Week 2 Fantasy Football Buy-Low List
Dorian “The Trashman” Colbert, Rosterwatch.com

Week 1 has gotten man fantasy owners in a tizzy, as a lot of players we thought would roar out of the gates have not lived up to their billing. Now is the time to seize those athletes that have owners scratching their heads before they figure out that first weeks are rarely indicative of future performance. Ask Kevin Ogletree owners from 2012. Here are several players we think you can get on the cheap based on their performances—or lack thereof—in Week 1 of the NFL season.

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Roddy White, WR Atlanta Falcons: White’s high-ankle sprain has to be mighty troubling to owners of a player who just doesn’t miss games. It’s an injury that takes time to heal, and the uncertainty from week to week can be unsettling. With the right trade fodder, you may be able to scoop up the veteran receiver from someone who doesn’t have the fortitude to deal with the unknowing. White may miss a few weeks, or serve as a decoy, but when he’s back to health, he’ll be a consistent fantasy scorer.

Lamar Miller, RB Miami Dolphins: Miller’s opening week performance left much to be desired, as well as a foot in the door for fellow RB Daniel Thomas. The thing is, we would know if Thomas was the answer for Miami by now, and after two lackluster fumble and injury-filled seasons, we are sure he isn’t. But the threat is just real enough for some to consider partings ways with an unproven Miller for a safer backfield bet. Take advantage of their wariness. It might take a game or two for Miller to really get going, but as your third or fourth RB, he should be worth the patience. We were high on him going into the season, and one bad game won’t make us back down.

Mike Wallace WR, Miami Dolphins: Wallace and QB Ryan Tannheill are clearly not on the same page, as evidenced by Wallace’s 15-yard performance in Week 1. The poor display of on-field success left Wallace with a bad taste in his mouth, and he made it known. Nothing gets palms sweating like a malcontent receiver, reliant on big plays, on a team that is in a rebuilding process. Now may be the best time all season to steal him away from owners hesitant to see him through. He’ll never be as bad as he was this week past, and we told you that Mike Wallace will struggle against Joe Haden. Expect the same out of Torrey Smith this week. Miami will go nowhere resting solely on the hands of Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson, so Wallace’s arrow is pointing up. It has nowhere else to go.

Josh Gordon WR, Cleveland Browns: People know Gordon is good, but not exactly how good. We know he’s great, and we know you can get him at a severe discount currently. Have no doubt, Gordon can perform at WR1 levels at will, but right now he’s being treated as a WR4. This whole two game-suspension thing has put him on the back burner in most people’s minds, and that’s terrific news for those in the know. Request him as the second player in a trade, and see how many owners shrug him over to you. Do it before Week 3 though, or the jig is up.

Cam Newton QB, Carolina Panthers: Ok, I’m not sure how cheaply you’ll get Cam, but he was already maligned going into the season, and his first week’s faceplant hasn’t helped his image. He’s not looking like a top-tier signal caller. But if trends are any indication, Cam will improve from his fourth ranked fantasy QB status of a year ago. He was fifth the year before that. Only a couple of quarterbacks have the kind of skill set Cam possesses, but their owners aren’t considering trading them. Pry him from the hands of an owner who has a decent second QB and needs help elsewhere.

Cecil Shorts WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert is gone and so are Shorts’ 40 yard games. Chad Henne has three times the arm of Gabbert, and Shorts will be the prime beneficiary, at least until Justin Blackmon gets back. Owners still doubt Shorts’ ability because of his reliance on the big play to pad his stats, but he’s a legit fantasy monster waiting to happen. You may not be able to snag him after this weekend, when Henne has Shorts all to himself, so act quickly.

Tavon Austin WR, St. Louis Rams: He may not have had a huge game one, but Austin was used all over the field, and he knew how to get open. As the Rams offense becomes more sound, I have a feeling we’ll see even more of the young man. He could be the second coming of Percy Harvin. Austin is still not a big name in the game, so you might be able to get him for a bigger star with a lower ceiling.

Kenbrell Thompkins WR, New England Patriots: You can scoff at the paltry 42 yard effort put up by Thompkins in Week 1, but you have to be impressed by the team-lead-tying 14 targets. Still, he’s disappointed a lot of owners who got caught up in his preseason hype. Many are anxious to cut their losses now, and a trade offer sounds much more noble than dropping him for the next hot waiver wire stud. I’m not saying he will be the boon that many had prognosticated, but he’ll definitely hold value. With a gimpy Danny Amendola in and out of the fold, you would be behooved to grab a piece of Patriots receiver real-estate.