Tuesday Transactions: Week Eight

Scott Connor

The end of this week marks the “official” point of many fantasy football seasons and more than halfway through the regular season. The week brought a bounce-back for many players, a few more devastating injuries and another week for dynasty owners to decide on which direction they want to take their team in 2020. Here are five transactions to consider after week seven.

Carson Wentz, QB PHI – Buy

Wentz has taken quite a bit of heat for his play thus far this year, but this is a game of sheer production and he has certainly produced when it matters. Checking in as the seventh-highest scoring passer, key weapons Dallas Goedert and Jalen Reagor have been unavailable for much of the season. Alshon Jeffery has been out, Zach Ertz is not what he used to be, but Travis Fulgham has emerged as a reliable option and Miles Sanders should also be returning in the next few weeks.

Do not confuse the struggles with value volatility. The Eagles have not shown that Jalen Hurts is any threat as a replacement and his contract insulates Wentz more so than many other quarterbacks in dynasty. His schedule after the week nine bye week and a weak NFC division should put the Eagles in the hunt every week for the rest of the year and there may be a deal you can get on Wentz in the near future.

The Move – Wentz is still worth a first and second-round pick in a 12-team superflex league. Adding to a riskier option such as Baker Mayfield, Matthew Stafford or Matt Ryan may also be an option if you must give back a quarterback. Finally, if your squad is looking to leverage multiple pieces, consider giving Russell Wilson in a deal to acquire the Eagles’ franchise passer if it makes sense from a value perspective.

Odell Beckham, WR CLE – Sell

My oh my, how far we have come. Only four years ago, Beckham was the number one overall receiver in dynasty and now, he is done for the season and facing an uphill climb back for the 2021 season. Furthermore, he turns 28 in November and it is possible that the dynasty curve is approaching a lot faster than we anticipate.

As of the latest ADP, Beckham is WR18 and that number is sure to plummet after the torn ACL. Like Courtland Sutton, as noted in the week three transactions report, the position is much too deep to bother sitting on an injured player without a major upward value trajectory.

The Move – If you are a contender, consider buying any production at receiver that you can get. DeVante Parker, Adam Thielen, Jarvis Landry and Robby Anderson would be easy accepts. Unfortunately, another contender may not be interested in selling these players. If you are out of the race, any first-round pick is an automatic “yes” if you can make it happen. Do not be fooled by the name cache and understand that if you want to get more Beckham exposure, there will be a future opportunity to do so.

Myles Gaskin, RB MIA – Buy

It is still difficult to read this name and be convinced he is worth buying. However, running backs are becoming scarce due to injuries and unpredictable usage. Gaskin has survived many barriers to get to week eight and it might just be worth buying into his survival skills. He ranks 15th in the league in snaps and is producing points at the same rate per snap as Joe Mixon and Melvin Gordon.

The Dolphins will be breaking in a new quarterback as they will turn to Tua Tagovailoa to begin week eight. The narrative has already begun that Tua does not target his back. Use this as an opportunity to inquire about Gaskin as he has survived competition seemingly every week since the summer and continues to come out on top. We might just have something here.

The Move – The Gaskin owner may be motivated to sell if they are not contending. Consider offering this team a younger back with more perceived upside who is not helping you such as Damien Harris. A convicted move would be offering a future second-round pick for Gaskin in superflex and acknowledging the risk you are taking. Regardless, running backs are scarce, Gaskin is past his bye and a strong play now could help you take home a title.

Rob Gronkowski, TE TB – Sell

Gronk smashed in week seven as he converted eight targets into five catches, a touchdown and a TE2 finish on the week. There have been back-to-back big games for the former Patriot and many have started to buy the narrative that he is finding his game legs again. Given the volatility and injuries, it is hard to argue with the production.

Although Tampa Bay looks like the team to beat in the NFC, many of their weapons are likely difficult to trust. Since the tight end position is probably a struggle for many contending teams and that only seven months ago, Gronkowski had little value, cash out high and understand you are locking in a profit.

The Move – Sell Gronkowski for a second-round pick in a tight end premium league or consider a pivot to a younger option like Chris Herndon on-top of a third. In a start two tight end league, attempt to swap him for a disappointing option such as Tyler Higbee or Evan Engram and add to Gronk to cash out.

Collin Johnson, WR JAC – Add

Another week, another wide receiver addition to the list. Johnson, a rookie fifth-round selection out of Texas got lost amongst a great class and largely went undrafted in most leagues with four round rookie drafts. After losing Dede Westbrook to a torn ACL and Gardner Minshew not being on the same with DJ Chark, look for Johnson to see increased opportunity. Despite a crowded wide receiver room, the Jaguars are sixth in the NFL in pass attempts and are on a bye in week eight. If the team turns to giving him a shot to see where he fits in the future, get him now while you can.

The Move – Johnson is a must-add in any league with more than 30-roster spots. Keep in mind, he is a wide receiver and they are a dime-a-dozen, but also keep in mind that more than one hundred receivers have posted a top-36 week on the season and he should have ample opportunity to do so in the second half of the season. He is a priority add in leagues with only one running back required to start and more than three flex spots.

CONCLUSION

Through six weeks, the time to move is now. Many fantasy-relevant players disappointed in week six and many non-relevant players produced. The backup tight ends sniped touchdowns left and right and combined with an already crazy season, be aggressive on players others might be down on and start inquiring.

scott connor