Fantasy Football: Buy, Sell, & Hold – AFC North

We’re six weeks in, how is your fantasy football season going? This is make or break time! Are you contending, rebuilding or unsure of where you stand? These questions should be answered before taking into account the information provided.

It’s important to know the right time to buy, sell or hold on players. Take a look at your team, what is your record right now? Where do you stand in total points and points against? This is more of an indication of where you stand than your record. Decide where you stand and see what you can do with these players. Buying and selling at the right time can help you not only compete today, but ensure you are staying competitive in the future as well. 

See previous buy, sell, hold here… NFC East, AFC East, NFC West, AFC West, NFC North

Buy – Donovan People-Jones, WR Cleveland Browns 

The best window to buy Donovan People-Jones cheap ended after a two touchdown performance Week 6. The secret is out, this guy is good! However, healthy Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry are the main guys in this run-first Cleveland offense, for now. 

There is a chance one of those two could be moved before the trade deadline. Landry is under contract for one more year at just over $16 million. He can be cut at the end of the year with only a $1.5 million dead-cap hit. Beckham could be cut at the end of the year with no dead-cap hit, but is signed for two more years at $15 million. 

When Rashard Higgins re-signed this offseason and two rookies were added in the draft, it muddied DPJ’s path to fantasy football relevance this season. But after a quiet start, he has 11 targets over the last two games. He has turned that into 9 receptions, 171 yards and 2 TDs. 

DPJ was a five star recruit out of high school. He has the size and speed (4.48, 40 time) to be an alpha WR. I am buying. This player has it all, and could be one of those rare late round WRs that hit. With what is believed to be a weaker draft class in 2022, I am willing to send a second round pick to acquire him. You might not even have to pay that much with Jarvis Landry set to come back from IR this week. 

Honorable Mention – J.K. Dobbins, RB Baltimore Ravens

If I am not sure where my fantasy football team is at, I’d be willing to make a move for Dobbins. With all the RB injuries this year, contending teams are looking for healthy bodies. See where the Dobbins owner stands in your league, maybe you can move an older (healthy) RB for Dobbins. 

Sell – Marquise Brown, WR Baltimore Ravens 

It hurts me to have him here, but even as a Hollywood truther I didn’t expect this start. After six weeks, Marquise Brown is the fantasy football WR7. He has scored a touchdown in four games this season. He dropped two potential touchdowns in the two games he didn’t score. Had he caught those two dropped attempts, he could have easily been the WR1 going into Week 7. Who saw that coming? 

So why sell a 24-year old WR who is getting chances? Most of this production has come without 2021 1st round rookie Rashod Bateman in the lineup. Not saying Bateman will take over target share, but it is another body to share with. 

The Ravens are relying on 31-year old Latavius Murray to lead their backfield. Le’Veon Bell and Devonta Freeman are past their prime as well. I think it’s fair to assume when J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards return next year, the run game will be more productive and featured.   

I have been quoted saying Hollywood doesn’t need quantity, he needs quality targets. I believe quality chances will continue to come, but to stay a top-12 WR on a run-heavy team will be tough; especially with the potential that Bateman offers and Mark Andrews still in the mix after signing a 4-year contract. I am not selling just to sell, but if you can use this run to get a good package, do it! 

Honorable Mention – Kareem Hunt, RB Cleveland Browns

I wanted to highlight Hunt as the sell, but with his recent injury shelving him, you will need to wait. If he comes back and is playing well before the fantasy playoffs he needs to be a top priority to move, especially on bubble teams. 

Hold – Tyler Boyd, WR Cincinnati Bengals 

Tyler Boyd is one of the more underrated WRs in the league. He is’t going to have too many ‘wow’ games, but he usually didn’t hurt you. However, on Sunday he was targeted three times and made one catch for seven yards in a blow-out win against the Lions. This is the third time this year he’s had less than 7 fantasy points.

Boyd is now competing with Tee Higgins and Jamar Chase. Those two targets can open up space for Boyd in the middle, like in Week 2. That week all three scored double digit points. Boyd also filled in nicely while Higgins was out in Weeks 3 and 4, but has had two down games since his return. 

Boyd is only 26, but is under contract until after the 2023 season. Ideally, it would be nice to see him be a true WR2 somewhere else. His dead-cap hit goes down to $2.8 million next year and $1.4 the year after. It’s hard to say what the Bengals will do with his $10 million cap hit the next two seasons. 

As fantasy football managers we won’t get the value we’d like back in a trade. I’d hesitate to buy because of the other two names surrounding him. His fantasy points will vary too much depending on the game script. In pass-heavy games he has PPR upside, but he doesn’t score many TDs. I’d hold, or wait for another string of good games before selling. 

Honorable Mention – JuJu Smith-Schuster, WR Pittsburgh Steelers

Injuries always make it tough to buy or sell. Anyone with JuJu Smith-Schuster should wait and see where he ends up before making any moves. He wanted to come back to the Steelers, apparently turning down offers from both the Ravens and Chiefs. We have likely seen the last of JuJu in a Steelers jersey. I recommend holding on to a 24-year old free agent WR, who has finished as WR20, 8, and 17 in three of his first four years.