Week 11 of the NFL season just ended, and for fantasy football owners, you're likely in one of three positions.
Your team is a playoff lock.
Congratulations. But that doesn't mean your team is completely safe. Sure, your team has been great for you all season, but in a few weeks, it won't matter how your team did all year, it will be win or your hard work is all for naught.
Every team is different, but most likely, you wouldn't mind more consistency from your running game. Studs like LaDainian Tomlinson, Joseph Addai, and Brian Westbrook haven't been themselves, while picking the next breakout running back (where have you gone, Tim Hightower?) is proving to be impossible.
If your team is lucky and good enough to be in this position in the standings, your goal is to find out in what weeks your playoffs occur and create the best starting lineup you can in those weeks. If your league offers bye weeks for the top few teams, try to get one, but your goal is to be unbeatable when the season turns to sudden death.
With that in mind, here are some players to buy and sell, along with their schedules in Weeks 14-17. More preference is given to Weeks 15 and 16, since that is when most leagues hold their playoffs.
Buy: Joseph Addai, IND (CIN, DET, at JAX, TEN)
I might be a week late on the bandwagon, but getting Detroit at home is salivating news to Addai owners. Addai will be tough to acquire because every owner will see his schedule down the stretch, but he should be a top five-10 running back, easily, down the stretch.
Sell: Michael Turner, ATL (at NO, TB, at MIN, STL)
No one is more matchup-dependent than Turner, and Weeks 15 and 16 do not look good for the Burner. If you need him in Weeks 14 and 17, obviously start him those weeks, but if you can find other options the other two weeks, you definitely should.
Buy: Larry Johnson, KC (at DEN, SD, MIA, at CIN)
19 carries for 67 yards in his return against a porous Saints defense doesn’t look good, but it shows that Herm Edwards will give him the ball, as long as he’s healthy and playing. If an owner is down on him, you might be able to steal him, as long as you understand he is not an RB1.
Sell: Any RB on the Steelers (DAL, at BAL, at TEN, CLE) or Ravens (WAS, PIT, at DAL, JAX)
Willie Parker is healthy for the Steelers, but how long will that last? Either way, his schedule is horrible down the stretch. Pittsburgh does play Cincinnati Thursday night, so convince owners of middling teams to grab him for this week.
As for Willis McGahee, Ray Rice, or Le'Ron McClain, you don’t want any part of guessing who will score week-to-week anyway, so try to trade them if you can.
Buy: Reggie Bush (ATL, at CHI, at DET, CAR)
Bush is still recovering from a knee injury, so teams who can’t afford to lose may move him for more immediate help. Chicago doesn’t look nearly as fearsome as they did a few weeks ago, and the Lions are the joke of the NFL.
Teams don’t even bother passing against them anymore. His schedule isn’t quite as favorable as some of the others on this list, but his injury status makes him a worthy buy if you can afford to wait it out.
Sell: Marion Barber, DAL (at PIT, NYG, BAL, at PHI)
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about 1 month ago
Good thing I traded for Joseph Addai and Reggie Bush right before the trade deadline. Another guy you could have said for buy is Marshawn Lynch as he plays the Chiefs this week.
from about 1 month ago
I actually really liked Lynch earlier in the season because his schedule looked kind of easy, but some of the teams he faces have improved. Kansas City this week is definitely an enticing matchup though.
about 1 month ago
The chance to buy Addai low may have passed, but Bush would be a nice grab, esp in PPR formats.
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