First of all, hello. My name is Ladd Davies.

I write for MrFantasyFreak.com, and JJ has asked me to contribute to this awesome fantasy resource that is LateRoundQB.com. I will be giving you my weekly “buy low” / “sell high” players in the world of fake football. I’m excited to join and look forward to what the rest of the season brings.

Fantasy Football is a fickle mistress…

I’ve heard this several times. It’s all too true. The value on any given player can rise or fall almost instantaneously. What was once a seemingly dominant roster at the conclusion of draft day can be reduced to a list of headaches and roster fat. Injuries, suspensions, Shanahanigans, or any other sort of circumstances can lead to a player losing value. Transversely, when one player loses value, the pendulum swings to another gaining said value.

That’s the word that I harp on throughout my writings: value.

That’s at the center of fantasy sports, to maximize every player’s value. My goal in this weekly article is to point out players you can target to best meet your team’s needs. Players whose value seems usually low or high and act accordingly.

When targeting these players in trades it helps to try and meet another owner’s needs. By looking to shore up their weaknesses, you have a greater chance at trade success. This is when trades do what they are supposed to: to make both teams better.

My basis for rankings come from ESPN standard scoring.

“Buy Low” Candidates

Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford

I list them together because both of these players are simply a case of being far too talented to stay down. Brady is currently the 15th QB in scoring while Stafford finds himself as the 22nd. Both of their schedules will get easier for them in the coming weeks. Brady, especially, has narrowly missed connecting with Brandon Lloyd for some big plays. They will find their chemistry. Same with Stafford and Megatron. They will be just fine. Expect good things.

Running Back Darren McFadden

He’s a big name. He was acquired in the first round for many fake team managers. That could make him hard to “buy low.” Regardless, it’s worth a shot to find an owner who could be antsy over his not so impressive scoring thus far. After the first two weeks, Run DMC is the 29th overall running back in ESPN standard scoring. In two games, he has a mere 54 yards rushing. But on the flip-side, he is tied for second in the league in passing targets (obviously helping in PPR formats.) He seems out-of-sorts in the newer zone blocking scheme of the offense, always thriving in power blocking offenses. Maybe I’m being an eternal optimist, but I believe that he’s talented enough to make adjustments. I think the coaching staff will also adjust in game planning – he’s the central point to their offense.

Wide Receiver Antonio Brown

The guy does make his money in PPR, but in standard scoring, he sits as the 37th ranked receiver. He has yet to score, but is probably Big Ben’s favorite target. He had 4 catches in week 1,  and 7 more in week 2. Keep in mind, those were games against rather respectable defenses in Denver and Gang Green. Big Ben will keep throwing his way and the production will come. He’s about to face an abysmal Oakland defense, so I believe right now is Antonio Brown’s lowest value this season.

I do want to mention Brandon Lloyd here as well. I see his name popping up in other buy low/sell high articles. And I agree with the other writers. During the preseason, his lack of targets concerned me and I thought he would be a disappointment. This is me officially eating my crow and loving it. It’s his targets over the first couple weeks that leads me to believe that even better days are ahead for Brady and the veteran wideout. I’m all in now. Get him while you can at any kind of discount.

Tight End Jermichael Finley

He can be a polarizing figure in fantasyland. He tends to battle bouts of dropsies. There is also that whole “lots of mouths to feed” idea for mother bird Rodgers. I mention Finley here because I think he should see a good uptick in value from his current 19th ranked position among tight ends. James Jones has been frustrating, Cedric Benson has been having trouble and Jennings is hurt. All things considered, Rodgers could be looking for Finley more and more.You could probably acquire him at bargain bin prices. I’ve even seen him dropped in some leagues. This is a case of possible minimal risk with high yield returns.

“Sell High” Candidates

Quarterback Eli Manning

Why mention Lil’ Manning as “sell high”? Because he just went nuts all over Tampa Bay’s secondary. Also, he does have a pretty challenging road ahead. He has yet to play a tough Philly defense twice, and still has to face the 9ers and Steelers. Mostly, though, you should “sell high” because during the two weeks of most fantasy playoffs, he goes up against Atlanta and Baltimore. That doesn’t sound like a formula for oodles of fantasy points. Do I think he’ll be bad? By no means. He has a sketchy run game and the NYG secondary is porous. He’ll be passing a lot. I just don’t see the matchups being favorable for high fantasy scoring.

Running Back CJ Spiller

He has been going nuts. I just wonder what will happen when Fred Jackson comes back. It’s not as though Jackson will go back to lead role, but having another presence in the backfield makes me wonder how the work will be distributed. As with Eli, his matchups in the fantasy playoff weeks do not look favorable. Week 15 he will have Seattle, and Week 16 (when most championships are decided) he draws the stingy Miami run defense. He may be a great fantasy player all year, but I just think he could pull in considerable talent to shore up other areas of your roster.

Wide Receiver Dwayne Bowe

He just had a great game and is about to go up against the horrid New Orleans defense. From there, his road gets a bit tougher and I see him coming back to Earth. Use these two weeks of production to maximize his value.

I sincerely hope this weekly article can help you on your way to the fantasy promised land. I would like to thank JJ for asking me to be a part of the LateRoundQB.com. It’s a great pleasure to be a part of such a high quality growing site. Hit me up on Twitter and let me know what you think. (@Ladd_Davies)

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