Dynasty Fantasy Football Buy/Sells for Week 2: For Whom the Bell Tolls

Well, there you have it, folks. With a full week of NFL games in the books, we now know everything we’ll ever need to know about our fantasy players.

Nothing from this point on will change. It is, as the youth say, locked in.

Or at least that’s what a lot of impatient dynasty managers tend to think. Week 1 thus provides the more even-keeled among us with some great trade opportunities.

Here are a few of them.

Buy - Chris Bell | WR | MIA

The best time to get this man on your roster was during your rookie draft, but if you didn’t, there’s still time to ring the Bell. (Ugh, I’m so sorry for that; I couldn’t help myself.)

Fellow Dolphins rookie Caleb Douglas had the big fantasy day, while Bell chimed in (seriously, so sorry) with just one big catch. A slow start for the talented receiver out of Louisville makes sense, as he’s coming off a torn ACL.

But it’s what Miami’s wide receiver coach said about Bell that really caught my attention. After saying the team didn’t even expect to have Bell available until after the bye week, Tyke Tolbert acknowledged that he’s currently behind the other receivers in the pecking order… but only because he missed so much offseason practice.

He also said Bell, “has a ways to go, but he’s up to a point where he's so talented that you have to put him on the field and see what he can do.”

Translation: Ring a ding dong, dynasty managers. The Bell is about to toll.

Buy - Matthew Golden | WR | GB

Anyone only paying attention to their fantasy scores was obviously happy to see a respectable day out of Golden, especially after an underwhelming rookie season. But there’s some jelly in this donut they might be missing.

Christian Watson obviously grabbed the (positive) headlines for the Packers after a career day, but it was the sophomore Golden who led the team in routes run, targets and air yards. He also saw multiple targets in the end zone, but unfortunately that’s all he did. See them. If he’d actually caught them, Golden’s dynasty value probably would’ve shot up.

I realize Tucker Kraft wasn’t playing at 100%. I know the backfield is held together by duct tape and high hopes. But these are still positive signs for Golden.

He’s clearly earned Jordan Love’s trust. And when you earn the trust of a quarterback like Love, whose only joy in life seems to be spamming throws into super tight windows, good things will happen in fantasy.

The touchdowns will come. Get the Packers’ WR2 before they do.

Buy - Colston Loveland | TE | CHI

I get it. This is the most obvious buy low candidate of all time. Which means it’s going to be extremely difficult to ACTUALLY get Loveland below his true value.

But you have to try.

Because if the manager with Loveland on their roster has even a fleeting thought that last week was a sign of things to come… then, hey, let’s explore that thought process with them.

They see the Bears put up a franchise-record 59 points in the season opener. They see Kalif Raymond (yes, he’s a real player, I checked) had eight receptions and 84 yards. And then they stare into the distance as they contemplate a world where all that happens and a healthy Colston Loveland walks away without a single fantasy point.

I promise you this was an outlier. He had an 89% route share! That was the most of any tight end! Caleb just… owed Raymond money, I guess. And now that that debt is presumably paid, things will get back to normal.

See if you can grab this top-four dynasty tight end just a little cheaper than you could’ve last week.

Sell - Omarion Hampton | RB | LAC

This is the lone sell candidate in this week’s article, mostly because I’m skeptical of kicking that drum for any player after just one week. Guys have bad days at the office.

But this is a little different. This one feels ominous.

Last week I told folks to watch for warning signs that Mike McDaniel does not, contrary to popular opinion, have “the juice” to efficiently run this Chargers offense while overcoming a shaky offensive line.

And, sadly, I saw no juice. Not a drop.

I saw a bland offense collect penalties like Pokémon cards. (People still collect those, yeah?) I saw Justin Herbert constantly take sacks like his controller froze in Madden. And I saw the same old O-line issues.

None of that’s on Omarion Hampton. But even an ultra-talented running back can’t consistently outrun such a disheveled offense. I don’t like wasting a year of an RB’s prime in a situation like this. I’d rather sell him high based on his name value and any lingering hope in McDaniel.