Trade Targets for Week 3 (Fantasy Football)
Week 2 is in the books, and the injury bug has reared its ugly head!
There are undoubtedly deals to be made for short-term and long-term gain when you look at the position players on the Bengals, 49ers, Vikings, Commanders, etc. I’m not going to include any of those players in this article, but here’s what I’ll say about navigating QB injuries: don’t panic-sell your studs for pennies on the dollar. If you want out of Ja’Marr Chase because you saw what happened the last time Jake Browning got significant playing time, that’s understandable. However, you don’t know for certain that this situation will be the same (Browning is two more years into his development, for starters), and we also don’t know if the Bengals will go out and sign another QB (desperately praying for Jameis). If you get a deal that values Chase closer to 90% what you would normally consider trading him for – something significant like Puka+ – then I would consider it. But I’m not letting my league mates take me to the cleaners.
On the flip side, if you have a league mate who is freaking out and holding a fire sale, I’d even consider buying into these situations if the price was right.
Without further ado, below are three “trade for” targets and three “trade away” players.
Players to Trade For
Brian Thomas Jr. (JAX)
He’s catching a ton of flak these days (insert “at least he’s catching something” joke), and honestly, it’s mostly justifiable. I’ve seen the videos of him giving up on routes, alligator arming passes over the middle, not running after potentially loose balls, etc. It’s not good. We’ve seen players go through this sort of thing before, and they come to a bit of a crossroads. Assuming Head Coach Liam Coen and veteran WR Coach Edgar Bennett are coaching-up BTJ in the appropriate manner, I believe he will choose to let this criticism fuel him to bounce back.
Right now, fantasy managers are slightly panicked over BTJ. The first game looked like missing chemistry between him and Trevor Lawrence; the second game looked like missing effort by BTJ. Remember all those great games last season? They were mostly with Mac Jones at QB. And what about Travis Hunter potentially being the new WR1 on the Jags? The concern is understandable. But this guy is an elite athlete who showed exactly what he’s capable of in 2024 (WR4 finish), and I just don’t think it was a fluke. I’m not saying it’s all roses from here on out, but I’m willing to take the gamble that he returns to at least a more consistent WR2 as the season progresses. And I believe the WR1 upside is still very much present. With 19 targets through two weeks, there’s still plenty of reason for optimism.
Brian Thomas Jr. in Week 2:
+ 91% route rate
+ 12 targets (29% share)
+ 166 air yards (54% share)Better days ahead with this type of volume. BTJ is too good to not produce in this role.
— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) September 14, 2025
Cam Skattebo (NYG)
A buzzy name throughout the preseason, Skattebo got limited playing time behind incumbent starter Tyrone Tracy Jr. last week. This week, the Giants transitioned the early-down work more in Cam’s favor and moved Tracey to more of a pass-catching option (five targets, 4/36 receiving). The result? Skattebo gained 45 yards on 11 carries and looked like the bowling ball RB we’ve come to know since the 2024 CFP. He also received three targets (2/14) in the receiving game, putting to rest the idea that he might only be a run game grinder.
Cam Skattebo might be the SCARIEST RB to tackle in the entire league.
😳😳😳
The Giants rookie RB is the DEFINITION of a bruiser. pic.twitter.com/UFJbetBdms
— Rookie Watch (@RookieWatxh) September 15, 2025
Skattebo runs with reckless abandon, and I fully expect him to get a bit dinged up as the season rolls along. But he’s a real weapon on a team desperate for difference-makers, and I think he can deliver ~40-70 rushing yards per game and possibly double-digit TDs this season. Add in a few receptions, and he looks like a potential RB2. I could see a 2024 David Montgomery-like stat line for Skattebo this season (Montgomery finished as RB18).
| PLAYER | PTS | PTS/G | GP | OPP | ATT | YDS | Y/A | TD | FUM | TGT | REC | CTCH% | YDS | Y/C | TD |
| David Montgomery | 219.1 | 15.7 | 14 | 223 | 185 | 775 | 4.2 | 12 | 1 | 38 | 36 | 95% | 341 | 9.5 | 0 |
Elic Ayomanor (TEN)
I promise these articles aren’t just going to be filled with Rookies all year long! Ayomanor posted great measurables and productivity coming out of Stanford, but because the program was not competitive over the last few years (and due to the often-late West Coast games), not many of us got to see much of him live on Saturdays. Regardless of his college profile, Ayomanor has put some really impressive work on tape thus far in his young NFL career, and he looks to be developing chemistry with Rookie QB Cam Ward.
ELIC AYOMANOR WITH ONE HAND OH MY GOD 😱 😱 😱
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/ihWZfTB3CI— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 14, 2025
The Titans are desperate for a No.2 WR to work alongside Calvin Ridley, and Ayomanor is so far proving to be that and maybe even more. As Andy pointed out in the Week 2 Studs / Duds episode on Monday, Ayomanor has outscored Ridley through two weeks and is commanding a similar target share in the offense. His receptions, yards, YPT, and YPC all increased from Week 1 to Week 2, and I think he’s got a shot to be a nice FLEX play week-in and week-out. For someone who was drafted as a dart-throw, I expect you could acquire him for someone like Romeo Doubs, who might be a desirable trade target given Jayden Reed’s injury news. I’m taking the upside of Ayomanor in that deal.
| Through Two Weeks | FP | TGT % | TGT/GM | YDS/GM | YPRR |
| Calvin Ridley | 11.9 | 23% | 7 | 42 | 1.33 |
| Elic Ayomanor | 15.9 | 21% | 6.5 | 34 | 1.44 |
Players to Trade Away
Travis Etienne (JAX)
Yes, he has looked absolutely rejuvenated, like vintage 2023 Travis Etienne. And if you follow this advice and trade him away, you should command quite a haul in return. Once again, listing players as “trade away” targets doesn’t mean I don’t believe in them at all. It could just mean that there is significant value to be made at the moment, and I think you can get better long-term value in return. Etienne has seen a 60-65% snap share in these first two weeks, with 16 and 14 rushing attempts in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively. He’s also seen three targets in each game. The Jaguars even sent his backfield mate, Tank Bigsby, to the Eagles – a move that seemingly cleared the way for Etienne to dominate once again.
And maybe he will keep this up all season, and finish as a top-5 RB again! Or… these first two weeks were played against absolutely putrid defenses, and the next 8-10 weeks will be much tougher sledding for Etienne. I’m not a complete draftnik, but Bhayshul Tuten is absolute dynamite, and I also worry that he’s going to play so well that the team can’t justify making him second fiddle much longer. Part of my justification for making TreVeyon Henderson “my guy” in our annual Writers’ My Guys article was how much better he was on a YPC basis than his Ohio State RB teammates. Henderson averaged 1.6 YPC MORE than the other backs at Ohio State in 2024. The only rookie RB with a larger YPC disparity from his backfield mates was Bhayshul Tuten (1.7 YPC more than his teammates).
It’s admittedly reductive to make the comparison to Liam Cohen’s Tampa Bay backfield last year of Rachaad White and Bucky Irving. While both backs were good enough last season (RB24 for White, RB14 for Irving), they continued to eat into each other’s volume all season. And eventually, the more dynamic back (Irving) took over the lion’s share of the workload. With Bigsby out of the way, it was Tuten who really shone in Week 2, and he’s going to be a thorn in the side of Etienne managers all year long.
James Conner (ARI)
Conner has been one of the least sexy draft picks for the last several years, and all he has done is provide top-20 RB seasons every year since joining the Cardinals. But his usage and efficiency are both down this year, and I’m wondering if we are finally hitting the cliff for a guy who has made a living defying the odds. Through two weeks, Conner is seeing fewer carries and targets per game, greatly reduced YPC and YPCatch, and second-year RB Trey Benson is starting to flash.
| YEAR | G | FP | FP/G | RB RANK | ATT/G | Y/A | TD | TGT/G | REC/G | Y/C | TD |
| 2025 | 2 | 24.1 | 12.05 | 16 | 11.5 | 3.17 | 1 | 2.50 | 2.50 | 4.6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 16 | 230.3 | 14.39 | 10 | 14.75 | 4.64 | 8 | 3.44 | 2.94 | 8.81 | 1 |
| 2023 | 13 | 188 | 14.46 | 18 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 2.54 | 2.08 | 6.11 | 2 |
| 2022 | 13 | 177.2 | 13.63 | 20 | 14.08 | 4.27 | 7 | 4.46 | 3.54 | 6.52 | 1 |
| 2021 | 15 | 239.2 | 15.95 | 5 | 13.47 | 3.72 | 15 | 3.00 | 2.85 | 10.14 | 3 |
It’s only been two weeks, but the usage and efficiency are down to career lows. His ranking is being buoyed by the fact that he caught a receiving TD in Week 1 and had a rushing TD in Week 2. I would capitalize on his top-20 RB status and pick up someone in a better situation.
DJ Moore (CHI)
There’s certainly potential for DJ to rebound from a lackluster first two weeks. And I am, in fact, hopeful that this offense comes together as the season continues. But Caleb Williams does NOT look good right now, and through two games, Rome Odunze is the clear WR1 on this team. Rome has 20 targets, compared to 11 for Moore, and he seems to be taking that Year 2 leap.
I had concerns coming into the season about Ben Johnson’s impression of DJ, after some offseason reports regarding his 2024 body language. When the team drafted two dynamic offensive playmakers in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden, my antenna raised even higher. Now, DJ is being out-targeted by the likes of Olamide Zaccheaus (12-11 in favor of Zaccheaus), who seems to be just a placeholder while the much more explosive Luther Burden gets up to speed. Once Burden enters the lineup as a full-time starter, I worry that DJ will be the third (or maybe even fourth) option in this offense. He’s still a big enough name to command decent value in return – and we may see a big game or two out of him if he becomes the squeaky wheel in the huddle – but I’m moving on from DJ Moore.
Hit Me Up!
Thanks to all the folks who reached out with trade ideas last week! I loved hearing from you all, and it sounds like you are fine-tuning your lineups early and often. That’s one of the keys to fantasy success! If you’re wheeling and dealing after Week 2, tag me or shoot me a message on X (@kempertrull), or leave a comment below.
Go get ’em!
Comments
Would you trade McBride, Ridley for London, Meyers, Fields? Thinking I wouldn’t do it unless I replaced the TE position with another trade which would be Davante Adams for Tyler Warren, and either Olave or Judkins. Could use some RB depth. Thoughts?