We are now through 12 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: Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers offense has looked like a shell of itself in recent weeks, as key injuries, poor offensive line play, and reserved playcalling have held them back. That hasn’t mattered too much in their last two games, with the Packers able to salt away victories over the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings on the ground.
On Sunday, Jordan Love attempted a season-low 21 pass attempts, after attempting just 24, his third-fewest of the year, in Week 11. Moving forward, Green Bay faces the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears (twice), Denver Broncos, and Baltimore Ravens, and will likely have to pass the ball far than they have been.
Love has gone without a passing touchdown in three of the past four weeks, but has not thrown an interception in his last three, highlighting the safe nature of the offense. The Packers defense is playing phenomenally, but they won’t be facing J.J. McCarthy moving forward.
With star receiver Jayden Reed also looking likely to return in the coming weeks, Love should find himself opening things up against tougher opposition. Reed’s presence will open up more deep opportunities for Christian Watson, and the Packers offense should look far more familiar as we hurtle toward the playoffs.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley is a surprise buy-low at this point of the season, as the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense continues to keep us guessing from week to week. After totaling a respectable 83 rushing yards against the Lions in Week 11, Barkley rushed the ball only 10 times against an underrated Dallas Cowboys run defense on Sunday.
Moving forward, though, things look a lot better. Friendly matchups against the Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, and Buffalo Bills are still to come for Barkley.
Four of those five teams headed into Sunday ranked in the bottom 10 against the run (yards allowed per carry), which makes Barkley a likely league winner down the stretch.
Zay Flowers, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Zay Flowers has totaled double-digit fantasy points in nine of his 11 games this season, but is still falling short of the high hopes many had for him when he entered the league. A surprisingly flat showing from the Baltimore Ravens offense was enough to see off the New York Jets on Sunday, but they’ll need more in the coming weeks.
The Ravens face off against the Cincinnati Bengals twice in the next three weeks, with the visit of the Pittsburgh Steelers sandwiched between. Flowers hasn’t tallied 100 receiving yards or more since Week 1, but did so five times last season, three of which were against divisional opponents.
Not only that, but heading into Sunday’s games, the Steelers at the Bengals were ranked 32nd and 31st, respectively, in passing yards allowed per game. Flowers hasn’t had a top-20 fantasy finish since that Week 1 game, but could very realistically have multiple top-10 finishes in the next few weeks.
Kayshon Boutte, WR, New England Patriots
Kayshon Boutte was back on the field on Sunday, having missed two weeks through injury. Teammate Mack Hollins stepped up and performed admirably in his place, and there may have been some doubts as to whether Boutte had lost his role.
Those fears should be calmed, though, after the receiver was targeted twice in the end zone in his first game back. Thankfully, for those looking to invest, those end zone targets won’t show up on the stat sheet, as defensive-pass-interference penalties denied both potential touchdowns.
Boutte is still the deep-ball threat for arguably the best deep-ball thrower in the NFL, and is once again causing havoc in the red zone. He is still dependent on a big play or a touchdown, but should prove a worthy flex play most weeks moving forward.
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
This one is a bit niche, which is why it didn’t make the headline, but it’s a golden opportunity for some. Tee Higgins left Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots early and was later ruled out with a concussion. While concussion injuries can vary, it’s fair to expect Higgins to miss Week 13, and possibly Week 14.
For fantasy managers needing to win their next two games to make the playoffs, that’s no use at all. Higgins is likely the first or second receiver on most fantasy rosters, and his absence will be a massive blow to current owners.
If you’re already guaranteed a playoff spot, it’s well worth looking for Higgins in your league this week. If the current owner needs short-term wins, they should be open to a trade that gets them through the next couple of weeks, while you secure a star for the playoffs.
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
Mark Andrews has again been touchdown-dependent this year and has finished with fewer than 10 PPR points in more games than not through 12 weeks. Against the Jets on Sunday, Andrews caught just one pass for nine yards and no score; he also rushed twice for two yards, earning him just 2.1 points for the week.
Alarmingly, that was only his third-lowest total of the season, though his two lowest came in the opening two weeks. Before Week 12, Andrews had four touchdowns in his last three games, including an impressive rushing touchdown on a fake tush-push against the Cleveland Browns.
However, the main reason for acquiring Andrews is the same as it is for Flowers. The Ravens have a brilliant schedule for the next few weeks, and the veteran should be able to put up multiple top-10 finishes, with top-five upside.
The Ravens still have plenty of work to do if they’re to make the playoffs, and betting on Lamar Jackson’s favorite target is a no-brainer.
Mason Taylor, TE, New York Jets
Rookie Jets tight end Mason Taylor faired a bit better than Andrews did when their respective sides met on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to make a fantasy impact. Taylor caught three of his five targets for 21 yards, but it was always going to be tough sledding against an elite Ravens defense.
But there is reason to be optimistic. Heading into Week 12, Tyrod Taylor had accounted for 25% of Mason’s 48 targets on the year, despite having only started one game. In Tyrod’s second start, the Mason was targeted more than in either of the previous two games with Justin Fields under center.
Taylor’s upcoming schedule isn’t as friendly as Andrews’, but the Jets should find it easier to move the ball, with three of their next five opponents holding losing records. Taylor can be a big weapon for the Jets, and his 6’5” frame makes him a weekly touchdown threat with Tyrod offering the Jets a serviceable passing game.
Top Trade Targets To Sell in Your League: Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Heading into Sunday, none of Chicago’s seven wins this season had come against teams with winning records. Sunday’s victory over the Steelers put an end to that run, albeit with Aaron Rodgers watching on from the sidelines.
Caleb Williams put up some impressive numbers, completing 19 of 35 pass attempts for 239 yards and three touchdowns. He did give up an awful touchdown by fumbling in his own end zone, but Bears fans won’t care about that with the team leading the NFC North.
Analyzing Williams’s performances this season, though, it’s clear that his better performances have come against weaker opposition. But for the opening weekend against the Vikings, Williams’ top-10 fantasy finishes have all come against defenses that entered Sunday in the bottom 11 against the pass.
The New York Giants ranked 11th-worst in passing yards allowed per game, while the Bengals, Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Commanders made up the bottom four.
Moving forward, Williams faces the Packers twice, the Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers. If you make it to the fantasy championship, the 49ers offer a promising matchup. Before then, though, the remaining three teams ranked in the top half of that list, with the Packers 10th-best, and the Browns leading all defenses against the pass.
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
At the time of writing, Rico Dowdle has yet to play his Monday-night matchup against the 49ers, but has emerged as a trustworthy RB2 with RB1 upside in recent weeks. That could well continue in Santa Clara, which would aid his trade value, but given the premium on running backs at this stage of the season, it shouldn’t matter too much.
Dowdle is a talented back and is probably still underrated, but he faces some tricky matchups down the road, which would be better avoided if possible. First, he faces the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13, who have emerged as one of the most formidable run defenses in the NFL.
If you’ve already made the playoffs in your league, then that won’t bother you. However, the Panthers then face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks in Weeks 16 and 17. You shouldn’t be desperate to move Dowdle, but there are similar RB2s with far better playoff schedules and better values in other positions if you’re in need.
Zonovan Knight, RB, Arizona Cardinals
The following two backs aren’t going to fetch you much compensation, but are worth moving if you have enough depth not to be desperate in the coming weeks. With the Arizona Cardinals rotating backs in the absence of their two starters, James Conner and Trey Benson, Zonovan Knight has taken on the bulk of goal-line work.
There is a chance he could keep that role beyond Benson’s return, but that’s far from guaranteed. Benson was a limited participant in practice all last week and could well make his return in Week 13.
Even without Benson, though, the Cardinals face the Buccaneers, the Rams, and the Houston Texans in the next three weeks, so Knight is, at best, a true desperation flex. The runner has totaled 27.7 PPR points over his last two games, and that should be enough to see you get something for him in a trade.
Emanuel Wilson, RB, Green Bay Packers
Similar to Knight, Wilson has shone while filling in for Josh Jacobs over the past two weeks. Jacobs left early in Week 11 and missed Sunday’s win over the Vikings entirely, while Wilson tallied 107 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries.
Wilson has seen work alongside Jacobs this season, but not enough to even think about starting him in fantasy. Also, his 28 carries were five more than Jacobs’ season high of 23, so there certainly won’t be enough to go around.
If you can capitalize on Wilson’s cameo, you might be able to get flex value from a desperate league mate in home leagues. Otherwise, his handcuff value might be worth stashing if you have space on your bench.
DJ Moore, WR, Chicago Bears
DJ Moore enjoyed a stellar Week 12, catching five of his seven targets for 64 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers. Sunday was always going to be a feast for the Bears’ passing attack, with Pittsburgh being the worst pass defense in the NFL to that point in the year.
But unlike some of the other Chicago pass catchers, Moore has the reputation to go along with his outlier week, and should be able to attract interest in trades. The Bears have a much trickier schedule moving forward, and if you can get WR3/flex value for Moore, you should probably take it.
The former fantasy favorite has recorded just two top-10 fantasy finishes this year, and finished outside the top 30 receivers in eight of the remaining nine weeks.
Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots
Like Moore, Hunter Henry has a fairly solid reputation in fantasy and is part of an emerging offense and a team that surprisingly leads its division. Also like Moore, Henry just recorded an outlier week against a miserable defense, and you should look to profit from it before Week 13.
The tight end caught seven of 10 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown, and at the time of writing, is the TE1on the week, with only Monday Night Football to play. Henry has two other top-10 fantasy weeks this year, one against the Panthers in Week 4, and one against the Steelers, the only team with a worse pass defense than Cincinnati.
When negotiating, you can point out that he should have also had another touchdown, but it was called back due to an offensive pass interference penalty on Hollins. Meanwhile, it would be better not to mention that the Bengals’ defense ranks 32nd in PFSN’s Defense Impact metric this season.
You can stream a solid tight end every week, so if you can get something decent for Henry, you should take it.
