The 2020 NFL trade deadline took place on Tuesday, with not many moves taking place around the league. Nevertheless, the trade deadline in real life signifies that the trade deadline in Fantasy Football is right around the corner — or in some league’s cases — the trade deadline could be this week.
Given that, I’ll try my best to pinpoint some players you should express interest in, and others you should be shopping around to your league mates. Just a reminder, some of the players or trades in this article could hold different values between redraft and dynasty leagues, so trade according to the format of your leagues.
Within this article, we’ll be using PPR scoring to determine the best players to trade for and trade away in the coming days. While everyone is expeditiously looking to make a move to position themselves for a playoff run, here are some buy-low and sell-high options in fantasy football ahead of Week 9.
Buy-low candidates
Ben Roethlisberger (QB, Pittsburgh Steelers): It was already assumed that Ben Roethlisberger would have a quiet day against the Baltimore Ravens. He would finish with a modest 15.28 fantasy points, giving him 15 or fewer fantasy points in three consecutive weeks. While he’s had relatively quiet performances in the past three games, Roethlisberger has one of the most favorable schedules the rest of the season, beginning in Week 9 versus the hapless Dallas Cowboys. Roethlisberger is a perfect buy-low option for the second half of the season.
Lamar Jackson (QB, Baltimore Ravens): Similar to Roethlisberger, Lamar Jackson wasn’t expected to have a stellar outing in Week 8 versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson would post 14.82 fantasy points while rushing for 65 yards on the ground. Even though he hasn’t quite been the QB1 he was a season ago, Jackson has an ideal schedule in the fantasy football playoffs, squaring off against the Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Giants from Weeks 13-16.
Nick Chubb (RB, Cleveland Browns): Targeting running backs that are poised to be activated off of injured reserve has been a popular tactic this season. One running back that fits the bill is Nick Chubb of the Browns, who is likely to return to Cleveland’s lineup after their bye week in Week 9 — barring a setback. Before his injury in Week 4, Chubb recorded two games of 24+ fantasy points and should be an RB1 once he returns. Some people who have Chubb rostered may be impatient and willing to deal him while he’s on his bye week.
Kareem Hunt (RB, Cleveland Browns): While Chubb is a prime buy-low candidate, so is Kareem Hunt of the Browns. Hunt was expected to have a fantastic showing in Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders, only to notch 9.2 fantasy points (second-lowest mark of the season). Besides being a buy-low option himself, Hunt and Chubb have proven that they can coexist in Cleveland’s run-heavy offense. In the four weeks that Hunt and Chubb played together this season, Hunt averaged 17.4 fantasy points in each game.
Robby Anderson (WR, Carolina Panthers): Early in the season, Robby Anderson was one of the pleasant surprises in fantasy football with him sitting as a top-five scorer. However, after scoring 17+ fantasy points in four out of the first five weeks, Anderson has recorded 13 or fewer fantasy points in three straight games for the Carolina Panthers. Despite his recent decline, Anderson is still one of Teddy Bridgewater’s favorite weapons, seeing eight or more targets in six out of his first eight games in Carolina.
Sell-high candidates
Todd Gurley (RB, Atlanta Falcons): If you were to look at his game logs, Todd Gurley is a scoring machine for the Atlanta Falcons. Gurley has found the end zone in six out of his first eight games in Atlanta, accounting for a total of eight touchdowns this season. But it’s important to note he’s had a favorable schedule and is currently the seventh highest-scoring RB in fantasy football — which means his current value is peaking. In the event you believe Gurley can maintain his flurry of touchdowns, then by all means hold onto him. But if you are like me, who believes he’s due for a decrease in production, then trading him now would be a wise move.
Zack Moss (RB, Buffalo Bills): The Buffalo Bills are among the handful of teams that have a timeshare at running back and it was Zack Moss who emerged as the No. 1 guy in Week 8. The rookie rusher concluded Buffalo’s narrow win over the New England Patriots with 14 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns. On the other hand, Devin Singletary also carried it 14 times for 86 yards, and also caught a pass for six yards. Seeing that Moss and Singletary are still splitting touches, I’d sell Moss to see what I could get for him in a trade following his 20.1-point outing in Week 8.
Corey Davis (WR, Tennessee Titans): Some people — like myself — have been holding out hope for Corey Davis to develop into the wide receiver who was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. And so far this season, it seems as if Davis is beginning to do exactly that, posting 11+ fantasy points in all five of the games he’s been active in for the Tennessee Titans. He’s coming off of a season-high 26.8-point performance in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals. As good as he’s been and as much as it pains me to say, it’s hard for me to envision him maintaining his current value for the rest of the season with A.J. Brown, Derrick Henry, Adam Humphries, and Jonnu Smith also in the offense.
Adam Thielen (WR, Minnesota Vikings): Before the season began, some people were perplexed on how to feel about Adam Thielen. Upon the trade that sent Stefon Diggs to the Bills, Thielen became the No. 1 option at wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings. The veteran pass-catcher got off to a blazing start, notching 26+ fantasy points in three out of the first five weeks. He has since tapered off, scoring a combined 19.8 fantasy points in Minnesota’s past two games, and has seen his usage decline with Justin Jefferson’s emergence. Not to mention, the Vikings don’t throw the ball often, lowering Thielen’s floor for the rest of the season.
