Stock Talk With The Czars: NFL Midseason Stock Up Report

[vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]As an avid fantasy football player and football card collector, I am fiending for NFL action during the summer. Once August hits, it is like a hurricane of fantasy football content and new NFL product is released, so August, September and October becomes a blur. It feels like we hit the midway point of the NFL season in the snap of a finger. As they say, time flies when you are having fun, right?

In this edition of Stock Talk With The Czars, I wanted to focus on which players are starting to see their value rise not based on their weekly performance, but from the first 9 weeks of the NFL season. Which players’ production are a mirage and which are the real deal? I’ll give my thoughts on that as well. In the next few days, we will also publish a Stock Down Report to help collectors see the other side of the coin.

Let’s Go![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_custom_heading text=”Week 9 Top Performers – STOCK UP” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]

QUARTERBACK

Lamar Jackson
Remember when “experts” said this guy should be a Wide Receiver in the NFL and not a QB? Oops. In the MVP conversation, Lamar Jackson has been one of the most exciting players on the gridiron each week and the spike in his value has been very Mahomes-esque. 3 months ago, you could pick up Jackson’s Prizm rookie raw for less than $5. Today, that same card is going for $15-$20 in auction. The window hasn’t closed yet to invest in Jackson. If he continues to dominate defenses like the Patriots, he can take home the NFL MVP hardware and we’ll see another spike in value.

Russell Wilson
My pick for the NFL MVP thus far, Wilson is having the best statistical season of his career and is on pace for a 4453/39/2 stat line. His 2012 Prizm rookie was selling raw for $8-$12 preseason, while most recently, the same card is being moved for $25-$30. Wilson is also old enough where Prizm isn’t the only moderately value “shiny” base rookie card. Back in 2012, Topps still had the NFL license and were able to produce NFL cards. Wilson’s Topps Chrome card is available for a touch less than Prizm (likely because newer collectors are unaware that Topps made NFL cards), but still falls in the $20-ish range. Personally, I’m a bigger fan of Topps more often than not, but I like the 2012 Prizm design more than Topps Chrome, so I’d be willing to pay a slight premium for Prizm in this instance.

DeShaun Watson
Many were high on Watson coming into the season, and if you were one of those collectors/investors, you are sitting pretty right now. Along with the QBs mentioned above, Watson has joined the ranks of upper echelon signal callers and the hobby has reacted accordingly. His Prizm base rookie (no it’s not a silver) PSA 10 is selling for $200+ and I think will finish the season around $325 if his elite level play continues.

Jacoby Brissett
It seems like yesterday that Colts fans thought there playoff hopes were dashed when Andrew Luck shockingly retired. Since then, Brissett has stepped in and looks like the QB of the future in Indy. I am THRILLED I picked up a bunch of his rookie autos for $5 over the last few years. Needless to say, I’ve made out on those investments.

Teddy Bridgewater
Teddy 2 Gloves made himself and his investors a ton of money with his undefeated play while Drew Brees recovered from a torn thumb ligament. Once free agency hits this offseason, Bridgewater should be the most sought after QB by NFL teams and his card value should see a rise in value depending on where he lands. I picked up an auto of his  #’d 75 at the Boston show (you can see that here: MailTime Episode 6) and will sit on it until he signs with another team now that Brees is healthy and starting for the Saints.

Gardner Minshew
Minshew Mania was fun while it lasted. The eccentric 6th round pick took the NFL by storm from Week 2 through Week 9 as he took over for an injured Nick Foles after Foles broke his collarbone Week 1. Coming off a Week 10 bye, Foles is back and Minshew has been sent back to the bench, but you better believe Gardner left his mark on the NFL in those 8 short weeks. Will Gardner have a shot to start again in the NFL? It’s tough to say, but collectors will surely keep their on him if/when he’s given the chance to start under center on Sundays again. It seems like players hold their value no matter their playing situation. While Gardner Minshew may never see his value peak the way it did in Weeks 4 through 7, he won’t be found in the dime box anytime soon.

RUNNING BACK

Christian McCaffrey
It’s rare that a running back is considered a true MVP candidate, but since Cam Newton went down with a foot injury, CMC has taken over as the bell cow and leader of the offense. What was once a $2-$3 card, McCaffrey’s 2017 Prizm raw base rookie card is going for $25-$30 as the historic 2017 NFL rookie class continues to dominate the hobby. I missed out on the opportunity to buy a collection that included a bunch of his autos, 1/1’s and high end rookies earlier this year. Needless to say, I am kicking myself for that mistake. Being a running back, I think we are approaching the ceiling for McCaffrey’s value, but he is a great young player who would be a nice piece to anybody’s PC.

Dalvin Cook
Yup another 2017 rookie dominating in 2019. After 2 years lost to injury, Dalvin Cook has finally lived up to the hype and has been a treat to watch on Sundays. Cook is still in a tier below McCaffrey, and rightfully so considering his small sample size, but if he continues to produce, I could see his 2017 Prizm rookie jump from its current value of ~$10 and get into the $20 range.

Austin Ekeler
A relative unknown outside the fantasy football community heading into 2019, Ekeler burst onto the collecting scene while Melvin Gordon held out for a new contract. Over the first half of the season, Ekeler proved to collectors that he is a player to collect. With Contenders being his only auto, if you find one for less than $20, you’ve won the day! He’s another one of those players whose cards were going for $3-$5 for a while, but now the cheapest listing for his 2017 Contenders auto is $25. If/when the Chargers move on from Melvin Gordon and Ekeler is given the chance to touch the back 15-20 times again, he could see his value jump considerably. You can bet that Panini will produce plenty of his autos over the next few years much like Adam Thielen.

Aaron Jones
Jones has cleared up any questions of who the lead dog is in the Packers backfield and leads the league in touchdowns scored 10 weeks into the season. Jones may never be a huge trade or purchase target in the hobby because he feels a bit replaceable and doesn’t have a ton of draft pedigree, but if he continues to produce it’ll be hard for collectors to deny him. Personally? I’ll pick up a couple of nice cards of his if given the chance.

Leonard Fournette
Once considered a “can’t miss prospect” out of LSU, Fournette hurt investors and collectors who spent a pretty penny on his cards, but in 2019 he has stayed healthy (knock on wood) and has been one of the most productive running backs in the game. The TDs haven’t been there, but Fournette is on pace for just under 1,500 rushing yards and 71 receptions, which would both be career highs by a mile. It has taken a little bit, but those who picked up some nice Fournette rookies back in 2017 may start to see a return on their investment.

WIDE RECEIVER

Chris Godwin
Godwin was a favorite as a fantasy football sleeper and he has not disappointed. Playing alongside fellow receiver Mike Evans, the two Buc WRs have created the best duo in the league, but everybody in the industry knew that Evans would continue to dominate as he quietly puts together a Hall of Fame worthy early start to his career. Godwin, on the other hand, people were hopeful but a 107/1493/11 (what he is on pace for) season? I don’t think anybody saw this coming. Pick up some Godwin cards now while you still can!

DJ Chark
The 2nd year receiver came into the season without many expectations around the industry, but we as collectors are starting to notice him. The super athletic receiver out of LSU was a 2nd round pick in 2018 and had a whole bunch of nothing ahead of him on the Jaguars depth chart entering the season. 9 games in and he is on pace for the best Jaguar WR season in recent memory. If all keeps going according to plan, Chark will finish 2019 with over 70 receptions, 1200+ receiving yards and double digit touchdowns, cementing Chark as the WR1 in Jacksonville for the foreseeable future.

Amari Cooper
Already a hot name in the hobby thanks to his Alabama, Raiders and Cowboys ties (huge/loyal fan bases drives value), Cooper is emerging as one of the best receivers in the game right before our eyes. He would always have up and down weeks where we would see him go for over 100 yards and multiple TDs, followed up by a week or two of disappointing production, but a full season is Dallas has changed all of that. Cooper is enjoying his greatest season as a pro in 2019 and has only had 1 clunker so far this year. Still only 25, Amari should be a staple in the hobby for the better part of a decade moving forward.

DJ Moore, Christian Kirk and Courtland Sutton
I’m lumping these three together because they all seem to be on the verge of a major breakout…just simmering before the explode. Heck, maybe we already saw Christian Kirk’s explosion onto the scene with a 3 TD performance in Week 10, but injuries have slowed him a bit this year. Meanwhile, Sutton and Moore have been nothing but consistent even though they have had below average QBs throwing them the ball. These three 2nd year receivers are on my short list of players to target.

TIGHT END

Evan Engram and Austin Hooper
Injuries have slowed down these two young receiving Tight Ends, but if you ask me, they have already made an impression on collectors. It’s unlikely that these guys will ever be as valuable as Gronk or Travis Kelce, but they are big physical Tight Ends who should be leading their position over the next 7-8 years. Take notice.

Mark Andrews
One of my favorite players from the 2018 draft class, Andrews has dominated as Lamar Jackson’s #1 target in a suddenly uptempo Ravens offense. Blessed with the size and speed most of us would kill for, Andrews is one of my favorites to be a hobby staple in the next 2-3 years. I’m telling you…BUY THIS GUY’S CARDS NOW!!!!

Darren Waller
A relative unknown before his Hard Knocks debut, Waller has been one of the best Tight Ends on Sundays and was rewarded by the Raiders with a nice 3 year contract. This tells me that he will be the main piece in an above average offense for at least three years. Considering that he doesn’t have a ton of rookie cards or autographs, I’d jump on the opportunity to pick one up if you come across it.

I hope you guys enjoyed that article as much as I enjoyed writing it. We will be back with a STOCK DOWN article coming next week, but until then Keep On Collecting![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text el_class=”blog-callout”]Please give us a follow and join our community on Facebook and Instagram and don’t forget to check back as we continue to add new inventory to www.cardsczar.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

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