Top Trade Targets and Avoids for Week 3

September 23, 2021

Fantasy football trade targets - players to buy low and sell high on heading into Week 3 of the NFL season. Dennis Sosic's top trade targets and avoids.

Welcome fantasy friends and foes, to the Top Trade Targets and Avoids for Week 3. How does your fantasy roster look after two weeks? Are you 0-2 or 2-0? Regardless of your current record, there is work to be done. There is no perfect roster. Each fantasy lineup has weak spots and fantasy managers cannot become complacent.

You can improve your roster weekly by adding players off the Waiver Wire initially, but one of the most enjoyable aspects of fantasy football is trading players. Working out trades with league mates makes the league more exciting. Obtaining the edge by identifying then resolving roster issues should be the ultimate goal of making trades.

I came up with three players to "buy low" that you should target as we head into Week 3. Also, "selling high" on players provides the ultimate value and is essential to roster construction.

Players to Target

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants

It has been approximately a year since Saquon Barkley tore his ACL and subsequently had surgery. The New York Giants planned on bringing Barkley along slowly and easing him into action. He played only 48% of snaps against the Denver Broncos in Week 1. He looked rusty and somewhat tentative while rushing 10 times for 26 yards.

His Week 2 matchup against The Washington Football Team on Thursday night saw increased playing time. Barkley played on 84% of snaps on his way to producing 13 rushes for 57 yards and catching two passes for 12 yards. We saw glimpses of the old Barkley burst on a 41-yard run which was encouraging for fantasy managers.

The workload management was expected and it will serve Barkley and his fantasy managers well as we head into Week 3. Barkley gets the Atlanta Falcons, who are giving up an average of 127.5 rushing yards per game. Barkley was brought along slowly in the first two contests but I project that he will get a full workload this week after 10 days of rest.

Current Barkley stakeholders have to be frustrated with the lack of production of their first-round pick. A deeper dive allows you to discover the game plan with the former Penn State star. Take advantage of the disappointed fantasy manager who is eager to move Barkley. Barkley will start showing in Week 3 why he was a fantasy first-round pick and a former No. 2 overall draft selection for the Giants in 2018.

Sony Michel, RB, Los Angeles Rams

With starting running back Darrell Henderson's status in doubt for Week 3 due to a rib cartilage injury, Sony Michel will be relied upon to take over the featured back role in a Los Angeles Rams offense averaging 30.5 points per game in the first two weeks of the 2021 season.

Henderson is producing, scoring in each of the last two weeks, in a high octane offense after presumably taking over as the lead back after Cam Akers was lost for the season. Trading for Sony Michel created a one-two punch in the backfield in which Michel will be asked to run between the tackles and fill in for Henderson.

Michel can carve out a role for himself with his play this week and with Henderson's injury history, he will get plenty of opportunities. This is a perfect time to obtain Michel is before he seizes the opportunity.

Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears

Through two games, Allen Robinson has eight catches on 15 targets with 59 yards and a touchdown. Those aren't horrible numbers, but I project his numbers to increase significantly with the news that rookie Justin Fields will get his first NFL start this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Allen Robinson is an underrated wide receiver who has played with a laundry list of horrible quarterbacks in Blake Bortles, Mitch Trubisky, and Nick Foles. Now Robinson will have the opportunity to play with the dynamic Fields who has a gun for an arm. Of course, Fields will suffer growing pains and the duo will have to develop chemistry. In Week 2,  while in relief for the injured Andy Dalton, Fields saw Robinson drop what would have been his first NFL touchdown pass.

The former Nittany Lion has averaged 100 receptions and 1,000+ receiving yards over his past two seasons. He accomplished those fantasy-friendly numbers with poor quarterback play. Imagine what Robinson will do with a strong-armed and play-making Fields at quarterback. I am acquiring Robinson so I can have a front-row seat.

Players to Trade Away

Cordarrelle Patterson, RB/WR, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons brought in veteran running back Mike Davis to be the bell-cow back in a Falcons offense that features weapons Calvin Ridley and rookie sensation Kyle Pitts. Davis has yet to rush for more than 50 yards across two games this season. His struggles led to the usage emergence of running back/wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

Patterson has a total of 21 touches through two weeks while Davis has at least 16 touches in each game this season. Patterson has seven carries in back-to-back games and scored two touchdowns Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Patterson also provides PPR production, catching two passes for 13 yards in Week 1 and grabbing five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.

At 30 years old, it seems unlikely that Patterson is experiencing a breakout season. However, he does have a role in the Falcons offense. He is a gadget player who will fill in at both positions but is not someone that fantasy managers can depend upon.

Patterson has never shown the ability to run the ball consistently and if Mike Davis went down, Patterson would step in automatically and take over the featured back role. That is not what Patterson does. Additionally, the Falcons signed Wayne Gallman before the season, and we should start seeing Gallman spell Davis as the season progresses.

Don't believe the hype around Patterson. The only way I would add him is to effectively trade him while his value is at its highest.

James White, RB, New England Patriots

James White was a fantasy non-factor last season, catching 49 balls on 62 targets for 375 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for two touchdowns. Of course, White did that while Cam Newton was under center, which was a failed experiment.

White misses Tom Brady.  White had a minimum of 95 targets, 72 receptions, and 645 receiving yards in each of the previous two seasons with Tom Terrific under center. The former Wisconsin Badger was PPR gold while with Brady for fantasy managers and was a sneaky start as your RB2/Flex.

With rookie Mac Jones being named the starter at quarterback this season, White is back on the fantasy radar. He has six receptions in consecutive games to start the season and 12 receptions for 94 yards on 13 targets.

The New England Patriots offense is a work in progress with zero game-changing weapons. The Patriots are in the bottom tier of offenses in the league and game plan to win with good defense and a ball-control offense averaging 113.0 rushing yards per game.

White is a PPR monster who is game script-dependent. He won't provide consistent fantasy production and his value after his first two games is at its peak. In essence, he possesses a nice floor but has limited upside. I don't see the volume continuing in an offense that features running back Damien Harris and is bringing along rookie Rhamondre Stevenson. A crowded backfield is not where I want to hang my fantasy hat on. Trade James White while he is trending hot.

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