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.
For people in leagues that are more active in trading, this is for you. These are my favorite players to target and my favorite players to shop as their current value and future value don't necessarily align due to easy matchups, surrounding injuries, improving/changing scenarios, etc.
Top Trade Targets/Buy-Low Candidates This Week:
Nick Chubb (RB - Cleveland Browns)
My biggest hesitation around Chubb this past week (and why I didn't play him in many leagues that I own him in) was the potential for a reserved workload, possibly opening his 2024 season on a 'pitch count' after over a year away from NFL action due to a 2023 knee injury.
We really did not see much of that in Week 7. Granted, Chubb only registered a 36% snap share to Pierre Strong's 50%, but he dominated the touches with 12 touches (and 14 opportunities) to Strong's 4 touches (and 6 opportunities).
The efficiency wasn't there, as was expected, averaging just 2.0 YPC against a pretty decent Bengals' run defense (10th-fewest YPC to opposing RBs), but the opportunity indicates Chubb will likely see his typical 15+ carry workload rather soon.
With that in mind and the transition to Jameis Winston at QB (which should likely elevate the offense), Chubb looks like a fairly solid mid-RB2 option for the foreseeable future. While he did score, he didn't explode on the stat sheet (10.2 points), making for what should be a likely last-chance to buy low on the RB, even after having returned from the PUP list.
David Montgomery (RB - Detroit Lions)
Everything that could go wrong for Montgomery, did go wrong in Week 7. Early on he suffered a knee injury that initially appeared to be significant, but he was able to return and finish the game, granted he still looked banged up and was extremely inefficient (3.4 YPC). To pile on, he lost a fumble for the first time in 322 touches (since Week 2 of 2023) late in the 4th quarter.
Prior to Week 7, Montgomery had posted 10+ points in every healthy game he had played with the Lions (4.3 points as he exited in Week 6 in 2023). There are "no issues" with his knee, per Dan Campbell, meaning a very rare down game is a perfect buy-low opportunity on one of the most consistent fantasy RBs out there.
He should still remain a top-12 fantasy RB for the rest of the season but his 8-point 'down' performance should temper the price tag you may have to pay to get Monty.
Jaylen Waddle (WR - Miami Dolphins)
It has been ugly, to say the least for Jaylen Waddle and the Dolphins' passing offense without Tua Tagovailoa under center with Waddle having posted a total of 33.4 points in 5 games with Tua not at QB for the full game.
The good news is that Tua Tagovailoa is expected to be activated off of IR and start in Week 8 for the Dolphins.
We may not see the offense explode to the extent that it had before immediately upon Tua's return, but investing at a relatively low cost on Waddle as a WR3/FLEX option for less of a price is a fairly safe (and certainly, a high-upside) bet given he ended as the WR21 in PPG in 2023, the WR8 in points in 2022, and the WR13 in points in 2021.
Low-Cost Targets/Stashes:
Jerry Jeudy (WR - Cleveland Browns)
It was an ugly first week post-Amari Cooper, drawing just 1 catch for 18 yards on his 5 targets. However, if there is a silver lining, it is that Jameis Winston will be the starter going forward, which should elevate the Browns' currently putrid offense and stimulate some fantasy production at the WR position.
Jeudy hadn't been terrible to start the season, featuring 6+ targets and 4+ catches in each of his first 4 games as a Cleveland Brown, also totaling 11+ fantasy points in three of those games, but it turned sour over the last few weeks with an inability to draw targets and an inability from the QB to get them to Jeudy, amassing just 3 catches in as many weeks.
Cedric Tillman and Eliah Moore may serve a role in the Browns' offense but ultimately, it'll be David Njoku and Jerry Jeudy as the threats via the air - the volume will have to be there if the Browns plan on winning more than a game or two the rest of the way.
With a favorable schedule this week (BAL, 3rd-most PPG to WRs) and over the course of the next month (7th-easiest SOS over the next 4), it's a low-risk/high-upside investment in Jeudy for pennies on the dollar. Especially after underwhelming in his first game without Cooper, you likely can get him at a WR4/5 price tag if he didn't find his way onto waivers in your league.
Isiah Pacheco (RB - Kansas City Chiefs)
He's very close to returning. Week 8 marks the 6th week of a 6-to-8-week recovery timeline for Pacheco's broken fibula he suffered in Week 2. It sounds like Week 9 may be a long shot, or at the very least one that you can't put him in your lineup (as it is a MNF game), but Week 10 sounds more realistic of a return for Pacheco.
We've seen Kareem Hunt (see below) take off in his absence, drawing over 22 touches per game in his three weeks as a starter, but that likely goes back to Pacheco the moment he returns to the field.
We haven't heard a whole lot about an impending return, but the timeline and his social media posts of running suggest it's close. Now's likely the last opportunity to get him at some type of discount before it becomes an expectation that he is returning within a week or two for his current owners.
Top Trade Bait/Sell-High Candidates This Week:
Kareem Hunt (RB - Kansas City Chiefs)
This is not an indictment of Hunt or his play in any way, but rather a 'get the most while you can' type of move. Hunt's been pretty average overall, averaging 4.0 YPC and tallying 6 catches for 36 yards in 3 games, but has gotten the workhorse role (63 carries in 3 games) and gotten a ton of goal-line work (3 TDs in the last 2 games).
There is no question that Hunt is the Chiefs' workhorse RB and that likely doesn't change once Clyde Edwards-Helaire returns... but, Isiah Pacheco's return is on the horizon.
Pacheco was given a 6-8 week timeline for a potential return from his broken fibula. This week marks the 6-week mark in that timeframe. It's looking like Week 8 will be out of the picture and Week 9 may be a tad bit of a long-shot for Pacheco to return, but Week 10 looks fairly likely. Hunt is an expiring asset and while he's a top-10 fantasy RB while Pacheco is out, once Pacheco returns, Hunt likely transitions to a Carson Steele-type role.
I never like to sell a player with an amazing matchup coming up as Hunt does with Las Vegas this week, but the time is ticking on being able to capitalize on Hunt as a trade asset. If you think you can get a decent haul for him after Week 8, you can gamble on that, but personally, I am selling Hunt while I am still assured that no news will be out about the impending return of Pacheco.
Baker Mayfield (QB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
For someone who threw for 370 yards, 3 TDs, and was the QB2 on the week, last week couldn't have gone much worse for Mayfield's rest-of-season prospects with Mike Evans re-aggravating his hamstring in what is being reported as an indefinite absence and Chris Godwin suffering a season-ending dislocated ankle in garbage time.
Mayfield's receiving corps looks like this until Evans returns (and when that is, remains unknown): Jalen McMillan, Sterling Shepard, Trey Palmer, and Cade Otton. That's not ideal.
I'm not saying sell him for whatever you can get, but I'd certainly be looking to get a feel for if you can get a reasonable return for Baker. He's coming off a high point total in Week 7 and is currently the QB2 in points, but I could easily see this season turning sour for Baker and the Bucs' offense, especially if Mike Evans is out long-term.
I'd be looking to see if you could flip him 1-for-1 in a deal for a Kyler Murray/C.J. Stroud-caliber QB or, perhaps even better, package him with a depth RB/WR in an attempt to trade up for a Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, or Josh Allen.
Javonte Williams (RB - Denver Broncos)
I'm very skeptical of Javonte Williams and more specifically, what will become of the Denver Broncos' offense in the second half of the season, especially after HC Sean Payton's comments about his desire to get the younger players more involved: "We have to see these guys... We are a young team... I want to see Estime. We are going to see Vele and we are going to see Franklin. We are not waiting to redshirt these guys."
We're far from it at the moment, but I would not be surprised to see a type of 1A/1B split between Williams and Estime in the coming month, especially given Payton has already pushed heavier workloads on two of the three players he singled out by name (Vele with 6 targets in Week 6, Franklin with 6 targets in Week 7).
Pair that potential for a reduced role with a relative lack of production (3.6 YPC, one game over 8 points) prior to his Week 7 explosion against a Saints' defense that has been horrific as of late, plus a bottom-4 SOS the rest of the season, and I am looking to try and move Williams.
Now, he does draw another very favorable matchup against Carolina this week. Whether you wait and hope for another massive performance is your choice. Personally, I am looking to move him off of his 2-TD performance in Week 7, not rolling the dice on another comparable game. I'd try to get RB2 or FLEX value for him.