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Welcome to our Week 8 buy low / sell high, where we look to provide fantasy football trade advice.
The half-way point of most fantasy seasons is a thing of the past, and as the weather gets colder and the playoffs get closer it's time for everyone to make that final push. There's no better way to do so than through a trade, and as each game starts to matter more and more owners with bye-week woes will become more and more desperate as well. Those who take advantage are often those holding trophies in the end.
With that said, here are a few players worth buying this coming week, and a few worth selling.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Buys
Carlos Hyde (RB, SF)
On this list last week, Hyde delivered a predictably poor performance against the Seahawks last Thursday, hobbling his way to 40 yards on 11 carries.
It was yet another abysmal outing for the promising pre-season prospect, and marks his fifth week at or below six fantasy points in the last month and a half. Those aren't good numbers, and a glance at the 49ers' offense doesn't exactly scream promise either, but Hyde could still be a bit of a diamond in the rough.
If you're needy for RB Hyde isn't your guy, but if you merely need some depth at the position and are looking at the playoffs he could be a solid buy at a dirt-cheap price. With a bye in Week 10, Hyde's foot will hopefully be fresh and healed for his Week 13 and Week 14 tilts with the Bears and Browns. Those are smack-dab in the middle of the fantasy playoffs, and they ooze potential.
Jeremy Maclin (WR, KC)
As if a couple of below-average weeks weren't enough, Maclin sat out on Sunday despite passing through the NFL's concussion protocol earlier that week. Those who read the reports promising the Chiefs top wide-out would play are likely a bit frustrated.
That frustration is good...if you don't own him. Maclin is the top dog in what can be a volume passing attack, and has shown the potential to explode this season. He's a WR2 with a higher ceiling and could potentially be had for WR3 value given the last few weeks.
If you can get him for that, it might not be a bad idea.
Russell Wilson (QB, SEA)
If Wilson has been anything in 2015, it's consistent. The Seattle QB has thrown for somewhere in the 200+ yards range with a single touchdown in five straight games now. Unfortunately, that's also fairly mediocre.
Those mediocre stats are not what owners expected when they drafted the mobile QB earlier this year, especially with Jimmy Graham now in the mix. However, the fact that Wilson has yet to score on the ground has likely contributed (that and the fact that the Seahawks seem averse to ever adding a legitimate receiver). However, the lack of scores on the ground could change as long as Wilson keeps scrambling like he has.
Despite those woes, Wilson is still right around the 10-spot in terms of highest-scoring fantasy QBs, and doesn't have a terrifying schedule up ahead. That amounts to a solid floor with a ceiling much, much higher, and could make for a great buy if the price is right.
Week 8 Fantasy Football Sells
TY Hilton (WR, IND)
A glance at Sunday's box score shows a terrific day for Hilton, who posted 150 yards with a pair of touchdowns, but those who watched the game will know just how much luck - no pun intended - was involved in that.
Both of Hilton's scores and a good chunk of his yards came on wacky plays in which defenders fell down, which greatly inflated his overall stats. If you look beyond those two plays, you see two other catches with a suddenly-shaky QB under center. Those aren't recipes for success, and neither is a Monday night showdown with Josh Norman and the Panthers this coming week followed by a tilt with Denver the week after.
Hilton hasn't been bad by any measure this year, but this is the highest the wide-out's stock is likely to be in a while. He's still a strong WR2, making this the time to sell.
Latavius Murray (RB, OAK)
Murray found the end-zone early on Sunday en route to a 15-carry, 85-yard effort on the ground. It was good enough to score him nearly 15 fantasy points, and had the Raiders not blown out the Chargers that number could have been even higher.
Unfortunately, that strong outing raises some red flags. Not only was Sunday the first time Murray has broken double digits in terms of points since Week 3, but it also marked his third straight game at or below 15 carries. While he does contribute in the passing game, both of those numbers are concerning. Yes, Murray is the lead dog in the Raider running game, but the young back has struggled in terms of YPC this year and has only eclipsed the 15-carry mark once thus far in 2015. That's not an RB1 recipe.
Murray ranks somewhere in the teens when it comes to scoring at the RB position, a number that would be higher had he not had his bye week early on. If that ranking and last week's success garner good value, it may not be a bad idea to move on from the struggling Raiders running game.
Carson Palmer (QB, ARI)
Palmer managed 275 yards with a pair of touchdowns in a dream match-up versus the Ravens' scuffling secondary on Monday night. For fantasy owners who expected much better from their top-five QB, it was a disappointment.
Amounting to around 20 fantasy points, Monday night also notched the third time in the last four weeks in which Palmer has hovered around that 20 mark. He's still a top QB in a powerful offensive system, but the last month or so has revealed some kinks in the Cardinals offense and a rough schedule featuring the Seahawks, Bengals, Rams, and Vikings over the next six weeks has a bit of a foreboding flavor to it as well.
That's not to say Palmer isn't a QB1, but if recent trends persist he may not finish as the top-five guy he currently is. There's always the injury component, too. If you don't have depth behind him, stick with him, but if you do, Palmer could land more right now than he likely will in a few weeks.
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