As the NFL trade deadline siren blares at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 4, fantasy managers are sweating bullets over a market that is predicted to exceed last year's record 18 total pre-deadline trades.
So far, the Joe Flacco to the Bengals deal has come up huge for fantasy managers. In this article, I will break down trades that are somewhat likely to happen that could impact the fantasy landscape for the rest of the season.
IDEAL TRADE DEADLINE SCENARIOS FOR FANTASY
Disclaimer: Every trade proposed in this article has been reported as possible by legitimate NFL Insiders Ian Rapoport, Adam Schefter, Tom Pelissero, Albert Breer, Dianna Russini, Jeremy Fowler, and Jordan Schultz. I am not inventing rumors, breaking news, or creating trade scenarios from new ideas.
The New York Jets trade Breece Hall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Why it makes sense for the Jets: Breece Hall is on the last year of his rookie deal and could potentially walk in the offseason. He also plays for a 1-7 football team that is likely to go through a massive roster overhaul in the offseason as head coach Aaron Glenn continues to build culture and bring in “his guys.” For a rebuilding team, getting any draft compensation for a player who could walk out the door seems ideal, especially at a position that isn’t of high value.
Why it makes sense for the Cardinals: The Cardinals have been one of the worst running teams in the league since losing Trey Benson to injury. Their EPA per rush is orders of magnitude lower on non-Benson carries this season (12 times better with Benson than without). Kyler Murray has also been at his best with a strong run game behind him.
What could hold up a deal: Braelon Allen being on injured reserve leaves Hall as the only early down grinder on the roster. This is a team that wants physicality to be its identity. We also have no evidence to suggest Hall isn’t a Glenn guy. The Jets will also enter the offseason with nearly $100 million in cap space, making a middle-of-the-road RB extension a blip on the radar.
The Las Vegas Raiders trade Jakobi Meyers to the New England Patriots.
Why it makes sense for the Raiders: Meyers has softly requested a new deal or trade since the summer, and the Raiders to this point, have been unwilling to give him the raise he deserves. Meyers is also an expiring deal, and the Raiders drafted a pair of wideouts back in April that they would probably like to start developing in Jack Bech and Donte Thornton Jr.
Why it makes sense for the Patriots: This is the low-hanging fruit of the trade deadline. Meyers has spent 5 of his 6 full NFL seasons with Josh McDaniels (4 in NE, 1 in LV). With the offensive explosion happening in New England, they still could use a ton of help at wideout. Myers would bring familiarity with the offense, alignment versatility, route running, separation ability, and ball skills. He would instantly elevate the room and give the Patriots a workable starting 3 with Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte. For my money, Meyers is a better player than Diggs at this stage of their career.
What could hold up a deal: A competitive market could bring multiple teams into the fold. I am confident that Meyers will be moved, but I could see teams like the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and Pittsburgh Steelers getting in the mix here (and all the potential available WRs).
The New Orleans Saints trade Rashid Shaheed to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Why it makes sense for the Saints: The Saints, once again, are in cap hell. Just to get to 51 players for the 2026 season, they are projected to be 45-50 million over the cap. The Saints are also bad. Shaheed is on an expiring contract, and they simply cannot afford to re-sign him. That’s especially true if they wind up extending Chris Olave, who is eligible, and all signs point to them trying to retain him.
Why it makes sense for the Steelers: Both Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson have struggled to be consistent. Jonnu Smith doesn’t look like the player they thought they were acquiring. They need help at pass-catcher badly. Shaheed is a dynamic route runner, with massive big-play ability that would elevate the offense quite a bit and, most importantly, allow DK Metcalf to be himself. With absolutely zero threat of a secondary option in Pittsburgh, Metcalf’s game has had to change to a low aDOT, possession-type receiver, which just does not suit his skill set. His aDOT on receptions this year is 3.2 yards lower than his career mark (10.4 vs 7.2).
What could hold up a deal: Similar to the Meyers trade talk, a competitive market could be prohibitive. If Shaheed is truly available, I would expect multiple teams to be in on him.
The Miami Dolphins trade Jaylen Waddle to the New York Giants.
Why it makes sense for the Dolphins: The Dolphins are a terrible football team that likely needs to hit the reset button. They are also projected to be very tight to the cap after this season. Trading Waddle would allow them to shed a decent amount of cap now and avoid the painful years of Waddle’s big contract when he will be in his late 20s. He is also arguably the biggest name on the market and will likely fetch significant compensation — possibly even a 1st-round pick.
Why it makes sense for the Giants: The Giants' rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has had some big-time bright spots early in his career, but has now lost Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo for the season. The production from Dart has been pretty crazy considering the situation around him. Waddle would give him WR1 for the rest of the season while also giving him one of the most dynamic 1-2 punches in the league in the future with Nabers and Waddle together. Waddle’s “math-changing” speed and ability after the catch make him a perfect fit in the Daboll offense.
What could hold up a deal: Two things stand out. For starters, the Dolphins, as an organization, have really gone out of their way to poo-poo any trade rumors surrounding their players, despite a constant stream of reporting to the contrary. Perhaps the Dolphins' moving on from GM Chris Grier is a signal that they are open for business. Secondly, the cost to acquire Waddle is significantly higher than the other trades being discussed. Not only will a team need to be willing to take on most of the contract, but they will likely have to give up a top pick+ in a trade.
The San Francisco 49ers trade Jauan Jennings to the New York Jets.
Why it makes sense for the 49ers: Historically, John Lynch has been one of the most draft-pick protective GMs in the league. He values late-round picks a ton. Combine that with the fact that Jennings has not been happy with his contract and is on an expiring deal, and it could make some sense to see the 49ers move on and collect some draft assets.
Why it makes sense for the Jets: The Jets easily have the worst WR room in the league after Garrett Wilson, so adding talent there in general makes sense, even if they are a 1-7 team. Furthermore, Jennings specifically is a culture guy. He does a lot of the dirty work we know Tanner Engstrand will value. He is an excellent run blocker and can control the middle of the field as a “power slot” type. He also demonstrated he can win outside last season when the 49ers were forced to play him out there due to injury. He would be an excellent complement to Wilson and should be relatively inexpensive to keep around long term.
What could hold up a deal: The 49ers have been a competitive football team despite the slew of injuries they have sustained this year. We do have recent precedent of a competitive team trading away depth at the deadline (see Packers in 2023 and 2024), but it is still generally rare. It is also worth pointing out the health of the 49ers' other receivers, Brandon Aiyuk and Ricky Pearsall, is a big wildcard. Lastly, there hasn’t been any real dot connecting on a potential landing spot for Jennings, just that the 49ers might look to move him.
The Baltimore Ravens trade Mark Andrews to the Los Angeles Rams.
Why it makes sense for the Ravens: Andrews’ role has diminished with the emergence of Isaiah Likely. Now, with Likely likely to become the next high-paid TE in the league (pun intended), the writing on the wall for Andrews is reasonably obvious. It would be unprecedented for a team to pay two TEs big-time money. Charlie Kolar has also emerged as a legitimate player deserving of more playing time as well, and can basically do all the downfield stuff Andrews can.
Why it makes sense for the Rams: With the age of Matthew Stafford it feels like they have a window to go compete for another Super Bowl that cannot be ignored. With the general youth of the roster, I don’t think they need to be “all in” and take on the “F them picks” mantra they once did, but making a couple savvy moves to increase their firepower this year makes a ton of sense. Andrews would give them a legit third weapon behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. It would also give them some deadly personnel options with the ability to play multi-TE sets and force mismatches.
What could hold up a deal: The Ravens have a clear pathway to climbing out of their hole and winning their division, and they likely see that. Trading a staple of the team when they aren’t out of it would be interesting. I also haven’t seen Andrews linked to any specific teams, so the Rams component of this trade is me grasping at air to find Andrews a destination.
The Cleveland Browns trade Jerome Ford to the Los Angeles Chargers.
Why it makes sense for the Browns: The rookie duo of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson has made Jerome Ford completely obsolete in Cleveland. Even if it's a future 7th round pick coming back or a late swap, it would make moving Ford worth it.
Why it makes sense for the Chargers: The Chargers are down both Najee Harris (season) and Omarion Hampton at the moment. They have gotten good production from Kimani Vidal, which will probably prevent them from going after a big-time name, but in the end, I think adding a veteran RB to the roster makes a ton of sense.
What could hold up a deal: I am not too sure Ford is discernibly better than the RBs kicking around on practice squads around the league. Giving up draft capital or position for him might not be the best strategy for asset management.
