With Week 9 of the NFL in the rearview mirror, the season is slowly inching its way towards the playoffs, and therefore, also fantasy football playoffs.
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Maybe you have somebody that has been below par, but you drafted him earlier and don’t want to give him up for peanuts or even just release him to the waiver-wire with him still having name value.
Do you see a player on someone else’s team that isn’t getting much love that has the potential to breakout and win you your Week 10 match, but you don’t know what type of trade package you get the player for?
Or, if you dare to test the waters and release a player to the wolves, drop them and see if there is an undercover gem as a free agent?
I have three players that you should either trade for, pickup from waivers and drop to help bolster your odds in getting more production for your matchup this week.
*All stats from fantasypros.com*
Trade For: RB David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
Yes, Montgomery is currently dealing with a rib injury and there is a possibility that he will not be able to play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov 12.
However, the running back market isn’t the greatest as of now and he is the perfect buy-low candidate this week.
Why?
Fantasy owners tend to worry about illnesses or injuries, and especially in football, every loss is more detrimental than other sports.
Detroit had a bye this week and if you combine that with his injury that has made him miss Detroit’s last two games, other fantasy owners may start to panic and hope someone offers a discounted deal to get rid of him.
Additionally, Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has emerged as a breakout star since Montgomery has been absent and that could hurt Montgomery’s value even further.
Against the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 30, Gibbs ran for 152 yards on 26 attempts, scored a touchdown and was targeted with five receptions for a-further 37 yards.
Before the injury, Montgomery was the focal point of the Detroit offense behind quarterback Jack Goff.
In his first season as a Lion, Montgomery has started in five games, rushed for 385 yards on 94 carries and has six touchdowns.
So far, Montgomery has averaged 15.8 average fantasy points per game and should instantly slot right back into Detroit’s offense, when healthy.
Owned in 95% of ESPN and Yahoo leagues, Montgomery will almost certainly not be available as a free agent in your league.
But, if he is on another person’s team and they are struggling, try to throw a trade with someone like New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara. Someone who has similar fantasy points this season, but is known as a star unlike Montgomery.
The Saints are 5-4 right now and first place in a-weak NFC South Division, but picking up Montgomery on a strong-Detroit team for the rest of the season is a more viable option.
For fantasy football, playoffs during the Lions schedule is very favorable, so picking up Montgomery should be huge.
Lions schedule during Fantasy Playoffs
- vs. Denver Broncos (3-5), Dec. 17.
- at Minnesota Vikings (5-4) , Dec. 24.
- at Dallas Cowboys (5-3), Dec. 30.
Waiver Wire Pickup: WR Noah Brown, Houston Texans
If your IR spots are full on your roster and/or you are looking for a free agent upgrade over someone else, hurry up and choose wide receiver Noah Brown while he is still available.
At only 2% rostered on Yahoo and 1% on ESPN, grabbing Brown would be a like finding a diamond in the rough.
Yesterday, the Texans came back from behind with six seconds left in the game to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 39-37.
Instantly, all the shine went to quarterback C.J. Stroud who threw five touchdowns and for 470 yards while going 30-42 on passing.
Furthermore, fellow Houston wide receiver Tank Dell recorded two touchdowns and had 114 receiving yards on six receptions.
But, Brown was the Texans leader in yards yesterday as he had 153, including catch a 75-yard pass by Stroud for a TD.
Instantly, Brown almost tripled his season high, when playing Tampa, in receiving yards as his previous record was 53.
At this moment, Brown has played in four games as a Texan.
Moreover, it could be risky picking Brown up over someone else in 10 or less-team leagues.
In contrast, for 12+ team leagues, getting Brown with not many other decent options available on the waiver wire could sneakily net you massive points in the long run.
Even though he only has started one game in 2023, the upside of Brown’s is high and should no doubt be included in deeper leagues after yesterday.
Drop: QB Clayton Tune, Arizona Cardinals
Last week, various media outlets were preaching for people to add Cardinals quarterback Clayton Tune to their roster for Week 9.
On one side, Tune was going to be the starter against the Cleveland Browns after Josh Dobbs was traded to the Vikings and Kyler Murray is not on the active roster.
Also, there was always the possibility that Tune could have done something to gain massive fantasy points with more snaps.
Personally, I did not understand the reasoning behind this because Tune has never be a No. 1 QB in the NFL and the Browns have an elite defense.
Before the game, it was projected that Tune was going to earn 12.1 points against the Cleveland.
Unfortunately, Tune would only earn 1.1 after throwing 12 for 21 for 62 yards.
I can see why some experts were saying to give him a shot, but there is no reason to have him on a fantasy team any longer.
Just this morning, only 2% of Yahoo leagues and 1% on ESPN have Tune rostered after yesterday’s game.
It wasn’t all his fault because of the team around him not getting open enough to produce any offense.
Soon, Murray will return to the 53-man roster and that will diminish almost any future opportunities for Tune.
If you were one of those who decided to test your luck with Tune, it is definitely time to admit it was a mistake and drop him immediately.
Ex-Cardinal Josh Dobbs’ Change of Scenery off to Perfect Start
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Alec Cipollini is the lead reporter of the Arizona Coyotes and Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account @AlecCipollini
