Copyright Athlon Sports
There’s a universal feeling fantasy football owners young, old, and in between can share at one point or another: beginning every year brimming with hopeful enthusiasm after the thrill of drafting. There is nothing like it! Oh, wait, there’s definitely another feeling anyone who has played this game long enough (a season?!?) can relate to … what it’s like to be snakebitten by injuries and have your dreams crushed in a moment’s notice. It’s not always just ailing players who can derail your championship hopes as all it takes is an inopportune miscalculation during your draft prep to find yourself scrambling to make the playoffs. If either or both of those situations sound familiar, crafting trades for these players is a step toward getting your team headed in the right direction. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams Pros: He has a wealth of talent around him, is becoming more comfortable in Ben Johnson’s system, offers rushing ability as a bonus, and already went on bye. Cons: Williams has been erratic, Chicago is committed to rushing the ball, and the remaining strength of schedule only neutral. Upcoming matchups with the shaky secondaries of Baltimore, Cincinnati, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh make Williams an intriguing buy-low target as he comes off his worst fantasy game since 2024’s Week 10 loss to New England. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Pros: Explosiveness matched by few others, already went on bye, a sense of win-now urgency the rest of the season, enough weapons to offer passing and rushing production, and the second-softest remaining fantasy strength of schedule. Cons: Hamstring injuries can be tricky to fully overcome, and a poor defense could prevent offensive balance. Trading for Jackson won’t come cheaply. Everyone knows the Ravens at 1-5 have the thinnest of margins to make the playoffs, which cuts both ways. It means John Harbaugh will put the team on Lamar’s back, but defenses — even this weak slate — will throw the kitchen sink at him. Jackson, who was playing at an elite level before the injury, should dominate the rest of the way. Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley Pros: RB1 upside, favorable enough remaining schedule, versatility in PPR leagues, and capable of going big any given week. Cons: Barkley has generated fewer than 10 PPR points in 50% of games played, has only one game of 20-plus rushing attempts (10 in 2024 regular season), is yet to go on bye, and the offensive line has struggled to open lanes. Even with the struggles, Barkley will cost a pretty penny. I was lukewarm on Barkley coming into this season after his massive workload last year, and while he shouldn’t be cooked at 28, consider this a risky trade recommendation. Favorable tilts with NYG, Dallas, and Chicago before Week 14 will tell us everything we need to know about where this one is headed when the fantasy schedule reaches sudden-death mode. New York Jets RB Breece Hall Pros: Long speculated as a trade candidate, which would put him in a better environment, Hall has the tools to shine in the right setting. New York is going nowhere fast, but even if he stays the upcoming schedule is ranked as the 10th easiest. A QB change in NY could do wonders. Cons: Trending for a career-low fantasy season at just 11.5 PPR points a game. Has averaged fewer than 3.0 yards per carry in four of seven appearances. Zero touchdowns scored over 118 touches — 13 backs have more touches, and each one has found the end zone. In best-case scenario, we see Hall get traded to a team with stronger line play, a better defense, and a real quarterback. Now, we can’t get everything we want in life, but at least stronger QB play would be a major win. A trade to the likes of Kansas City, the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans or Denver Broncos is preferred. Hall serving as an Alvin Kamara-type option for Sean Payton would be a massive win for fantasy purposes. Hall will be a cheaper acquisition before any speculative deal comes to fruition, of course. Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London Pros: The top target in his offense and faces almost no competition for aerial touches from week to week. Has a strong offensive line protecting his QB and helping create a game-changing running game that commands defensive respect. Ten-plus targets in four of six games and already went on bye. Fourth-softest PPR strength of schedule. Cons: Inconsistent returns for fantasy with more than 55 yards just twice. Two huge games have represented nearly 59% of his total PPR production. Trending nearly eight receptions below his 2024 pace in relation to scoring efficiency. London has the requisite tools to win fantasy matchups with just a little more consistency from the young pro. Not only does he have the fourth-softest remaining SoS in fantasy, but his quarterback has the No. 2 schedule, and few teams have as capable of a backup option as Atlanta does in Kirk Cousins. New York Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson Pros: Heavy target share from week to week following loss of WR Malik Nabers. Bright play from rookie QB has kept him relevant. Suspect defense lends to weekly involvement. Seventh-most YAC, deep targets and routes per game, and second-most designed target share. Cons: Low scoring rate throughout career (30.1 receptions/TD), focus of defensive attention, only neutral remaining schedule strength, limited upside for non-PPR leagues. Robinson has stepped up his game with the loss of Nabers and transition to rookie QB Jaxson Dart, especially the last two weeks. Over that time, he has landed 12 of 19 targets for 179 yards and a score, giving the 24-year-old at least 11.5 PPR returns in four of seven games. If you want a high-floor receiver with the ability to occasionally go big, Robinson is a moderately priced trade target. Pittsburgh Steelers TE Jonnu Smith Pros: Building chemistry with Aaron Rodgers, plays in a familiar offensive system, sees consistent solo coverage with DK Metcalf commanding excessive attention, and faces the fifth-best RoS matchups for TEs. Cons: We just haven’t seen him do it yet in Pittsburgh with only 28 yards as a single-game high on the year. What happens if Rodgers were to get hurt? It’s only a matter of time before these two fully click statistically. Smith’s athletic profile is lost in an anomalous 5.9 yards-per-reception average. Coming off a season-high 9.3-yard average and matching a 2025 high-water mark of six targets in Week 7. The last two weeks have seen the veteran participate in at least 70% of the routes log at least a 67% snap share. Buying low on Smith could be a fine way to bolster your roster without investing much. He’s worth targeting as an ancillary component to button up a larger trade package. Honorable Mentions
