• IDP Stock Market Week 1

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    Who are the best stock market investments and liquidations for the preseason? Here are my who to buy and sell, to help your fantasy portfolio this season!


    Every fantasy manager should look at their teams as the stock market. You want to buy rising stocks for cheap and sell at their peak, in order to secure a premium return. And just like stockbrokers and investors, you want to diversify your portfolio, with a number of different options. Not all stocks pan out and sometimes there are substantial losses, but there are also those penny stocks that can make you rich! Hopefully, my weekly stock market can guide you to a championship and those big payouts and help avoid those major losses.

     

    Stock Market Investments

     

    (Blue Chip Stock of the Week)

    LB, Blake Cashman, New York Jets

    The Jets just can’t seem to get out of their own way for whatever reason and this year has been no different. Their defense looked to be their strength, but it quickly got a lot weaker after the trade of Jamal Adams and then star linebacker CJ Mosley opting out of the 2020 season. That’s a lot of tackles missing from the field and someone has to try to fill that void. That someone is Blake Cashman, who the Jets drafted with the 157th overall pick in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL draft. When Mosley and Avery Williamson went down with injuries last season, it was Cashman that got the call to be the starter.

     

    When Cashman got the call, he didn’t disappoint. He played in seven games making five starts. Cashman took over as a starter in week two and started five of the next six games, playing an average of 67 snaps per game (90%+), while producing 6.33 tackles per game (38 total) over that span. As you can see, he was playing really well, before a torn labrum cost him the rest of the season. Now entering his second season, he’s getting a second chance to be a starter. At last year’s pace, he was on track to record 100+ tackles for the season. He should be able to replicate that this year, putting him in the LB3 tier. A must roster guy, that can be acquired cheaply.

     

    DE, Dawuane Smoot, Jacksonville Jaguars

    The next stock market investment is defensive end, Dawuane Smoot. This off-season has been a complete fire sale in Jacksonville. They have been shipping off their best players for the best pick compensation they can get in return. The position I want to focus on is defensive end. They have a superstar in the making, with Josh Allen. They had another stud in Yannick Ngakoue, but he became disgruntled and demanded his way out of town. So who on the Jaguars roster could take his place? Well, they have the perfect replacement right in front of them, in Duwane Smoot. While everyone is wondering just what the hell the Jaguars are thinking, maybe just maybe they know what they’re doing after all.

     

    Smoot is heading into his fourth season as a pro, with not one single start to his credit. Hold on, let me explain! Ngakoue who started 62 games the past four seasons, had between 8-10 sacks in each season except one when he had twelve. Smoot was just a JAG his first two seasons, but as a back up last season he had six sacks, without starting a game. This raises the question, what could he do as a starter? Can he replace Ngakue? The answer to these questions is yes! You should always look to diversify your portfolio and look for that next big thing.

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    CB, Logan Ryan, New York Giants

    Our next stock market investment is Logan Ryan. The Giants secondary has suffered some big losses causing their stock to fall as of late. They lost Deandre Baker to legal issues and Xavier McKinney to an injury. There are high hopes for the latter, but it will be next year before investors can get any type of return from him. Luckily for them, (and fantasy managers), Logan Ryan was still available on the free-agent market. His ability to cover and rush the passer will pay big dividends to those who have shares of him. Ryan is a penny stock whose value is rising fast right now and that can be picked up off waivers in most leagues. Go check your leagues for availability before someone else does if they haven’t already.

     

    Ryan was only the best scoring cornerback in most fantasy leagues. He had a career year last season in Tennessee, with 113 tackles, 73 solos, four interceptions, and 4½ sacks. I see no reason that he won’t provide that great of a return this year in New York. Cornerbacks that can produce sacks or even get the pressures are of premium value. In position specific leagues, he is a must roster option. In basic leagues, he is still worth rostering but as more of a DB2.  I am a Bull investor and buying all the shares of him I can and you should too. In today’s stock market, be sure to add this stock to your portfolio!

     

    Stock Market Liquidations

     

    OLB, Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

    Our first stock market liquidation is Shaquil Barrett. What a season Barrett had last season as he led the NFL in sacks, with 19½. After a lackluster first five seasons in the league with the Broncos, he finally found where he needed to be in Tampa Bay. They signed him to a one year show me something type of deal and they couldn’t have asked for a better return on their investment. So the Buccaneers rolled the dice and franchise-tagged him to see if he can do it again. Barrett fits with exactly what Tampa wants to do defensively. He will play as the opposite bookend to Jason Pierre Paul, as they will be a fierce pass-rushing duo.

     

    While I like Barrett and believe he’ll have another good season, I feel now is the time to sell, as his value will never be higher. I don’t see him getting back to last season's sack total. He’ll reach double-digit sacks again, but not enough to lead the league again. As an investor, I am selling my shares of Barrett, while the return is still high. I am always looking to maximize my returns on any player I have rostered. For me, Barrett has topped out performance-wise, hitting peak sell pricing. The odds of him repeating this are very unlikely, so I will sell early to avoid a loss later. Don’t get me wrong, if you can’t sell him at a premium then he’s worth holding onto. Just try to capitalize on this prime selling window.

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    OLB, Vic Beasley, Tennessee Titans 

    Our second stock market liquidation is Vic Beasley. What looked to be a simple free agent signing, in efforts to bolster their pass rush, turned into one of the biggest head scratching blunders of this off-season. Once training camp opened for players to report, Beasley was a no show. There was not even contact with him in the first few days. He finally reported a week late and failed his physical upon his arrival to the team. Four days later the Titans would place him on the active/PUP list. They just recently activated him this week, but with all this time missed and the recent signing of Jadeveon Clowney, it’s possible that Beasley is a week 1 inactive.

     

    The Titans hoped they could help Beasley revive his career and their pass rush. They were hoping they could help him regain his 2015 All-Pro form, where he led the NFL in sacks with 15½ and forced fumbles (6). In the three seasons since then, he’s totaled eighteen. So you can see the high and low of his career. He can be a key rotational piece for the Titans, if and when he gets acclimated to the team, but I don’t see it becoming anything more. Beasley isn’t a player that fantasy managers can rely on. He’ll provide a fair number of sacks and the occasional big play from time to time. Beasley is an LB4 tier player and best suited as a fantasy backup option.

     

    DE, Everson Griffen, Dallas Cowboys

    The third stock market liquidation is an interesting one. The Cowboys have been searching everywhere they can to find someone to play opposite of stud Demarcus Lawrence. They tried the draft and free agency, to only be disappointed in one way or another, whether that was unimpressive play, suspensions, or players leaving in free agency. They went out and signed free agent Everson Griffen formerly of the Minnesota Vikings. In his ten seasons in Minnesota, Griffen totaled 355 tackles and 74½ sacks. In six of his ten seasons, he recorded eight-plus sacks, including last year. Plus he has experience playing opposite of a superstar teammate, Danielle Hunter. Griffen will play the exact same role that Robert Quinn played last year for Dallas.

     

    So why am I am selling all shares of Griffen? Actually for a number of reasons, but let’s start with the fact that Griffen is 32 years old and will turn 33 in December. Not terribly old, but when you combine his age with the mental health issues he had a couple of seasons ago and his declining play, it all adds up. In redraft leagues, Griffen is a solid DE3 tier option. He’ll get you a decent number of sacks, which helps in sack heavy scoring leagues. I believe the forty tackles and eight sacks he had last season, is his ceiling going forward at best. I hope he has a good season for Dallas and is hot right out the gate, so I can sell all my remaining shares of him. 

     


    Thanks for reading my article and if you enjoyed it, you can read more of my articles on my author page at IDP Guys and Dynasty Football Digest. You can also follow me on social media, on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub I’m user KingTitan1 and you can tune in each week and listen to the podcasts, IDP Nation & Devy IDP Grind, that I co-host, on a number of different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy

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