NHL Best Bets for Tuesday (11/19)
Kenneth Le
Finally, you can turn your sports knowledge into real cash by investing in an athlete’s entire career. Prices rise and fall with every hit, huddle, and headline — and you can buy and sell instantly or hold for as long as you want. Three times a week, FTN will feature a player and his Mojo value — is it time to buy, sell, hold or short? Click here to get in on the Mojo action.
Week 9 of the NFL season was originally known as “Bye-pocalypse” with six teams (Denver, Dallas, Cleveland, the Giants, San Francisco and Pittsburgh) all resting this week. However, it was the injuries this week that became an even bigger storyline.
Over the past few days, several key offensive players that have been ruled out for this week’s matchup, or even worse, for the entire season. This presents a huge buying opportunity at Mojo for fellow starters or backups
Here are my favorite buying opportunities heading into Week 9 of the NFL season.
Rashod Bateman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
It was announced this week that Rashod Bateman would undergo foot surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury, ending his 2022 NFL season. While the Ravens rank just 28th in passing plays per game (29.4), the loss of their WR1 opens up investment opportunities on the team. Devin Duvernay ($5.81) is still below his one-month high of $5.84, reached Sunday, Oct. 9. While Duvernay’s production has been modest, he has seen 2.5 more targets per game in the two contests Bateman missed this season. It is worth noting, the Ravens have the easiest strength of schedule for wide receivers in Weeks 14-16. Baltimore will face a New Orleans team Monday night that has allowed the sixth-most receptions and receiving yards to opposing wideouts this season.
Another huge boost could come to tight end Isaiah Likely, a player who has already provided a solid ROI. I bought 60 shares of Likely at $3.25 Oct. 21, and he currently sits at $3.62, the high share price of his rookie season. Likely posted six receptions, 77 receiving yards, and a touchdown in Baltimore’s 27-22 win at Tampa Bay last Thursday. The loss of Bateman could initiate more two TE sets for the Ravens for the rest of season, increasing Likely’s opportunities. There is still a chance All-Pro TE Mark Andrews misses Monday night’s game against New Orleans, putting Likely in the ideal spot for more production. He has already enjoyed a $1.22 (51.1%) increase this season and could project to reach $4 per share by season’s end.
Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
The Saints made the difficult decision to place their star wideout on IR after it was determined he needed surgery to repair a dislocated toe injured in Week 3 against Carolina. The team was hoping surgery could be avoided, but the timing now ends Thomas’ season.
The optimal Mojo investment strategy here is tricky. Rookie Chris Olave has enjoyed a strong rookie season, ranking top 20 in receptions (37), 12th in receiving yards (547) and first at the position in deep targets (18). However, per the FTN Data splits tool, Olave has seen a decrease in receptions, targets and receiving yards in game with Thomas absent. Olave’s Mojo price is currently at an all-time high of $14.30 per share but is only up $0.02 cents in the past month due to volatility.
New Orleans received encouraging news that veteran wideout Jarvis Landry returned to practice this week and should be ready for Monday night’s battle against the Ravens. Landry may enjoy the biggest boost from Thomas’ absence, since his stock price has dropped from $18.95 per share on September 15th to his current $15.23 value as a result of the injury. The Saints actually see the sixth-easiest schedule for fantasy wide receivers from Weeks 11-15, despite their limited group of pass-catchers. Despite Landry’s advance age (29), he is an attractive buy-low player, who hasn’t played since Week 3.
Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts
With Indianapolis star running back Jonathan Taylor ruled out this week with an ankle injury, it is once again Deon Jackson time. The 23-year-old UDFA starred in Week 6 with the overall RB1 performance. Jackson totaled 12 yards, with 10 catches and a touchdown against Jacksonville. His price has risen moderately, residing at a current value of $1.79 per share. Taylor’s presence has stifled his growth, but another big day in Week 9 should boost Jackson’s value over $2 per share.
There have also been rumblings that Taylor’s injury could be more severe than indicated. If the Colts fall out of playoff contention, and shut Taylor down, Jackson could be auditioning for a main role with another team in 2023.
Jackson represents the perfect combination of short-term value with long-term upside. He could provide a nice ROI in Week 9 at New England, with a possible home run hit if Taylor remains sidelined.
