With Week 7 in the books we take a look at the wide receiver position and focus on which wide receivers can be had on the cheap and which wide receivers you should be looking to move on from in this week’s Fantasy Stock Watch.
Buy Low
, WR BUF- I was all-in on Sammy this season and felt that after his Week 2 performance, he had arrived. Unfortunately EJ Manuel began to struggle and with that, Watkins’ production was hindered. The switch to Kyle Orton has done wonders for rejuvenating Sammy’s fantasy value and, excluding his stint on Revis Island where he was targeted just three times. Watkins has caught 16 of his 26 targets for 209 yards and two touchdowns. With the Bills suffering injuries to both Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller on Sunday they will likely have to pass the ball more often in order to move the chains which could give Watkins legitimate WR1 potential with a WR2 floor. The Bills find themselves up against a Jets defense that has allowed at least two passing touchdowns in every game this season and three in each of their past three games which bodes well for Watkins chances of finding the end zone in Week 8.
Vincent Jackson, WR TB- Jackson has been targeted no less than seven times in any game this season and has seen at least 10 targets in each of the past three weeks. But despite all those targets (60) he has only been able to haul in 25 catches. His early season struggles are partly due to a lingering wrist injury as well as the ineptitude of Josh McCown, but now with Mike Glennon at the helm it is clear that Jackson is the favorite target. Jackson has eclipsed 1,000 yards receiving in five of the last six seasons and I believe a big second half is on the horizon. As the Buccaneers come out of their bye week, if you find yourself in need of a wide receiver, Jackson could be a solid low risk-high reward acquisition for the remainder of the season given his past production.
, WR SD- Somehow Philip Rivers has ranked amongst the best fantasy QBs this season and has thrown 17 touchdown passes, but the Chargers best WR has not been involved in any of it. Allen burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2013 catching 71 passes for 1,046 yards and eight touchdown catches. So far this season he is on pace to catch just as many passes but has just 354 yards and zero touchdowns to show for it. Allen was targeted a team high 10 times last week which marks just the second time this season he has seen double digit targets. If you believe that Rivers is going to continue his MVP-type season then you have to also believe that, at some point, Allen will be poised to break out. Now could be the time to get him from a frustrated owner on the cheap.
Sell High
, WR MIA- Wallace has been one of the more consistent players in fantasy this season which is largely due to his five touchdown catches through six games. If you are able to look past the touchdowns however you will notice that Wallace has posted fairly pedestrian yardage totals and has only eclipsed five catches in one game this season which, in non-PPR leagues, would make him no more than a WR3 option. Of course you can’t take away the touchdowns but you also can’t predict that he will continue to find the end zone at this rate which means his value may very well be at its peak. Wallace and the Dolphins face off against the Jaguars in Week 8 who haven’t allowed a touchdown to an opposing wide receiver in three weeks but have the stigma of being poor defensively which presents an attractive matchup for Wallace as potential trade bait.
Pierre Garcon, WR WSH- The Redskins QB situation is once again in flux as Colt McCoy is slated to start Monday night against the Cowboys if Robert Griffin is unable to play. McCoy started the second half for the Redskins last week after a struggling Kirk Cousins was benched and saw his first pass go for a 70-yard touchdown but gained just 58 yards over his next 10 completions to finish with 128 yards on 11-of-12 passing. The lack of prior success mixed with the short yardage passing does not bode well for the Redskins receivers and the potential return of RGIII only adds to the uncertainty given his inconsistent play and injury history. With Garcon having found the end zone in each of the past two games and some owners struggling to find WR depth due to injuries, poor play and bye weeks you might be able to pawn his recent success off for a solid return.
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