We're closing in on the end of the fantasy football regular season with most leagues wrapping up their regular seasons in Week 14 and having trade deadlines over the next week or two, leaving limited time to position yourself for the playoffs.
For those sitting comfortably (at 7+ wins), you should be focusing on molding your roster to make the playoffs and have a favorable shot at winning a championship. For anyone else, you're just looking to make it because, once you're in it, anyone can win it.
Top Short-Term (Playoff Push) Trade Targets:
These are the trade targets for anyone sitting without the absolute (or near-absolute) certainty of making the playoffs. You're just looking to get into the playoffs, where anything can happen. These players may not have the best situation for the fantasy playoffs, but that doesn't matter, you have to get there first - these are the players that can be acquired that should be very favorable in the short-term to make that final push to make the playoffs.
David Montgomery (RB - Detroit Lions)
There are very few RBs that I would rather have over the next month than David Montgomery, who should be in line for significant work in the coming weeks as a result of very run-friendly game scripts.
Over the next four weeks, Detroit draws Jacksonville at home, Indy on the road, then back-to-back home games against Chicago and Green Bay. Three of those four games are above-average matchups and the fourth is against Green Bay, who Montgomery has posted 14+ fantasy points against in EVERY game since his rookie season (8 games).
This is (on paper) the easy stretch of Detroit's schedule and I think that means they lean more on Monty in preparation for a gauntlet of the last month of the season (BUF, CHI, SF, MIN) which should feature more Jahmyr Gibbs, similar to what we saw last year.
I'm anticipating a top-10 RB over the next 4 weeks.
Schedule over the next 4 Weeks:
JAX, @IND, CHI, GB
9th-easiest SOS among RBs
George Pickens (WR - Pittsburgh Steelers)
If there was one player I'd be targeting, for either those needing short-term or long-term options, it is George Pickens.
Since Russell Wilson joined the Steelers' offense, it has been exceptional for Pickens, posting:
Week 7: 9 targets, 5 catches, 111 yards, 1 TD - 22.1 points
Week 8: 5 targets, 4 catches, 74 yards - 11.4 points
Week 10: 7 targets, 5 catches, 95 yards, 1 TD - 20.5 points
The deep ball of Russell Wilson is exactly what Pittsburgh needed to open up its offense and it has been a perfect connection with Pickens. That should continue as Pittsburgh will need to lean more on the pass with their schedule tightening up as they play their AFC North opponents.
Over the next month, no WR will face an easier schedule statistically with Pittsburgh drawing ALL FOUR games against top-12 matchups for WRs, including three top-5 matchups between Baltimore and Cleveland twice.
The sky is the limit for Pickens and while the potential for a single-digit game is there given his big-play nature, I'm leaning towards at least 3 of 4 games with 15+ points.
Schedule over the next 4 Weeks:
BAL, @CLE, @CIN, CLE
Easiest SOS among WRs
C.J. Stroud (QB - Houston Texans)
Over the past month, the Texans have gone from being contenders for the top seed in the AFC to fighting to win the AFC South and position themselves within the AFC playoff picture, having dropped three of their last four games.
The common theme in those: Nico Collins has missed all of them and Stefon Diggs has missed two of them. As a result, Stroud has struggled mightily, putting up a combined 39 fantasy points in those four games, never eclipsing 13 points in any of those weeks.
The good news is Nico Collins will likely return in Week 11, just in time for one last push for the fantasy playoffs. And while I typically wouldn't recommend a short-term target that has a bye week like Stroud does, the schedule is so favorable that it's hard not to lean on him.
Each of Stroud's next three games are against top-14 matchups for QBs, including top-4 matchups against the porous Cowboys and Jaguars defenses. If you're in need of some quality performances to get you into the playoffs, look no further than Stroud at the QB position (and he can likely be acquired relatively cheaply given his recent struggles).
Schedule over the next 4 Weeks:
@DAL, TEN, @JAX, BYE
Easiest SOS among QBs
Ladd McConkey (WR - Los Angeles Chargers)
We've seen the emergence of Ladd McConkey as a reliable weekly fantasy option over the past month, featuring 7+ targets in five of his last six games, 5+ catches in four of his last six games, and 7+ fantasy points in each of his last seven games. That comes even with the Chargers having faced the 5th-hardest SOS among WRs so far this season.
The schedule softens a lot in the coming weeks, featuring the 5th-easiest SOS for WRs over the next month, including the Chargers' next three games against top-12 matchups for WRs and two of those coming against top-8 matchups (Baltimore, Atlanta). The only "sub-par" matchup on paper for McConkey is the Chiefs, who he has already tallied 17.7 points against in the game earlier this season.
L.A. won't be able to sit back to ground-and-pound their way against the four offenses they're going up against the rest of the fantasy football regular season, and that is fantasy gold for McConkey.
Schedule over the next 4 Weeks:
CIN, BAL, @ATL, @KC
5th-easiest SOS among WRs
Kareem Hunt (RB - Kansas City Chiefs)
It's been a nice 'blast from the past' with Hunt this season, posting 14+ carries and 10+ fantasy points in each game he's played this year, and while his run as a starter is likely coming to a close with Isiah Pacheco returning to practice, you may be able to get a handful of quality starts out of Hunt while he's still in command.
It's very unlikely Pacheco returns this week and one would anticipate Kansas City wouldn't rush him back to face Carolina of all teams, leaving Week 13 vs Las Vegas as the first realistic chance for him to play (with Week 14 being more realistic).
That's two to three games of Hunt as a starter. In that stretch, he'll draw the easiest matchup for RBs in Carolina, the 2nd-easiest matchup for RBs in Buffalo, and possibly the 7th-easiest matchup for RBs in Las Vegas.
As long as he's a starter, he'll be a top-10 option for fantasy. For those in desperation mode to try and simply make the playoffs, he's worth the gamble to try and pick up 2-3 wins here quickly, even if you know he won't be someone in your lineup beyond Week 13-14. The saving grace is you may be able to get him at a major discount if you can negotiate correctly, using the news of Pacheco returning to practice as a bargaining piece to try and get him for a 1-3 week span.
Schedule over the next 4 Weeks:
@BUF, @CAR, LV, LAC
4th-easiest among RBs
Sam LaPorta (TE - Detroit Lions)
LaPorta has been gradually been involved more in the Lions' offense as of lately, rebounding from an ugly start to the season with 6+ targets and 15+ fantasy points in two of his last three games. He did take a knock in an SNF win vs Houston this past week, suffering an AC Joint sprain, but supposedly it isn't major and he's "day-to-day" with a toss-up chance to play in Week 11.
There are not many (playable) TEs with favorable schedules over the next month that don't have a bye week somewhere in them outside of LaPorta, who draws some favorable matchups against Jacksonville, Indy, Chicago, and Green Bay - a stretch that contains three top-10 matchups for TEs on paper.
At a position where it's a roll of a dice on whether you're getting competent play, it isn't a bad idea to target a former elite TE1 that will cost you relatively little and still has an on-paper elite schedule in the short term.
Schedule over the next 4 Weeks:
JAX, @IND, CHI, GB
3rd-easiest SOS among TEs
Top Long-Term (Championship Contention) Trade Targets:
If you're sitting comfortably in a playoff spot with a 90% or greater chance, these are the players for you to target. You're no longer focused on the short term and can afford to drop a game or two the rest of the regular season. You're looking at the championship. These players are ones that should have very favorable situations and/or very easy schedules in the fantasy playoffs: the easiest way to get an advantage to win your championship. It's worth shortening/weakening your bench to trade up to get premier players in premier situations, even if it means you "lose" the trade on paper while getting the best player.
James Conner (RB - Arizona Cardinals)
Conner has been fantastic this season, posting 17+ touches and 14+ fantasy points in all but two games this year, and it's very realistic that we haven't even seen his best stretch of football in 2024.
He gets a cupcake schedule for the fantasy playoffs, which includes:
New England: Allows the 3rd-most attempts & rushing TDs, and the 9th-most PPG to RBs
Carolina: Allows the most attempts, rushing yards, rushing TDs, and fantasy points to RBs
L.A. Rams: Allowed 19.4 fantasy points to Conner earlier this year
James Conner's already been a quality RB1 this season. I think he takes it up another notch and is an elite-RB1 for fantasy in the playoffs. I'm willing to notably overpay if it means bringing in Conner, especially if you can swing him as your RB2 or a 1A/1B to another top-10 RB in your lineup.
The only thing to note with him is to double down and get Trey Benson as his handcuff (Conner has never played a full season in his career).
Schedule for the Fantasy Playoffs:
NE, @CAR, @LAR
2nd-easiest SOS among RBs
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB - Detroit Lions)
While I like David Montgomery for the short term, Jahmyr Gibbs is the Lions' RB that I want for the fantasy playoffs.
It hasn't been often that the Lions offense has been forced into shootout-like situations this season, playing a role in Gibbs seeing his targets per game drop by over 34% from his rookie year, but the Lions may be forced into that game script twice in the fantasy playoffs.
Gibbs' fantasy playoffs will feature a matchup against Buffalo (2nd-most PPG to RBs), Chicago (who Gibbs totaled 38.7 fantasy points against in 2 games last year), and San Francisco (12th-most PPG, 6th-most catches per game to RBs). That's three games of positive game script and positive production against.
He won't come cheap, but if you can manage to get him (even if it means slightly overpaying for him), I'd make a move to get Gibbs as he likely will be a league-winner.
Schedule for the Fantasy Playoffs:
BUF, @CHI, @SF
5th-easiest SOS among RBs
George Pickens (WR - Pittsburgh Steelers)
Continuing what I mentioned above about the excellent connection between Wilson and Pickens, the Steelers' WR also draws a great schedule for the fantasy playoffs, which should almost certainly guarantee a very pass-heavy game script in each game.
For the fantasy playoffs, Pittsburgh will face Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Kansas City. While two of those three matchups are in the bottom half in terms of PPG allowed to opposing WRs (Philadelphia, Kansas City), the game scripts should ensure the passing volume will be there.
It's not as appealing as his schedule leading up to the fantasy playoffs, but the likely pass-heavy nature as Pittsburgh would seemingly be in contention for a division title (or at the very least, playoff positioning) should be a buoy for Pickens' fantasy production.
Schedule for the Fantasy Playoffs:
@PHI, @BAL, KC
5th-easiest SOS among WRs
David Njoku (TE - Cleveland Browns)
It's been a rough season for the Cleveland Browns and David Njoku has been one of the very few bright spots for the team, especially having come on as of late with four straight games of 7+ targets, 5+ catches, and 8+ fantasy points.
And while the Browns are soon to be officially out of playoff contention, that likely won't stop Njoku from racking up the volume and fantasy points. Come the end of the season, Jameis Winston likely will be playing for a borderline starting/backup job in 2024 and Kevin Stefanski will be coaching just to keep his job in Cleveland for next season. Both will need to prove they still belong, meaning no 'rolling over and dying' for the Browns offense or else both will be out of a job next year.
That brings us to the passing game, which will have to be featured heavily with three games against explosive offenses in the fantasy playoffs, drawing the Chiefs, Bengals, and Dolphins. The Browns will likely have to score their way into staying in these games, which means we may see a late-season tear like we saw last year from Njoku, who was the overall TE1 in fantasy the last half of the year.
The only TEs I'd rather have heading into the fantasy playoffs than Njoku are: Travis Kelce, George Kittle, Brock Bowers, and Trey McBride. Trade accordingly.
Schedule for the Fantasy Playoffs:
KC, @CIN, MIA
4th-easiest SOS among TEs
Jayden Daniels (QB - Washington Commanders)
After a red-hot start to the season with 20+ points in five of his first six games, Jayden Daniels appears to be returning back to a more realistic level including a reality-check against a tough Steelers defense that has allowed the 2nd-fewest PPG to QBs and held Daniels to just 8.6 fantasy points, 5 rushing yards, and no TDs.
While the playoff matchups aren't ideal on paper (New Orleans and Philadelphia, both in the bottom-10 in PPG allowed to QBs), I like the anticipated game scripts he'll be seeing in Weeks 16 (PHI) and 17 (ATL), both of which should favor higher-scoring affairs.
Obviously, I'd rather have the likes of Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Allen for the fantasy playoffs, but all of them have sub-par schedules on paper as well, and there may not be a better 'bang for your buck' option at the QB position to load up for a playoff run than Daniels.
I'd be comfortable giving up a QB1 and a quality bench player if it meant trading up to get him. If you can, I'd try to hold off potentially until after this week's game (which is on TNF) as he may have another down game against Philadelphia, which could give some indication as to what we may see later in the season in what could be a winner-take-all game for the NFC East title.
Schedule for the Fantasy Playoffs:
@NO, PHI, ATL
21st-easiest SOS among QBs
Jaylen Waddle (WR - Miami Dolphins)
This Dolphins offense has been extremely dysfunctional this year and it's reflected in Jaylen Waddle's lackluster season where he's hit 10+ points just once in 2024.
This is a low-risk/high-upside type of move, contrary to the higher-capital targets listed above. Waddle likely won't be anything more than a WR3 should Tyreek Hill remain in the lineup, but there seems to be a very realistic possibility that another loss or two forces the Dolphins out of the playoff race and leads Hill, who has reportedly been playing through torn ligaments in his wrist, to undergo season-ending surgery.
If that were to happen, Waddle would move into the WR1 spot against some likely higher-scoring offenses (plus Cleveland) in the playoffs, and with HC Mike McDaniel likely coaching to keep his job in 2025, that could mean production for Waddle.
It's a long way off but Houston (8th-most PPG to WRs) and Cleveland (5th-most PPG to WRs) both present favorable matchups while San Francisco would likely guarantee a pass-friendly game script. Even if Hill is there, those look moderately enticing for Waddle as a potential FLEX option should the offense see correction over the next few weeks.
This is the ultimate "what if" move for fantasy trade deadlines and will likely cost you very little to nothing of significance, but could end up being a league winner if the rumors of Tyreek Hill and his agent considering surgery are truthful.
Schedule for the Fantasy Playoffs:
@HOU, SF, @CLE
11th-easiest SOS among WRs