Fantasy trade deadlines are just weeks away, so getting a deal done to help you get through the byes and make a playoff push or keep you at the top of the standings is imperative. Trading is still an art that’s hard to master with half of the league still waiting on their byes. This gives better teams additional leverage to snag top talent that is either on their bye or hasn’t had it yet, since they can likely afford to take a loss. Don’t let that be too big of a focus, though. At the end of the day, the best trades are the ones where you send away someone at peak value in exchange for a player or a package that could be even more useful down the road. With that in mind, our featured pundits are back again to discuss their favorite trade candidates ahead of Week 10.
Get trade advice for your fantasy team 
Q1. Who is your favorite buy-low trade candidate at this point in the season and why? Also, who are you willing to give up for him?
Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
“Aiyuk started the season in head coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse, but he has earned his coach’s praise in recent weeks for better practice habits and has seen his snap share trend rise from 67% in Week 4 to 71%, 71%, 88%, and 93% the last four games. I expect more six-catch, 89-yard, one-touchdown games like the one he produced on Sunday in the second half, especially as the 49ers flip from the fourth-hardest first half schedule by DVOA to the 11th-easiest one the rest of the way. To trade for Aiyuk, I would offer players like Devonta Freeman, Darrel Williams, and Elijah Moore, whose values could decrease as their teammates get healthy.”
– Scott Spratt (Football Outsiders)
Brandin Cooks (WR – HOU)
“It’s boring, but I’m looking to add Cooks wherever I can. He hasn’t had a 100-yard game since Week 3, but he ranks in the top five in the NFL in targets, percentage of team targets, and air yards. Houston has several exploitable matchups on tap, including the Jets, Jaguars, Colts, Seahawks, and Titans, and with the Texans on a bye, it’s an easy time to make a buy-low offer for Cooks. I’d prefer him to Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, or DeVonta Smith, and I think you can make the swap for any of them.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB – ATL)
“Against all odds, Patterson has broken out at the ripe age of 30, as Arthur Smith has made him one of the most dangerous weapons in the game. He is not only the RB1 of the Falcons, but he is arguably the WR1 as well, as he has averaged over six targets per game over the last five games and has been the most consistent pass-catching option on the team, more so than Kyle Pitts, Russell Gage, or any other position player. He is the WR5 or RB6 in points per game, depending on which position you decide to list him, and he has just one fewer point than Davante Adams and four fewer points than Alvin Kamara, but NOBODY (besides myself) wants to discuss his name among the fantasy elites! This is where you take advantage of the non-believers by trading for Patterson and giving up a name that would have sounded blasphemous just 10 weeks ago. Players I would trade for Patterson include Antonio Gibson, James Robinson, Leonard Fournette, Josh Jacobs, Joe Mixon (can definitely get another strong piece with Patterson here and Mixon won’t keep scoring every game), CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Lockett, Michael Pittman, D.J. Moore, and the list goes on.”
– Michael Petropoulos (BRoto Fantasy)
Cole Beasley (WR – BUF)
“Opponents are starting to give Josh Allen and the Bills the same sort of high Cover 2 treatment that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been getting. That emphasis on taking away the deep ball from Allen could lead to more targets for Beasley, a short-area pass catcher who can also be leaned on as a de facto RB when the inconsistent Bills running game sputters. To land Beasley in a half- or full-point PPR league, try baiting the hook with an RB3 type like A.J. Dillon or Tony Pollard.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
Jalen Hurts (QB – PHI)
“He has a negative matchup this week, a bye coming up, and is coming off the two worst fantasy performances of his career. There will never be a better time to get Hurts on your fantasy team. He is playing against the rest of the NFC East (Washington twice) in the fantasy playoffs. Strike while the iron is hot.”
– Tim Brosnan (Tim’s Fantasy Tips)
Jerry Jeudy (WR – DEN)
“I’d buy low on Jeudy. Since returning from injury, his rapport with Teddy Bridgewater hasn’t missed a beat. He’s led the team in targets and catches upon his return. I’d give up Mike Williams to get him.”
– Lawrence Jackson (Fantasy Football Lord)
CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
“Lamb has been a bit of a rollercoaster this season. However, the talent of a WR1 still remains and Dak Prescott is healthy once again. Lamb can probably be acquired along with a bench piece for Deebo Samuel (whose injury history is creeping up again along with an imminent QB change). Lamb could be a stretch-run monster.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Q2. Who is your favorite sell-high candidate at this point in the season and why? Also, who would you try to get in return?
T.J. Hockenson (TE – DET)
“I think Hockenson is going to be an excellent option at tight end for the rest of the season, but the gap has narrowed enough for me between him and several other options that I’d try to sell him after his latest run. Hockenson is coming off a 10-catch, 89-yard performance against the Eagles, and has seen 31 targets over his last three games. But his next five opponents (the Steelers, Browns, Bears, Vikings, and Broncos) all rank in the top half of the league in limiting fantasy points to opposing tight ends, and the latter three all rank in the top seven. It’s a bizarre thing to say but we’re now at a spot where tight end is a deep position with reliable options like Pat Freiermuth, Dallas Goedert, and Dalton Schultz emerging, so fantasy managers rostering Hockenson should look to sell high. I’d aim for a reliable WR2 like Chris Godwin or Mike Evans, or a solid RB2 like Leonard Fournette or Elijah Mitchell.”
– Dan Harris (FantasyPros)
Melvin Gordon (RB – DEN)
“Gordon has enjoyed a career renaissance with decent basic efficiencies in two seasons with the Broncos. He’s even been a top-15 back with 118 fantasy points in the first half of this season. But his rookie teammate Javonte Williams has a 16.8% avoided tackle rate per Sportradar charting that is second best at the position. He’s a future star, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Broncos shift the workload split toward Williams in December similar to what the Rams did with Cam Akers and what the Ravens did with J.K. Dobbins in 2020 since Gordon will become a free agent in the offseason. Don’t give Gordon away, but I would trade him for Michael Carter, Elijah Mitchell, or his own teammate, Jerry Jeudy. These guys I think are more likely to sustain their present values into the fantasy playoffs.”
– Scott Spratt (Football Outsiders)
Terry McLaurin (WR – WAS)
“McLaurin may very well be the poster child of fantasy football volatility as he has been a top-five overall weekly WR three times (PPR), but has also finished as the WR44 or worse five times. His QB, Taylor Heinicke, has been just as unpredictable, as he has produced a QB12 or better week four times and a QB22 or worse week four times. According to BRoto’s Exclusive Points Over Average Tool, the Washington Football Team has the second-most difficult remaining schedule for WRs, which means more five-point games are coming from Scary Terry. Some players I would look to acquire in return for Scary Terry, or a package revolving around him (something like McLaurin and a WR3/4 or an RB2/3), are A.J. Brown, Cordarrelle Patterson, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, Aaron Jones, and Darrell Henderson.”
– Michael Petropoulos (BRoto Fantasy)
Zack Moss (RB – BUF)
“This probably isn’t a bad time to cash out on Moss. He hasn’t scored a touchdown or had 40 rushing yards in a game since Week 4. Moss is dealing with a concussion (please disclose that in any trade talks, by the way), so he might not be able to take advantage of a soft matchup against the Jets in Week 10, and then his schedule leads through a dark alley, with horrible matchups against the Colts, Saints and Buccaneers in three of the next four weeks. Can you get Cole Beasley for him? Jarvis Landry would do nicely, too.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (FantasyPros)
James Conner (RB – PIT)
“Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘He has 11 TDs this year! With Chase Edmonds out, he’s an RB1!’ Correct. I’m not saying he isn’t worth holding … but after a monstrous 40-point game, his value will never be higher. If you pull the trigger now, you may be able to get the house.”
– Tim Brosnan (Tim’s Fantasy Tips)
D.J. Moore (WR – CAR)
“Moore has good overall numbers on the year, but the Panthers’ offense is coming apart at the seams. Some may see P.J. Walker or Cam Newton as an improvement over the struggling (and now injured) Sam Darnold. Although that could be the case, this is your last chance to sell Moore on his 2021 compilation of work and his remaining glimmer of upside. I would sell. Give me a Tee Higgins, Jerry Jeudy, or Jaylen Waddle straight up.”
– Joe Pisapia (FantasyPros)
Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS)
“Time to sell high on Gibson. He’s currently the RB22 in PPR scoring. That’s ok, but it’s not what we envisioned when we drafted him. He’s still the team’s leading rusher, so use that when negotiating. J.D. McKissic is more than a thorn; he’s a PPR machine and I’d almost swap the two at this point, especially since the Washington Football Team is expected to be playing from behind.”
– Lawrence Jackson (Fantasy Football Lord)
Thank you to the experts for naming their trade candidates. Be sure to give them a follow on Twitter if you’re not already doing so and check out our latest podcast below for more great advice.
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