Fantasy Football Trade Advice: Players to Buy & Sell (Week 3)

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Let’s take a look at players to buy and sell this week. And be sure to check out our weekly trade value chart with updated values for all players.

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Fantasy Football Trade Advice: Players to Buy & Sell (Week 3)

Players to Buy

Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
Saquon Barkley didn’t have a monster game like in Week 1, but still had MONSTER usage that included 24 touches for 88 yards. He dominated the Giants backfield for a second straight week with an 89% share of the team’s backfield touches. I’d be going after him in trades this week.

Still a bellcow. 89% backfield share.

Joe Mixon (RB – CIN)
Joe Mixon didn’t score for a second straight week, which may have some fantasy managers frustrated. Let them be. And take full advantage. Because for a second straight week, Mixon played 73% or more of the team’s offensive snaps to go along with 22 touches. And that’s despite the Bengals trailing throughout. His lack of receiving and 3rd-down work was way overblown this offseason. Buy him while the consensus is low on a 0-2 Bengals squad. The Jets in Week 3 figure to cure all wounds.

Javonte Williams (RB – DEN)
Everything Javonte Williams truthers want continued in Week 2. His snaps increased (65% vs 58%) and he also led team in carries (15) over Melvin Gordon (10) — unlike in Week 1. The second-year back also added 4 targets to Gordon’s one target. If the gap in usage continues to go in Williams’s favor, you’ll be glad you traded for him now versus later.

A.J. Dillon (RB – GB)
A.J. Dillon led the team in targets (6) not Aaron Jones (5) in Week 1.

Dillon also out-touched Jones 15 to 8…continuing the usage trend from last season.

Jones’ production is going to be heavily reliant on him as a receiver out of the backfield. So my advice would be the sell Jones after a spiked week in production and buy Dillon before the market realizes he is the traditional RB1 in the Packers offense, with goal-line duties in hand.

That spiked week happened in Week 2, with Jones going OFF versus the Chicago Bears on Monday night. But again, the usage. Snaps were 50/50 again with Dillon, and the younger back had more carries (18 vs 15) and the same number of targets (3).

Cam Akers (RB – LAR)
Cam Akers was a BUY last week and remains one heading into Week 3. Led the team in carries (15) and RB opportunities (18) after Darrel Henderson earned the bell-cow usage in Week 1.

Drake London (WR – ATL)
Drake London led all players in target share in Week 1 (48%). Back-to-back weeks as alpha in the Falcons’ passing attack.

Buy high.

Kyle Pitts (TE – ATL)
Kyle Pitts has been non-existent in the Falcons offense through two weeks. But the fact that Drake London has been so productive suggests this offense under Marcus Mariota can support a viable fantasy weapon.

Buy low.

Dameon Pierce (RB – HOU)
A week after Dameon Pierce was left for dead by fantasy managers, he out-touches Rex Burkhead 16-2. Luckily Pierce didn’t convert the usage into crazy production, so he can still be had after seeing a 62% snap share in Week 2 (29% in Week 1).

Rhamondre Stevenson (RB – NE)
Rhamondre Stevenson was buried on the Week 1 depth chart, playing just 25% of the snaps. However, he saw just one fewer touch than Damien Harris and looked explosive with the ball in his hands. With little to no playmakers in the Pats’ offense in Week 2, Stevenson’s role increased to a 62% snap share because he ran 15 more routes (25 vs 10) than Harris. Still a buy.

Brandon Aiyuk (WR – SF)
There’s been a lot of turnover in the 49ers offense through 2 weeks, with all the injuries that the team has sustained from their backfield to the QB position. But the one constant has been Brandon Aiyuk, operating as the WR1 in the passing game. He led the team in route runs in Week 1 and led the team in target share with Jimmy G under center in Week 2 (33% target share).

Players to Sell

Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC)
Austin Ekeler‘s snap rate (63% vs 49% in Wk 1) and route participation (62% vs 38%, Wk1) increased substantially in Week 2 likely due to the Chargers having to play catch up towards the end of the game.

Ekeler racked up a ton of receptions in the second half – 8 out of his 9 receptions.

But the constant effort to get guys like Sony Michel and Josh Jacobs might hurt Ekeler’s fantasy value in the long term. Especially considering we are starting to see those guys get work inside the 20. Michel earned a goal-line carry, and Kelley had another RZ touch. Ekeler’s not totally sunk – still had two RZ carries plus two targets inside the 10. But his overall volume won’t be the same as last season when he scored 20 TDs. I’d be looking to flip him for another stud RB that isn’t seeing as much of a work split load or for an elite WR.

Alvin Kamara (RB – NO)
Alvin Kamara totaled just 12 touches for 42 yards in Week 1, while backfield teammate Mark Ingram had 5 for 27. Kamara’s egregiously large workload was going to come down after last season, and that’s exactly how we saw things play out.

Recall, AK41 averaged 15 touches per game when in use in tandem with a healthy Mark Ingram last season.

24.2 touches without Ingram.

If that doesn’t change, Kamara’s production won’t meet that of fantasy RB1. Not to mention, he’s dealing with this rib cartilage injury that kept him completely out of Week 2 and could further limit his touches in future weeks.

Najee Harris (RB – PIT)
In Week 1, Najee Harris totaled just 12 touches for 26 yards on a 59% snap share. He also left the game with an injury. In Week 2, Harris played 71% of the snaps and totaled 20 touches for 99 yards while healthy. He only played in 2 games while 100% healthy last season with a sub-75% snap share.

Without elite volume on Harris’ side, I’d be looking to try and move the Steelers’ RB1 — even at an ADP loss. Because things could get worse if the injury is reaggregated and he is unable to maintain a heavy workload. His offensive environment also provides him no favors.

James Conner (RB – ARI)
Conner suffered an ankle injury in Week 2, but reports are “positive” out of the Cardinals coaching staff. I, however, am less optimistic that an inefficient rusher like Conner will post strong RB1 production if he is not 100%. And ankle injuries tend to limit RB efficiency.

Cordarelle Patterson (RB – ATL)
Cordarelle Patterson‘s usage was not great in Week 2. Split carries with rookie Tyler Allgeier and saw just one target. The Week 1 production where he saw 25 touches was never going to keep up. He saw just 11 opportunities versus the Rams.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB – KC)
CEH has averaged 11 touches per game over the last two weeks. Yes, he’s been efficient on his opportunities against two extremely soft run defenses. But concerns about how he will fare without volume in tougher matchups. Still a sell-high option.

Allen Robinson (WR – LAR)
Allen Robinson was heavily involved again from a playing time standpoint for the Rams in Week 2, posting a 90% snap share. He converted his routes into 5 targets and 4 catches for 43 yards. A-Rob scored once and another was removed because of a timeout. There was a clear effort to get him the ball in the red zone, but I’m still concerned that he posted just a 14% target share. He’s got TD upside in a high-powered Rams offense, but I’d just leverage that as you sell him high after a scoring week.

Josh Jacobs (RB – LV)
Josh Jacobs got nearly all the carries (19) to Zamir White (1) in Week 2.

But just 69 scoreless yards and one catch. Continues to be a low upside option. Sell high after a multi TD-game.

Elijah Moore (WR – NYJ)
There’s serious concerns for Elijah Moore with the emergence of Garrett Wilson. 5th in targets in Week 1 and tied for 3rd in targets in Week 2 (5 targets, 11% target rate per route run). Rest of season…I’d prefer the rookie.

Amari Cooper (WR – CLE)
Don’t fall for the big game from Amari Cooper. The volume was there in Week 2 – 37% target share – but his boom-or-bust profile isn’t going away anytime soon. Quintessential “sell-high” candidate.

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