Fantasy Football Day Trader: Week 11

Welcome to the Fantasy Football Day Trader, where I present my favorite players to invest in as well as those to fade.  Fantasy football is a lot like the stock market, and this article series is meant to assist you with your investment portfolio.  I’m here to present my fantasy opinions for your consideration, and these are players that I’m actively trying to trade for/away in my personal leagues.  This article series will present fantasy players that I’m looking to move and the price tag that I think is fair.  You should always try to assess your trade partner’s valuation of players before jumping to a price tag that you assume is fair.  If you’re new to fantasy or if you’d like a refresher on general trade strategy, we have an evergreen article from 2019 to help: The Art of the Fantasy Football Trade.

Winning trades is the best.  It just feels so good to pull off a solid trade after some negotiating with a league mate.  Especially when the player(s) you acquired blow(s) up the week after you acquired them.

I just pulled off a trade in a redraft league trading away Cordarrelle Patterson, Amari Cooper, Kenny Golladay, and 49% FAAB for Austin Ekeler and DeVonta Smith in return.  Honestly, I think this is a perfectly even trade.  It took a few days and several counters to get to an agreement.  Time will tell who got the better end of the deal, but I traded away depth for a high performer and a dart throw.  In this league, I’m 7-2 and had a lot of depth…that’s the perfect situation to consolidate.  Meanwhile, my trade partner had a solid team but was a bit unlucky…and they needed depth to win now.  I think the trade made sense for both of us.  That being said, Week 10 was far better for my side.  I’m not going to lie, I feel great.  I even got a message Sunday night saying “thanks for the crap”.  I would have felt the same way on the other side, but my trade partner could absolutely end up winning in the long run.  Regardless, I’m going for the ship.

Do you know what feels better than winning a trade?  Winning a championship.  Don’t forget that.  In some cases, you have to overpay to get a solid squad for the playoffs.  I’ve been guilty of it.  In fact, I just traded away J.K. Dobbins, Michael Pittman, a late 2022 1st round rookie pick, and the Panthers DST for T.J. Hockenson, Darrell Henderson, and the Cardinals DST in a dynasty league.  I think Henderson, Hock, and the Cards DST fill gaps that present me with a strong playoff run.  I think my leaguemate got the better end of the deal…but you have to pay market value if you want to land a deal.  And every league is different.  Furthermore, I wasn’t starting Pittman because I have CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson, Chris Godwin, and Deebo Samuel in my starting lineup (3 WR + 1 flex).  I’m going to gamble on winning a ship this year…that’s the goal after all, isn’t it?

Alright, let’s get to the actual trade article!

Investments (Trade For)

Mark Ingram (RB, Saints)
Mark Ingram was traded to the Saints right before the Alvin Kamara injury surfaced.  The Saints are destroyed with injuries but are still 5-4.  Ingram immediately becomes the second-best offensive piece behind Kamara in my opinion and the number one in Kamara’s absence.  Ingram had 14 carries and 7 targets this past week, producing 22.2 fantasy points.  Ingram is a must-start with Kamara absent and will likely produce flex numbers if/when Kamara returns.  Kamara’s injury is relatively undefined, and I’m willing to gamble on Ingram, who can probably be acquired on the cheap.  Price Tag: Flex | Risk Rating 2/5 (Medium-Low)

Kareem Hunt (RB, Browns)
Kareem is a very talented NFL running back who’s behind Nick Chubb on the Browns’ depth chart.  And don’t forget about D’Ernest Johnson, who’s been awesome when given a heavy workload when Hunt and/or Chubb are absent.  Hunt is the forgotten man in Cleveland, but don’t forget that he’s produced 15+ fantasy points in four of six games so far this season.  I believe Hunt immediately overtakes the number two role if all backs are healthy, and he’s produced as a top-15 RB in this role consistently.  I think Hunt is a great target for RB needy teams, especially if you already roster D’Ernest Johnson.  I’ll gamble on Hunt all day, and you should expect him back soon based on the latest information available.  Price Tag: Flex | Risk Rating 4/5 (Medium-High)

Chris Carson (RB, Seahawks)
Carson has been a valuable RB for fantasy purposes since he entered the league.  He’s been injured since Week 4 and should be returning soon.  The Seahawks just came off a disgusting performance versus the Packers – racking up 0 total points.  Carson has a lot of question marks, but that hasn’t stopped him from producing at high-end RB2 numbers in the past.  Carson is a fine player to target for RB-needy teams as we prep for the fantasy playoffs. Price Tag: Strong Flex | Risk Rating 4/5 (Medium-High)

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Antonio Brown (WR, Buccaneers)
Antonio Brown is the WR4 on the season on a points-per-game basis, ahead of Davante Adams.  He’s averaging 16.2 fantasy points per game.  I admit I like Chris Godwin the best out of the Bucs WR…but Brown is a player that Tom Brady loves and wants to target on offense.  Brown has been injured and out of the lineup, but he’ll be back.  Brown is a great trade target for strong playoff contenders.  Price Tag: Strong Flex | Risk Rating 2/5 (Medium-Low)

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Michael Pittman Jr. (WR, Colts)
Pittman is the WR18 this season on a points-per-game basis, and he’s been heating up.  I view Pittman as a strong WR2, but he’s on a Colts offense with a mediocre Carson Wentz behind center.  I think Pittman is a great trade target – especially in keeper and dynasty leagues.  To be honest, I’ve acquired him in one dynasty league and traded him away in two leagues (dynasty and keeper).  Pittman doesn’t have the name value like Keenan Allen, Terry McLaurin, or Amari Cooper – all of which he is outperforming.  Go after Pittman and thank me later.  Price Tag: Strong Flex / Back End WR2 | Risk Rating 1/5 (Low)

D’Andre Swift (RB, Lions)
(Evergreen).  Price Tag: I would hand over my house and car | Risk Rating 0/5 (zero risk)

Fades (Trade Away)

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB, Chiefs)
CEH has been an unproductive RB so far in his young career.  I mean the dude has scored fewer than 9 fantasy points in three of his last five games played.  THAT WAS BEFORE THE MAHOMES STRUGGLES!  I’m kinda a believer in Darrel Williams, but I understand CEH will probably takeover the majority of work immediately upon return.  Still, there are a lot of red flags around CEH…but that doesn’t remove the fact that he’s on the Chiefs- one of the best teams in the NFL.  I’d trade CEH away if you can get top-15 value.  In an RB needy landscape, you might get a better offer than you’d expect.  Price Tag: Top-15 RB | Risk Rating 4/5 (Medium-High).

Players on Your Bench
If you haven’t started a player in the past 3 weeks, consider flipping them for another player.  Whether you combine them with another player or trade for a different position group, I am personally trying to improve my starting lineup at this point in the year.  I mean you certainly want to have depth…but as I mentioned in the intro, I traded away Michael Pittman (who I LOVE) in a dynasty league to fill needs at the RB and TE positions.  The goal is to win a ‘ship after all isn’t it?  It’s OK to trade away players you love if it helps your starting lineup.

Happy trading!!