Buy Low & Sell High Trade Targets Ahead of Week 3 + Worry-O-Meter (09/23 Fantasy Football Podcast)
The FFT crew ran through Wednesday injury news before diving into buy-low targets (Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Jeremiyah Love, Tucker Kraft, George Pickens, A.J. Brown, Jamarr Chase-adjacent value plays like Jameson Williams) and sell-high candidates (Jalen Coker, Dalton Kincaid, Davante Adams, Omarion Hampton, Stefon Diggs, Tyler Shough). They previewed Falcons-Packers Thursday Night Football with start/sit calls, ran a Worry-O-Meter on several backs and QBs, and graded listener trades.
This Wednesday preview episode of Fantasy Football Today runs the crew's regular buy-low/sell-high exercise ahead of the Thursday Falcons-Packers game, layered with injury news roundup, a Worry-O-Meter segment on struggling backs and QBs, and live trade grading. The central argument: several skill players who looked bad through two weeks (Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Tucker Kraft, George Pickens, Devon Achane) are undervalued due to bad quarterback play or crowded backfields, while several hot-hand players (Davante Adams, Omarion Hampton, Stefon Diggs, Jalen Coker, Dalton Kincaid) should be shopped now while their stock peaks.
The arguments
Drake London and Kyle Pitts are both buy-lows, but London is the safer bet. Heath argued London has already shown top-six receiver upside with Michael Penix Jr. feeding him, while Pitts remains dependent on unproven scheme changes. Jamie added optimism after the Falcons' offensive coordinator publicly admitted Pitts has been mishandled, but Dave was skeptical, noting Pitts is still running the same clear-out routes that doomed him in 2024 and that the group agreed you'd need to be desperate at tight end to trade for him now.
Jeremiah Love is a legitimate buy-low despite a rough Week 2. Heath pointed to his 12.5 touches per game pace and expects a bump to 15-plus touches with better matchups in the second half, projecting him as a top-20 back rest of season. The group debated Love versus Chuba Hubbard directly, and while Dave initially favored Hubbard given Carolina's explosive, aggressive offense (fourth-and-goal touchdown throw instead of a field goal attempt as evidence), the panel settled that Hubbard's owners could realistically get Love in a straight-up swap given public perception still favors Achane-tier backs over Hubbard.
Tucker Kraft and George Pickens are buy-lows tied to opportunity, not talent doubts. Dave highlighted Kraft's doubled route rate from Week 1 to 2, the Jaden Reed injury opening targets, and a stalled Packers run game as reasons Kraft becomes a focal point for Jordan Love; he later reinforced this with Atlanta's tendency to play single-high coverage against the run, which historically fed Kraft big target rates. On Pickens, Dave downplayed concerns about Dallas's offensive pace, noting their per-game snap counts are close to last year's levels even with the coordinator change.
A.J. Brown is a buy-low, but with real hesitation about his rest-of-season ceiling. Jamie framed him as the ideal target for 2-0 teams to acquire from struggling 0-2 A.J. Brown managers, banking on him being fully healthy for a playoff push. Dave pushed back, citing his own worry about the severity of Brown's high-ankle sprain compared to successful returns from CeeDee Lamb, Saquon Barkley, and Jonathan Taylor, and noted the Eagles also just lost their right tackle — he wouldn't value Brown as a true second-rounder right now.
Davante Adams, Omarion Hampton, and Stefon Diggs are sell-highs riding unsustainable spikes. Dave pointed to Adams's monster game coming against a Rams defense missing Puka Nakua and warned Adams has a poor track record in tough matchups (Houston, Philadelphia, Seattle last year); the group agreed they'd rather roster Pickens or even Nico Collins over Adams rest of season. On Hampton, Dave flagged an ugly efficiency profile (two fumbles, needing touchdowns to pad box scores) behind a bad offensive line and a brutal schedule ahead. Heath added Diggs, noting three touchdowns despite only 60% snap share, suggesting his name value could fetch more than his usage warrants in a trade.
Devon Achane and Travis Achane draw very different worry levels despite similar surface struggles. Dave was only moderately worried (35-55% range) about Devon, citing Ryan Heath's data showing his workload (264-carry, 60-catch pace) remains strong even as efficiency craters on a historically play-starved Dolphins offense. Travis, by contrast, drew a 75% worry score from Dave, with the group baffled by how the Saints handled the Kamara transition, though they still concluded this is likely the valley point to buy him.
What it means for your roster
- Buy now, before Thursday's kickoff: Drake London (safe, second-round value restored) and Tucker Kraft (start with confidence, target-share riding Reed's absence and Atlanta's single-high tendencies).
- Speculative buy-low, low cost: Kyle Pitts if you're desperate at tight end only; Jeremiah Love, especially if you can package a bench piece with Chuba Hubbard to acquire him.
- Sell into the hype now: Davante Adams (dangle for Pickens or Nico Collins), Omarion Hampton (schedule is brutal into the back half), Stefon Diggs, Jalen Coker, and Dalton Kincaid — all sellable to managers overreacting to name value or hot streaks, without giving them away.
- Trade target on A.J. Brown only if you're already a contender: treat it as a stash for December, not an immediate lineup fix; don't overpay given genuine injury-severity concerns.
- Devon Achane remains a hold, not a sell: workload metrics (carry/catch pace) still support RB1 upside even amid poor efficiency; Travis Achane is buyable at his current valley point given a likely workload increase as Kamara's role shrinks.
- Streaming plays for Thursday: start Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and Drake London as must-starts; Jordan Love graded as a borderline top-12 QB1 this week.
“When Wednesday closes a door, Thursday opens a window.” — Adam
Players in this episode
→ Worry-O-Meter ~20-55%; usage (pace for 264 carries, 60 catches) remains strong despite a historically bad Dolphins offense, making him a potential buy-low despite poor efficiency.
↓ Worry-O-Meter around 50-70%; concerns include A.J. Brown's injury, O-line losses, and shaky play, but some hosts see buy-low value once Brown returns.
↓ Top-20 PPR scorer but inefficient runner relying on touchdowns behind a bad O-line; brutal upcoming schedule makes him a sell-high.
↑ Buy-low with ~12.5 touches/game so far; expected to reach 15+ touches in the second half and outperform his current RB30 valuation.
→ Buy-low for playoff stretch, but hosts are genuinely hesitant given severity of high-ankle sprain and losing his right tackle; unsure if he returns as a 2nd- or 3rd-round-caliber player.
↑ Hosts see him as a clear buy-low; he's already flashed top-6 WR upside with Michael Penix Jr. and should be started against Green Bay regardless of early-season noise.
↑ Still seeing consistent snaps and target variance; buy-low given offensive line/play-volume issues limiting Dallas's overall production.
→ Referred to as 'Travis Achan' in transcript (likely Travis Etienne/Kamara confusion); Worry-O-Meter at 75%, hosts frustrated by inconsistent usage despite a high-powered Saints passing offense, but see this as a possible value valley to buy in.
→ Worry-O-Meter ~35-50%; increased route participation and target share are positives, but production still lagging (sub-10 PPR points in a good game script).
↓ Coming off a monster game with Puka Nacua out; hosts view this as an unsustainable peak and a prime sell-high, noting his history of struggling in tough matchups.
↑ Worry-O-Meter at 0%; has clearly outplayed Rico Dowdle and could see more work.
↑ Continued buy-low belief; better times ahead as O-line injuries resolve and Jared Goff nearly hit him for a big play last week.
→ Worry-O-Meter around 25-30%; hosts encouraged by increased targets last week and still view him as a startable WR3 even with Mariota potentially in at QB.
↑ Route rate doubling week-to-week and expanded role with Jaden Reed out and run game struggling; hosts project a top-10 TE outlook and a strong game vs. Atlanta's single-high looks.
↑ Only 22 carries through two weeks due to Panthers' aggressive passing game, but hosts believe he's the clear lead back and could smash ADP if the offense stays hot; most-traded player in CBS leagues.
→ Buy-low target after Falcons OC admitted he's been underused; hosts hope shorter routes/dump-offs unlock him, but caution against giving up much since it hasn't happened yet.
↑ Praised as looking like one of the best receivers in football right now in his new role, with strong route-running; hosts prefer keeping him over trading for Rashee Rice in one scenario.
↑ Sell-high, viewed as easily a top-3 rest-of-season TE, but hosts suggest flipping him if you have tight end depth to acquire a struggling stud elsewhere.
→ Sell-high as backup QB streaming asset with strong second-half performances; use his current QB7 output to fill other needs given three QB injuries around the league.
→ Three TDs in two games despite only ~60% snap share; sell-high since name value could fetch more than his sustainable output, though hosts are split on urgency.
→ Sell-high candidate; hosts love his role in Carolina's surprisingly good offense but want to cash in on his breakout for a proven bench-to-star flip, not drop him.