The fantasy football season is heating up, and smart managers know that timing the market is everything. While some players are riding high on recent performances, savvy owners understand that peak value doesn’t last forever.
The key to championship success often lies in recognizing when to cash in on overperforming assets before regression hits. This week presents several intriguing opportunities to sell high on players whose current trade value may exceed their future production potential.
Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts
It wasn’t easy to pick a quarterback to sell this week, but Daniel Jones has performed for long enough now to have actual trade value. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback was still on waivers in many leagues heading into Week 3, as fantasy managers refused to believe in his impressive start to the year.
He’s almost certainly rostered now, though, and if you have him, it could be a good time to take advantage of the multiple quarterback injuries across the league. Those who replaced Burrow with Browning, for example, will be desperate.
Jones has remained impressive, but his numbers have dropped each week, and he remains the most likely quarterback to regress in the coming weeks. A bad game against the amazing Los Angeles Rams defense will likely nuke all value, so this may be your last opportunity to sell if you can afford to.
Jordan Mason, RB, Minnesota Vikings
In Week 3, Jordan Mason was the Vikings’ starting running back for the first time since his trade from the San Francisco 49ers in the offseason. With Aaron Jones sidelined, the powerful runner wasted no time staking his claim to keep the role full-time, with a massive performance that ranked fourth among all backs.
Mason ran for 116 yards on 16 carries and scored two touchdowns against the hapless Bengals, as Minnesota ran away with the win. That performance, coupled with his showings in 2024, should attract considerable interest in potential trades this week.
The Vikings won’t run away with many more games like they did in Week 3, and they will have to overcome some strong defenses in the near future. Mason should be a solid starter moving forward, but those with depth at running back may want to leverage his value at its peak.
Jaylen Warren, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jaylen Warren isn’t the most glamorous name in fantasy football, but his early domination of running back work in Pittsburgh has been noticeable. Rookie Kaleb Johnson was widely expected to have a bigger role than he has so far, but Warren is currently the clear leader.
Johnson’s embarrassing and costly error against the Seattle Seahawks won’t be forgotten in a hurry, and should make Warren’s position safe for a while. Unfortunately, that position may not be as fantasy-relevant moving forward as it has been in the past, as the Steelers also face some strong defenses in the near future.
Warren had plenty of time to usurp Najee Harris in Pittsburgh, and never really came close. His early fantasy performances (14.8 fantasy points per game) have been brilliant for owners, but he wasn’t drafted as a starter, so cashing in at starter value may be wise.
George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys
The news surrounding CeeDee Lamb’s injury will affect George Pickens’s trade value, but the player is coming off a strong performance regardless. Many expected the former Steeler to flourish in Dallas, and he has indeed flashed, catching five of nine targets for 63 yards and a score in Week 3.
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The receiver is currently the 19th-best receiver in PPR and could be traded for more than that if it were announced that Lamb would miss multiple weeks.
But Pickens’s increased targets won’t count for much if he is being double-covered every week and shadowed by some of the NFL’s best corners. There’s no rush to trade Pickens, but it’s worth testing the waters to see what your league mates are willing to offer.
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
After the New Orleans Saints’ humbling 44-13 defeat against the Seahawks, Chris Olave’s inclusion on this list feels odd. However, Olave was the WR16 overall in Week 3 with 15.7 fantasy points, while his 14 targets were second only to Puka Nacua (15).
Olave is a star receiver on a team with an atrocious defense, and that’s usually a recipe for fantasy gold. However, the Saints shouldn’t often play three full quarters of garbage time like they did on Sunday, and Olave’s targets should, therefore, settle.
Olave also has Rashid Shaheed to compete with for targets, while there’s no guarantee that rookie quarterback Tyler Shough won’t take over at some point. Olave’s Week 3 targets are encouraging, but the Saints’ offense is best left alone if possible.
Juwan Johnson, TE, New Orleans Saints
Somehow, the Saints have two sell-high candidates after their humiliating loss in Week 3. Juwan Johnson has been one of the surprise packages of the 2025 fantasy season. The Saints star is currently the TE2 overall in fantasy through three weeks, having been targeted a massive 28 times.
However, the Saints’ overall performances have been atrocious, and it’s the kind of form that often leads to change. The team spent an early second-round pick on Shough, and if things don’t improve soon, he may well be handed the starting role.
That could potentially nuke all of Johnson’s fantasy value, as there is no guarantee Shough will target the tight end at a similarly high rate to Spencer Rattler. Johnson has been a great waiver add for a week or two, but cashing in on his current value may be for the best.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Minnesota Vikings
T.J. Hockenson was the TE4 overall in Week 3, catching five of his six targets for 49 yards and a touchdown. While the Bengals collapsed without Burrow, the Vikings managed just fine without J.J. McCarthy, with Carson Wentz throwing for two scores.
However, the Vikings won’t be playing Cincinnati every week and will soon have to deal with some elite defenses. Wentz may have found success against the Bengals, but things could look very different against the Chargers, the Packers, the Philadelphia Eagles, and other teams.
Even if McCarthy returns, he has looked awful to start the season, while Jordan Addison’s return may also impact Hockenson’s target share moving forward.
