Trade Targets for Week 3 (Fantasy Football)
After a scoring bonanza in Week 1 in the NFL, Week 2 reminded us just how fickle this game can be. We saw injuries to star players, weather-induced field goal fests, a crashing back to Earth for many Week 1 standouts, and the perennial reminder that no, Mike Gesicki is NOT going to be a thing this year.
The injuries open up a lot of great waiver wire options, more so than trade candidates. For all the waiver goodness this week, check out TFFB’s latest star writer, Maggie Thraen’s Week 3 Waiver Wire Pickups article HERE.
Before I give my trade targets for the week, it is worth noting that there have been some major disappointments to start this season. If you can buy low on players like Malik Nabers (Jameis time!), Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, Ladd McConkey, or Jameson Williams, I would recommend exploring a trade.
Alright, it is time to reveal my trade targets heading into Week 3!
Players to Trade For
Chuba Hubbard
Remember all the offseason hype over Jonathon Brooks? Well, Chuba Hubbard reminded us, once again, that he is still not dead. We keep writing this guy off, expecting that the next shiny new toy will come to town and take his job, and all Hubbard has done so far this year is put up back-to-back top-10 RB finishes. He’s the down-to-earth, misunderstood, glasses-wearing girl next door who has been right in front of your face the whole time, while you have been chasing the Cheerleaders and Prom Queens (who had a “She’s All That” reference in a fantasy football article on their BINGO card?). And don’t look now, but the Panthers offense looks… potent.
My thought is that Chuba owners are looking for a sell-high window, and while I do not typically recommend buying high, I think “high” in this case is still fringe RB2/RB3 value. Laney Boggs Hubbard is currently RB8, so if you have to pay RB18-RB20 value (his ADP was RB22), it is still a good deal for your team.
Chuba Hubbard in 2025: 4 TD in 15 games
Chuba Hubbard in 2026: 3 TD in 5 quarters pic.twitter.com/FbsiyVWwgU
— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) September 20, 2026
Devaughn Vele
Losing Jordyn Tyson during the preseason was a real bummer, but Devaughn Vele has stepped in and performed admirably thus far this season. He has earned 16 targets through the first two games of 2026. In fact, he collected 5+ targets in every game in which he logged greater than 50% of snaps in 2025 as well.
Tyler Shough is doing his best Blake Bortles impression, “Shough’ing” it around the yard, and Vele is getting ample targets to be worthy of a FLEX play each week, at least until Tyson is back and up to full speed. Remember, fantasy football is a weekly game, so if a player helps you get W’s for 3-4 weeks, they are very much worth acquiring!
DEVAUGHN VELE IS REALLY GOOD AT FOOTBALL 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/603pRbi9eC
— On The Fence Fantasy Football (@OnTheFenceFF_) September 19, 2026
Rachaad White
Coming into the season, it appeared that the Commanders planned to give Jacory Croskey-Merritt most of the rushing work, with Rachaad White coming in on third downs for pass-catching duties. That has held true, but White is also finding himself on the field for the 2-minute drill, and even red zone work.
White has seven carries in each of the first two games, and his snap share increased from 41% to 52% this week. His targets also increased from two (Week 1) to six (Week 2), which helped him finish as RB11 on the week. It does not appear that this team will be able to run the ball as effectively as it would like, at least not in the traditional, early-down smash-mouth kind of way. I expect White to stay plenty involved, and he should be a FLEX-worthy PPR RB.
Rachaad White #Commanders
Early attack w/overhand position. Squares pursuit, excellent stiff arm placement combined with a spin and great awareness of defender at his feet.
Second excellent stiff arm and extension of frame to finish. pic.twitter.com/mg7LcGwRoF
— Matt Waldman (@MattWaldman) September 21, 2026
Players to Trade Away
Marvin Harrison Jr.
It has been an unmitigated disaster so far for MHJ in 2026. This is also coming on the heels of a disappointing 2025 season. “Mazda Marv” is just not creating separation or earning targets this year, as he has been thrown the ball only four times in two games this season. He is basically playing the “clear out” role, and he does not have the top-end speed to actually earn deep targets either.
It should be tough to move Marv. But there seems to be a Marv stan in nearly every league I am in, so if you are able to get anything decent in return, I am ready to ship him off. Give me Devaughn Vele, Carnell Tate, Ted Hurst, Malachi Fields, Quentin Johnston, Jordan Addison… the list goes on and on. I would aim higher at first, based on name value alone, but I would be happy enough to receive any of the guys above.
Since Marvin Harrison Jr. entered the league in 2024, 89 WRs have run 500+ routes.
Comparing him vs. the league average @FantasyPtsData pic.twitter.com/HrcHhsR1AY
— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) September 22, 2026
Bhayshul Tuten
I am not a Tuten hater, but this is a split backfield with the fourth-lowest RB target share (12%) in the league. To extract value, you are really just trying to figure out who will get the red zone carries, and so far, those have been split evenly between Tuten and CRod. Despite effective rushing production (18/131/1 TD across two games), Tuten has only three receptions for 19 yards during that span. Between the preseason hype and a Week 2 RB12 finish, I think you can still command a fairly hefty price for Tuten.
Another big reason for my fading of Tuten is that the Jags have a brutal RB schedule over the next four weeks (NE, @CIN, PHI, HOU), presenting an opportunity for the ole “boomerang trade candidate!” I would look at trading Tuten away now and might consider trading for him again after the team’s Week 7 bye, when the schedule gets much more favorable.
Quinshon Judkins
Similar to MHJ, Judkins has relatively strong name value. The problem is that Cleveland can not effectively run the ball, as evidenced by the fact that Deshaun Watson was their leading rusher in Week 2 with 22 yards.
Judkins is averaging 2.25 YPC on 24 carries (54 total yards), but he did have five receptions this week with Dylan Sampson out of the lineup. That may be enough to convince another owner that he is a true workhorse back and worthy of an RB2 trade. Maybe an opportunistic Chuba Hubbard owner would consider swapping for Judkins, knowing that the Browns are fully committed to him as their RB1?
Hit Me Up!
Keep the trade questions coming on X! DM me or tag me (@kempertrull), include scoring and roster settings, and I will do my best to get back to you ASAP. I will be shouting “laissez les bons temps rouler” on Bourbon Street in NoLa this weekend, so the replies may be a bit slower than usual…