Fantasy trade deadlines should be right around the corner by now, and I’m going to try and get you prepared as best I can before they come. There were some really good calls in last week’s post, with Ken Walker in particular seeing a huge hit to his value. Let’s try to keep the momentum going with some good trade candidates this week.
Buys
De’Von Achane
Last week I mentioned that Achane would be activated off IR soon, and he’ll return to an awesome week 11 matchup against Vegas. This still applies, and this will be your last chance to grab him before he’s healthy. It is worth a try to go out and grab him.
Kyren Williams
Once again, I mentioned Kyren’s imminent return from injury last week. Cooper Kupp hasn’t quite taken over games like he did during his Offensive Player of the Year campaign; which may lead Sean McVay to give Williams more of a chance again in the receiving game. Buy him before he’s back.
Davante Adams
Aidan O’Connell looked solid enough in his return to the field – but, even more importantly – he comfortably targeted Davante Adams above his other weapons. Now that Josh McDaniels is gone, I’d expect “his guy” Jakobi Meyers to take more of a backseat role compared to Adams. Now – if any – will be the time we start seeing consistency.
Marquise Brown
As evidenced by my next name on this list, I want pieces of this Arizona pass game going forward. They are going to be throwing the ball a lot, and Kyler Murray is officially back this week. This offense had Josh Dobbs at QB10, and who knows what more will happen now. Brown also has that notorious chemistry dating back to his college days with Kyler, making his upside that much more enticing.
Trey McBride
Just as I’m excited about Marquise Brown, I can’t wait to see what Murray’s arrival means for Trey McBride. He was the clear number two option this week after being the focal point in Arizona the week before. He should be a steady TE1 option with Kyler Murray in there.
Sells
CJ Stroud
Even if you think Stroud can keep up his hot start, he can’t continue to be as good as he was this week against Tampa. Plus, his schedule going forward looks extremely challenging. I’d sell him if you think you can upgrade at a different position, and look for easier matchups in your QB.
Jahmyr Gibbs
In my opinion, David Montgomery’s imminent return means we’ll soon be seeing that headache inducing usage in the Detroit backfield. I wouldn’t even want the thought of that in the back of my mind. Gibbs’ value is at an all time high, and that is the best time to sell.
Kenneth Walker
We said it last week, took all the criticism, and we’re right back at it this week. Walker’s usage is going down. Pete Carroll continues and continues to talk up Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet is the better third down back. The Seahawks also face a run defense gauntlet coming up, facing teams like San Francisco twice, Dallas, and Philadelphia in the coming weeks. Still don’t feel great about K9’s outlook.
Jordan Addison
Obviously, this week’s Vikings & Josh Dobbs story was great. I don’t – however – like the uncertainty surrounding the Vikings going forward. For all we know, Justin Jefferson could be back any game now, and Addison will return to third fiddle behind Jefferson and Hockenson. Will Josh Dobbs be able to sustain this team the same way he did the Cardinals? There’s too much haze around Addison’s situation for me to have any real confidence in him going forward.
Deebo Samuel
Deebo seems to be back to full health, but, unlike Achane and Williams, I’m not particularly excited about his return. The Niners offense is and always has been crowded, and this year more than ever it feels like he has been the one to take the back seat while guys like CMC and Brandon Aiyuk grow their relationship with Brock Purdy. Use Samuel’s reinvigorated health as some leverage to try and ship him off for a more consistent contributor.
Holds
Javonte Williams
It seems like - finally - Williams has taken over this backfield. He dominated with 30 touches last game, and rewarded owners with 18.8 points. A workhorse back is a wonderful thing to have, so I'd hold onto him down the stretch if you can. However, I'm still a little suspicious of Sean Payton, and injury is always a question with a player like Javonte. I can't say I'm 100% comfortable shipping away assets for him either.
Saquon Barkley
With Saquon, you know he’s going to get the usage, so you may as well hold onto him. He will likely struggle with that usage – at least until the Giants fix their passing game if they even can – and such heavy usage can often lead to injury. However, Saquon is Saquon, and will likely be a solid RB2 going forward.
Tony Pollard
Pollard has seen elite usage all year, but hasn’t been able to consistently produce with it. I just can’t get behind giving up on that kind of usage, and think you kind of have to stick it out with him otherwise you’ll be selling low, which is almost never a good strategy. There are great matchups for Dallas coming forward, especially in the fantasy playoffs. I’m still holding out hope that Pollard can turn it around.
Cooper Kupp
Kupp hasn’t been mega productive just yet, but he’s still getting looks, and if/when Matt Stafford comes back, he should see his usual massive workload. Don’t sell him low, but the Stafford injury situation really muddies Kupp’s outlook going forward.
Taysom Hill
At this rate, Hill could be a sneaky league winner. At that pesky TE position, it’s looking like Hill can consistently produce for you: he has 5 TDs in the last 3 weeks. There may be a dud or two in there, but I have faith that Hill can be a TE1 for the rest of the year.