Trading is the quickest way to take your team from sitting on the bubble of a playoff berth to a championship contender, or vice-versa if you make the wrong deal, which is why it is so important to make sure you are targeting (and selling) the right players at the right time.
And yes - every player has a price. It doesn't matter whether they are the best player in fantasy football or a dwindling kicker - every player has a price that they should be traded away for or should have something given up to get. If you don't know what the value of your players is, head over to our Trade Charts!
For people in leagues that are more active in trading, this is for you - these are our top 5 trade targets based on the "buy-low, sell-high" approach with players highlighted likely to see an increase in value in the near future due to easy matchups, surrounding injuries, improving/changing scenarios, etc:
1. Sam LaPorta - TE, Detroit Lions
Last week solidified it for me - barring injury, I'd expect LaPorta to end the year as a top-5 TE.
Granted it was the lowest output of his rookie season so far (4 catches, 36 yards, 7.6 points), LaPorta was simply unable to capitalize on an absurd 11-target day in Week 6 against Tampa Bay. Even with just 4 catches on the week, the rookie ranks 4th among TEs in targets, 2nd in yards, and 1st in TDs.
LaPorta appears to have established the highest weekly floor of any TE not named Kelce, and can still be acquired at a rather discounted price due to name value and a slightly down Week 6. With him firmly planted as the 2nd target in a high-powered Lions' offense and the 2nd-easiest playoff SOS among TEs, LaPorta could not only be a value in the short-term but a potential league-winner down the stretch.
2. Brandon Aiyuk - WR, San Francisco 49ers
Aiyuk continues to show why he's among the safest week-to-week fantasy WRs, posting another double-digit performance even despite being without a TD, Purdy's struggles, and a horrific matchup against the Browns (who allow the fewest PPG to WRs by a wide margin) in Week 6.
Last week he brought in just 4 of 10 targets for 76 yards. That's now five double-digit performances in six weeks while failing to find the endzone since Week 1 - something that will not last as history has shown (5+ TDs in every season).
The limited performance in Week 6 against a strong Browns' defense makes Aiyuk a very appealing buy-low option at WR2, especially with a fantastic upcoming schedule for WRs (easiest remaining SOS, 7th-easiest playoff SOS). His security, especially relative to his likely trade price, is invaluable.
3. Tee Higgins - WR, Cincinnati Bengals
It's been a very weird season for Tee Higgins so far, between the early struggles of the Bengals' offense to a Week 4 rib injury that forced the WR out mid-game, missing Week 5, and seemingly was limited in Week 6 with just 4 targets and a 54% snap share.
Outside a 29-point Week 2, Higgins has been very underwhelming due to those factors. His owners are going through the frustration of his underwhelming start to the season and are more likely to look beyond the 'why' Higgins has struggled on paper and simply look at the lackluster game log.
Now is the perfect chance to buy the Bengals' WR. He's coming off an underwhelming Week 4, has a bye this week (which will give both he and Joe Burrow an opportunity to get healthier), and has a fantastic schedule come playoff time (4th-best playoff SOS).
The chance is now to get a likely top-15 fantasy option for the rest of the season (and a potential playoff changer) for a massive discount.
4. Calvin Ridley - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
It has been a rough start to the season for Ridley, seeing pretty inconsistent production from 20-point performances in two games to 7-or-fewer points in three other games.
The efficiency is there, averaging 14 yards per catch and the volume has been there for the most part (7+ targets in 5/6 games, 8+ targets in 4 games) - the issue has been the connection between he and QB Trevor Lawrence, whether it be drops on Ridley's fault or an inability to connect.
The Jaguars' offense is starting to click and once the chemistry is fully there between Ridley and Lawrence, we should more consistently see the upside that has flashed at points in 2023. For now, I am targeting Ridley at a mid-WR2 price tag, especially coming off a down 6.6-point performance in Week 6.
5. Jahmyr Gibbs - RB, Detroit Lions
For starters, the 'struggles' for Gibbs early on were way overblown based on the unrealistic expectation that he'd walk into a massive workload right out of the gate. Through the first four weeks (before his hamstring injury in practice before Week 5), Gibbs was the RB27 and had shown a stable weekly floor, hitting 8+ points in each of his first four games.
Everything is now aligning for Gibbs' breakout. He's 'trending toward playing' in Week 7, per HC Dan Campbell while fellow RB David Montgomery is expected to sit out at least one game (likely two, with the Lions' Week 9 bye) due to a rib injury. In Montgomery's absence in Week 3, Gibbs was very serviceable, drawing 17 carries and averaging 4.7 YPC against a stout Falcons run defense that has allowed just 3.8 YPC and the 3rd-fewest fantasy PPG to opposing RBs this year - the only reason he wasn't extremely productive on the week was a rare lack of receiving usage (2 targets, 1 catch) due to a run-heavy game script.
He can likely be acquired at an RB3 price tag and offers both short-term top-15 value with Montgomery out and long-term RB2 value with a likely increased role as the season progresses, especially around playoff time when the Lions' have the 6th-easiest SOS among RBs. Gibbs looks like a very worthwhile gamble, especially for those feeling the pain of RB injuries.