Week 11 is here already, both the holidays and the end of the NFL regular season are quickly approaching, and frankly, I'm not prepared for either. Every year it seems like the NFL season goes by faster and faster.
Again, like last week, I need to point out that now's the best time to be stocking up for the playoffs. Put some money in players on playoff-bound teams. Try to find some relatively cheap QB RC's of quarterbacks on those teams. There are only 6 more weeks of games, after this week, before the playoffs start. Get your portfolios ready.
Now let's take a look at what cards went up last week.
Reminder: We love StarStock.com vault of over 300,000 cards. If you want just one resource for options, purchasing, and organization, they’re the site to check out. Images and stock prices courtesy StarStock.
Who's Hot?
Travis Fulgham
2019 Prizm
Travis Fulgham is about the only thing going well for the Eagles this season, despite them being in first place in the NFC East. He went from practice squad to number 1 receiver on the team real quick. Last week was his first game since emerging to not put up double-digit points in PPR leagues.
It's been a great season for Fulgham cards. His cards were pennies at the beginning of the season and now they're selling for as high as $7. The Eagles play the Seahawks next week on Sunday Night Football. If Fulgham can perform well in that game, which shouldn't be a problem against a beatable Seahawks secondary, his prices may rise even higher. Only problem is, how many more Eagles targets will be healthy by that point?
Jameis Winston
2015 Topps
It seems like a weekly thing, at this point, that someone on the "Who's Hot" list is there because of opportunity, not performance. And as a matter of fact, the starting nod was given to Taysom Hill.
His prices rose way too high, way too quick. He's already priced above perfection. Meaning no matter how he plays Sunday, it's unlikely his prices will go higher than they are right now. Not in the immediate future at least. If Drew Brees retires, and Winston is named starter of the Saints going forward, then his prices could go higher. But under current circumstances, I'd stay away from Winston at these prices.
Buy Low Candidates
Diontae Johnson
2019 Prizm
It's Week 11 and the Pittsburgh Steelers are still undefeated. When he's on the field, Diontae Johnson is Ben Roethlisberger's favorite target. He's pretty much a lock for 10+ targets if he plays all 4 quarters.
You can pick up his Prizm RC on StarStock for under $7 right now. That's unbelievably cheap to me and it's just about a must-buy. These have sold as high as $25 this season, so you have an idea of what the ceiling can be. If Johnson can stay healthy for the rest of the season, with the target share he's getting, his prices will rise again this year. If not, there's always next year.
Derek Carr
2014 Topps Chrome
We've been here before. I still think Carr is extremely undervalued. The Raiders are a team that's potentially playoff-bound and Carr has been playing very well this year. He's top 8 in QBR this year (a very overrated stat in my opinion, but I'm trying to work a narrative, so go with it).
Derek Carr Topps chrome RC's can be had for under $10 everywhere, that's too cheap for a QB that's potentially playoff-bound, who's tied to a franchise his entire career, and plays for a team with a big fan base.
Damien Harris
2019 Prizm
Damien Harris is running away with the running back job for the Patriots. In the last 4 weeks, he's topped 100 yards twice and has averaged more than 5 YPC in all 4 games.
The market has not reacted to his play on the field yet. Perhaps it's because of the injury earlier in the year, or maybe the fact he didn't touch the ball in his rookie year. Either way. his Prizm RCs are under $5 on every buying platform, which is way too cheap. Harris will still be with New England next year, so even if prices don't rise this year, next season is a possibility as well.
BALLING ON A BUDGET
Brett Rypien
If you've been following along this season you know that all it takes is for a player to just be named starter for his prices to rise. With Lock banged up, that could happen this week. There are also some rumors that people in the Broncos organization think Rypien is a better fit for the offense than Lock. Could this potentially be a situation like the 2012 Redskins, where the QB drafted later becomes the starter, when Kirk Cousins took over for Robert Griffin III? We'll have to wait and see. But considering you can get Rypien Prizm RC's for under $1, the risk/ reward just makes sense to me.
NEW PRODUCT RELEASES
2020 Panini Playoff
Hobby Box Configuration: 8 cards per pack and 12 packs per box. On average each box will have 2 Autographs, 2 Memorabilia Cards, 20 Inserts, 12 Rookies, and 4 Parallels.
Playoff is a really fun product to open. There isn't much value in many of the cards that come out of it, but it's still a fun product to open. The product is loaded with inserts and an autograph or memorabilia card comes out of 1 in every 3 packs of Hobby. They also release preview Autographs in this set from future releases like Contenders and Optic. Those are where the money is in Playoff.
If you are interested in learning about cards, reach out in discord. I'm there to answer any questions you may have about the hobby.
