Week 11, where if you started Tommy DeVito, Jaylen Warren, Khalil Shakir and Josh Oliver you can outscore your opponent by almost three times if they started Dak Prescott, Josh Jacobs, Stefon Diggs and Pat Freiermuth. Here is a look at last week’s dynasty buys and sells. As for buys and sells for dynasty heading into Week 12, well you will have to keep reading.
*Statistics sourced from Fantasy Life & Fantasy Pros
BUY THIS
Embed from Getty ImagesIsaiah Likely (TE-Baltimore Ravens)
WHY: Opportunity & Past Performance
Likely garnered 60 targets in his rookie season with three top-10 finishes to boot. However, Likely’s services have not been needed as much in his second year with new weapons at WR and a new offensive system. With Mark Andrews likely out for the rest of the fantasy season, Likely is certainly the next man up.
The benefit of buying Likely in dynasty is two-fold. Initially, Likely gives you a plug-and-play TE (outside of the Week 13 bye). Four of the remaining six games for the Ravens are against defenses that rank in the bottom-half in fantasy points allowed to tight ends. Further, who does not like a tight end tied to a burgeoning offense with a superstar QB under contract for years to come?
Sure, once Andrews comes back the expectation is that Likely will recede into merely a depth role. However, Likely is one of the few young TEs that produced early and can step up when opportunity strikes. This makes Likely definitely a valuable dynasty asset for the rest of the fantasy season and beyond.
Israel Abanikanda (RB-New York Jets)
WHY: Michael Carter Waived Leads To Increased Opportunity
One of the most valuable factors in RB success in fantasy is… Opportunity! Michael Carter has been waived, which speaks to the Jets confidence in the remaining RB’s considering Carter’s effectiveness at points. While some may look to Dalvin Cook as the next man up, do not forget about rookie RB Israel Abanikanda.
Since Week 1 Cook’s opportunity has dwindled, with a 49% snap share to start the season and never again eclipsing 30% outside of Week 2. As Breece Hall has gotten back to full strength there has not been as much need for an even sharing of the RB duties. However, RB depth is paramount in both the NFL and fantasy football.
In the first game after Carter’s release, Abanikanda got his first work on the season and nearly leap-frogged Cook’s workload with a 19-percent snap share versus the latter’s 22-percent snap share. While both RB’s could spell Hall, Abanikanda has more of a chance to improve his dynasty value than the aging Cook.
More Buys: Garrett Wilson (WR-New York Jets) & Luke Musgrave (TE-Green Bay Packers)
SELL THAT
Embed from Getty ImagesAlexander Mattison (RB-Minnesota Vikings)
WHY: Wavering Production & Productive Backup
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Mattison has not exactly taken the bull by the horns when it comes to leading the Vikings backfield following the release of Dalvin Cook. With an approximate 71 percent snap share through the first five weeks, Mattison had only one top-10 PPR finish.
Even with Cam Akers now out for the season, Mattison still lost snaps to Ty Chandler. While Chandler’s initial usage was a function of Mattison missing time with injury, Chandler filled in admirably. Since Week 5, Mattison has yet to reach 70% snap share and has only one top-10 PPR finish which was as the RB-10.
The Vikings offense is now being led by Joshua Dobbs and will soon have superstar Justin Jefferson back in the fold. For the rest of the season, I do not anticipate Mattison will separate himself from the rest of the Vikings backfield. Look to sell Mattison to someone contending who believes that he has a safe floor as the Vikings starting RB. Getting out on Mattison before the uncertainty of his situation next season diminishes his dynasty value.
Calvin Ridley (WR-Jacksonville Jaguars)
WHY: Boom Week Not Indicative Of Future Success
But Ridley was the WR-1 in Week 11! To the person who says that I say, “yes, but Ridley was also outside of the top-60 WR’s in five of the previous nine games.”
Chalk it up to the up and down performances of Trevor Lawrence or the emergence of Travis Etienne. I tend to believe that Ridley, at this point in his career, is a valuable piece to WR room. But to believe that Ridley would step right back into his 2020-level production would have been a bit of wishful thinking. For perspective, Ridley’s fantasy points per game are on par with Patriot’s WR-1 Kendrick Bourne.
Ridley celebrates his 29th birthday just before Christmas this season and will enter the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. With uneven production and a strong rookie WR class entering the NFL in 2024, it is worth considering selling Ridley in dynasty. As is the old dynasty adage, it is better to be out a year too soon rather than a year too late.
More Sells: Deebo Samuel (WR-San Francisco 49ers) & Tommy DeVito (QB-New York Giants)
Thanks for stopping by and I will be posting weekly buys and sells throughout the 2023 NFL season. If you have any questions on buys and sells or weekly roster decisions please feel free to reach out on Twitter (X).
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