Have you survived the onslaught of injuries that the 205 NFL season has inflicted on most? Are you sitting at 3-2, 4-1, or even 5-0 as we approach midseason? Congratulations. This cruel game we love has rewarded you for your early moves. While you aren’t free yet, you can now start game-planning for the future with less emphasis on just surviving week-to-week. For those of you, here are five moves to make with championship aspirations.
Sell Saquon Barkley
This may only apply to a thin line of fantasy managers who’ve had Saquon Barkley and managed to eke out wins anyway. If that’s you, now is the perfect time to strike and move on to better assets or substantial depth. Because he played on Thursday Night, you’ll need to wait until after this week to make a move, but that gives you time to assess your league’s rosters.
It’s no secret that Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles offense have been struggling this year. His fantasy points-per-game have fallen starkly from 22.2 in 2024 to 14.9 so far this year. Barkley has been mostly fine outside of some duds against the Rams and Giants, but he hasn’t hit that ceiling he’s known for.
The Eagles seem to be repeating history. After losing their offensive coordinator to a head coaching role, an internal hire took their place, giving them mediocre results. This was true in 2023 and appears to be true in 2025. OC Kevin Patullo seems overwhelmed by balancing his weapons; thus, no one is happy.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have had very slow starts. When made a point to get them the ball against Denver, Saquon’s rushing share dried up to just six carries in a game where they led most of the time. The offensive line is banged up, and Jalen Hurts is also having a tough season. Nothing about the Eagles is jiving.
That said, despite his struggles, Barkley still carries a ton of name value. RBs are a rare commodity to come across, and he still has plenty of upside. I was on board with drafting Barkley and trading him around this point since the preseason, as we’ve seen tons of examples of backs returning poor results coming off similarly heavy workloads to the one the Eagles back saw last season.
The odds of these struggles continuing, or Barkley just not making it to the fantasy playoffs, are high. Move him for several assets, or package him as part of an upgrade for a high-end RB like Bijan Robinson or Jahmyr Gibbs.
Trade for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb
A two-for-one that should be obtainable in single-QB leagues. Dak Prescott has been playing at an All-Pro level again this year, but it hasn’t resulted in elite fantasy production…yet. He’s still the QB5, so he won’t come free, but usable QBs are a dime a dozen in standard-sized leagues.
The here is to stack him with WR CeeDee Lamb, who’s been out since the beginning of Week 3 with a high-ankle sprain. Lamb is starting to practice again, meaning there is now a thin line between an imminent return to action and the potential to miss a couple more weeks. If the current Lamb manager isn’t doing so hot, they may not have time to wait or play through a ramp-up period.
To capitalize on this, use the Cowboys’ Week 9 matchup against the Broncos and the Week 10 bye as an incentive. If he’s to miss two more games and come back for a Denver matchup with a bye looming after, it’ll be hard for them to compete again anytime soon.
A fully healthy Lamb, stacked with All-Pro QB play and a horrific defense, should print fantasy points when it comes to playoff time.
Trade for Derrick Henry
If you’re weak at RB and need a long-term answer, odds are that the Derrick Henry manager is down bad and tired of him. The Baltimore Ravens have a brutal matchup against the Los Angeles Rams next before they go into a bye. Thus, the time to strike is either now or during the bye week.
It does come down to your risk tolerance. The Ravens and Derrick Henry depend on Lamar Jackson’s health. A hamstring injury for a hyper-mobile quarterback is not ideal, and we’ve seen Jackson’s season end early with a lower-leg injury before. Should Baltimore continue to struggle, and this injury aggravates, odds are they’ll shut him down for the year.
That said, Henry is a perfect bet for his price if you believe in a Ravens comeback. This run game still has wheels. It’s just that they’ve faced several elite run defenses to start the season. Easier matchups lie ahead against the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and Cincinnati Bengals (x2). So, get-right opportunities certainly exist.
The defense, however, is unlikely to improve, which could cause some game-script issues. This is not a slam-dunk trade, but there is a high-yield opportunity for what should be a cheap price if you need a long-term RB.
Trade for RJ Harvey
If you’re less interested in the bet on an older RB and prefer to make a different gamble, RJ Harvey can be that move. Unlike Henry, there’s no name value here with Harvey, who has yet to break into a prominent role in Denver’s offense.
A promising week 4 performance provided hope, but week 5 was followed by another disappointment. Harvey was taken pretty high in drafts. Odds are that the manager is struggling at RB or has moved on emotionally by this point, as he simply can’t be trusted to start. However, a manager with a plus record has the time to wait, which would be required at this point.
Sean Payton’s offense is incredibly friendly to RBs with a strong offensive line and plenty of pass-catching opportunities. Harvey has given us glimpses of explosive play in his few snaps, and J.K. Dobbins has rarely made it through a full season. The upside for Harvey is immense, making him the exact type of investment a winning team should make.
Trade for Brock Bowers
It’s pretty likely that Brock Bowers is killing his managers. Sinking a high draft pick into a TE is always risky, but Bowers’ injury in week 1 was the worst of all worlds. He’s played through in recent weeks but has been clearly hampered, leading to him missing Weeks 5 and 6.
If you have an elite option, TE is a rare position that can provide a unique advantage come playoff time. That’s what Bowers was drafted to be and was on pace for in his only healthy week when he nabbed five receptions for 103 yards. His manager is probably hurting at other positions because of Bowers’ lofty draft cost, but he can easily fill in TE with similar production.
While you would also need a fill-in for a couple more weeks, the Las Vegas Raiders haven’t put their stud TE on IR. This signals that they believe he’s closer to returning than not, especially considering he had played through this injury until last week.
It stands to reason the Raiders will hold Bowers out one more week following this one, affording him their Week 8 bye to recover fully. He should be back in Week 9.
Geno Smith’s poor play doesn’t concern me, either. Bowers had incredible production last year with a slew of bad QB play, so if Smith improves, there’s even more upside there. If not, Kenny Pickett will take over and likely target him heavily just like last year.
