “wrong” player is. So come with me friends; let’s see who we need to watch for or stay away from in Week 11. Ring the bell, please…
High Dollar Stocks Trending Up
LB Jordyn Brooks: If you play this style of fantasy football, then you’re no stranger to what Jordyn Brooks has done in his career. He’s currently the overall #1 IDP performer and showing no signs of slowing this down. Last week was his best-scoring game of the year, in which he compiled 14 total tackles in front of a rowdy German crowd. He did give managers a scare, though, with an injury, but returned to the game and looked like he was unphased. Brooks should be the top linebacker for years to come, and we need to appreciate the production we are seeing. Not many people can achieve this.
DE Maxx Crosby: Is there any player more valuable at their current position in all of fantasy football than Crosby is currently? Crosby has been an absolute stud this year. He currently has 57 total tackles to go along with seven sacks. He’s DE1 by 26 points in standard-scoring leagues and has already had his bye week. In a position that has only 3 players above 100 points in standard-scoring leagues, Crosby is far and away the best player to have. He also has league-winning potential if you couldn’t already see that…
LB Devin White: The IDP community can collectively take a sigh of relief. We finally got back to the great side of White. Maybe it was the juice from an international game in a country that had not yet hosted an NFL game, or maybe something finally clicked. Either way, White was fun to watch this past week. Nine tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble had us all reminiscing about the glory days of White (Weeks 1 and 2). If we are going to continue being a “fair”, market, then we need to recognize when a player returns to glory. White fits that description, but will it continue?
DE Demarcus Lawrence: If you’re a regular here, you know how Lawrence is viewed on the market. Now, just because he has been labeled as someone who should probably be traded doesn’t mean that we can’t point out how great of a year he is having. He has 42 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles this year, but again as we have pointed out, he is 30. In dynasty, if you’re not winning now, this should be your tiebreaker to move him. He’s a good player, one that can win leagues if you’re a defensive end away, but you shouldn’t sell him off for cheap. He is a player who can get fair value for both parties involved. Either trade for him or move him for the future. Either way, managers should be happy about this.
S Budda Baker: Baker is very quietly putting together a great year. This is hard to believe, considering he’s consistently been a top performer at his position. Last year, he finished as S10 with just over 170 points in standard leagues. He currently sits at S5 and, through ten games, has already achieved 111 in the same formats. If he continues this average, he would have more points than the S1 of last year, and that’s pretty substantial. Is it the Cardinals’ defense being bad against the pass benefitting him or is he continuing to get better at his position? Either way, this is a player who is coming into his own and could be winning you weeks singlehandedly. Enjoy it, everyone.
High Dollar Stocks Trending Down
LB Pete Werner: It’s frightening when one of the best at their position gets hurt, it’s even more so when they’re young, and this is the first. Look, he missed a week, and there was little to no news about why or for how long, which makes this something we need to watch. He is dealing with an ankle injury, which is worrisome, especially if he is brought back too soon, but if he plays, he has to start in lineups. The question is, though, how long until we see him again? Let’s hope for the sake of the best players playing in the most important games that it’s a speedy recovery.
DT Jonathan Allen: This has been a peculiar season for the stud defensive tackle for the Commanders. It may be splitting hairs to say that the current DT5 is having a “down” start to his year, but it feels like he is just too reliant on boom weeks. Stability is the name of the game for fantasy footballers. You don’t get extra points if teams run the ball away from the interior due to the physical presence he has. He is either going to be really good or meh. What is important to note, however, is he is top five at the position through ten weeks, so maybe this is a high-quality critique. He is a set-and-forget player, but sometimes that’s going to hurt.
DT DaRon Payne: Payne is a tough one to track, but he winds up here because of the math. Through 10 games played, he has only had double-digit point production in four of them. 40% isn’t what you want out of someone who was likely drafted in the top ten at his position and is a dynasty darling. Unlike his aforementioned teammate, Payne is likely still ascending as a top performer in his position. So why is he here? Maybe this writer is just cranky because of the cold weather, or maybe the expectation from this position is higher based on the lack of big names associated with it.
DE Travon Walker: When you’re the number one pick in the NFL draft, the expectations are that you can change the game. The start of the year was exactly what you would want from a defensive end. In Week 1, he burst onto the scene with four tackles, a sack, and an interception. Since then, he has had only one game where he scored double-digit fantasy points. It’s too early to give up on a rookie first-overall pick, but he probably doesn’t deserve to be a starter for your team until he can string together some consistent weeks.
S Kevin Byard: This feels like a fall-from-grace season, unfortunately. Byard was last year’s S1, but through ten weeks is currently S29. This is a massive drop-off and takes him from must-start to a depth/bye-week player. We don’t often see non-injured players dramatically decrease like this, but he’s 29 and may begin to depreciate in value. Managers should move on from Byard as there isn’t anything left to hold onto. Waiting for him to produce last year’s numbers can have a detrimental impact on your team, so here is your sign to move on.
Middle of the Pack Trending Up
LB Jack Sanborn: Probably late to the party here, but if you have or had any doubts about the production from Sanborn have no fear, you’ve made it. He was an absolute stud this past week with 12 tackles and two sacks. 22-year-old linebackers don’t often appear during the playoff push but go grab the lottery numbers while you’re hot. He has the makings of a perennial top-five guy and if you’re in dynasty leagues, congratulations, you found your piece to build around. Redraft folks, make a move for him if you can. Go all in on the replacement for Roquan Smith.
DT Javon Hargrave: Okay, it happened three weeks in a row, so we need to address it. Hargrave is having an absolutely massive stretch run here. He has had 28 tackles and six sacks in the last three weeks. This is as good as it gets, folks, and he now has to be in every lineup he’s rostered in. He’s the current leader in the clubhouse as DT1 and showing no signs of giving that up. He’s like Popeye after spinach, no one wants to block him currently, and he’s feasting even before Thanksgiving. Kudos to the waiver wire sleuths who got him ahead of the hype.
LB Cody Barton: There was a bit of a midseason scare where he was reported to have almost lost his job, but we can safely presume that was just a fallacy. He isn’t going to give you the consistency of his stud teammate Jordyn Brooks, but he is no slouch. He isn’t a set-and-forget guy just yet, but having him as your LB2 or LB3 has to make you feel good, especially if you bought the dip. He has 71 tackles in 10 games as the second-best linebacker on the Seahawks. There is nothing wrong with starting Barton on your teams.
DE Leonard Williams: Finally, we are back to the good days of Leonard Williams. If you’re like most IDP managers, then you’re likely starved at the defensive end position. So when you finally begin to get consistent point totals from your workhorses at the position, it feels oh-so-good. He has had an injury-riddled season that is likely just as frustrating from his perspective as ours, but after back-to-back near 20-point games, it’s safe to say he is back and healthy, just in time for a playoff push. Hopefully, you held firm on him and didn’t panic drop.
LB Drue Tranquill: In what may be the surprise of the year, Tranquill has already eclipsed almost all of his statistical totals from last year to the benefit of his IDP managers. The 27-year-old linebacker is winning leagues this year, especially with the low capital it took to get him this past season or even this offseason. Managers dream of getting the career year from someone in his position but getting it at age 27 in his first opportunity is a bonus for IDP managers. Be thrilled because these surprise seasons don’t happen often!
Penny Stocks with a Chance
LB Frankie Luvu: For a bit, Luvu was fooling us into thinking he was going to replicate the numbers from the Luke Kuechly days. Hyperbole aside, he has had some absolutely killer weeks and weeks where he appeared to take the day off. So, what can we expect moving forward? It is safe to assume that he is a boom or bust play, probably best suited for the bye-week dice roll or if you really need to play your luck. He has had three double-digit tackle games, and he has also had games with four or fewer. The consistency isn’t enough to want to play him week to week, but he deserves to be rostered where available.
DT Malcolm Roach: For the first time in his young career, Roach is finally starting to see some playing time and while it hasn’t shown much to this point, last week was quite the surprise. Seven tackles and a sack were both career highs for the young man who also saw a season-high snap percentage. Maybe it’s too early to predict more like last week, but he’s worth a watch in dynasty formats.
LB Sione Takitaki: Frankly, we aren’t sure how long this production lasts for Takitaki, but get in while you can. Since Anthony Walker went down and the team added Deion Jones, Takitaki has seen his stats improve quite a lot. It remains to be seen if he will continue these numbers once we see the return of Owusu-Koramoah, but in the immediate short term, he is producing at a tremendous rate. Monitor the Owusu-Koramoah situation, but while he sits, you need to start Takitaki in any and all formats of IDP fantasy football.
LB Jayon Brown: When one domino falls, there are usually others that go with it. Since placing Divine Deablo on IR, there had to be someone to fill the shoes, and it looks to be Brown to do so. He had eight total tackles last week and has shown promise before that even. In Week 2, he compiled 12 total tackles, so we have seen that when he is given an opportunity, he can produce in the tackle department. Now, this may not translate to real football, but if he is starting for the Raiders, he needs to be starting for your team as well. If you can get two to four weeks out of him, that should be considered a win for your team. Penny stocks, remember…
S Dane Belton: What isn’t there to love about a rookie safety who is rostered in less than 5% of MFL leagues? Dynasty is about spotting talent before everyone else so here are the facts about Belton. He plays a position that we have seen produce for his team (Xavier McKinney, Julian Love), and with the injury status of McKinney, there are points to be had at this position for the time being. McKinney was sent to the IR for a non-football-related ATV accident and will kiss at least three more games which breed life and opportunity for the rookie Belton. Again, if you can get two-three productive fantasy weeks from Belton, this should be looked at as a win!
Another week down, which means we are that much closer to the trade deadline in your league. Is there anyone on this list you’re targeting? Are you a buyer or a seller? Whether you’re in the win-now window or paying extra attention to the young players and penny stocks, one thing is certain: scared money don’t make money! Just make the deal, man! Follow me on Twitter @Steakspeare for more fantasy football IDP coverage and make sure to follow @Footballguys for all your premium fantasy football needs!