Fantasy football managers always look for opportunities to strengthen their teams, especially as the playoffs approach. Trading can help boost your roster by bringing in underperforming players with upside or moving on from players peaking at the right time.
Identifying smart trade targets can make the difference in a tightly-contested league. The next section details intriguing candidates to consider, leaving you curious about which players might give your fantasy football squad an edge this season.
Trade Targets to Buy: Mark Andrews, 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, 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.
Trade Targets to Sell: Hunter Henry, 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.
