Week 5 Fantasy Football Trade Targets

Week 4 was brutal. We saw some of the biggest names get knocked out for the season, and plenty of other players who will be sidelined for the next few weeks. In economic terms, this means that the supply of quality players is down, and the prices will go up. That’s important to keep in mind when we start talking about Week 5 Trade Targets, because it will be harder for you to acquire good players, even the ones that have been underperforming.

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Fantasy football managers are not going to be receptive to low-ball offers for highly drafted players that have yet to produce. Similarly, nobody is going to trade their studs right now, because there isn’t going to be much depth behind them. In this scenario, I like to target two types of players: middle-of-the-road players that are typically rostered but not started, and injured players on teams that need to win now.

Both of these routes require patience, and you’ll need to decide if your team can survive while waiting on these players. If you have the stomach for it though, these are the moves that can stabilize your team into the playoffs, and hopefully beyond.

Check out all of our Week 5 Rankings: Flex Rankings | QB Rankings | RB Rankings | WR Rankings | TE Rankings

Week 5 Trade Targets

Michael Pittman, Indianapolis WR

Pittman is a true #1 receiver on his team that wasn’t drafted as such. With all the offseason uncertainty that surrounded the Colts QB room, Pittman slipped in drafts and was typically taken as a third or fourth receiver on most fantasy teams.

Fast forward to Week 5, and Pittman has been quietly the WR13 in PPR. He’s averaging just over 5 receptions per game and has scored in 3 of 4 weeks. While lots of weekly rankings are finally catching up to how good he’s been, he’s still being started in under 50% of leagues, which indicates that he’s still being undervalued by managers.

You need to act before your leaguemates wise up. If the person who rostered him in your league is still treating him as a bench player, he should be a player that you can get as a fair value, and plug him right into your starting lineup.

Chris Olave, New Orleans WR

The Saints are bad, but not as bad as you might think for fantasy. Puka Nacua is currently the only receiver with more targets on the season than Olave. Across all positions, Olave is tied for second in targets on the season with Christian McCaffery. Spencer Rattler is fourth on the season in pass attempts.

So why isn’t there more buzz around Olave? Because, so far, these numbers haven’t translated into Fantasy production. The Saints are 28^th in team scoring. While I don’t expect that number to change, I also can’t foresee Olave’s target share going down, but I can see his yardage totals rise.

Alvin Kamara is not receiving the same volume of targets he’s commanded in the past, and there are rumors of him getting moved this season. The Saints’ schedule also really opens up, starting in Week 5 against the Giants, which should lead to more yardage for Olave in the very least. He currently has a career low ADOT of 7.5 yards, compared to his previous low last year of 12.5. The hope is that softer defenses will allow him to operate slightly farther downfield.

For managers who only care about fantasy points, and there are many of them, they won’t be able to see the bigger picture with Olave. Go out and buy him now while his price is still stunted. He’s one of the few true #1 receivers on a team that you can currently still buy on a bargain.

Mike Evans, Tampa Bay WR

As promised, I’m going to advocate for acquiring an injured player. Obviously, this is only going to be an option if you currently have a good enough record to survive until Evans returns to action. If that sounds like you, he’s a perfect buy-now candidate.

There’s still uncertainty surrounding Bucky Irving’s injury. If he were to miss time when Evans returns, I expect the already pass-happy Bucs to lean even harder on Baker’s arm. With the emergence of Emeka Egbuka and the return of Chris Godwin, Evans is currently getting lost in all the hype.

While he didn’t put up meteoric numbers before getting injured, Evans was still Tampa’s top target to start the season. Evans out-targeted Egbuka in every game he played in, including the game in Week 3 when he got injured. Evans also misses time every season, but when he comes back, he’s always returned to form.

Godwin coming back does complicate things, but I expect him to be a primarily slot receiver once Evans returns, so he shouldn’t eat into his work too much. I think Egbuka has a lot more to lose when all three play together. And, don’t forget just how much the team values Evans’ 1000-yard receiving streak. If it looks like he has a chance at continuing that towards the end of the season, the team might force-feed him more, just like they did last year.

If you can survive a few more weeks without him, he could be a major component of your title run down the stretch.

Derrick Henry, Baltimore RB

Since I highlighted three mid-range RBs in last week’s Trade Targets, I’ve decided to swing for the fences on this one. Now, I’m going to preface this by saying that Henry is not going to be cheap, but he is probably the cheapest he will be all season. Not only is he coming off of three straight busts, but he has a lot of negative narratives surrounding him: his fumbles, last week’s blow-up from Justice Hill, and the Lamar Jackson injury.

Make sure to check out all of our Week 5 Fantasy Football Rankings and Analysis!

I’m not concerned about his fumbles; it’s not a problem he suddenly developed at this stage of his career, and he will probably work even harder to correct it moving forward. I’m even less concerned by Justice Hill. The Lamar Jackson injury could even be a positive.

If Lamar sits this week, I also expect him to sit in Week 6, as the team has a Week 7 bye. While Lamar missing time would put more defensive focus on King Henry, it also means that the team is going to need to rely on him even more.

Like I said, you’re going to have to write a big check to acquire his services, but I think it will be worth it in the long run. Start small and see how the manager who owns him feels. If the price is astronomical, move on. But if you can acquire him for two lower-level starters, pull the trigger.