When it comes to Fantasy Football, you should be always looking to improve your roster. There are always going to be areas of need due to a lack of production, lack of positional depth, shifting of roles, injuries, and other rotating factors within the football world. If you want to change your roster, there are only two routes to doing that: the waiver wire and trading.
Some leagues have their deadlines approaching, and my Fantrax co-worker Colin McTamany suggested it would be the perfect time to suggest some trade targets for Fantasy Football managers. Below is a list of buy-low trade targets that I feel can be huge assets to Fantasy Football rosters for a push toward a championship. These are players I feel you can “buy low” on due to recent performances or narratives surrounding them that I am not worried about.
“Buying low” typically means their trade price tag has been lowered due to a lack of Fantasy scoring and other concerns. I feel these players are due for much better days, so jump on acquiring them now before their price goes up.
Buy Low Trade Targets to Win Your League
Marquise Brown, Wide Receiver, Cardinals
Kyler Murray returned to action in Week 10 for the first time this season, throwing 19/32 for 249 passing yards and an interception. Slow week for Marquise Brown, who only caught one pass for 28 yards and nearly scored a touchdown he was overthrown on, but “Hollywood” is a perfect trade target.
Murray and Brown were former Oklahoma teammates who were reunited in Arizona last season. Hollywood opened up the first six weeks of football as the WR5 for Fantasy Football, averaging 18.3 points per game (PPG), and ranked fourth in targets, fifth in receptions, and seventh in receiving yards for the position during that span before injury. The college connection looked solid at the professional level between these two.
In 2023, Hollywood scored 16+ Fantasy Points four times with Joshua Dobbs and earned double-digit targets in four games as well in this Cardinals system. The Murray-Brown connection was great last year but broken up by injuries, and I like it to ignite once again moving forward. After back-to-back weeks of scoring under 7 Fantasy Points, the price cannot be high for Hollywood.
Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Ravens
Three straight weeks outside the top 12 quarterbacks in Fantasy Football has drawn frustration from plenty of Fantasy managers when it comes to Lamar Jackson. QB28, QB18 and (pending Monday Night Football) QB14 is simply not helping your Fantasy Football lineups. Across the last three weeks of football, Jackson has thrown for under 190 yards in two of them and has just two touchdowns and two interceptions.
QB9 (Week 2), QB3 (Week 3), QB4 (Week 4), QB9 (Week 6), and QB2 (Week 7) show quality performances prior to this cold stretch that aligns with Jackson’s Fantasy Football expectations. Three games with multiple passing touchdowns, five rushing touchdowns on the season, three weeks of 60+ rushing yards, and a week throwing 357 passing yards shows the combination of upside Jackson can deliver.
When you are rostering the quarterback and tight end positions, there are going to be a lot of players who will score similar Fantasy Points for the position weekly. We should look for players who can separate themselves from these two groups, and Lamar Jackson is one of those players when it comes to quarterbacks. Go and make the move now while the manager is frustrated.
Adam Thielen, Wide Receiver, Panthers
15.2, 7.9 and 10.2 Fantasy scores have been disappointing for Adam Thielen following the Carolina BYE week after he was on fire for most of the season prior. This means three straight weeks as the WR24 or worse for Fantasy Football. We can point the finger at rookie Bryce Young all we want for this, but it is what it is when it comes to the slow production.
Positives across the last three poor weeks were two of them still being double-digit targeted weeks and a 72 receiving yard week at the front of it. Thielen has had a great season as a whole, which was unexpected in a new home with a rookie quarterback at age 33. Thielen has finished three weeks as a top-five Fantasy wide receiver, impressive for the deepest position in the game. Thielen also has scored four touchdowns and finished three weeks over 100 receiving yards.
What makes me most confident in Adam Thielen is the consistent volume and role in his offense. Games of 14, 13, 13, 13, 11, and 10 targets is the type of volume you love for Fantasy wide receivers as it elevates their opportunities to produce Fantasy Points. If Thielen was earning targets but never producing, this would be a different story but we have already witnessed great production this season so go and get the veteran while he has cooled off.
DJ Moore, Wide Receiver, Bears
Life for DJ Moore has not been thrilling the last few weeks with rookie Tyson Bagent as the starter in place of an injured Justin Fields. Moore has scored under 11 Fantasy Points in four of his last five weeks and has not hit 60 receiving yards since Week 5. He has also earned under seven targets in two of his last three weeks. Not super productive in your Fantasy Football lineups.
The last time Justin Fields played a full game, Moore finished with 49 Fantasy Points in a week he caught eight of 10 targets for 230 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The week prior, Moore caught eight of nine targets for 131 receiving yards and a touchdown for 27.1 Fantasy Points. The #1 (Fields) to #2 (Moore) connection was extremely evident. Moore has scored 16+ Fantasy Points in three separate occasions with Fields, and just when this duo was hot Fields suffered a thumb injury.
Fields was cleared for practice and has been limited since. No IR placement, and no surgery for the Bears’ QB1. People tend to forget production when weeks go by and it goes missing, which could certainly be the case for DJ Moore. Moore has three seasons over 1,100 receiving yards on his resume, and was looking like a player who could get right back in that range with Justin Fields. Make the move for Moore now, before Fields is back on the field.
Aaron Jones, Running Back, Packers
In Week 1 Aaron Jones exploded for 26.7 Fantasy Points as the RB1 for the week, but then went on to miss the next two games completely. In Week 4, Jones appeared for just 35% of the snaps, then missed Week 5 again due to injury. Since returning to action, Jones has scored under 10 Fantasy Points in three of the last four weeks.
In the last three weeks, Jones has returned to playing over 50% of the snaps with games of 51%, 57%, and 56% of the snaps. More positive volume signs in Week 9 with 20 rushing attempts along with four receptions for 24 total. One of the most significant positive signs is the consistent involvement in the passing game the last four straight weeks with 5,5,6,6 targets.
Even with the presence of AJ Dillon weekly, Jones is still a running back with a ton of upside due to the dual-threat abilities he has displayed through most of his career. Just last season Jones finished with season highs in rushing yards with 1,121 and receptions with 59 for his career. I believe Jones is getting further and further from his hamstring injury, and is the perfect running back to target before he has his third top seven Fantasy week.
Josh Downs, Wide Receiver, Colts
Looking strictly at the Fantasy stat sheet the last two weeks, Josh Downs has been a terrible play scoring two then six Fantasy Points. Downs did finish with 40 receiving yards on just two catches in Week 10 but again was just not simply a great Fantasy start.
Downs has been dealing with a knee injury the last two games, which has resulted in a limited snap percentage playing just 20% then 25% of the snaps the last two weeks. Downs has played above 70% of the snaps in all games prior, which makes it clear that the Colts have been cautious with their rookie. The Week 11 BYE should serve Downs some justice.
Downs has scored 13+ Fantasy Points in five weeks this season, with a season-best 23.5 Fantasy Points in Week 7. Games of 97. 125 and 75 receiving yards show the upside the rookie has in his bag. This is a sneaky trade target, because I feel like Downs does not have to be the emphasis of the trade you make but an added piece in a bigger deal to walk away with. Sometimes you can identify players who can fill your FLEX position while making deals that make them just a secondary piece.
Isiah Pacheco, Running Back, Chiefs
Back-to-back weeks under seven Fantasy Points and then the BYE week have made Isiah Pacheco not super beneficial for to Fantasy Football lineups. Three weeks of irrelevancy makes people forget bigger-picture roles and production.
What is not easily identified is that Pacheco played a season-high 68% of the snaps in Week 9 before the BYE. Pacheco has played 53%+ of the snaps for six straight weeks, which makes Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire look like non-role threats to the sophomore. Four weeks of 15+ Fantasy Points and four weeks above four yards per carry shows efficiency for Pacheco.
The most casual fan knows that the Chiefs offense is one of the best in the NFL. So to have a clear and consistent role in such an offense is what you should be looking for when it comes to Fantasy Football. Pacheco went five straight weeks ranging from RB6-RB15 before this cold stretch, so go and trade for Pacheco before he gets back on track in Week 11.
Puka Nacua, Wide Receiver, Rams
I could have easily mentioned Cooper Kupp in this article, who is also a “buy low” trade candidate, but he is part of the reason I would like to mention Puka Nacua. Much concern has been placed on the star rookie due to Kupp being back in the lineup, and back-to-back weeks scoring under eight Fantasy Points adds even further to the concern.
Puka caught all of our attention during the first four weeks of football without Kupp, with scores of 21.9, 30.1, and 31.3 Fantasy Points during that stretch. Upon Kupp’s return in Week 5, Puka still managed to score 20.1 Fantasy Points and logged a 23.4 Fantasy week in Week 7 as well with Kupp playing. Three of his last four games finishing with under eight Fantasy Points makes people forget these positive notes.
Puka is averaging 10.7 targets per game this season, with four weeks above that mark. The rookie has also finished weeks with 119, 147, 163, and 154 receiving yards. These numbers are not a fluke, there have been too many positive performances for anyone to label him that. Reports came out that Matthew Stafford should be good to go for Week 11, but even if he is not the signing of Carson Wentz is a good quarterback insurance to have. Puka would be a great FLEX option for the rest of the season.
Jordan Addison, Wide Receiver, Vikings
Back-to-back weeks under 11 Fantasy Points, a quarterback change, and the imminent return of Justin Jefferson may draw some concern from Fantasy managers who roster Jordan Addison. This is very similar to the Cooper Kupp impact concerns for Puka Nacua. Sometimes we have to take a big-picture look at offenses, see what the volume looks like, see the positive performances, and buy talent.
Prior to these two down weeks, Addison finished with 31.3 then 21.4 Fantasy Points in Week 7 and Week 8. In these specific games, Addison finished with 123 and 82 receiving yards and three total touchdowns. Justin Jefferson appeared in five games this season, and in three of those games, Addison finished with 16+ Fantasy Points. Addison has earned seven or more targets in six weeks this season and has scored seven touchdowns on the year.
Joshua Dobbs in his two weeks as the Vikings starter has thrown 64 times, with three touchdowns, and is coming off of a 268 passing-yard week. Dobbs had plenty of quality games in Arizona this season prior to the move. Addison is a first-round talent at the end of the day with a great resume, so even with the presence of TJ Hockenson and soon again Justin Jefferson, I feel it is smart to just buy the talent. Especially when said talent continues to earn quality weekly targets and produce as a rookie.
Breece Hall, Running Back, Jets
Breece Hall has scored under 11 Fantasy Points in back-to-back weeks now. Does this necessarily mean his price is universally low now? No. Could there be a mix of frustration from a Fantasy lens mixed with acknowledging this Jets offense is bad? Maybe!
Prior to these two cold weeks, Breece Hall was on absolute fire. Week 5 rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown for 28.4 Fantasy Points. Week 6 Hall rushed for another touchdown and caught five passes for 54 yards and 20.3 Fantasy Points. Week 8 Hall caught six passes for 76 receiving yards and a touchdown for 21.3 Fantasy Points. Amazing stretch of volume and production.
20 and 16 touches in the last two weeks, and a season-high 70% of the snaps played in Week 10 are positives through negatives. Hall is an amazing talent, and what he is doing the year after tearing his ACL just completely embodies that. If there is any sort of buying window, it is after two poor weeks in a row so shoot your shot.
D’Andre Swift, Running Back, Eagles
10.5, 14.4 then 9.4 Fantasy Points right before the BYE likely does not mean many people are enamored with D’Andre Swift right now. That is too many weeks of not being super productive in your lineups. The price may not be too low, but timing is key when it comes to trading.
D’Andre Swift has scored 14+ Fantasy Points six times this season, and 17+ three times. Weeks 1-9, Swift ranked fourth in total touches (rushing attempts + receptions). Weeks of 175 and 130 rushing yards, three weeks over 30 receiving yards and two games of six or more receptions highlight the dual-threat ability.
Mentioning the same sort of note I did earlier but you should want the lead running back in one of the best offenses in the NFL, and that is exactly what Swift is. Swift has played above 60% of the snaps in six games this season, and four three weeks straight. A lot of upside in Swift, now is the time to go and make that move.
George Pickens, Wide Receiver, Steelers
Under 10 Fantasy Points for three straight weeks, along with a dip in target volume are red flags for many when it comes to George Pickens. Five or fewer targets in the last three games has visibly frustrated Pickens, and Diontae Johnson has had plenty of quality games since his return in Week 7.
Pickens has had games of 22.7, 26.6, and 15.7 Fantasy Points this season in games he finished with 127, 130, and 107 receiving yards. Three touchdowns and five weeks of seven or more targets so far this year. A down Week 10 still meant leading the Steelers in receiving with three receptions for 45 yards in a week the offense struggles.
Pickens presents an upside option that could boom or bust, but he looks to have taken the right step forward in year two. The last three weeks have meant a dip in target volume, but prior to this Pickens was seeing quality targets for the most part. So if Pickens can get back to seeing more consistent targets again, you are giving a big-play wide receiver more opportunities to…make big plays. Pickens may be the riskiest of the options listed in this article, but Fantasy Football is all about calculated risks.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wide Receiver, Seahawks
The first wide receiver off the board in this year’s NFL Draft, and rightfully so due to his resume, Jaxon-Smith Njigba has been trending up but has yet to break out. Much of this list has been players who hit cold streaks or look to be trending down, but for JSN he just has yet to have that big performance so his price simply cannot be that high for trading.
Prior to the BYE, JSN played 44-59% of the snaps which shifted after the BYE as he has played 62-82% of the snaps in all five of those weeks. JSN has earned seven targets in two of his last five games, and five or more in four of his last five games. Two weeks of 63 receiving yards during this stretch along with two receiving touchdowns are all positive signs.
JSN caught 95 passes for 1,606 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games for Ohio State back in 2o21 on a roster that also featured Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. JSN smoked the combine prior to the season as well. I truly believe in the talent and will say (HOT TAKE ALERT) there is a chance he is the most talented receiver on the Seattle roster that also features DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. We often see rookie wide receivers breakout in the second half of the season, and JSN is trending towards that direction. Another risky suggestion but if JSN does have that big week his price is going to go way up.
Evan Engram, Tight End, Jaguars
Down Week 10 for Evan Engram, but the same can be said about the entire Jaguars offense against the 49ers. When it comes to the tight end position, the non-elite” tight end I do not feel ever have a high price tag for trades. Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, TJ Hockenson, and likely George Kittle are veterans that this does not apply to, and I would also lump in the hyped young guns of Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and now Trey McBride. The rest of the landscape seems to be wide open when it comes to trading or how those players are viewed.
Evan Engram has been the epitome of consistency when it comes to target volume, and that is the number one thing I look for when it comes to tight ends – consistent volume. Engram has earned seven or more targets in eight of his nine games played this season, with four of those weeks at eight targets and one at 10 targets. Engram has finished as a top 10 Fantasy tight end in six weeks and as a top seven tight end five times. Extremely consistent and productive for a player who has yet to score a touchdown.
Engram is a great tight end target due to his consistency across the board and feels to be a guy who will not break the bank when it comes to what it would cost you. When you look at his numbers through 2023, it almost seems shocking that Engram does not get the hype he deserves or the recognition which adds tow why he is the perfect trade target.