RADIO
It's hard to believe, but we are in the home stretch of the fantasy football season. There are a limited number of opportunities left to get the victories you need to make it to the playoffs. The trade deadline may be approaching in the next week or two, so be sure to confirm your league's settings as you may have less time than you think to make some crucial moves!
Entering Week 9, I suggested trading for DK Metcalf and Tony Pollard. I can't say that either immediately panned out, but I did acknowledge in advance that both players had difficult matchups on tap. I also highlighted Jordan Addison and Raheem Mostert as players I'd look to trade away. Addison saw a noticeable dip in production without Kirk Cousins while Mostert scored yet again. Still, with De'Von Achane expected back in Week 11, my concerns persist.
We will have to see what awaits in the coming weeks before making final determinations. As we move on to Week 10, I will once again discuss two undervalued players that are set up for success and two overvalued players that could disappoint when you need them most. Let's dive right in.
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Players to Target in Trades for Fantasy Football
Marquise Brown, Arizona Cardinals
The 1-8 Cardinals may already have their sights set on next season, but there is still fantasy production to be found in Arizona. In fact, Marquise Brown has been a valuable asset throughout the 2023 campaign as the WR21 in half-PPR scoring.
Hollywood may not feel like a WR2 right now as his output has taken a hit in recent weeks. From Weeks 2 through 5, however, Brown was the WR14 while averaging nearly 13 fantasy points per game. Although the team is struggling to find the end zone consistently, Brown leads all Cardinals skill position players with four touchdowns.
If nothing was changing in Arizona, Brown would remain a quality trade target based on volume alone. He has amassed an impressive 27.7% team target share and is earning more opportunities per contest than players such as Jaylen Waddle, DK Metcalf, and Amari Cooper.
But significant changes are coming in Arizona, of course. Quarterback Kyler Murray was officially activated to the Cardinals' 53-man roster this week and is primed to make his season debut against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. While Joshua Dobbs played far better than anyone expected, Murray raises the ceiling of Arizona's offense exponentially.
In 10 full games in 2022, Murray averaged about 39 pass attempts for 236 yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game. For reference, Dobbs' averages in eight starts for the Cardinals this season were around 33 attempts for 196 yards and exactly one touchdown. Furthermore, Brown is known for his ability to make plays downfield, and Murray has been much more successful on deep ball attempts than Dobbs throughout their respective careers.
We also have a pretty nice sample of Brown playing at an elite level with Murray under center.
The fantasy points listed above are in full-PPR scoring, but the point stands regardless of your league format. With Murray throwing him the ball, Brown was a top-10 fantasy receiver three times in six games as the Cardinals' clear WR1 last season. Although rookie Michael Wilson has shown flashes, there is no question about who Murray's favorite target will be upon his return.
Keep in mind that the Murray-to-Brown connection dates back to 2018 when the two were teammates at Oklahoma. Murray even won the Heisman Trophy that year with Brown as his leading receiver.
In addition to the quarterback upgrade, Brown is worth trading for due to his sensational schedule for the fantasy playoffs. From Weeks 15 through 17, the Cardinals will face the 49ers, Bears, and Eagles. The Bears surrender the fifth-most passing yards per contest, while the 49ers and Eagles have both been decimated by fantasy wide receivers all season.
DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
I usually try to provide two players of different positions as trade targets, but I felt most confident about receivers this week.
I'll make it clear right away that DeVonta Smith will be on a bye in Week 10. While this will likely make him easier to trade for, if you need to get points on your roster this week to increase your chances of making it to the fantasy playoffs, Smith may not be an ideal player to acquire. On the other hand, if you have the depth to get by for a week, he could be your ticket to glory.
With A.J. Brown posting historical numbers, Smith struggled to produce from Weeks 3 through 7. Fantasy managers may have even considered benching Smith during this stretch, especially after a Week 5 showing in which he managed just one reception for six yards. Fortunately, the 24-year-old has returned to form, finding the end zone and scoring as a fantasy WR1 in each of his past two games.
Because of this, it's hard to consider Smith a buy-low candidate. Still, trading for him at top-24 receiver value could prove to be a massive steal.
Smith is currently the WR17 on the season, but barely cracks the top 30 receivers in fantasy points per game. Only 11 healthy receivers are currently averaging more points than the 13.3 that Smith averaged last year without Dallas Goedert on the field.
As it was in 2022, the Eagles' receiving corps is lacking outside of Brown and Smith. Olamide Zaccheaus has just 12 targets this season and 34-year-old Julio Jones cannot be expected to play on a substantial amount of snaps. In Goedert's absence, Albert Okwuegbunam and Jack Stoll will step into more prominent roles. Okwuegbunam hasn't caught a pass since Week 17 last season and Stoll has 17 career receptions.
It's also worth mentioning that Smith continued to put up excellent numbers when Goedert returned to the lineup last year. He was even Philadelphia's leading receiver throughout the NFL playoffs and out-gained Brown 197-146. This is great news for the fantasy playoffs this year if Goedert is indeed back in Week 15.
Smith has the talent and the opportunity in a high-powered offense to be a top-12 fantasy wideout over the back half of the season. He could certainly help you make it into the fantasy playoffs and matchups against the Seahawks, Giants, and Cardinals from Weeks 15 through 17 make him a must-start option in your pursuit of a championship.
Players to Trade Away for Fantasy Football
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens
Had J.K. Dobbins suffered an Achilles injury in the preseason, I still would never have guessed that Gus Edwards would be the fantasy RB10 through nine games. Edwards has been an efficient runner throughout his six-year career, but he is rarely utilized as a pass-catcher and peaked as the RB33 in 2020.
Despite seeing a decent workload early on in the season, Edwards eclipsed double-digit fantasy points just once between Weeks 1 and 6. He then ripped off three straight top-10 performances, including a three-touchdown RB1 finish in Week 8.
In Week 9, Edwards rumbled for two more scores and averaged over 10 yards per carry. The concern is that he was given just five total touches and may be a part of a three-man committee moving forward.
With a final score of 37-3, it would be easy to assume that Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell received their touches in garbage time. This was not the case. Hill has been splitting snaps evenly with Edwards throughout the season and was involved as early as the first quarter. Mitchell was given his first career carry in the second quarter and immediately looked like the most explosive player in Baltimore's backfield. The rookie later scampered for a 40-yard touchdown and made numerous defenders miss on a 60-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Although Mitchell signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent, his speed was touted before the NFL Draft. His 4.37 40-yard dash time trailed just De'Von Achane and Jahmyr Gibbs in the 2023 running back class. It shouldn't be anticipated that Mitchell will completely take over RB1 duties in Baltimore, but after his breakout performance on Sunday, the team will undoubtedly keep him in the mix.
With Edwards scoring so many of his fantasy points on touchdowns, he'll be difficult to rely upon every week. This is especially true for a Week 10 divisional showdown against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game and just two rushing touchdowns to running backs this season.
Edwards has been so productive lately, though, that he's bound to be worth something of value in a potential trade. Now is the time to explore that option before Mitchell starts to earn more playing time.
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
The Houston Texans, fresh off a thrilling 39-37 victory over the Buccaneers, are an incredibly fun team right now. The primary reason for this is second overall pick, C.J. Stroud. Stroud has been nothing short of spectacular as a rookie and made history in just his eighth career start.
With these numbers, Stroud was the fantasy QB1 in Week 9, of course. Because he has been so effective while throwing the ball 35 times per contest, Stroud is now firmly on the fantasy radar even in single-QB leagues. Following his 40-point explosion, he is the QB8 through nine weeks.
Stroud may continue to perform as a top-12 option, but let's not allow one game to make us so sure. Before Week 9, Stroud was the QB17, averaging a respectable 16.5 fantasy points per game. He finished as a QB1 on three separate occasions and inside the top 10 once. Therefore, it's fair to wonder if this outburst is a sign of things to come or just an outlier in an otherwise really solid rookie campaign.
It is important to note here that Tampa Bay's defense has struggled against the pass all season. Heading into Week 9, the Bucs were surrendering the fifth-most passing yards and the 11th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. By no means am I looking to take credit away from Stroud, but this was a great matchup for him to capitalize on.
He could go on a hot streak over the next few weeks as the Texans will face the Bengals, Cardinals, Jaguars, and Broncos. None of these teams have been particularly stout against quarterbacks this year and some have been downright awful. Stroud's schedule starting in Week 14, however, is a bit worrisome.
Houston will close the fantasy season by taking on the Jets, Titans, Browns, and Titans again. The Jets and Browns are widely regarded as elite defenses, and while Tennessee isn't known for its secondary, the Titans are surprisingly giving up the seventh-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks.
If you want to hold onto Stroud given the defenses he'll likely shred over the next four weeks, I can't fault you. He can't be expected to repeat his Week 9 output, though, so his value may be at its peak right now. With his troubling schedule for the fantasy playoffs, I would look to trade Stroud for a more proven fantasy commodity such as Lamar Jackson, who could be available following two disappointing showings.
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