We are now heading toward the playoff push portion of the fantasy football season. Player values have mostly solidified, and draft day cost no longer matters when valuing players.
Unraveling all that we saw in Week 10 and translating it into Week 11 RB trade targets is where fantasy managers can differentiate themselves. To help you get your head around it all, here are our thoughts on some running backs to buy low or sell high entering Week 11.
Which RBs Should You Trade for in Fantasy Football?
Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
Can you really buy low on Travis Etienne Jr. after one down game? Probably not. But fantasy managers can be very reactionary. Etienne turned 11 touches into 44 scoreless yards in the San Francisco 49ers’ demolition of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Katz’s Other Week 11 Trade Targets: QB | TE | WR
While the schedule is about to get better for the Jaguars, perhaps you can scare Etienne’s fantasy manager with his tough slate from Weeks 14-16. I do think he can overcome it, or else I wouldn’t advise buying him. But if you can use it to acquire Etienne cheaper, make that move. He remains an elite RB1.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
The Jonathan Taylor takeover is complete. He has completely relegated Zack Moss to a seldom-used backup. Yet, despite Taylor’s dominance of the snaps and touches, he hasn’t had that smash game.
Over the past four weeks, Taylor has just one game over 15.4 fantasy points and has yet to score 20 in a game. Rest assured, those games are coming.
I view Taylor as a mid-RB1 for the rest of the season. This one isn’t so much of a buy-low as it is a buy. Don’t overpay, but be willing to pay fair value for one of the best running backs in football.
Which RBs Should You Trade Away in Fantasy Football?
Brian Robinson Jr., Washington Commanders
What an incredible performance by Brian Robinson Jr. against the Seattle Seahawks. Fantasy managers are most pleased with his 24.7 fantasy points, an elite RB1 performance. But Robinson is primarily a runner. And he only ran the ball eight times for 38 yards.
Somehow, Robinson amassed 119 yards through the air on six receptions. He came into this week with 137 receiving yards on the season.
This is quite the anomaly. Robinson is still a useful fantasy back, but he hasn’t been efficient on the ground and won’t do this through the air again. There won’t be a better time to try and sell him if you want.
David Montgomery, Detroit Lions
Earlier in the season, David Montgomery was an elite RB1. He was playing over 70% of the snaps and dominating touches. But after he got hurt, Jahmyr Gibbs proved he could be a three-down back. And most importantly, he looked fantastic doing so.
Now, this is no longer a starter/backup situation. Gibbs is the 1A, and Montgomery is the 1B. Gibbs even got multiple goal-line carries.
Montgomery posted RB1 numbers because of a 75-yard touchdown. He didn’t see a single target and wasn’t the clear goal-line back. If he didn’t have that huge gain, fantasy managers would likely be panicking about him. Well, you should probably panic anyway. Just don’t let your prospective trade partners know as you try to sell him off this strong fantasy outing.
Trending RB Fantasy Football Trades
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Should You Trade David Montgomery for Tony Pollard?
Here, we have two running backs trending in the wrong direction. Montgomery was an elite RB1 earlier in the season, but Tony Pollard has just failed to launch entirely.
Based on roles, this should clearly be Pollard. He’s the RB1 in one of the best offenses in football and doesn’t have an electric first-round rookie breathing down his neck. But Pollard just hasn’t looked like the same guy. His 55 rushing yards against the New York Giants were somehow his highest total since Week 3.
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Fantasy managers are a savvy bunch. They understand usage rates and the concept of positive regression. But it’s Week 11 now. It can’t be “coming” all season. At some point, we need to accept it’s just not.
While Montgomery’s role is not going to be what it was before the Gibbs breakout, he still possesses touchdown upside that Pollard has not proven to have. As a result, while I am looking to sell Montgomery, Pollard is not the guy I want to buy.
Should You Trade Jahmyr Gibbs for Travis Etienne?
I love Gibbs. He may be a bit undersized, but he is dynamic and has already proven capable of handling large workloads. If Montgomery got hurt again, there would be a legitimate debate as to who is the better fantasy back.
However, Montgomery is healthy and will have a key role. That means Gibbs is sharing his backfield in a way Etienne is not.
This is a great time to try and buy Etienne. He’s coming off his second-worst game of the season, and it was just the third time he failed to post RB1 numbers. Simply put, the Jaguars got passed by a superior team. I don’t see a single matchup for the reason of the season where they are at serious risk of being blown out.
Etienne’s role remains elite. His 61% snap share against the 49ers was a product of the score. He should bounce back in a big way next week. I would prefer not to part with Gibbs to acquire Etienne, but I do have Etienne ranked higher for the rest of the season.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!