The fantasy football trade deadline is approaching in all leagues, and if you don’t know when your’s is, here’s a good guide to know when your fantasy football trade deadline arrives.
Cliffs notes version: It’s this week or next for most leagues.
That means the time to trade is now or never, and we’ve identified three players to buy low on right now, and three players to sell high before their value tanks.
You can find a few high-upside players on the waiver wire this week, but the biggest moves you can make to improve your team for a playoff run are on the trade block. This guide will help you make the moves that help you win a title, but you better act now because time is running out.
Buy-Low Fantasy Football Trade Candidates
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Presumed starter Rachaad White has become fantasy-relevant again the last three weeks as the Bucs have designed plays to get him involved in the passing game, leading to 14 catches for 93 yards and 2 TDs. However, Irving has become the Bucs' primary ball carrier, getting 29 carries to just 19 for White. Irving also has 13 catches in that time.
With Mike Evans expected to return after the Bucs’ bye week, expect White’s usage in the passing game to decrease, leaving Irving as the back to start in that offense. He’s averaging 5.1 yards per rush to just 3.8 for White and has found the endzone 4 times on the ground to just 1 for White.
With the Bucs on a bye this week, it’s a good time to target Irving in a trade if your league mate is looking for help at the position.
DK Metcalf, WR, Seattle Seahawks
I mentioned Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a sell-high candidate last week and think he still is one. That’s because when Metcalf is on the field, he’s the unquestioned alpha in this offense in terms of targets and production. After missing Seattle's Week 8 and Week 9 losses to the Rams and Bills, respectively, and now coming off a bye, expect Metclaf to reassert himself into that role and make plenty of big plays in a pass-first offense that likes to drive the ball downfield.
In the two weeks before his injury, Metcalf was targeted 18 times and had 7 catches for 147 yards and a TD. In those same games, Smith-Njigba was targeted 13 times and made 8 catches for 62 yards with 0 TDs. Smith-Njigba put up 13 catches for 249 yards with 2 TDs in the time Metcalf was out, but I’d expect those numbers to go Metcalf’s way now that he’s healthy again.
Amari Cooper, WR, Buffalo Bills
Cooper got off to a hot start after getting traded to the Bills, making 4 catches for 66 yards and a TD in his debut. Then he put up a stinker against the Seahawks (1 catch for 3 yards) and missed the last two games with a wrist injury. In that time, Keon Coleman got hurt and Khalil Shakir didn’t establish himself as a go-to WR in the red zone.
This Bills offense wants to pass to score and they brought Cooper in to be that guy in the red zone. With a couple of weeks off to familiarize himself with the playbook, expect Cooper to be the primary option in scoring range.
Sell-High Fantasy Football Trade Candidates
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
In a million years, I never thought CeeDee Lamb would end up in this spot. However, with Dak Prescott out for the season, and either Cooper Rush or Trey Lance in at QB for the Cowboys, Lamb’s value is tied to his name and draft position at this point.
That’s what you have to sell your trade partner on. Lamb remains one of the best wide receivers in the league, but without a viable quarterback to get him the ball, his floor and ceiling in fantasy are diminished significantly. Just as Tyreek Hill about that.
Historically, Lamb’s fantasy numbers haven’t suffered too much with Rush at QB – he averaged 16.7 points with Rush at QB previously. However, the Cowboys have no rushing attack, their offensive line is diminished and the team is in turmoil from top to bottom. That puts Lamb in a tenuous position. I’d rather move on from him now than get burned in the playoffs.
Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Harris had three straight 100-yard games before bottoming out last week against the Commanders with 53 rushing yards on 21 carries. That’s just a 2.5-yard-per-carry average. However, he did have a TD against Washington, boosting his final score to 11.3 points, giving him another solid performance on paper.
Looking deeper, things aren’t going in his direction. Jaylon Warren is now commanding nearly a full 50-50 split in snap count and averaged a more robust 4.7 yards per carry against the same Commanders defense. He’s also the primary pass catcher on third-down plays and the two-minute drill.
Now that Warren is fully healthy again, this is, at best, a 50-50 split for Harris and his only upside is scoring TDs, which he’s had three of the last four weeks. However, that variance isn’t sustainable, so I’d rather move him now before the TD bottom drops out completely.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Hunt has been a fantasy godsend since signing with the Chiefs, scoring 5 TDs and being the Chiefs' unquestioned top back in the running and passing game. However, Isiah Pacheco is expected to return from injury soon and will assume the lead rushing position upon his return. Hunt is averaging just 3.6 yards per rush, and that number has dropped to 3.2 yards per rush in the last three weeks.
If you take Hunt’s rushing TDs away, he becomes an auto-bench in fantasy. At best, he’ll command around a 40% snap count when Pacheco returns. With his rushing numbers down, and his reliance on the TD to be fantasy-relevant high, I’d rather move on from Hunt this week before Pacheco returns and get a flex option who could be helpful come playoff time.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Buy Low/Sell High: Immediate Trades to Make in Fantasy Football Week 11.
