We are now firmly in the middle 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 5 and translating it into Week 6 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 6.
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Which RBs Should You Trade for in Fantasy Football?
Katz’s Other Week 6 Trade Targets: QB | WR | TE
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Admittedly, it may not be possible to buy low on Jonathan Taylor. His managers likely know that the Indianapolis Colts were intentionally easing him in. But what if they don’t?
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We saw what Zack Moss just did and what he’s been doing in this offense. Imagine what a fully unleashed Taylor could do?
As great as Moss has been, it’s only a matter of time before the vastly more talented Taylor takes over. He should be a top-five fantasy back over the second half. If you can buy him for anything less, it’s worth it.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Another week, another good-not-great performance from Bijan Robinson. It’s going to be tough to pry him away from his manager, but perhaps the excessive use of Tyler Allgeier and lack of spike weeks have lowered his value.
The boom weeks are coming. Robinson is too talented for them not to. If there is any way to acquire him via trade, do it.
Which RBs Should You Trade Away in Fantasy Football?
Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
It goes without saying that there is no selling “high” on Rhamondre Stevenson. This is undoubtedly a sell-low option. I don’t care. Get rid of Stevenson at all costs.
The New England Patriots are the worst offense in football. Mac Jones will probably get benched, but I don’t think Bailey Zappe is any sort of savior.
Stevenson is a talented player, but he has nowhere to run. The Patriots can’t score any points, so Stevenson has no touchdown upside. There just isn’t any way for him to score points. It is not going to get better.
Stevenson is barely a rest-of-season RB3. If you can get anything resembling RB2 value, get rid of him.
Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
It’s probably a stretch to call Dameon Pierce a sell-high option. But if you look at his performance, the peripherals are very good. He carried the ball 20 times, caught a pass, and is on a surprisingly competent offense with C.J. Stroud playing excellent football.
The problem is it’s been five weeks, and Pierce has yet to hit 15 fantasy points in a game. The Houston Texans’ offensive line can’t generate any push, resulting in inefficient days on the ground. Since Pierce doesn’t catch passes, he’s very touchdown-dependent.
In a different situation, Pierce could be Nick Chubb lite. In Houston, he’s a random RB3. If you can sell him as an RB2 or package him with another player for an upgrade, it’s a great move.
Trending RB Fantasy Football Trades
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Should You Trade Joe Mixon for Jonathan Taylor?
I am not sure what to make of Joe Mixon. His role is excellent, arguably better than it’s been at any point during his career. Mixon is playing over 75% of the snaps and just carried the ball 25 times.
While Mixon’s efficiency isn’t great, he’s still the primary goal-line back. He just hasn’t really found a way to punch in those short scores. As Joe Burrow gets healthier and the Bengals offense improves, you have to think those are coming.
With that said, Taylor would’ve been a late first-round pick in 2023 fantasy drafts had all of the drama with the Colts not occurred. He’s just two years removed from finishing as the overall RB1.
Now, Taylor is back. Although he was clearly eased in, playing well behind Zack Moss in Week 5, his role is going to grow gradually. In a couple of weeks, expect to see Taylor playing 60% of the snaps.
The answer to this depends on where your team is at. If you’re 4-1 or 5-0, selling Mixon in a deal for Taylor might be a great way to bolster your lineup for the playoff push.
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If you’re 2-3 or worse, you need the immediate production Mixon provides more than the potential offered by Taylor.
A month from now, I expect Taylor to be the more valuable fantasy asset. Whether you are able to trade for him and wait it out depends entirely on your fantasy team’s position heading into Weeks 6 and 7.
Should You Trade Dameon Pierce for Jahmyr Gibbs?
Jahmyr Gibbs missed last week’s game after he strained his hamstring at Friday’s practice. We still do not know how serious the injury is. Gibbs could be back at practice on Wednesday. He could also miss a month.
Fantasy managers can certainly capitalize on the uncertainty, but they can also be seriously hurt by it. I am not one to roll the dice on a complete gamble.
Pierce’s role in the Texans offense remains very good. He’s just going to be a floor guy all season. But that’s really not any different from Gibbs. The only difference is Pierce does it on the ground, while Gibbs does it through the air. Either way, neither has much touchdown upside, and neither has a three-down role.
I don’t want to trade for either of these guys, but if given the choice, I’m sticking with Pierce.