It’s time to make some trades because you should always be trying to buy low, sell high, and get better in fantasy football. Heading into Week 8, we need to identify if it’s time to trade for some players who might have a suppressed value and if it’s time to get a huge haul for top performers.
A roster needs to be balanced. Sometimes, selling a cash cow for a whole bunch of good pieces is a great move to solidify your roster as you vie for a playoff berth. So, who should be on the move?
Who are some Week 8 fantasy football buy-low trade targets?
If you can find a panicked manager that currently has one of the following players on their roster, see if you can pounce.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Dare I say that the consensus QB1 is a buy candidate? This might be about the only window to make a move for Patrick Mahomes that doesn’t cost you half your roster. Mahomes is coming off arguably the worst game of his career, with a stat line of 206 yards, 1 INT, and no touchdowns.
It’s the first game that Mahomes hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since Week 4 of 2019. In that game, he had no interceptions and still managed 315 yards in a win over Detroit. Other than that, the only other game in Mahomes’ career (outside of his first start) that he did not throw a touchdown pass was Week 5 of 2018, where he managed 313 yards and threw 2 INTs. He took 1 sack in those two games combined — he took 4 yesterday.
In 53 games, this is as rough as it’s been for Mahomes. The team is 3-4, they got boat raced by the Tennessee Titans, and they look completely disjointed. Yet, it’s still Mahomes we are talking about. Check the price and see if you can get him at a steep discount.
Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
In a week riddled with injuries and byes, Aaron Jones seemed locked in as an RB1 against the Washington Football Team. Washington had been a putrid defense through the first six weeks of the season. Instead, Jones was stuffed for only 39 scrimmage yards, didn’t find the end zone, and finished as the RB31. Woof.
Through the first six games, Jones was the RB6 overall in half-PPR scoring. He averaged 15.6 carries and 3.8 receptions per game between Weeks 2-6. He has 6 TDs from scrimmage this year and topped 90 scrimmage yards in five games. Jones is an RB1 — no doubt about it. If you can get him on the cheap, do it.
Chase Edmonds, RB, Arizona Cardinals
Chase Edmonds is coming off a solid game that didn’t translate to fantasy points. He racked up 90 scrimmage yards but failed to find the end zone, winding up with 9.5 points in half-PPR. The usage is there, the yardage is there, but the low fantasy total can be deceptive and might be leaving managers scratching their heads.
Edmonds has been a pleasant surprise and a consistent RB2/flex play weekly, aside from the two games prior to this one. He topped 10 fantasy points in all four of the first games, but he has now failed to reach that target in three straight weeks. Still, his big-play ability is evident, and in the explosive Arizona offense, Edmonds is a high-upside player that needs to be rostered. He’s a perfect trade candidate.
Which potential trade targets should you sell high on?
Sometimes, it’s important to know when to cash out. These options can give you a haul in return and should be in trade consideration if the price is right.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
I have a confession to make — I was very wrong about Ja’Marr Chase. His explosive athleticism was evident in college, but I had concerns about his game transferring to the NFL. Apparently, winning with speed and physicality in the SEC can translate incredibly well to the next level (DK Metcalf, A.J. Brown, etc.).
Chase has been dominant, in large part because his college quarterback Joe Burrow has taken a massive step forward in his second year. In half-PPR scoring, Chase is the overall WR2. He has topped 75 receiving yards or caught a touchdown in every game. Absurd.
No, this is not to hate on Chase. I’m not saying to sell him because it’s unsustainable. After all, with the way that Burrow is playing and the ability that Chase has shown, I believe it is. However, if you can turn Chase into a low-end WR1/buy-low candidate (like A.J. Brown) and also get an extra piece on top, that’s a deal worth making.
Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers
Heading into this year, everyone thought second-year wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk would be the wide receiver to roster in fantasy football. Boy, were we wrong. Apparently, Kyle Shanahan doesn’t like him very much, as Aiyuk has completely disappeared from the fantasy radar in his second season.
Even with star TE George Kittle on IR, Aiyuk has been non-existent. Would you like to know how many targets Aiyuk has? 16. Would you like to know how many targets fullback Kyle Juszczyk has? Also 16. Aiyuk has 9 receptions for 96 yards through six games. It’s disgusting. Deebo Samuel, on the other hand, leads the team with 63 targets, 648 yards, and 4 TDs. He’s averaging 108.0 yards per game.
Maybe this is sustainable, but when Kittle returns to the field (presumably next week), I wonder if we will begin to see a slight downtick in usage and production from Samuel. The 49ers receiver is coming off another WR1 week, so the value will be high for a potential trade.
Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
Derrick Henry will be on this list every week at this rate, and I’m perfectly fine with that. There’s a good reason — Henry looked human for the first time since Week 1. With 29 carries for 86 yards and 0 TDs against the Kansas City Chiefs (who have been bad against the run all year), Henry ended his five-game 100-yard rushing streak. He also snapped his run of 7 TDs in the last three games.
Henry’s value has hardly taken a hit, though. In a completely unexpected fashion, Henry logged a passing touchdown, which proved that he can do absolutely no wrong in fantasy land this season.
He’s still seeing a workload that seems unsustainable. If you can move Henry for Aaron Jones (see above) and an extra wide receiver, that’s a trade I’m making.