Jordan Howard faces competition for touches and a difficult remaining schedule
Welcome to Week 7, and congratulations on still having a team worth improving. For those of you in dynasty/keeper leagues, there’s always a reason to stick with it, but for everyone else, it’s sometimes difficult to rationalize dedicating time to a sinking ship. If you find yourself in that boat, don’t give up, crazier things have happened. Even if you can’t see yourself making the playoffs, you can always play the role of spoiler, because if you can’t have that trophy, they shouldn’t be able to either. So, whether your drive to continue is governed by a will to win or by less honorable motivations, we have you covered. Read on, and happy trading!
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SELL
Howard looked great against Detroit and Indianapolis, but Jacksonville was another story. A touchdown last week saved Howard’s fantasy score as he only managed 40 yards from scrimmage, however, his luck may soon run out. Ka’Deem Carey had his best showing against the Jaguars by not only rushing for 16 more yards than Howard but by doing so with 30 fewer snaps and six fewer carries. It looks like as Carey continues to return from a hamstring injury he will see more and more time on the field. A committee may very well be forming that doesn’t even take into account the impending return of Jeremy Langford. On top of that, Chicago has the fifth toughest schedule for running backs in the league going forward, so things are only going to get harder for Howard owners. If you happen to be one of those owners, now is most certainly the time to sell. There’s always a chance he makes it through the next three or four weeks on top, but considering all of the obstacles in his way, the odds are not worth taking, especially when you consider that unenviable schedule. You may be able to get an RB1 in return, but in the likely event that such a deal isn’t possible, settling for RB2 (and maybe even flex) value could still be a win.
Technically, Ajayi is more of a waiver wire target since he’s currently owned in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, but for those that already own the Miami running back, now could be an opportune time to cash in. If he were owned in a majority of leagues and therefore not being talked about as one of this week’s top waiver adds, Ajayi’s stock would not be as high as it currently is. He did just record a career game by racking up over 200 rushing yards along with two touchdowns, but once you take a step back from that performance and remember what team he plays for, his allure fades. You remember he has a strengthening Arian Foster and three other guys who have seen work this season behind him, and, oh yeah, he plays for Miami. It’s not too hard to imagine the Dolphins having to play catch up in a good portion of their remaining games this season, and if that does happen, the ground game will suffer. Ajayi is definitely worth picking up off the wire, but his floor is lower than one should want out of their RB2, which is where his current worth seems to sit. If you can get a consistent RB2 type of guy in return or use Ajayi to bolster a two-for-one offer then take advantage of the present hype and pull the trigger.
HOLD
Let me preface this by saying that no one is worth holding on to if the price is right, so if you can somehow get RB1 value in return for West, do it. If, however, you find yourself in a league with any bit of common sense, you may want to hold off on trading West. He’s not going to get you 80-plus yards and multiple touchdowns every week, but if he can continue his current pace through to Baltimore’s Week 8 bye, he may have done enough to secure lead back duties for as long as things go well. With Kenneth Dixon behind him, it won’t take much of a slip in production to trigger a role change, but West’s current usage rate is encouraging. At this time, there is little reason to think that he will lose any more significant time to Dixon, and, as a result, should be considered a mid to low-end RB2 with possible upside.
BUY
It’s been a disappointing season so far for Hopkins. Since a strong start to the season, he and quarterback Brock Osweiler have struggled to stay on the same page, leading to some forgettable performances. Even for those who assumed Hopkins would see a regression from his stellar 2015 campaign, it’s clear that he has not lived up to preseason projections. This decline of his, however, has more to do with unfortunate game scripts and a tough schedule than it does his capabilities as a wide receiver. One could also argue that the emergence of Will Fuller has hurt Hopkins’ value by introducing another mouth to feed, but both players cohabitated nicely through the first two weeks, proving such a feat is possible. As for Houston’s schedule moving forward, they’re in the top half of easiest remaining team schedules for wide receivers, so things should start to open up for Hopkins. Week 7 probably won’t be the week that it happens as they play at Denver, but after that, things should start to improve when Detroit comes to town. Hopkins has been playing like an average WR2, but he still has plenty of WR1 potential. We’re not suggesting you expect the latter, but the chances are that we’re witnessing Hopkins’ floor and a positive regression could be just around the corner.
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George Haw is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from George, check out his archive and follow him @georgeWarfieldH.
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