We are now through five weeks of the fantasy football season. Fantasy managers should always be looking to improve their rosters. With that in mind, here are a handful of players to explore trades for, either to buy low on undervalued players or sell high on overvalued ones.
Top Trade Targets To Buy in Your League: Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers
Admittedly, having backed Bryce Young during the offseason, I’d begun to give up on the Carolina Panthers quarterback after some dismal performances. Young has the talent to be an NFL quarterback, but he has looked more like the nervous liability he was as a rookie than the leader he was down the stretch last year.
However, after a messy start to Week 5, Young inspired an unlikely comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals, making several clutch plays in the process. He looked far more confident, and the Panthers’ offense grew in confidence along with him.
I’m still not 100% back in on Young, and even his late comeback wasn’t enough to make an impact in 1QB fantasy leagues. However, with renewed confidence and some returning weapons to throw to (Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Ja’Tavion Sanders), I’d be willing to take a shot on him as my QB2 in Super Flex.
Given his low cost, he is a low-risk addition with massive potential upside if he can rediscover his form from late 2024.
Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens
Several of this week’s buy-low targets follow the most basic strategy in fantasy football: bet on good players. Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry has put up four consecutive disappointing weeks in fantasy, with some high-profile fumbles thrown in.
The stigma around being left “holding the bag” with Henry has affected his fantasy ADPs for several years, and there’s a chance his fantasy dip has current owners worried. While many will be reluctant to move on from Henry, there are enough exciting, younger RB2s who could tempt owners to trade him.
Having drafted Henry in the late first or early second round, owners are likely struggling after five weeks, which could potentially make negotiations a little easier. Henry is a league-winner when on form, and with Lamar Jackson likely returning soon, he could quickly prove a steal.
Chase Brown, RB, Cincinnati Bengals
Like Henry, Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown has been an enormous disappointment in fantasy this year. The entire Bengals offense has struggled following Joe Burrow’s Week 2 injury, with backup Jake Browning looking well below par.
Having won their opening two games of the season, the Bengals can still make the playoffs, despite their recent slump. After a considerable investment in their offensive weapons this past offseason, they can’t afford to be idle.
Browning got the offense moving late against the Detroit Lions in Week 5, but the entire second half felt like garbage time, given how poorly the Bengals were playing. Cincinnati needs to find a way to get Brown more involved, and if you can get him for mid to low-end RB2 value, he’s talented enough to bet on.
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots
It’s only a matter of time until TreVeyon Henderson gets a real opportunity to blow up in fantasy football. Currently, it seems that, regardless of how many times he fumbles the ball, Rhamondre Stevenson will continue to receive the best opportunities for the New England Patriots.
However, that won’t last forever, and Henderson is explosive enough to force the team to feed him sooner or later. It’s not unusual for rookies to be introduced slowly, and nobody should be panicking about the former Ohio State star just yet.
Antonio Gibson left Week 5’s game against the Buffalo Bills with a knee injury, which could help Henderson’s cause moving forward. Upcoming games against the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans should offer the rookie an excellent opportunity to earn a starting role.
Henderson should be pursued at a mid-to-low-end RB2 value, and will be a weekly RB1 contender when he finally takes over in New England.
A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
When it comes to wide receivers, there aren’t many more talented than Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown. Brown has struggled to get going in fantasy this year and has fallen well short of his WR10 ADP.
In fact, Brown has tallied just one fantasy finish inside the top-35 wide receivers through five weeks. Name-brand will prevent Brown from being traded too cheaply, but current owners are undoubtedly ready to move on if offered reasonable compensation.
The star wide receiver remains an elite talent and could be a league winner down the stretch. Brown has been targeted 35 times in his last four games, which is encouraging. He and teammate Devonta Smith could both have caught a game-winning Hail Mary in Week 5, had they not gotten in each other’s way.
Isaiah Bond, WR, Cleveland Browns
Rookie wide receiver Isaiah Bond was highly rated heading into the NFL Draft, but off-field issues led to him going undrafted. He eventually found a home with the Cleveland Browns and has become a go-to weapon in the passing game.
That hasn’t led to immense production so far, though, and Bond is only 6% rostered in Yahoo leagues, meaning he should be available for free in most leagues. The Browns’ rookie has been targeted 13 times in his last two games, and that volume should result in increased production as Cleveland’s young offense settles.
Bond has stepped into a larger role with Cedric Tillman sidelined, and could easily become a solid flex option in the next week or two.
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
Another exciting rookie available on most waiver wires is the Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland. Loveland has been quiet to start his career and missed the team’s Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders with a hip injury, but should be back in Week 6.
Before his injury in Week 3, Loveland saw a season-high three targets before leaving early, and that’s an encouraging sign for the future. The Bears’ offense has been explosive, if inconsistent, and Loveland is expected to be a big part of it.
While more of a stash at this point, a talented, first-round rookie on a Ben Johnson offense is as good a bet as any. Those with space to keep a backup tight end should be rostering Loveland if he isn’t already taken.
Zach Ertz, TE, Washington Commanders
You can’t do much worse than zero points, and that’s what Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz managed in Week 5. That makes it three disappointing fantasy weeks in a row for Ertz, after his production dipped with Jayden Daniels sidelined.
I’m not factoring in his usage with Marcus Mariota, as his connection with Daniels is a huge part of his fantasy value. One bad week with his starting quarterback doesn’t outweigh his phenomenal output in the first two weeks of the season and the back half of last year.
Ertz should return to a low-end TE1 moving forward, and he’ll cost you next to nothing in trades, though you should wait to see if he gets dropped before making an offer.
Top Trade Targets To Sell in Your League: C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud ended Sunday as the QB1 overall on the week after throwing four touchdown passes against the Ravens. The Texans demolished Baltimore by 44 points to 10, leaving the Ravens 1-4 for only the second time since their relocation from Cleveland in 1996.
Stroud’s real-life talent has often failed to translate into fantasy production, but his name value is still substantial, which should make trading him away slightly easier this week. That’s even though he has finished outside the top-12 quarterbacks every other week and outside the top 22 in three of the first four weeks of the year.
The Texans’ offense has been poor this season, and they have far tougher matchups following their Week 6 bye. Stroud was the 29th-ranked quarterback in PFSN’s QB Impact metric heading into Week 5; the Texans’ offense ranks 19th in Offense Impact, despite their win over Baltimore.
If you can get low-end QB1, or even high-end QB2 value for the Texans star, you might want to cash in while you can.
Jake Browning, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Browning couldn’t feel any less like a sell-high, yet he somehow finished Week 5 with 22.1 fantasy points, having thrown three fourth-quarter touchdowns. Unfortunately, he also threw three interceptions and was primarily responsible for the Bengals being so far behind to begin with.
Cincinnati managed just three points in the first three quarters against the Detroit Lions, and the entire offense was irrelevant for fantasy before garbage time. Browning ended up being sacked for a safety, having been fortunate that a previous safety was overturned for a penalty.
Browning’s fantasy numbers are unlikely to fool your more observant league mates, but you may be able to get something for him in home Super Flex leagues. There is no guarantee the Bengals won’t trade for a replacement quarterback in the coming weeks, so even minimal offers should be seriously considered.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
Rico Dowdle finished Sunday as the highest-scoring player in fantasy football in Week 5. The Panthers’ running back had a monster game against the Dolphins, totaling 234 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in the comeback win.
Dowdle handled the vast majority of Carolina’s rushing work in the absence of the injured Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard has been described as day-to-day heading into Week 6 and could potentially miss the Dallas Cowboys’ visit.
If so, Dowdle would have another huge role against his former team, but either way, Hubbard will be returning to a significant snap share when deemed healthy. No one will expect Dowdle to continue his Week 5 form moving forward, but his value will never be higher than it is right now.
If you have depth at running back, there will almost certainly be an RB-needy manager in your league willing to pay up for Dowdle this week.
Nick Chubb, RB, Houston Texans
Texans veteran Nick Chubb is a less eye-catching sell-high option, but he is worth moving on for whatever value you can get this week. The former Browns star has been inconsistent to start the year, but has tallied two RB2 finishes (pending Monday Night Football).
However, the veteran has otherwise finished outside the RB3 range, with his two relevant weeks coming due to touchdowns. Touchdowns can be an exhausting stat to chase every week, and Chubb is firmly in roster-clogger territory heading into Week 6.
Rookie back Woody Marks continues to see increased opportunities and could completely take over the backfield at any moment. Unless you’re desperate at running back, cashing in on a touchdown week would be wise if you can.
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith enters Week 6 off the back of an impressive performance against the Broncos, catching eight of his 10 targets for 114 yards. The electric receiver looked every bit the superstar he is against Denver, but things haven’t always been so easy this year.
Week 5 was his second-best fantasy week of the season, behind his Week 3 display against the Los Angeles Rams. However, in Smith’s other three games this year, he has averaged fewer than four targets a game and has finished outside the top-50 receivers in fantasy.
In two of those games, he finished 70th and 75th among all fantasy receivers, highlighting how inconsistent his usage has been. His immense talent and name value make him a perfect sell-high candidate this week, and you should look to get a more consistent performer to replace him.
Kendrick Bourne, WR, San Francisco 49ers
You’ll unlikely convince anyone that Kendrick Bourne’s Week 5 explosion was anything more than an outlier spike week. However, if you added him off waivers last week, receiving any compensation for him will be a win.
Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall will return to their starring roles when healthy, which could be as soon as this coming weekend. After that, George Kittle is also scheduled to return, pushing Bourne even further down the pecking order.
If none of your league mates are prepared to bite on Bourne’s Week 5 breakout, it may be worth keeping him in case either Pearsall, Jennings, or both are unavailable again. However, if you can get something for him, cashing in would make sense, with one more fantasy-relevant week likely his best-case scenario.
Sam LaPorta, TE, Detroit Lions
After Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, Sam LaPorta is considered one of the very best tight ends in fantasy football. That name value will always make him a sellable asset, especially following spike performances.
The Lions star notched his second top-five fantasy finish of the season in Week 5 (pending Monday Night Football), catching five passes for 92 yards and a score. He finished with 20.2 fantasy points for the week, 6.3 points more than his previous season-best.
However, sandwiched between his two top-five finishes are three finishes outside the top-20 at the position. LaPorta remains one of the better tight ends in fantasy, but his volatility means you could arguably be better off streaming the position.
Between four and six streamer tight ends have finished in the top 12 in fantasy every week so far this season. If injuries and bye weeks have taken a toll on your roster, trading in LaPorta to strengthen another position shouldn’t be as costly as you might think.
