Another football season is underway and I have to say that it feels great to be back in the saddle writing the Fantasy Football Trade Market column for all of our Seasonal Pro subscribers here at Fantasy Alarm. Thanks for subscribing! If you’re new to the article, it is very simple. I will give you a couple of names at each position and recommend buying or selling that player with my reasoning included. Your comments are welcome!

Quarterback

Alex Smith, Chiefs

We all know the story with Alex Smith—he is a better real life quarterback than as a fantasy QB. On Sunday, Smith mounted a legendary comeback that brought the Chiefs back from a 17-point deficit to a victory over the Chargers in overtime. Smith made 48 pass attempts on Sunday. Let that sink in for a second—FORTY-EIGHT! This is unheard of from Smith. Aside from one game against the Bengals last season, Smith had just one game that even came close to matching what he did on Sunday. The rest of the 2015 season was typical Alex Smith—pure game management.

It would be foolish to think that Smith is going to repeat his Week 1 performance on a semi-weekly—or even monthly—basis going forward. He is a QB2 at best and is nothing more than a stopgap if your team gets hammered with an injury. Where you can look to move Smith is in deeper leagues of the 14 and 16-team variety. If you drafted three QBs and feel like you have enough depth, flip Smith for a wideout or a running back that could help you late in the season when injuries start piling up.

Verdict: SELL. This isn’t a knock on Smith’s talent level, but rather the reality that he just isn’t a great fantasy quarterback. His Week 1 performance could easily go down as his best of the year.

Eli Manning, Giants

I had high hopes for Eli Manning headed into the season and truly believe he will pay huge dividends for those of us that passed on the Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck’s of the league and drafted him in the middle rounds. It’s a myth that you need a top ranked quarterback to win a fantasy football league. In fact, from my experience, it is much harder to take down the crown if you invest an early pick in a quarterback.

This week Manning and the Giants face off against one of the worst secondaries in the entire league when they host the Saints. Manning completed 19-of-28 passes for 207 yards with three touchdowns and an interception during New York’s Week 1 win over Dallas. Week 2 against the Saints should be a much different story as I expect a total shootout. Not only does this bode well for Manning, but also Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, and the rookie Sterling Shepard.

Verdict: BUY. If you drafted a quarterback high, there is no shame in trying to unload that player early on if you can get someone like Manning in addition to an upgrade at running back or wide receiver.

Running Back

DeAngelo Williams, Steelers

Over the last 12 months, Williams has filled in admirably for Le’Veon Bell and he didn’t disappoint during Pittsburgh’s 38-16 win over the Redskins on Monday night. At age 33, Williams is playing like he’s 23 and that only helps the Steelers as they make a quest towards the Super Bowl. It’s no secret what the issue is surrounding Williams: he’s headed to the bench when Bell returns.

You may be able to get another solid week out of Williams, but by the end of Week 2, it will be too late to move him. Pinpoint a panicked owner in your league or even the owner that is rostering Le’Veon Bell and make the hard sell. I’m a fan of DeAngelo Williams, but his long-term viability is in question as he’s headed to the bench in a few weeks.

Verdict: SELL. When Williams is on the field, he’s a serious producer in Pittsburgh’s offense. The problem is that his workload is going to be cut dramatically. Now is the time to get the biggest return you possibly can.

Adrian Peterson, Vikings

The word abysmal may not do justice when looking at Adrian Peterson’s Week 1 line. He carried the ball 19 times for 31 yards giving him a 1.6 YPC. Ouch. Minnesota had high hopes coming into the season and then Teddy Bridgewater’s leg was practically decapitated putting everything in question. The Vikings’ offense runs through Peterson just like it has over the last decade. Even after one of the worst performances of his career, he is still one of the elite running backs in the NFL. His age combined with his poor performance against the Titans could have some owners looking to unload him. Now is the time to pounce.

Verdict: BUY. This is Adrian Peterson we are talking about. I have the utmost confidence that he will bounce back in a big way going forward.

 

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Wide Receiver

Will Fuller, Texans

There are two ways to look at the passing situation in Houston. Either Brock Osweiler has found a favorite wide receiver or Will Fuller had a great start to his career and it was somewhat of an outlier on what to expect going forward. I am going to go with the latter. Fuller is a rookie and it is very rare for rookies to make a huge impact over a full season. There are ups and down and even though Fuller started his career with a monster high, things could go south quickly.

Fuller caught seven passes on 11 targets for 107 yards and a touchdown against the Bears giving him one of the best Week 1 performances in all of football. This is a classic case of selling high on a rookie. Unlike baseball where you need several days or even weeks of good production from a rookie to sell him, football yields an opportunity to move a fast starter immediately. Fuller is a prime example of selling high to buy low.

Verdict: SELL. Fuller is going to be a talented wide receiver in the NFL, but monster rookie seasons are as rare as a perfect Morton’s steak.

DeAndre Hopkins, Texans

While Will Fuller had a memorable performance in his first career game, DeAndre Hopkins was targeted just eight times and caught five passes for 54 yards. This won’t continue. Not only is Hopkins the best receiver on the Texans, but also, he was a top five pick in many PPR leagues. This is a golden opportunity to acquire Hopkins as his stock will not likely be any lower than it is after Week 1. He is an elite talent, but if you can acquire him for 80 cents on the dollar you’d practically be setting yourself up for an automatic playoff berth.

Verdict: BUY. How can you not go after an elite talent that started off the season with an average game? Hopkins is going to have a huge year and would be an invaluable addition to any fantasy squad.

Tight End

Kyle Rudolph, Vikings

I could have gone the obvious route and pointed at Jack Doyle as a sell option, but that would be too easy. Instead, I will pick on Kyle Rudolph. In addition to his injury woes over the years, Rudolph just hasn’t been a productive tight end. He played in 16 games last season and set career highs with 49 receptions and 495 receiving yards and that was with Teddy Bridgewater under center. Minnesota could start Sam Bradford as soon as this week, but he is still learning the offense and that really doesn’t bode well for any of the team’s offensive weapons outside of Adrian Peterson. Use Rudolph’s solid start to sell high. There has to be a believer in almost every league that thinks this will be Rudolph’s breakout campaign.

Verdict: SELL. Rudolph is a TE2, plain and simple. One strong performance doesn’t change that. Use Week 1 as an opportunity to cash in