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 bait pieces based on the "buy-low, sell-high" approach with players highlighted likely to see a decrease in value in the near future due to difficult matchups, surrounding injuries, improving/changing scenarios, etc:
1. D'Onta Foreman - RB, Chicago Bears
This is about as simple of a sell-high as you can get.
Foreman's coming off a career game where he went for 120 yards and 3 TDs against a weak Raiders defense (5th-most PPG to opposing RBs) with little competition for work, either in the running game or in the passing game, with the Bears' focus on running the ball with Tyson Bagent at QB.
Khalil Herbert was out. Roschon Johnson was out. Justin Fields was out.
All three significant running weapons for the Bears were out on Sunday and Foreman still only got 48% of the rushing work. He's a TD-dependent option while he remains the lead back, but his workload will soon be dissipating with the upcoming returns of Justin Fields and Roschon Johnson within the next week or two, plus Khalil Herbert likely returning in Week 10.
He's a short-term RB2/FLEX that can likely net you a long-term RB2 option, especially after his 33-point game. Sell high.
2. Courtland Sutton - WR, Denver Broncos
Another Broncos game, another Courtland Sutton performance predicated on finding the endzone.
I'll give credit where credit's due - Sutton has been on a tear to start the season, finding the endzone in five of seven games this year. The issue is that it's neither a reliable source of production or sustainable long-term when considering his TD Dependency (32.6%, highest among WRs) and when comparing his historical TD rate (5.9%) to this season's (16.1%).
Something has to give at some point. You've got a player who is 4th in the NFL in receiving TDs, yet ranks 20th in fantasy due to being 37th in targets (43), 33rd in catches (31), and 43rd in receiving yards (351).
He's been very productive thus far, almost exclusively from the endzone, and that's something that I'm looking to take advantage of before it turns. I am packaging Sutton to try and upgrade my starting lineup somewhere, either pairing him with another WR to try and get a WR1/2 or with an RB/TE to upgrade one of those positions.
3. Mike Evans - WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans and Courtland Sutton are the same exact player - the differences being that Evans is 30 years old and his TD Dependency has been diluted by long TDs (which are even more unsustainable).
We have seen how incredibly inconsistent Evans has been on a week-to-week basis for the last few years and that has continued in 2023, posting single-digit performances in each of his outings without a TD and 17+ points in each of his games with a TD this year.
He's got a bottom-6 schedule for the rest of the season and has a bottom-10 schedule for the fantasy playoffs. That wouldn't be enough to worry me alone, but pairing that with the big-play and TD dependencies makes me wary of his security. I'm moving him for a more secure WR2 option with just as much long-term upside (and ideally a better end-of-season schedule).
4. Rhamondre Stevenson - RB, New England Patriots
Stay calm everybody, Rhamondre Stevenson has hit double-digit points in consecutive games... I really dread saying that given his preseason expectations, but it's the reality of the situation. He hit double-digit points for a second straight week and for the fourth time this year.
He (and the Patriots' offense) is starting to finally find a groove now that they're away from an ugly schedule to start the season, but I am still looking to move on from Stevenson if the opportunity presents itself.
In the four games he hit 10+ points, Stevenson had 5+ catches (and 6+ targets) in three of them. He doesn't hit double-digit points in any of those games without the receiving utilization. That typically would be a positive, but it's unclear how many games in the near future will see the Patriots playing from a truly pass-heavy game script (WAS, IND, NYG, PIT among their next 6 opponents). I would anticipate a more run-oriented approach over the upcoming stretch, which may be an issue with Ezekiel Elliott drawing a larger role as of late (and actually out-carrying Stevenson in Week 7).
By no means am I selling Stevenson for a discount, but I am looking to see if I can get mid-RB2 value out of him (or even package him in an attempt to trade up for an RB1) off of a high-PPR game.
5. Mark Andrews - TE, Baltimore Ravens
Andrews has been solid to start the season, posting 10+ points in five of six games and 20+ points in two games, including this past week (4-63-2, 22.3 points). There's nothing wrong with him (outside a slightly above-ideal TD dependency).
However, this is the chance to go for the 'home run' and potentially land Travis Kelce. Andrews will have his typical 8-15 point performances with the occasional multi-TD game where he goes north of 20 points (like this past week) and that's the opportunity to strike.
Andrews is a very solid TE, but his solid game is Kelce's floor. Kelce had the most dominant season ever over the rest of a position last year, outscoring the TE2 in PPG by 5.2 PPG - this year, he is up that same mark through 7 weeks.
I am doing whatever I can to upgrade from Andrews to Kelce, including throwing in a WR2/FLEX-value player. There may not be another opportunity to get Kelce for the difference in price between him and Andrews as of right now.