We are now eight weeks into the 2020 fantasy football season and are entering crunch time. Playoffs will be starting in the next five or six weeks, and the trade deadline is looming. At this stage of the season, there is really no reason not to be looking to trade. If you are 1-7, then this is really your last opportunity to make a run for the playoffs. If you are 8-0, then trading for injured players could be a way to boost your depth for the playoffs. The key to identifying potential fantasy football trade targets heading into Week 9 is to consider their value to specific fantasy teams carefully, targeting the players who you can buy low on and identifying the players you can look to sell high on.
[sv slug=”fantasy”]Four Week 9 buy low candidates you should pursue
If you are looking to buy low entering Week 9 of the fantasy football season, then a good team to target is one that is hampered by bye weeks because they will not be worried about trying to sell high on players. Those teams, especially if they are fighting for the playoffs, will be looking to simply field a team this week and maybe willing to trade you an attractive target at a value lower than the sticker price if they feel they are getting contributors back for Week 9.
QB: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
It was a rough week for Lamar Jackson, but for those of you that do not own him in fantasy, his performance creates an opportunity. As a passer, Jackson has struggled at times this season, but when running the ball, there is still plenty of value. Jackson has carried the ball 25 times for 173 yards and a touchdown in the last two weeks, providing a somewhat safe floor to starting him each week.
It is crucial to remember that Jackson just faced one of the best defenses in the league, so the multiple turnover day was somewhat of an anomaly. In the next three weeks, he faces defenses in the Colts, Titans, and Patriots who can all be got at, before facing the Cowboys, Browns, and Jaguars between Week 13 and 16. If the team with Jackson is getting frustrated over his performances, then there may not be a better person to buy low in fantasy football entering Week 9, even if it does not feel like you are getting huge value.
RB: Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
Taking advantage of trade targets coming back from injury in order to buy low is a crucial part of the fantasy football season, and Week 9 presents such an opportunity. Ekeler is roughly a week or two away from returning, and if your league does not have IR spots, then chances are Ekeler has been consuming a bench spot for someone in your league. If that person is desperate for players this week, then leveraging that desperation to get a game-changer in Ekeler is a great move. This Chargers offense is starting hum with Justin Herbert under center, and Ekeler could be due for some huge performances down the stretch.
WR: D.J. Moore, Carolina Panthers
This does not always work, and it is very league-dependent, but a great strategy to buy low in fantasy football over the years for me has been when a player struggled in a prime time spot. D.J. Moore returned just 7.5 PPR fantasy points, and the fantasy team with him might have been staring at that all weekend with frustration. If that is the case, then now is the time to strike.
Moore has seen a massive 33 targets over the past five weeks and saw six targets Thursday. However, when you watch the film, Moore was open consistently and could easily have seen 10 or more targets in this one. The Panthers will have reviewed that film, and I expect them to make a concerted effort to get the ball to him more.
TE: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
It feels like this is the wrong section for Mark Andrews to be appearing in because you just assume after his strong 2019 and a good start to this year, he would be a fantasy football sell high all season. However, that has not been the case, as Andrews has returned just five receptions for 53 yards in the last two weeks. Now we have the somewhat strange situation that Andrews is a prime low value trade target for fantasy entering Week 9.
A combined 10.3 PPR-fantasy points over the past two weeks will have the team containing Andrews starting to panic. However, he has seen 10 targets in the past two weeks and is averaging over five targets per game this season. Baltimore’s schedule gets easier in the next couple of weeks, and Andrews should be ready to bounce back.
Four Week 9 sell high candidates it’s time to trade
Around Week 9 is the prime opportunity in the fantasy football calendar to be looking to sell high. Teams are getting desperate to try and make the playoffs and will be willing to overpay for players who have had big returns in the past couple of weeks.
QB: Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts
Rivers is coming off back to back-to-back good games, but they have come against two of the worst defenses in the NFL. Do not let their Week 8 performance fool you; the Bengals are not a good defense, and we know the Lions are not either. Therefore, it is time to capitalize on the value of Rivers as a trade target entering Week 9. This week sees a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, whose defense caused all sorts of problems for the Steelers for large parts of the game in Week 8.
Rivers does have some matchups he can take advantage of against the Titans and Packers, but he has been so hard to rely on this season. If you think those matchups are good, then perhaps you could even try the sell high heading into Week 9 and then buy low if he struggles against the Ravens. From a personal perspective, I am shopping every share of Rivers I have entering this Week 9 clash with the Ravens before his shine as a fantasy trade target wears off.
RB: Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
Dalvin Cook was incredible this week, but it would be wrong to not think that some of that value has come because of his opponent in the Green Bay Packers. The Packers made Ronald Jones look like a world-beating running back just a couple of weeks ago, so it is no surprise they made Cook look extremely good on Sunday.
Cook does have a couple of tougher matchups coming up, with the Lions being somewhat stout against the run and the Bears defense not being a walkover. The other aspect to remember with Cook is that he does have a history of injuries that needs to be considered. I would sell high on Cook entering Week 9 of the fantasy football season because there is no guarantee he is going to be around to help you in your playoffs.
WR: Travis Fulgham, Philadelphia Eagles
Selling Fulgham might be tough as we enter the Eagles bye week, as there will be some fantasy managers looking at his fifth straight double-digit fantasy points return and getting excited. However, coming out of the bye, the Eagles should have Dallas Goedert back at full health, while Alshon Jeffrey and Zach Ertz could both be on the verge of returning. Week 8 saw Fulgham see a drop in targets below 10 for the first time since October 11th. Those targets figure to trend further downwards as the Eagles get healthier.
TE: Jared Cook, New Orleans Saints
If you sold high on Jared Cook heading into Week 8, then you are likely not overly pleased. However, heading into Week 9, Cook is an even better sell high than he was last week. Emmanuel Sanders and Michael Thomas are both due back in Week 9, so it is unlikely we see Cook continue to get over the three targets we saw him get against the Packers and Chargers. If those targets drop off, then Cook goes back to being a touchdown-dependent tight end, which is not an ideal situation. See if you can use this spike in value to flip him for a struggling tight end like Mark Andrews.