One of the most fun aspects of fantasy football is trading, and now is the perfect time to test out the trade market. We are at the midpoint of the fantasy football season, and teams have to make decisions on which direction their team is going. Picking the right players to trade-off and trade for is one of the most difficult things to do in fantasy football. It also the most fun, and we want to make sure it is not only fun, but it helps you win. Here are a few tips before we jump into the players.
I never try to sell a player at their low point. You will never get a good value on a guy that is injured or a guy that just had a terrible performance, especially if that performance was in one of the primetime games. It may work in some leagues, but it has been very difficult in my experience.
In my opinion, you always sell a guy when he is at his highest value. For example, Sammy Watkins should have been traded after Week 1, and Will Fuller, who has a history of injuries, should have been traded after his three touchdowns. These calls are hard, but you need to take advantage of buying or selling windows to get the most value in trades. Here are a few players that I would look to sell this week.
Quarterbacks
Aaron Rodgers – Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers has had a very mediocre season so far, and he finally had a blow-up game. Hopefully, it happened in your starting lineup. Rodgers is a player that some were starting to give up on, and he was benched for guys like Josh Allen or Carson Wentz this past weekend.
This was a huge game for him and will most likely be his best performance of the season. His value is the highest it has been all year, and this is why I would trade him.
I am a late-round quarterback guy, and if I could trade a guy like Aaron Rodgers coming off of a six-touchdown performance, I would. You more than likely are going to be able to cash in on this performance. It’s possible to get a quarterback like Kyler Murray, who didn’t have a great game this past weekend, and possibly, another player as well.
If you have quarterback depth, I would target a top 20 running back or wide receiver. If you can move a quarterback for a top 20 skill player or a top-five tight end, I am doing that all day and would encourage you to do the same.
Jared Goff – Los Angeles Rams
Jared Goff would have been untradeable a week ago. Hopefully, a small window of opportunity has presented itself. Goff had a three-touchdown performance against the Atlanta Falcons in a game where the Los Angeles Rams were able to put up 37 points. The Falcons’ defense has been awful, though, and this was likely an outlier for Goff. He has been average at best and subpar for most of these games, averaging only one touchdown a week prior to this Week 7 matchup.
If you still have Goff, I am moving on and trying to get whatever I can get for him before it is too late. That offense is struggling, and Goff’s confidence is wavering. My confidence in him is wavering and that is why I am trying to sell.
Running Backs
Melvin Gordon – Los Angeles Chargers
Melvin Gordon did not exactly have a good fantasy performance this weekend, but he did score a touchdown. Gordon is a frustrating player that missed a few games already because of his holdout and has really not contributed to your roster yet. His name value should carry enough weight to help you get a solid return in a trade.
Melvin Gordon is currently sharing work with Austin Ekeler, and Ekeler has looked like the more explosive player. Gordon has received the goalline work, but Ekeler is almost exclusively being used in the passing game. Those passing targets are far more valuable than carries, and right now, Ekeler is the superior fantasy football player in any type of PPR scoring format.
My suggestion would be to package Gordon with another trade candidate like Marvin Jones to someone needing wide receiver help. You can upgrade from Gordon to a better option at running back, and then get a free roster spot to use on top of it. I would look at guys like James Conner, Josh Jacobs, or maybe even David Johnson.
Adrian Peterson – Washington Redskins
Adrian Peterson was a good trade candidate after the Miami Dolphins game in Week 6, and I expected his trade value to decrease this week already. Peterson actually had a solid game against the San Francisco 49ers in the mud, rushing for 80 yards. A big part of this was due to the weather conditions and the game flow. Both teams were slowed down by the heavy rain that they were playing in. This increased rushing attempts and kept the game close.
The Washington Redskins will not be in many close games in the near future and these types of Peterson games will not happen. He is not utilized in the passing game at all and will barely be a top 36 running back in most weeks without that. Sell him while you can, if you can. Derrius Guice might even be a player you can look to trade him for.
Ronald Jones – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Ronald Jones has failed to take this job from Peyton Barber. Although Jones looks like the better running back and has more efficiency, the coaches are still utilizing Barber quite often. The team is rumored to be looking for another running back, and this might hurt your case, but there is a chance that they do not go get anyone as the team is not very likely to be making a playoff push. Either way, I am trying to avoid the Tampa Bay running back situation and would trade Jones away if possible.
You could use the fact that Jones has already had a bye week as I look to trade him or Barber for whatever I can get out of them. Hopefully, the London performance is far enough out of their minds that a needy owner will jump at the chance to get a healthy running back.
Wide Receivers
Robert Woods – Los Angeles Rams
Robert Woods is one of the players that has really taken the biggest hit this year as the offense has looked a lot different. Woods is currently ninth in the league in targets and second on his team, yet has zero receiving touchdowns.
His air yards have gone down, and he is only averaging 13.14 yards per catch. In addition, Woods’ catch rate has also gone down as he has only caught 36 of his 58 targets (62%).
This team has not looked good since the bye week last year, and the offense is not creating big plays. Goff is struggling and struggling, particularly when targeting Woods this year. Also, the emergence of Gerald Everett has come at the expense of Woods. Everett is being used in the red zone and getting a lot of the targets that made Woods a top 12 WR last season. I would look to move Woods after a solid performance (5 receptions, 80 yards) on Sunday. This might be the best opportunity to trade Woods away.
Marvin Jones – Detroit Lions
This trade option is pretty obvious. Marvin Jones had a monster game. Jones had three receiving touchdowns in the first half and followed it up with a fourth score in the second half. That puts his season total at five.
Outside of last week’s performance, Jones has been behind Kenny Golladay in targets and has failed to come up with the 50/50 balls that he made his money on in 2017. Although Jones has a good target share and has one of the top air yards in the leagues, I am still looking to sell.
You are going to be chasing points all year, and he is a headache to put in your fantasy football lineup. I assume a lot of people had him benched yesterday as he drew Xavier Rhodes in coverage against one of the top defenses in the league. See if you can turn his big day into a big pay off this week.
D.J. Chark – Jacksonville Jaguars
D.J. Chark has had a phenomenal season, and even though he did not have a great game on Sunday, Chark should still bring a lot of value in a potential trade. He has slowed down recently, and over the last two weeks, we have seen him trend downwards. Per Michael Florio with Fantrax, shared statistics show that over the last two weeks, Dede Westbrook has received more targets 8.5 to 5.5.
Gardner Minshew’s magic is starting to run out a little bit, and Nick Foles is still looming. Foles has had a history of targeting tight ends or slot receivers heavily. Chark is a guy that I would use to test the market. He is worth holding on to if you can’t get adequate value, but I would still test the market and see what is out there.
Tight Ends
Eric Ebron – Indianapolis Colts
Eric Ebron is a player that has had a very up and down career. Last year, he broke the efficiency metrics with 13 touchdowns on only 66 catches. This past week, Ebron had a spectacular grab that really boosted his numbers. Unless Ebron is your only option at tight end, I would test the market as most fantasy football owners are desperate at this position.
Jimmy Graham – Green Bay Packers
Jimmy Graham has really benefited from Davante Adams being out and has been serviceable recently. Graham has been not consistent as he has had three performances with 10+ points in five games played while posting abysmal numbers in his other outings. I am hoping that Graham is not your top option at tight end. If he is, you might have to stick it out with him.
Ideas for trade targets would be O.J. Howard or Tyler Eifert straight up or for even more. Both of these players are due for some positive regression, and both players are hot names for trade rumors. Two teams that are reportedly looking for tight end help are the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints. If Howard or Eifert were to go to either of these destinations, it could really benefit both of their fantasy outlooks.
If Graham is not your only option, you can throw him on top of another trade if the team is in need at tight end. That might just be enough to help you seal the deal on a bigger deal that you have been working on.
David Heilman is a writer and director of fantasy football content for Pro Football Network. You can follow him at @DynastyDorks on Twitter.