4 prime sell-high fantasy football candidates entering Week 3
One way of maximizing your assets during the fantasy season is testing the trading market with overachieving players. After the slew of injuries in Week 2, it's a ripe time to sell high on several early-season risers in the fantasy ranks.
QB Matt Ryan, Falcons
The highest-scoring fantasy player through two weeks, Ryan has completed 72.6 percent of his passes (53 of 73) for 730 yards, five touchdowns and a league-best 10.0 yards per attempt. Up next, Ryan visits New Orleans in another A+ matchup to further pad his stat line.
After that, the schedule sours significantly. Dates with the Broncos, Seahawks, Packers, Eagles, Cardinals, Chiefs and Rams in a nine-week stretch between Week 4 and 14 are hardly cushy tests.
And while it's never advised too look to far ahead in fantasy football, quarterback is also the position with the highest replacement value most readily available in single-QB leagues. Vehemently hitching your wagon to any non-elite signal caller is a mistake.
Additionally, the Falcons are far from an offensive juggernaut. WR Julio Jones has been nursing various ailments dating back to the preseason, and it's a lackluster receiving corps behind him. Sure, Jones has a track record of producing at less than full health, but Ryan also threw for one touchdown or fewer in 10 of 16 games last year.
Keep the big picture in mind.
RB Matt Forte, Jets
Parlaying Forte's monster three-touchdown showing Thursday into a long-term upgrade is highly encouraged. The 31-year-old back is up to 2,087 rushing attempts during his nine-year career and is on pace to rush 416 times this year. Either his workload is going to decline, or the veteran is going to break down.
Forte has handled 52 of the 57 rushing attempts out of the backfield through two games and emerged as one of the few bell-cow tailbacks in the league, but it's an unsustainable tote share. He also only rushed for 3.3 yards per carry against the Bills last Thursday.
Remember, RB Bilal Powell averaged 5.75 yards per rushing attempt, caught 32 passes for 299 yards and scored three touchdowns through his final six games last year. He has seen the field for just 20.5 percent of snaps in 2016. His involvement will grow, and it wouldn't be shocking if he was as efficient as Forte in the coming weeks.
While Forte has been durable throughout his career, the tread is waning and the mileage is climbing. Plus, Powell is a serviceable rusher, and an upcoming schedule that includes dates with Kansas City, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Arizona and Baltimore is far from a cakewalk.
RB Jeremy Langford, Bears
Through the first two weeks of the season, Langford has a touchdown in each game and started both. The second-year back is healthy and has shown enough in the fantasy point column to check out as a viable weekly starter going forward.
The issue is his inefficiency after he averaged just 2.55 yards a carry against the Eagles on Monday, which follows up a campaign with 3.6 yards per tote last year. He also has caught just three of six targets thus far in 2016. It's also worth noting, Langford played both wide receiver and defensive back at Michigan State before converting to running back; he's a raw rusher.
Langford also dropped from playing 96 percent of snaps in Week 1 to just 60 percent against Philadelphia, and he has rookie RB Jordan Howard lurking. This is RB Ka'Deem Carey's third season with the Bears, too. This isn't a backfield without competition.
Making matters worse, No. 1 QB Jay Cutler is dealing with a sprained right thumb, which hinders the upside of the Chicago offense and Langford's fantasy potential. Additionally, on the other side of the ball, the Bears lost starting DE Lamarr Houston and DT Eddie Goldman, which should exacerbate the already poor game script Chicago will find itself in going forward.
WR Corey Coleman, Browns
Talent isn't the concern, and Coleman owners should have been ecstatic with his instant chemistry with QB Josh McCown last week. The duo connected on five of eight targets for 104 yards and two scores, and Coleman showcased his game-breaking talent could shine on the largest stage.
With McCown set to miss time, all bets are off now, though. Rookie QB Cody Kessler has been billed as unready, and he'll also be the third starting quarterback in three games for the lowly Browns.
Cleveland has intriguing offensive pieces next to a likely basement-dwelling defense, which is typically a recipe for fantasy fireworks. Unfortunately, competent quarterbacking is vital to maintaining long drives and capping them off with touchdowns.
Coleman's target share was already set to take a hit when WR Josh Gordon returned from suspension in Week 5. So, with a two-headed attack on the ground, TE Gary Barnidge and WR Terrelle Pryor Sr. also involved, there might just be too many mouths to feed.
Expect Coleman's fantasy stock to be a weekly guessing game.