There’s never a dull moment in this thing of ours. Players explode for massive performances one week and completely disappear the next. Just when we start to feel comfortable with a player’s dynasty value, it can come crashing down — or skyrocket overnight. And of course, injuries are a constant, often involving high-profile players capable of reshaping entire dynasty league hierarchies (Malik Nabers and Joe Burrow — see you in 2026).
What we rarely see, though, is a large number of high-profile trades at the NFL trade deadline. Big trades happen in the NFL, but the deadline itself is usually a letdown for fans and analysts alike. Talks stall, deals fall apart, and most rumors fizzle out.
This year feels different. Multiple big-name fantasy assets are rumored to be on the move, and several teams are reportedly looking to buy. Situations have shifted across the league, opening doors for players to step into prominent new roles — the New York Giants' WR1 spot, following Nabers’ injury, being a prime example.
Here are just some of the names being floated as potential trade candidates:
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
Jaylen Waddle, WR, Miami Dolphins
Breece Hall, RB, NY Jets
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans Saints
Rashid Shaheed, WR, New Orleans Saints
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
Mark Andrews, TE, Baltimore Ravens
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
Chig Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans
Multiple QBs including Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston
Most of these players will likely stay put. Some rumors — like De’Von Achane — feel highly unlikely to materialize when push comes to shove, while others — such as Jakobi Meyers — seem far more realistic. Still, the next few weeks could be wild.
When a player is traded, it sets off a domino effect of opportunity and production. For example, if Chris Olave were dealt to the Giants, it would be a boost for Jaxson Dart but a hit to Wan’Dale Robinson. His departure would also open the door for increased opportunities for Rashid Shaheed (assuming he isn’t moved as well).
Running back trades are even more straightforward, often creating instant volume spikes and usage upgrades for holdover backs. Players like Isaiah Davis, Kendre Miller, and Ollie Gordon could all go from handcuffs to starters overnight. Each is young, with the potential to gain dynasty value — or at the very least, offer short-term fantasy utility.
At the time of writing, the trade deadline is just 18 short days away. Buckle up — it could be a wild one.
Stock Up
Rico Dowdle, RB, Carolina Panthers
We are officially in Dowdle-mania in the 2025 fantasy season. You know the stats — consecutive games with 200+ yards from scrimmage, making him the first player to do so since Dalvin Cook in 2020. The remarkable fantasy scoring numbers Dowdle has posted — the first- and third-highest scoring weeks of any running back this season — have sparked widespread discussion across fantasy podcasts, articles, and on X about whether he can take over as Carolina’s lead back ahead of Chuba Hubbard, despite Hubbard’s strong play and offseason contract extension.
Dowdle’s rise is remarkable and serves as a true litmus test for dynasty managers. Do you cash out and take the profits, or hold him in hopes he’s a rest-of-season RB1? There are plenty of opinions — and strong ones.
A 1,000-yard rusher last season for Dallas, Dowdle didn’t come out of nowhere, but he has certainly exceeded expectations that he would simply settle in as a backup. His emergence has energized Carolina — undefeated at home this season — and the Panthers’ offense is trending up.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Tales of Darnold’s post-Minnesota demise (or, rather, the expectation of it) were greatly exaggerated. Darnold was one of fantasy football’s most pleasant surprises in 2024, finishing as the QB9 in PPG on the strength of 35 passing touchdowns. Many assumed his production would crater in Seattle, but through six games, he’s now on pace for 31 touchdown passes — and the Seahawks are off to a red-hot 4-2 start.
Darnold not only looks poised to comfortably hold off third-round rookie draft pick Jalen Milroe, but he also appears to be the odds-on favorite to remain Seattle’s starter in 2026. His connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba is special, and Seattle is averaging 27.7 PPG as a team — the fifth-highest mark in the NFL.
At just 28 years old, Darnold’s dynasty value is solidified and trending upward.
D’Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears
It has been a roller-coaster ride for fantasy managers rostering Swift. Heading into the offseason, he felt like a dead man walking, with Chicago loaded with draft picks and Ben Johnson seemingly set to add his own David Montgomery or Jahmyr Gibbs to the Bears’ offense. Swift not only survived the offseason but is now thriving.
He’s averaging 15.1 PPG — his highest mark since his RB1 finish in 2021. In Week 6, with Chicago coming out of a bye week in a huge road game against Washington, Swift delivered his best performance of the season. He finished with 175 total yards and a touchdown — his highest yardage total in over two years.
Swift may be a stopgap in Chicago, but his strong play this season could earn him another year as a starter elsewhere. There’s also a chance he remains part of a 1A/1B backfield in 2026 and stays with the Bears. For now, he’s providing a great deal of utility for managers starting him — and a better-than-expected return on investment for those looking to trade him and cash in.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Finally, a sigh of relief game for BTJ and fantasy managers everywhere. Was it perfect? Far from it. There was a potential touchdown wiped out by a Travis Hunter hold, and a big drop as well. But in a game where Jacksonville trailed, they heavily featured BTJ — and he delivered with the kind of fantasy scoring output managers have been longing for all season.
He finished with 8 catches for 90 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets — the sort of numbers we expected during redraft and dynasty startup season from a player who was dominant as a rookie. The peripheral numbers for BTJ are encouraging: a 27.1% first-read rate and a 22.1% target share, slightly lower than his 2024 marks but close enough to envision more weeks like this ahead.
Perhaps BTJ is just getting started. It certainly feels that way. We’ve gone from hoping for games like this to expecting them. The second half of the season could look a lot more like rookie-year BTJ.
Tyler Allgeier, RB, Atlanta Falcons
Allgeier is an interesting player in dynasty. At the very least, he is one of the most valuable handcuffs to roster in all of fantasy. Not only is he a direct replacement behind Bijan Robinson and a player capable of handling 20 to 25 touches in any week Robinson misses, but he also offers weekly viability during bye weeks.
He has three games this season with double-digit fantasy points, scoring a touchdown in each. Allgeier is a dark-horse candidate to lead a backfield elsewhere next season. He’s an impending free agent with traits that multiple teams will value considerably. At 25 years old, he has rushed for at least 644 yards in every season.
Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Cleveland Browns
Fannin has been relatively quiet lately, but Week 6 offered a glimpse of his future and reminded us that he’s capable of producing strong fantasy numbers — with elite usage. With Dillon Gabriel now under center, Fannin appears to be emerging as one of his favorite targets. He finished with 7 catches for 81 yards on 10 targets — all season highs.
David Njoku is now dealing with a knee injury, and his Week 7 outlook appears uncertain. There’s also a chance Njoku could be moved before the trade deadline. In the meantime, Fannin Jr. has a legitimate opportunity to post strong TE1 numbers over the second half of the season. His future is very bright.
Stock Down
Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago Bears
We’re supposed to be patient with tight ends — especially in dynasty — but Loveland managers are starting to get frustrated. The 10th overall pick has yet to fire. He dealt with injuries early on but was expected to have his breakout performance coming out of Chicago’s bye week. Any hope for a post-bye turnaround for Loveland managers quickly evaporated, as he finished with just 2 catches for 11 yards on the day.
In some years, this would be easier to accept. A 21-year-old playing one of fantasy’s toughest positions would normally get plenty of leeway. But when dynasty managers see Tyler Warren smashing weekly, and players like Fannin Jr., Oronde Gadsden, and Mason Taylor all flashing strong numbers, the frustration is understandable.
By season’s end, I could look ridiculous for writing up Loveland here — shortsighted and overly reactionary. I get it. But right now, the vibes simply aren’t there. Loveland has gone from a top-five dynasty asset at his position to one you can’t flip for even 90 cents on the dollar compared to what you paid for him in rookie drafts and startups this summer.
Watch List
Jordan Whittington, WR, LA Rams
Puka Nacua is going to miss Week 7’s London game against Jacksonville, and Whittington will have a chance to put up fantasy-relevant numbers in a Nacua-lite type role. The second-year player out of Texas flashed as a rookie and is a Sean McVay favorite. His production could be better than expected, even with Davante Adams seeing an ungodly level target share.
Tez Johnson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Johnson caught a long touchdown in Week 6, and could see increased scoring opportunities in Week 7 with Emeka Egbuka set to miss. The rookie fell all the way to the 6th round in the 2025 NFL draft, with concerns over his size/speed combination, but Johnson was also a mega producer in college.
Tyjae Spears, RB, Tennessee Titans
Spears quietly looks like a player whose usage could increase dramatically - with multiple outs to do so. There was a head coaching change in Tennessee, with Brian Callahan being fired and Mike McCoy taking over. Oftentimes, with change comes opportunity. Spears also could benefit from a Calvin Ridley injury and the opportunity for higher utilization in the passing game. The Titans offense is way too limited not to utilize a player with Spears’ skill set.
Games to Watch
A new weekly feature in the Market Report!. I’ll single out a few games dynasty managers should watch, including at least one college football matchup. Our 2026 dynasty rookie drafts are only eight months away—between now and then, we’ll get you fully up to speed on the prospects you need to dominate and make the right picks.
This week, we get to see two of my top-five overall prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft go head-to-head in a traditional rivalry college football game.
USC at Notre Dame, 3:30 PM EST Saturday
Jeremiyah Love has been a household name for dynasty managers for two seasons. He checks every box we look for in a fantasy running back prospect — explosive speed with home-run ability (4.4-second 40-yard dash), elite production, and high-level pass-catching skills. Love has a strong chance to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and could easily be the No. 1 overall pick in Dynasty Rookie Drafts, even in Superflex formats. He has been compared to Jahmyr Gibbs and could be a high-end RB1 talent.
Makai Lemon is soaring up draft boards and has a legitimate chance to be a top-10 overall selection. He’s a polished route runner with elite body control and exceptional playmaking ability after the catch. Lemon profiles as a future WR1 at the next level and continues to dominate college secondaries week after week. Through six games, he’s posted 44 receptions for 682 yards and 6 touchdowns. Last week against Michigan, he caught a jaw-dropping touchdown early that broke open a 7–7 game and sparked a huge USC win. Lemon is one of my top-three WRs in the class along with Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate.
Barring injury, both Love and Lemon are locked in as high-end rookie draft picks — and future fantasy stars.
New York Giants at Denver Broncos, 4:05 PM EST Sunday
The game within the game here is Jaxson Dart squaring up against Bo Nix. Both players provided wildly successful early ROI for dynasty managers who selected them near the 1-2 turn in rookie drafts. Nix has been somewhat underwhelming in fantasy this season after an outstanding rookie season, but he remains at or near the QB1 line in dynasty QB rankings. Dart has steamed up into my Top-10 at the position. A road game in Denver is a significant test for the rookie, but the Giants will have a great deal of confidence after a blowout win over Philadelphia.
