An addendum to all the glowing things I’ve written about Devontae
Booker these past 4-6 weeks: his fantasy playoff schedule is tough. @ Titans, Patriots, and @ Chiefs. Each of these teams has yielded only three
rushing TDs all season. Tennessee and
New England are fifth and 11th, respectively, in rushing yards given
up per game. Booker is a rookie. We haven’t seen what he can do as a team’s
bell-cow. While I remain very high on
him, his value right now is sky-high, and his lack of an NFL track record makes
him fairly risky. Start him with
confidence today. Trade him for a
low-end WR1 with confidence tomorrow.
And that’s why I’ve just traded him.
It takes two days in my league for trades to go through, so I’ve got him
today. But at 5-2 and with a decent shot
(thanks to Allen Hurns) of winning this week, I’m looking to the playoffs. After several rounds of negotiations starting
yesterday afternoon, I worked out a deal this morning to part with Booker, Dak
Prescott, and Corey Coleman. In return I’m
getting Kenneth Dixon, Jameis Winston, and Amari Cooper.
At first glance, it might not look like a favorable trade. Coleman has top 15-20 WR potential when he
returns, and Dixon is no sure bet to become an every-week fantasy starter this
season. But it’s a calculated risk built
on my belief that Cooper (12th highest scoring fantasy WR, #6 in
receiving yards) is undervalued. While
his next 2-3 weeks could be brutal (Denver, bye, Houston), the rest of his
schedule is a thing of beauty. And his one
TD is an anomaly; he’ll finish the year with 7-10.
I also think Prescott is playing over his head. While I’m waiting for Big Ben to return,
Winston has Atlanta and Chicago at home in weeks 9 and 10 and faces the Saints
twice in the fantasy playoffs (useful if Ben gets hurt again).
Finally, Dixon is a speculative add.
Drafted about one or two spots before Booker was in this year’s NFL
draft, he’s comparably talented and is expected to get more touches going
forward.
Booker is untapped potential.
Cooper is the real deal. So I’m
locking in point security and better positioning myself for the playoffs. As with nearly every deal I do, it could go
either way. But based on probabilities,
I like my chances.
Good luck today.