OSKAR GARCIA
Associated Press
Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson is one of the most traded players in CBS Sports and Yahoo fantasy leagues, reflecting a frustration many fantasy owners are feeling about his recovery from an ankle injury.
It’s tough to stomach: two missed games and in the two games before that, three total catches for 19 yards. One measly fantasy point in standard scoring leagues. Johnson’s 28-point performance in the season opener feels like a throwback.
But the bad and nonexistent games create an interesting conundrum, or opportunity, depending on where you sit in your league. If you have him on your roster, do you trade him now in Week 8 and get what you can, rather than hold indefinitely or make a clear mistake in dropping him? If you don’t have him, can you afford to take the risk to take him for the right price?
The answers, obviously, depend heavily on your team’s circumstances and the prices of each choice. But don’t cheapen his value by making a hasty decision.
Some trades involving Johnson that people are talking about on social networks are simply selling too low, such as Johnson for Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce and New England running back Shane Vereen, or Johnson for Buffalo receiver Sammy Watkins.
You may need to win now to keep your fantasy playoff hopes alive, but waiting for Johnson while streaming replacement-level players has some value that you shouldn’t underestimate.
Here are some other players who are generating trades and drops in fantasy who are still worth thinking about:
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DARREN SPROLES (RB, Philadelphia)
Sproles has been one of the most dropped players in ESPN leagues even though he’s on track to come back this week against Arizona. He hurt a knee in a win Oct. 12 against the Giants.
Online, some fans are openly wondering whether they should drop Sproles for players like Buffalo running back Anthony Dixon or Denard Robinson, the Jacksonville runner who had a sensational start last week.
This one is pretty easy and shouldn’t depend too much on circumstance: Sproles simply has a better role and more firm opportunity than the others. And the Eagles have had success when giving him the ball.
That may be little comfort to some fantasy owners worried about this next name.
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LeSEAN McCOY (RB, Philadelphia)
McCoy has been the third most traded running back in fantasy lately in CBS Sports leagues. Some of the deals being done: McCoy for Tom Brady and DeSean Jackson, McCoy for T.Y. Hilton and McCoy for Andre Johnson.
It’s a little tougher to evaluate trades when you’re comparing running backs with wide receivers and quarterbacks, but it’s very tough to get full value for someone like McCoy, who’s been improving and has the potential to be the best player in fantasy. Better to not chase players who are extremely talented but may be at the peak of their potential like Hilton.
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PERCY HARVIN (WR, New York Jets)
Harvin is eliciting many extreme responses in fantasy thanks to a bad fantasy year so far with 23 total points in standard leagues. Whatever you do, don’t expect him to be ready to play like a No. 1 or No. 2 wide receiver right away for the Jets after being traded from the Seahawks.
That said, he could be a big help in the fantasy playoffs, if you get there.
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Oskar Garcia can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/oskargarcia
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