THE STOCK EXCHANGE

By The Fantasy Trader, NFL Draft Bible

We have reached the quarter mark here on the trading floor. The first four weeks have produced some surprises in Sammy Morris and Derek Anderson. The market has also seen some fatal crashes in Cadillac Williams and Deuce McAllister. What is important about this time of year is that owners need to realize that it is only the quarter mark. No championships have been won and no season has been lost. Now is the time where you either buy low or sell high. The market has dictated the value on these players and set a price accordingly. I’m sure the price is drastically different then it was on draft day.

BUY LOWQB Philip Rivers - Owners look to be jumping off the Norv Turner ship and are selling Rivers for IOU’s. Once LT becomes LT again, Rivers will be able to flourish. Turner needs time to work with Rivers. The Chargers faced top notch defenses in the Bears, Patriots and Packers. The schedule will get easier and the offense will get rolling.

RB Larry Johnson- LJ was the consensus third pick overall on draft day, but is currently ranked 21st among running backs in fantasy points. Owners have to still like his 75 carries and 90 touches. His schedule will get better as he faces Jacksonville, Cincinnati and Oakland the next three weeks. Johnson is currently getting traded for guys like Ronnie Brown and Marion Barber. I would suggest dealing an over-producing back like Marion Barber and a middle of the road WR like Laveranues Coles or Ronald Curry.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew- Is anyone enjoying a bye week more than this guy? He is playing more like Maurice Clarett at this point. In some leagues he is actually on the waiver wire. Are you kidding me? I realize he has two fumbles and no touchdowns, but he will turn it around. Look for MJD to start turning it around this week against KC. Offer Ron Dayne or Ladell Betts for him and see what happens.

WR Torry Holt- If you drafted Holt expecting the Holt of years past then I told you so. He admitted that he would not be 100% early on. Owners are frustrated and will be looking to sell. The switch from an injured Marc Bulger to a healthy Guy Frerotte will only help Holt. Steven Jackson should return in a week or two and also provide relief.

WR Brandon Marshall- Does this rookie look good or what? Marshall has been solid and could easily be considered a sell high guy, but I think his numbers will only get better as Jay Cutler gains more experience. Javon Walker has gotten off to a slow start and has been bothered by injury. I’m not sure Marshall is ready to be a number 1 WR so it is very important that Walker stay healthy. Marshall will continue to feast on teams’ second corners.

SELL HIGHQB Brett Favre - I think I’m like the anti John Madden when it comes to this guy. Predicting the downfall of Favre has become a mainstay in this column and has failed to this point. Most owners of Favre have another elite quarterback. The golden Bret was drafted as a fantasy back up and now being shopped with Romo and Brady like value. Don’t take the bait and if you have him sell, sell, sell like orange juice in Trading Places.

RB LaMont Jordan- He has done everything his owners hoped for when they took him between rounds 8 and 10. Now it is time to part ways if you still can. Jordan let the cat out of the bag when he hurt his back last week. The return of Dominic Rhodes and the emergence of Justin Fargas spell doom for the good LJ. (Sorry Larry) The Raiders signed Rhodes as a free agent and are not about to let their money go to waste. Dangle Jordan from your line and see if anyone bites.

RB Ronnie Brown- Brown is currently the number 1 ranked RB in fantasy. I got stuck with him in one league in the back of the first round. He has out played the other guys available at that point like Thomas Jones, Travis Henry and Cedric Benson. Now I’m selling and looking to land an elite WR like Steve Smith and a decent back. The Dolphins passing game will likely be the demise of Brown. Teams will eventually take him away and make Miami go to someone else. He might’ve single handily won weeks for his owners. You really can’t ask for more, but this is a business. Sell him like the elite stock he isn’t.

WR Randy Moss- Here is the best case of fantasy mimicking real life. The Patriots stole him from the Raiders and owners stole him on draft day. He is by far, and I mean real far, the number 1 ranked receiver. You can get crazy Viking day value for him. He will continue to produce, but he can’t do this every week. You can trade him for any receiver and a decent running back.

WR Braylon Edwards- I actually hung out with Edwards the night before he was picked by the Browns. This guy is a smooth cat, but not a top 5 fantasy receiver. He is also a Cleveland Brown. Bernie Kosar is not walking through that door so Derek Anderson will have to keep it up all season. Edwards has 375 yards and 4 TD already. Owners should use him as a great second player to get a trade over the top. He is a nice throw in to get an elite back or WR.