Looking to give your fantasy football roster a boost? Trades are sometimes necessary if you have a positional imbalance, a stacked bench, or injuries to deal with. As you look to remain in contention or separate in the standings, these are some players to trade away or trade for ahead of Week 7.
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Marlon Mack
Finally fully healthy, Marlon Mack was the clear lead ball-carrier for the Colts in Week 6, rushing 12 times for 89 yards. The yardage mark was the most for a Colts running back this season, and the second-year runner is clearly the top guy in Indianapolis’ backfield moving forward. Because the Colts have a pass-happy offense, it might not be a good idea to trade a steady-scoring asset for Mack; but pick him up if he’s available in your league and hope he becomes a consistent 15-20 carry guy.
Verdict: Pick up if available
James Conner
While he hasn’t reported to the team yet, some James Conner owners might be concerned that Le’Veon Bell will be back with the Steelers before they take the field in Week 8. That makes now the perfect time to acquire the No. 4 fantasy running back (standard scoring) through six weeks. No one really knows when Bell will return to the team, and perhaps an even bigger mystery is whether the Steelers will fully welcome him back and risk messing up team chemistry. There’s the chance Pittsburgh trades Bell or simply released him from the franchise tag outright, and Conner has been too good not to have a sizable role even if Bell suits up in the black and yellow. Conner has an elite RB1 ceiling (without Bell) with a FLEX floor (with Bell), so don’t be afraid to trade for him.
Verdict: Buy from a concerned owner
Tevin Coleman
Among fantasy analysts out there, Tevin Coleman is suddenly considered a subpar running back. This happens all the time, when “experts” look at things like yards per carry—or in Coleman’s case, see that Ito Smith (who is also a buy) has been punching it in for six in the red zone—and instantly declare a player a bad fantasy option. There are many examples of this turning out to be wrong, and Coleman could be the latest example. The free-agent-to-be is extremely explosive, and he might thrive in season-long top-dog status in Atlanta’s backfield. He should be at least a top-20 option the rest of the way.
Verdict: Buy as at least an RB2
Royce Freeman
With a matchup against the 32nd ranked defense against running backs—the Cardinals giving up 28.5 standard fantasy points per game to the position—on Thursday night, this is probably the perfect opportunity to buy Royce Freeman. If things don’t work out with a strong performance to open Week 7, the Broncos could make a mid-season coaching change that leads to Freeman getting featured on offense. Also, the hope is that Denver runs the ball more as the weather gets colder, though that didn’t happen with the weather in the 20s last Sunday.
Verdict: Buy for a bench player
Cooper Kupp
Cooper Kupp showed great toughness returning to Sunday’s win against the Broncos despite being far less than 100%. Now, Kupp is set to miss some time, but it’s unclear how much time. Currently the No. 6 wide receiver in standard scoring, you can probably get a lot for Kupp in a trade, which might be a good idea considering this injury could linger for several weeks. On the flip side, it might not be a bad idea to trade for Kupp if you have the depth to make up for it in case he doesn’t return to form in 2018.
Verdict: Sell if you can get a near-elite player
Russell Wilson
In the last two games, Russell Wilson has fantasy point totals of 19 and 20. Those marks aren’t exceptional in a season with offensive fireworks every week, but last year’s QB1 could be on his way to putting up great weeks down the stretch after a slow start to the season. With the Seahawks on a bye, it’s a good time to either trade an expendable bench player for Wilson or pick him up if he’s available as a free agent.
Verdict: Buy/pick up
Eric Ebron
Through six weeks, Eric Ebron has six touchdowns and is the overall TE1 in fantasy. He’s been Andrew Luck’s de facto No. 1 receiver and his clear top target in the red zone, so there’s a lot to sell to opposing owners. But Ebron’s value is likely to go down from here (T.Y. Hilton should be back soon, and Jack Doyle is likely to be a factor when he returns), so if you can sell him in a package for perennially-elite option like Rob Gronkowski, Travis Kelce, or Zach Ertz, it’ll probably pay-off in the long run.
Verdict: Sell for a high-end TE1
There was an Ebron-Kelce trade in my league I’m surprised the Ebron owner pulled it off.
Wow
I have my eye on one of those running backs.