Trade Targets for Week 2 (Fantasy Football)

Week 1 of the NFL season is now in the books, and we can start looking at ways to make our teams better, including the option that may be the most fun: trading! In this article series, we will look at three players to target and three to try to trade away to make your teams better and win some games. Remember, every league has different market values, so some of these may not be optimal for you or your team, but go ahead and shoot some feeler offers out for some of these guys!

Players to Trade For

Jahmyr Gibbs

Maybe I just cannot let go of “My Guy” Jahmyr Gibbs, but I believe there is much more in store for the Lions’ dynamic running back. Gibbs failed to live up to any hype in Week 1, and it may take him a few weeks to become a more significant part of the offense. A report was made last week before the opening game with Dan Campbell, stating that the Lions wanted to be “smart” with his workload in Week 1. That report came after several other reports of the Lions wanting to use Gibbs in various ways. Unfortunately, the report that came true was the one about his limited usage, and he only saw 27% of snaps.

The good news is Gibbs showed excellent playmaking ability (aside from a slip-up in the red zone that may have led to a touchdown). Gibbs finished as the RB36 in half-point PPR leagues with seven rushing attempts for 42 yards and adding two receptions for 18 yards. He looked great, and I imagine he will be more of a factor as the season progresses, especially in the passing game. This tweet below from Scott Barrett shows missed tackles forced per touch, which has Gibbs well ahead of some other great running backs. Keep an eye on reports about his usage, but if you can get Gibbs as a buy-low, that is a solid trade.

Week 1 RB Leaders by Missed Tackles Forced per Touch
(Per @FantasyPtsData)

1. Jahmyr Gibbs (0.78) 👀
2. Breece Hall (0.55)
2. Chuba Hubbard (0.55)
4. Nick Chubb (0.50)
5. Josh Jacobs (0.43)
6. Kenneth Walker (0.38)

Yeah, safe to say Jahmyr Gibbs is in line for more work pic.twitter.com/HYrQhhaEme

— Scott Barrett (@ScottBarrettDFB) September 12, 2023

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Kenneth Walker

The Seattle Seahawks took Zach Charbonnet in the second round of the NFL draft, leading many to believe he would be a solid contributor to the offense. Now, this may be a similar thing where the team wants to ease the rookie into their offense; however, Kenneth Walker looked great and even got work through the passing game. Walker received workhorse-type numbers with 66.7% of the team’s carries. Notice he is sixth on the chart above under Jahmyr Gibbs, and also see this tweet below showing how he performed in Week 1.

Kenneth Walker was the only good part of Seattle's offense in Week 1.

– 33% avoided tackle rate (2nd among qualifiers)
– 3.67 yards after contact per rush (5th)

Walker gained positive yardage on 83% of his attempts, up from 76% in 2022.

— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 12, 2023

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Walker was going in the middle rounds of drafts and could be a good buy-low option because he didn’t necessarily have an excellent game for fantasy purposes in Week 1. He finished with only 8.7 fantasy points in half-point PPR leagues. He had 12 carries for 64 yards and caught four of five targets for only three yards. If you need running back help, Walker is a great target.

Rhamondre Stevenson

Before Week 1, it was reported that Rhamondre Stevenson was dealing with some illness, which caused him to miss practice on Friday leading up to the game. The illness may or may not have impacted game splits with Ezekiel Elliott, but Stevenson did lead touches still with 18 compared to Zeke’s 12. We knew Zeke would steal some work on the ground, but Zeke only played on 35% of snaps compared to Stevenson’s 73%. The good news for Stevenson is that he picked up right where he left off last season through the air, catching six of six targets for 64 yards. There is still a mindset that you cannot trust the Patriots’ running backs, and while I understand the thought behind that process, I believe you can count on Stevenson for another monster season.

Players to Trade Away

Cam Akers

One of many surprises in Week 1 was the usage of Rams’ running backs Cam Akers and Kyren Williams. Akers played only 35% of snaps but did have 22 rushing attempts. The problem is he turned 22 rushing attempts into only 29 yards and a touchdown and was not targeted. Kyren Williams, on the other hand, played in 65% of snaps and turned 15 rushing attempts into 52 yards and two touchdowns. He also had two targets but did not come down with a reception. Cam Akers will still be involved, but Williams looks like the better back and likely the player you want in fantasy. Akers wasn’t a hot commodity during draft season, so it may be tough to unload him, but if you can get someone to bite, I would do so!

Garrett Wilson

We learned that Aaron Rodgers‘ season with the Jets is over due to injury, and as a direct result, Garrett Wilson will likely take a hit in production. There are likely many managers who will also be scared of buying Wilson now, but it may be worth a shot to see if you could trade down a tier in perceived value and pick up a player who will better impact your fantasy team. Now, I wouldn’t just get rid of Wilson for cheap, but if you can pivot and potentially get Jaylen Waddle, Tee Higgins, or one of the players listed above and potentially more, then it is a move that should be considered. Wilson still is an incredible receiver, and he showcased that on Monday Night Football with an early candidate for catch of the year. The issue is with Zach Wilson at quarterback; Garrett Wilson will likely not return the value of where he was drafted as a top-12 wide receiver.

Romeo Doubs

One player that should be considered a sell-high option would be the Packers’ wide receiver Romeo Doubs. While he did produce a solid outing in Week 1, finishing inside the top-10 wide receivers in half-point PPR, he did so with only four receptions for 26 yards. His two touchdown receptions got him there, which we know can be volatile. I believe he will be a sell-high option because his production will suffer when Christian Watson returns to the field, and he will be hard to trust in lineups.