My goal with this article is very simple: I’m trying to isolate players whose values — both perceived and in reality — will be shifting in the near future. I’m always looking ahead, always looking for opportunities to buy or sell every week after I watch all the games, scan all the data, and examine all the schedules.
It’s hard not to list some of the more obvious entries, but I try to think both outside and inside the box, so I’ll sometimes stray from my logical approach and come out of left field every once in a while with a recommendation. Whatever it takes to find an edge in the trade market.
Note: I’m including the FPG given up (PPR) by each opponent for each player’ respective position (last 5 weeks) when I list them as upcoming matchups.
PLAYERS TO TRADE FOR
Jordan Love (QB, GB) — He’s a little frustrating in a well-balanced offense that doesn’t rely on the QB’s arm as much as other clubs, but there are only two QBs who have a better combination of completion percentage and YPA than Love: Lamar Jackson and Sam Darnold. Love’s slightly better than Drake Maye and Daniel Jones, which is all elite company. Christian Watson should be back this week, and Jayden Reed (collarbone) may potentially miss only 2-3 more games, so Love’s supporting cast in the passing game could be elite. He also has an amazing run of games during the critical Weeks 13-17 at Det (20.1), vs. Chi (21.2), at Den (12.0), at Chi (21.2), and vs. Bal (22.4).
I asked Ball Knowledge to give me some guidelines on a potential trade for Love, and the TL;DR answer was:
As you can see with the last line above, Ball Knowledge can give recommendations based on your actual roster. Ball Knowledge’s answers are always solid.
Javonte Williams (RB, Dal) — There’s a small buying opportunity for Javonte after his first poor game with a season-low 8.4 fantasy points, but his usage was still outstanding with an 81% carry share (2nd-highest on the season) and a 23.5% target share (highest in a single game since 2023). I see nothing particularly worrisome with their upcoming schedule, and it looks like Dallas will be competitive all year with this non-threatening schedule: vs. Was, at Den, vs. Ari, at LV, vs Phi, vs KC, at Det, vs Min, vs LAC, and at Was.
If you’re thinking about trading for a player, whether he’s listed here or not, Ball Knowledge is a great tool to pool any recent staff opinions on the player, so you can see where our staff lands on the player and his prospects.
For example:
Quinshon Judkins (RB, Cle) — He got stymied in Week 6, but I’m sure his perceived value took a big hit, so perhaps you can take advantage. This inclusion is a little short-sighted, since it’s about his next 3-4 opponents, but if you’re looking for immediate help, Judkins should easily run for 100+ yards at home this week against Miami (and 200 yards is in play). He should also then get volume and/or have a good matchup in three of his next four games after they’re at NE (17.9), BYE, at NYJ (20.6), vs. Bal (29.1), and at LV (21).
