Last week we looked at fantasy football players to buy as contenders without mortgaging your future. This week, we are looking at players to buy while the price is low, in hopes of their value rising next year. Tuesday we looked at QBs and RBs. Today we will look at WRs and TEs.
WR Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With Tom Brady around there is always the chance for veterans signing for the chance to win a ring. As it sits today, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown will be free agents at the end of the year. Godwin played on the franchise tag this season. Does he get tagged again or do they work out a deal? It’s hard to say. Tyler Johnson is built similarly and has the ability to play the slot, just like Godwin.
Johnson scored a combined 25 touchdowns in his last two years at Minnesota. He averaged 15 yards per catch and had 2487 receiving yards in that same span. Those are very impressive numbers!
One thing that led to his drop in the draft was choosing not to participate in the combine. He also chose to return to college for his Senior year.
Look for Johnson to make his mark next year. His opportunities have been blocked by the signing of Antonio Brown. Hopefully one or both of Godwin or Brown leave town, opening the door for Johnson.
His current price is an early third round pick in fantasy football dynasty leagues. Why not get him added to a trade instead of a 3rd? You get a player already established in an offense, potentially still catching passes from the greatest QB of all time.
WR Quintez Cephus, Detroit Lions
Through the first four games of this season, Quintez Cephus was averaging 9.2 fantasy points per game. That had him sitting as the WR43 in fantasy football. He had back-to-back games with a touchdown to start the year. However, he was shut down by the Ravens in Week 3, only catching one pass for eight yards.
In Week 4 he had a career-high 83 yards on three catches. He followed that up with three catches and 38 yards before having his season ending injury in Week 5.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Cephus are the only two WRs under contract beyond this year for the Lions. Do they bring in a high priced free agent? I can’t see Allen Robinson, Chris Godwin or Davante Adams signing with this struggling franchise. The Lions are not a WR away from competing. Do they use high draft capital on the position?
There are some questions to answer of course, but right now the price is right to acquire a piece that could up with value next year as a starter. His current value is slightly above a late 3rd, so peanuts to acquire a potential starter. The bonus about acquiring him now is he can be placed on your IR for the rest of the year.
Honourable Mention WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills
After a productive rookie season with 599 yards and 7 TDs, Gabriel Davis has taken a backseat to free agent veteran Emmauel Sanders. Sanders is currently having the season that many envisioned Davis having. He is averaging 10.3 fantasy points and is sitting just inside the top-36 in fantasy football at WR33. However, he only signed a one year contract and is 34 years old.
Can Davis work his way back into the lineup next year? He showed enough in his rookie season to justify acquiring him. The Bills offense can support multiple fantasy relevant pieces.
Davis is valued somewhere between a late 2nd and early 3rd. You can wait 2-3 years for your second or third round rookie to breakout, or you can get Davis thrown into a deal and have a fantasy relevant asset next year.
TE Harrison Bryant, Cleveland Browns
For the price tag of an early 4th, why not get ahead of the curve and grab a TE already established in an offense? TEs take the most time to adjust out of the skill positions.
Harrison Bryant has been quiet in his second year, with only 18 targets over the first 10 games. However, he flashed his potential in a few games last year. Particularly in Week 7, when he caught four passes for two touchdowns and 56 yards.
Right now the Browns have a three-headed monster with David Njoku, Austin Hooper and Bryant. According to sharpfootballstats.com the Browns have run multiple TEs sets on 46% of offensive plays this year.
Surprisingly, Hooper is the most targeted player of that group with 36; 11 of those passes have come in the red zone. Njoku is fourth on the team in targets with 31, but is second in red zone targets with seven.
Austin Hooper’s contract makes it near impossible for the Browns to shed him from their roster. There is an out after the 2022 season, but would cost them $7.5 million in dead cap.
David Njoku is a free agent at the end of the year. It wasn’t long ago he was requesting a trade, but then before the season started there was a Bleacher Report that he wouldn’t be opposed to signing a long-term deal.
The evidence shows that the TE is an important target in the Browns offense. If Bryant can take a step forward in year three and continue to develop, there is a chance in the near future that he can be fantasy relevant.
In his Senior year at Florida Atlantic, he put up over 1000 yards and 7 TDs on only 65 receptions.
His price tag is next to nothing, but he does need Njoku to leave to have a chance at a third year breakout.
TE Irv. Smith Jr., Minnesota Vikings
Tyler Conklin, a blocking TE, is currently sitting at TE15 in fantasy football on the year. He is averaging 7.9 fantasy points over nine games. The surprising part is he has done this with only three touchdowns on the season. Two of those came only a week ago in Week 10. I want to believe that Irv Smith could have done more than this.
There were a few in the fantasy football community, myself included, excited to see Smith get an opportunity with Kyle Rudolph gone. However, a preseason injury ended all hopes of a third year breakout.
If Conklin’s season is any indication of the target share that Smith could see next year, I’d be buying at his price. Conklin is third on the team in targets with 49. He has turned those into 35 catches and 513 yards. He only has two less red zone targets than Adam Thielen this year.
Conklin is a free agent at the end of the year. It’s hard to say whether he will be back or not. If Irv Smith can come back healthy and lock into the same target share or better, he will be a top-12 TE next year in fantasy football.
His current price is between a late 2nd and early 3rd. Much like Cephus, an advantage to acquiring him is he can go directly onto your IR for the rest of the year.
Honourable Mention TE Brevin Jordan, Houston Texans
I wrote about him in my first article with The League Winners, and my stance hasn’t changed on him. He hasn’t seen the field much this year, but in Week 8 he finished as a top-3 TE with 3 catches, 41 yards and his first TD.
He is the only TE under contract next year for the Texans. For a team starving for pass-catchers, Jordan could find himself a favourite target of whoever is playing QB next year.
TEs take longer to develop, so you could get a year ahead and trade a late 3rd to get a deal done. The bonus of acquiring him is he will likely be able to sit on your taxi squad for one more year.
Sheldon Hand
Sheldon Hand is an elementary school teacher. He started writing in 2019, and started working with The League Winners in 2021. He has been playing fantasy football for fifteen years, got into dynasty seven years ago and have become a bit obsessed.