Top Trade Targets For Right Now And Season Long Success

Struggling teams are looking to make moves to keep themselves afloat, and great teams are trying to set up for the long haul. Below, you’ll find awesome players who might be more available in trade discussions than they should be that can help fantasy owners right now and for the long term.

All ownership percentages are courtesy of Yahoo.

Quarterbacks

Matthew Stafford, Lions (78% Owned): Stafford was a popular QB sleeper this preseason, but through two weeks he’s been just okay. Now’s the time to strike. He’s faced two solid defenses – Chicago and at Green Bay – and he’s done so without his top target, Kenny Golladay. Golladay appears ready to return, and this week Stafford is going to probably throw the ball upward of 50 times trying to keep up with Kyler Murray and the suffocating Cardinals’ offense. After that, he has a home date vs. the Saints, another team that can run it up and create a favorable game script, followed by the Jaguars. That’s a delicious slate for a guy who was on pace to be a Top 5 QB just last year before he got hurt. Get him now, while his owners are still annoyed.

Daniel Jones, Giants (45% Owned): Jones’ first two games haven’t been awesome, but he’s had to go up against the Steelers and Bears while surviving behind a green, overmatched offensive line. The O-line woes are likely to persist, but without Saquon Barkley for the rest of the season this offense is all about Jones. He has a capable group of pass-catchers – Darius Slayton, Golden Tate and TE Evan Engram, as well as Sterling Shepard when he is back from injury. Jones also has the ability to score fantasy points on the ground, which he’s shown a little bit of this year with 20+ rushing yards in back-to-back games. Most important, Jones’ slate gets much more favorable in the coming weeks. This Sunday, San Francisco is down two key pass rushers, the Rams are tough but can put the Giants in a pass-heavy mode, and then Dallas has proven they can be gashed through the air. He’s possibly available for free on your waiver wire, but he shouldn’t cost too much in a trade.

Running Backs

Kenyan Drake, Cardinals (100% Owned): Drake has been good so far, but not slam dunk early second/late first round pick good. Seeing Kyler Murray throw the ball all over the yard might worry Drake owners into thinking they aren’t in for the volume they hoped for on draft day. Prey on this. Drake scored in Week 1, and saw 20 carries (averaged 4.3 yards per carry vs. Washington) in Week 2 but failed to hit 100 yards or get in the end zone. The matchups coming up are prime. Detroit has the NFL’s worst rushing defense through two weeks per Football Outsiders, then he gets Carolina (29th) and the Jets (3rd, but let’s be honest, they stink). I’d bet that’s the best three-week slate for any top RB, so if you can get even a small bit of value here don’t be afraid to make the move.

Derrick Henry, Titans (100% Owned): Henry hasn’t scored a touchdown yet this season, but it doesn’t mean he’s been ineffective. He’s rushed for 116 and 84 yards in back to back games, so the Henry owner isn’t freaking out yet, but you’d certainly want some touchdowns from your Round 1 investment. You won’t be able to lowball the Henry owner, but if you have some red-hot assets like, say, Calvin Ridley, you may be able to dangle that with another strong piece to get him. Volume reigns supreme, and even though he hasn’t scored yet, that’s going to come, especially in the Titans’ offense. Don’t be afraid to pay up, as Henry is going to provide major value on almost anything you pay the rest of the way.

Le’Veon Bell, Jets (86% Owned): Bell is currently hurt, and in the worst offense in the NFL. While volume is not a concern, he averaged a meek 3.2 yards per carry last season and finished with 789 rushing yards despite a shade fewer than 250 attempts. Prior to hurting his hamstring in Week 1, Bell had 14 yards on six carries, so it didn’t look like much had changed. With Bell on IR, the price to acquire him has to have dropped. While we aren’t going to see the former No. 1 overall pick in fantasy return this year, it’s worth noting that even in an abysmal (for Bell) campaign in 2019 he finished with 1,250 yards from scrimmage and just four total touchdowns, which screams positive regression. His schedule isn’t particularly soft, but this offense is utterly bereft of playmakers outside of WR Jamison Crowder, who is also hurt. Whenever Bell comes back, he is the show. At worst, he’s a startable FLEX option, and at best he’s a very strong, volume-based RB2 who catches the ball.

Wide Receivers

D.J. Moore, Panthers (99% Owned): Moore, like Henry, hasn’t scored a touchdown yet. He did see 13 targets in Week 2, turning in an eight-reception, 120-yard performance against a stout Buccaneers D. That performance is likely enough to keep Moore owners placated, but you shouldn’t be afraid to make a strong effort to get him. With Christian McCaffery out four to six weeks, this offense is going to be very reliant on the passing game, and D.J. Moore is far and away the best target. Robby Anderson has immediately established himself as a threat to take the top off any defense, but this in no way harms Moore’s prospects. In fact, it relieves him of being the secondary’s sole focus, and might earn him more one-on-one chances with a super accurate QB (Teddy Bridgewater) throwing the passes. His next three games all have pluses too; the Chargers are without star S Derwin James, the Cardinals’ tempo is a rising tide that lifts all boats, and the Falcons have the fourth-worst pass defense through four weeks.  

A.J. Green, Bengals (90% Owned): Green owners are probably panicking, but take a breath. Yes, he only caught three passes for 29 yards last week and looked out of sync with rookie QB Joe Burrow, but through two games he has been targeted 22 times – nine more than Tyler Boyd – and plays on a team with one of the worst defenses in the league. The Bengals are rarely going to be in control of game flow, so games like last Thursday, in which Burrow threw the ball 61 times, will be the norm. Green may not be quite the superstar of days past, but he is still the primary target for what should be among the most air-based offenses in football. Buy low now, because in a week or two it’s going to be tough to pry him away thanks to his name value.

Tight Ends

Zach Ertz, Eagles (99% Owned): Ertz hasn’t been anything special through two weeks, but we’ve seen this movie before. Here is what to focus on: Ertz has seen seven targets in back-to-back games, scoring once in Week 1 to rescue an 18-yard outing, and he still is on the Eagles, who are decimated at wide receiver. Jalen Reagor has just been lost for six to eight weeks, and no one knows when Alshon Jeffrey is returning. Fellow TE Dallas Goedert is a threat, but realistically, Ertz is still the No. 1 target for Carson Wentz, even with DeSean Jackson healthy. Jackson may see higher-value, deeper looks, but Ertz is going to be the primary possession receiver and should see plenty of opportunity in the end zone. Capitalize on everyone buying into Goedert and invest in old reliable.

Evan Engram, Giants (91% Owned): Engram has been a frustrating player to own over the years, and in Week 1 people were hitting the eject button after he caught two passes for nine yards. He was much better last week, posting six catches for 65 yards, and he’s now averaging 7.5 targets per game in 2020. Duds can happen with him, but with Saquon Barkley out, the Giants are going to be chucking the ball all game long, and Engram has established rapport with Daniel Jones. Now, with Sterling Shepard missing time, it’s even more likely that Jones will try and get Engram the rock as arguably the most explosive threat in this Giants’ passing game. If he can stay healthy --  and I do get it, he never has – Engram is a rock solid TE1. And right now he will not cost you much to get.

Raimundo Ortiz