The Buzzworthy: Five to watch right now on cardboard

The Buzzworthy is a fast take on five subjects in the news and what might move when it comes to their cardboard. Could some of these hot takes from Buzz be misses? Don't be afraid to tell him on Twitter. 

NEXT MAN UP
Calvin Ridley, WR Atlanta Falcons
With future Hall of Famer Julio Jones saying he's done in Atlanta, that means one of the guys who will be there should get more attention and to me that's Ridley -- even though his stats were already team-highs last year. Ridley had 90 catches for 1,374 yards and nine TDs to Jones' 51 for 771 and three ... but you might not know it from their cardboard. Ridley's RCs are in 2018 releases and he's affordable in a lot of instances, especially in comparison to other rookies from that class. Sure, defenses might focus on him more, too, but his numbers have been impressive after three seasons

Who else is Buzzworthy? Keep reading ... 

MAINSTREAM PUB FOR THE WIN?
2021 Topps Project70 cards
The volatility of Project70 cards seems to be seen with the recent sales numbers -- a new record-low has happened a few times in just the last two weeks but there have been some nice spikes, too, without any jumping into the top-five sellers. What might make a big difference here? Seeing the cards on FOX baseball broadcasts and that's something that's come on the heels of a spread in Sports Illustrated, though that's perhaps not what it used to be. (As a monthly, it'll be on shelves longer, though.) Cards like this classic (and others of late) will get people talking and looking, too. I think this set will be on the up-tick interest-wise after an oddly Yankee/Dodger-centric start.

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IS HE BACK?
Austin Riley, 3B Atlanta Braves
Sure, it's the year of the no-hitter right now in MLB, but it also seems like it's the year of the young slugger, too. Right now, 15 guys have 12 or more homers with this guy's teammate and well-established card guy, Ronald Acuña Jr., having 15 to lead 'em all. In just the last week, though, Riley has hit .478 with five homers and 10 RBI in just six games. He's already topped his total all of last year (four fewer homers in 80 games started strong but fell off late and he had 108 strikeouts and a .226 average at season's end. Despite that he sold some cardboard ... only now they're cheaper to stockpile and worth the look if you ask me. His Rookie Cards are in 2019 releases, while his early prospect cards are in 2014 releases -- more details on those here. His strikeout numbers this year are on pace to be big, too, so I'd hunt more for bargain-priced cards than big stuff ... but if the Braves put it all together the home-grown guys' cards should benefit. 

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BACK FROM THE DEAD?
WWE stars Aleister Black & Zelina Vega
Black hadn't been seen in a WWE ring since last October and his real-life wife, Thea Trinidad (aka Zelina Vega in the ring), had her contract terminated last November after she challenged WWE's policies about stars making money via third-party platforms and she publicly supported unionization. In April, WWE cut several performers from its roster yet he wasn't one of them when it seemed like he was out of favor and likely to be future endeavored. Last month, though, he re-appeared in a series of vignettes telling a mystical tale about his background (something that goes with his unique persona) and on Friday he returned to disrupt the main-event match of Smackdown. His cards never were all that pricey but it had looked like he was done so that didn't help. But, if he's injected into top storylines -- with her working with them as has been rumored -- it could be good news for both of their readily available and affordable cards. For WWE cards it's 2017-forward for him, 2018-forward for her while she also has TNA cards as "Rosita" from 2011-13. She's an all-around talent as a wrestler and manager who can talk and interfere in matches like few others but she hasn't worked with him -- just against him. It could work well here as she was a key performer helping push angles before she was cut.

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