D’Andre Swift – BUY
Swift’s value is often downplayed by fantasy managers due to the fact that he plays for the Lions, but his ability and volume as a pass catcher have proven to allow him to be a consistent RB1. The Lions are an ascending team with an abundance of young talent and are constantly improving. Former 7th overall pick Penei Sewell figures to progress in his second year and beyond, which would help increase Swift’s production even further. His only problem thus far in his career has been injuries affecting his ability to remain on the field. If you’re in a dynasty league and have a hole at your RB2 spot or even RB1, testing the waters on the trade market for Swift in your league may be a prime solution. Not only for the short term but for years to come as the Detroit front office continues to add talent to the roster and the young players develop.
Tyler Lockett – SELL
Lockett is one of those fantasy prospects that draws two very different opinions, some managers feel that he is a WR2 asset with upside while others feel that the success we have seen him have will come to a screeching halt with this regime change in Seattle. Looking further into his success and areas of struggle, it seems that his results were heavily reliant on Russell Wilson. Tyler Lockett and Russell Wilson garnered one of the most impressive connections in the NFL in their time together as teammates, in the 2018 NFL season Wilson posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting Lockett despite having 70 targets to him. Their mental connection and unspoken communication was not only impressive but unprecedented. It cannot be replicated with another QB, therefore his ability to produce may be hindered as a result. We saw a glimpse of this when Geno Smith took over the QB position for a few weeks in the wake of Russell Wilson’s mallet finger injury. Smith was only able to effectively get the ball to the much bigger, stronger target D.K. Metcalf, which could possibly be a preview to come of what Drew Lock is able to accomplish with his current assortment of offensive weapons.
Elijah Moore – BUY
Much like D’Andre Swift on the Lions, Elijah Moore’s value is often seen as lower because he is on the Jets, don’t make the mistake of overlooking him. Though his rookie season began slowly with injury and poor production, he flashed his potential in the back half of the season, exploding in both good and bad matchups. From weeks 9 through 13 Moore was the WR2 in PPR formats, scoring 5 touchdowns in his last 5 games, and 10+ PPR points in 6 of his final 7 games. In recent NFL history, rookie WRs given an opportunity within an offense have been proven to develop further in their second year. While the Jets did add WR Garrett Wilson and TE CJ Uzomah, there is no suggestion that Moore will not command a viable enough target share to not only hold his value from the second half of the 2021 season but possibly even improve on it. The Jets are an ascending team with plenty of young talent, there is reason to believe that this offense can improve enough through their young pieces to finally hold players with fantasy value.
Cooper Kupp – SELL
Hear me out. Obviously, Cooper Kupp had one of the best fantasy seasons of all time this past year, but we still have to face the reality that those statistical heights are nearly impossible to duplicate. Kupp will undoubtedly be a WR1, perhaps even the overall WR1, but his value will never be as high as it is right now. Prior to this past season, he was viewed as a WR2 with weekly upside, his instant connection with Stafford upgraded that, and the Rams' schedule being one of the top 3 most favorable for WRs last year also helped things align for Kupp to perform at the levels that he did. I’m not suggesting shipping him off for any WR on a 1 for 1 deal, but whether you drafted him this past year or have had him on your dynasty roster for time, his performance came at an extreme bargain. If you have an RB-needy roster and Kupp was a WR2 option for you prior to last season, this is a perfect opportunity to seek a deal for a top RB and high-end young WR with upside combo. Very few Kupp managers went into last season anticipating him being their WR1. My suggestion is to maximize his insane current value, coming off of a nearly 2,000-yard season, to upgrade your weak positions without sacrificing much WR value.
J.K. Dobbins – BUY
Another forgotten gem, J.K. is returning to his RB1 role within the Ravens offense a year removed from his ACL tear. Reports out of camps are that he is looking as explosive as ever and the team is happy to have him back. The Ravens seem to be returning to an Offense that mirrors the 2019 season when their quarterback Lamar Jackson won MVP unanimously. That offense was run-heavy, with most of the passing work being funneled to TEs. The jumbo sets that this offense leans on will allow more space for both Dobbins and Jackson to gain yardage out of the backfield. While he may not be an RB1 he will see plenty of goalline work, and because of the massive volume of running plays that the Baltimore offense utilizes, he should amass ample yardage as a RB2 with weekly upside. That said, his value within your leagues could be much lower than that seeing as he has been injured for a year and Baltimore has fielded a carousel of running backs since then, try to capitalize.
Nick Chubb – SELL
Nick Chubb is an amazing running back, he just happens to be an example of a player who is a better NFL asset than a fantasy asset. He is viewed by many as a bonafide RB1 with weekly upside, however, his production is restricted to rushing yardage and touchdowns as he is unable to contribute as a pass-catching RB. With Deshuan Watson being welcomed into Cleveland, the offense will clearly look different. Regardless of the suspension looming for Watson, former QB Baker Mayfield will surely not be under center come week 1. The Browns have been top 6 in rushing play percentage over the last 2 seasons, adding one of the best QBs in the NFL will cause that percentage to drop as Deshaun will be passing more frequently than Baker did in his tenure. While Chubb’s current value amongst many is as an RB1, I view his ceiling as a low-end RB1/high-end RB2 with weekly upside. His talent alone will allow him to yield results in almost any offensive situation, but he will likely be compromising some volume that is key to his production with the addition of Deshaun Watson.