Fantasy Football

If your fantasy league has its trade deadline this week, you are probably looking for avenues to upgrade the roster. Let's take a closer look at how you should be valuing the Baltimore Ravens' star duo of Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews.

Jackson has had a very up-and-down season. After starting off the year red hot, with three straight weeks of 20 or more fantasy points and two games hitting 39 or more fantasy points in standard leagues, he's registered just one game with 20 points.

Put another way—Jackson is averaging 21.8 fantasy points per week, but over his last six games that number drops to just 15.6 points per contest. Coming into Baltimore's Week 10 bye, Jackson was the No. 5 quarterback in fantasy, but his 15.6 points per week over the last six games would rank 15th overall.

If you are looking to buy on Jackson, you are focusing on his recent struggles, hoping to get him at a time when his value is dropping and banking on a late-season resurgence as the Ravens fight for a division title and playoff berth.

If you are selling on Jackson, you are pointing out his overall ranking this season, his MVP pedigree and his unique rushing ability that tends to stabilize his value. In other words, buy on him at QB2 prices, sell on him at a QB1 value.

Andrews is far more straightforward.

Coming into Week 10, only Travis Kelce had more overall fantasy points and more points per week among tight ends than Andrews. He's had a few stinkers and missed Week 9 with various injuries, but he's also had five weeks of double-digit scoring and four weeks hitting 20 points.

Only Kelce can top Andrews' overall upside on a weekly basis, even if players like Zach Ertz or Dallas Goedert offer a touch more consistency. But if you are trying to land him in a trade, expect to pay a premium, and if you are selling, demand a king's ransom.

He's fantasy's second-most valuable tight end, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone willing to debate that point.

With the fantasy trade deadline coming up this week in many leagues, it's time to take a closer look at the Los Angeles Chargers' receiving pair of Mike Williams and Joshua Palmer, both in the short- and long-term.

It's hard to justify trading for Williams right now, given the ankle injury that has kept him out of action the past two games. It is possible he might return to practice this upcoming week, which would be an indication that his stint on the sidelines is drawing to a close:

A healthy Williams is a WR2, albeit one who will often vary between huge games and more modest showings. In dynasty leagues, he should be viewed as such, but in redraft leagues, try to get him for cheaper given the uncertainty surrounding his injury status.

Palmer is an even bigger question mark, given that a lot of his value this year has been off the back of injuries to Williams and Keenan Allen.

With Allen only playing twice this year, Palmer has often been the second option, turning his promotion into 37 receptions for 390 yards and a score. Nothing to write home about, in other words.

But he has shown flashes. With Williams out in Week 9, Palmer led the passing attack, catching eight passes for 106 yards. He seemed poised for another strong showing in Week 10, only to play second fiddle (three catches for 44 yards) to DeAndre Palmer (four catches for 64 yards and a score).

If you are looking for help for the stretch run this season, look elsewhere. But Palmer is a very intriguing option in dynasty leagues, given that Allen is 30 and has struggled to stay healthy this season. A more regular role as the team's No. 2 wideout behind Williams could be in his future.

Don't pay premium prices for him, but if you can get a good deal to stash him, you might have secured yourself a nice flex option for the future.

Leonard Fournette was deemed doubtful to return to Sunday's 21-16 win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Seattle Seahawks with a hip injury.

But regardless of whether that injury hampers him going forward, it appears that Rachaad White is in line for a bigger role.

White rushed 22 times for 105 yards on the day, out-touching Fournette (14 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, one reception for one yard) while making the most of increased opportunity.

Because Fournette found the end zone, he had the bigger fantasy day, registering 10.8 points in PPR leagues compared to White's 10.5 points. But there was no doubt that the usage of both players was a major story around the fantasy football world after the early game in Germany, even before Fournette's injury.

White is going to be a must-add on waivers this week, even with the Bucs heading into a bye.

If Fournette's injury is serious enough to keep him out of action following the bye week, White immediately jumps into the RB2 conversation for your lineup. But if Fournette remains healthy, a full-blown platoon situation may be unfolding.

White appears to be the better pure runner at this point, though Fournette—who came into Sunday with 42 catches for 314 yards and three touchdowns on 49 targets—should still have a significant role in the offense if he can stay on the field, at least as a receiver out of the backfield.

In a platoon situation, both would have risky flex upside unless White steals the job outright or Fournette reasserts his hold on the starting gig. But White showed what he is capable of with a bigger role—for that reason alone, he should be one of your top waiver priorities this week.