There are plenty of strategies to use this NFL season when you are trying to win your fantasy football league. As you try to draft the best squad to earn the most fantasy points, you will also have to make moves during the season. Here’s a quick guide on fantasy football buying low, selling high.
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What Does It Mean to Buy Low?
When it comes to fantasy football, you can upgrade your team throughout the season by using the waiver wire or trades. In your league, you might find value in players who are yet to be breakout performers but are guaranteed to put up nice per-game numbers.
For example, you might find a star running back or wide receiver on another team in your league has a tough start to the season. Their fantasy owner might panic and be looking to sell the player. You know this player is bound to pick it up and will produce touchdowns throughout the year.
You can put together a solid trade package to buy this player while they are low. This is a way for you to get a high-value player at their lowest point. Now, you won’t always be able to convince a fantasy owner to give up on a star player early, but it happens more often than you think.
What Does It Mean to Sell High?
After you pick up a player at their lowest fantasy points per game, you make a move for them when they reach what you believe to be their highest point. This can be one to two games or even more. It depends on the structure of your team and the average points the player is putting up each week.
After a few weeks of putting up great numbers, fantasy managers might think it’s time to sell so they can get the most value for the player.
Buying low and selling high is all about potential trade targets. This might be a strategy for fantasy owners looking to make moves before the trade deadline.
Risks of Buying Low, Selling High
Now, there are plenty of risks to the buy low, sell high strategy during your 2023 season. The biggest one is there is no guarantee the player will break out at any point during the fantasy football season. Some fantasy football players have bad years. You might have thought you had an opportunity to buy low and the player is a bust.
QB Aaron Rodgers had an up-and-down 2022 season. Fantasy owners might have been willing to trade him and others might have seen him as a buy-low candidate. Rodgers continued to have an average year and only had a few matchups when he put up a lot of fantasy points. If you picked him up, you were likely stuck with him for the year.
Buying Low in Dynasty Fantasy Football
This strategy is common in dynasty leagues because you are working with multiple seasons. You can find value in young players or rookies you recently took in the NFL Draft. Since you can keep players for multiple seasons, you have the ability to ride a player with high potential and potentially sell them for several players down the road.
Read More: Dynasty Leagues Explained
Fantasy Football Buy Low Sell High FAQs
What is buying low and selling high in fantasy football?
Buying low, and selling high is when you get players at their lowest fantasy output before they break out. The player then puts up big numbers for your team and you trade them or drop them before they go cold again.
Is there a risk of buying low in fantasy football?
Yes. You could trade for a quarterback, tight end, etc. that you think will break out. Then, they never do hit their stride. This is the risk of making a move on the waiver wire or trading for a player at their lowest point. They might not break out of it.e
