The 2023 fantasy football season is now in the second half. With player values more firmly established, it becomes increasingly difficult to pull off buy-lows or sell-highs. Nevertheless, fantasy managers should be looking to improve their rosters. Here are a handful of players to explore trades for and buy low or sell high on.
Fantasy Football Week 9 Buy-Low Trade Targets
Here are a few players fantasy managers should be looking to acquire at a low price, if possible.
Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Rightfully so, Kyler Murray is rostered in too many leagues to be a waiver wire target. But given the tragic state of the quarterback position in fantasy football, could Murray actually be worth buying low?
We have no idea what to expect from Murray. We know players returning from torn ACLs need time to build up the mental confidence in their surgically repaired knees. It’s unlikely the super-mobile Murray will return right away.
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Even so, Josh Dobbs has been quite effective from a fantasy perspective in the Cardinals offense. With the team constantly trailing, they are often forced to throw. Murray could be looking at a ton of volume. Plus, we know he has elite QB1 upside because we’ve seen it.
If you’re struggling at QB, there’s not much you can do to fix it. Buying Murray while he is still a bit of an unknown might be your best shot.
Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys
Let me preface by saying that elite RB1 Tony Pollard is not going to happen. He is simply not as explosive or efficient as he was last year. But he’s also not nearly as bad as he looked against the Rams. In a game where the Cowboys scored 43 points, Pollard managed just 55 scoreless yards.
Better days are ahead for Pollard. The real issue in this game was Dak Prescott accounting for all four of the Cowboys’ offensive touchdowns, with the defense scoring the fifth.
Pollard’s role is still strong, and this remains an excellent offense. I would not pay high RB1 prices for Pollard, but if you can get him at the cost of an RB2, that’s a move worth making.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Seattle Seahawks
Kenneth Walker III predictably struggled against a stout Browns defense. If not for a first-quarter 45-yard run, his line would’ve been truly awful. This is now back-to-back underwhelming performances for Walker, with 13.1 and 8.0 fantasy points in his last two games.
This week, Zach Charbonnet actually outsnapped Walker for the first time all season. Use this to your advantage as an indication that a split might be forthcoming. I don’t believe it is. I believe this had to do with weird game script.
Walker is still the clear lead back and primary goal-line option for the Seahawks. They are past their bye and have much softer matchups coming up. Walker remains a clear RB1. Even buying him at par value is worth it.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Admittedly, it’s getting difficult to keep calling Chris Olave a buy-low option. The peripherals remain excellent, but if he doesn’t start producing soon, he’s not a buy at all.
Still, I have to go by what I see. Olave saw another nine targets this week. Once again, at least one long touchdown was missed by Derek Carr’s inaccuracy.
Olave has just one touchdown on the season. He’s been a solid floor guy, but the ceiling hasn’t been there just yet. I still think it’s coming, but his managers have to be growing frustrated by now. If they are, see if you can poach the talented sophomore WR for cheap.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
I’m not quite sure fantasy managers appreciate how solid DK Metcalf has been all season. He’s scored double-digit fantasy points in every game. They might look at this week’s 5-67 line and be disappointed. However, Metcalf still saw a whopping 14 targets. The volume is there. He’s now seen 23 targets in his last two games.
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The issue with Metcalf is he’s only scored twice, and in the games in which he did score, he failed to reach 50 receiving yards, so the games weren’t mega smashes. Those games are coming. Metcalf is still on the WR1/2 borderline. If you can buy him as a low WR2 or worse, do it.
Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia Eagles
It appears as though DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert cannot coexist. Only one can succeed. This week, it was Smith. But Goederts’s role is still very good.
Goedert has seen 29 targets over his last four games. After a slow start, he’s picked it up over that span but still hasn’t put together consecutive big games. Goedert is not some elite TE1, but he’s better than a streamer and worth trading for if you can get him below value.
Fantasy Football Week 9 Sell-High Trade Options
Here are a few players fantasy managers should be looking to sell at a high price, if possible.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Can I really call a player who was never really “high” a sell-high candidate? Let’s call him a sell “middle.”
We are now halfway through the season, and Trevor Lawrence has the same number of 20-point fantasy games as you and me. Simply put, Lawrence has no ceiling…at all. It does not exist. And at this point, with this large of a sample size, we have no reason to believe anything will change.
Fantasy managers who drafted Lawrence in the fourth or fifth round as someone who could potentially ascend into the ranks of the elite QB1 must accept that’s not going to happen. If anyone in your league still thinks it can, ship Lawrence away for whatever you can get. There’s no value in having Lawrence as your only QB — you can stream what he provides.
Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers
It goes without saying you can’t sell Aaron Jones high. There is no “high” upon which to sell. But you can sell Jones as if there’s still hope he can be a productive NFL running back. I no longer believe that to be the case.
Pushing 29 years old, Jones’ body has appeared to have betrayed him. His hamstring still isn’t 100%, and he’s now being outplayed by AJ Dillon. I am completely out on Jones.
If someone out there is willing to take on Jones as if he’s an RB2, sell away. Jones is an RB3, at best, for the rest of the season. Sell the name value if you can.
Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants
I hate calling one of the seldom few three-down backs in the NFL a sell high. But how much worse can Saquon Barkley’s situation get?
At this point, we have no idea if Daniel Jones is going to return this season. Now, Tyrod Taylor is out for who knows how long. If the Giants have to roll with Tommy DeVito going forward, they may not score any points.
Barkley carried the ball an absurd 36 times for 128 yards against the Jets. Aside from that usage being unsustainable in the modern NFL, Barkley’s receiving and scoring upside will be virtually nonexistent with DeVito under center.
Next week, Barkley has a great matchup against the Raiders. After that, the schedule starts to turn on him. Perhaps the best course of action is to let Barkley smash next week and then try and sell him for plus value.
Jordan Addison, WR, Minnesota Vikings
It pains me to call an ascending, talented rookie WR a sell-high target, but here we are. Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles and is done for the season. While Addison has produced like a WR1 since Justin Jefferson went down, it’s difficult to envision that continuing with Jaren Hall under center.
With that said, it’s not as if Hall just isn’t going to complete any passes. Don’t give Addison away. But if someone is willing to pay for him as if the QB downgrade isn’t going to matter, it’s worth exploring.
Calvin Ridley, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Apparently, this week was the random Calvin Ridley actually shows up week. He now has three games with 83, 101, and 122 yards. In his other games, he’s failed to top 40 yards.
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Ridley is still a name that carries weight. Whenever he has a big game, the presumption is that he’s back to being an elite WR1. I don’t think he is.
The Jaguars are on bye next week. Trevor Lawrence is not the prince that was promised — he’s just an average NFL starter. The Jaguars’ rest-of-season schedule is less than ideal. If you can sell Ridley off this performance, go for it.
Kyle Pitts, TE, Atlanta Falcons
Kyle Pitts is just a weekly staple on this list because it’s really hard to classify any tight end as a sell high. Travis Kelce is never a sell, and no other tight end is technically “high.”
Once again, Pitts proved that his two weeks of 15.7 and 14.3 fantasy points were flukes. They were the exception, not the rule. Since then, Pitts has gone back to his regularly scheduled programming, with 3-47 and 3-35 lines.
At this point, all Pitts has is his name. If he wasn’t Kyle Pitts, he would be on the waiver wire, not 94% rostered. Clearly, there are managers still valuing Pitts as if some sort of upside exists. It does not. If one of them is in your league, sell Pitts for literally anything and stream his production.
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!