The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 1, and the league has been more active in 2022 than in past seasons. We’ve already seen Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson get traded from the Panthers to the 49ers and Cardinals, respectively. The Chiefs made a move to acquire Kadarius Toney from the Giants. The Jets traded for James Robinson in the wake of the Breece Hall injury.
All of these moves have instant fantasy implications, and there are rumors that several more trades could be in the works. We asked some of our experts for an NFL trade they’d like to see before Tuesday’s deadline.
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NFL Trades We Want to See Before the Deadline
Brandin Cooks to the Packers
Reasoning:
The Packers need so much help at receiver. Aaron Rodgers openly voiced his concerns with that group, and it is obvious there is no chemistry there. Enter Cooks, who is quietly one of the most reliable receivers in the NFL. With six 1,000-yard seasons in his career, Cooks would give Rodgers a veteran presence to go with Allen Lazard and Romeo Doubs, thus taking the pressure off both of them to masquerade as the alpha receiver. Green Bay would give itself an outside chance of making a run in a terrible NFC North while giving Rodgers a reason to return in 2023.
Fantasy Impact:
Cooks would be the obvious winner, as he would get an upgrade at quarterback. He is, at best, a WR3 as long as he is in Houston, so this would give him WR2 upside. Rodgers would also stand to gain something here because he has looked miserable this year without Davante Adams. While Cooks isn’t nearly the receiver Adams is, he’s been producing in the NFL for eight years now, mostly with marginal QB play. This is the type of move that could galvanize both the player and the organization, breathing life into their respective seasons. Based on how things went against Buffalo Sunday night, the Packers need to do something, or they risk having this season get away from them in a hurry.
– Jason Kamlowsky (@JasonKamlowsky)
Mike Gesicki to the Giants
Reasoning:
To everyone’s surprise, the New York Giants have one of the best records in the NFL at 6-2. However, they’ve done that despite a limited passing attack. Saquon Barkley leads the team with 25 receptions, while Richie James leads the way with 191 receiving yards entering Week 8. More importantly, their impressive rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger will miss some time after suffering an eye injury two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Mike Gesicki’s role on the team has regressed this year, and the Miami Dolphins are reportedly willing to trade the veteran before Tuesday’s deadline.
Fantasy Impact:
The Miami Dolphins don’t need Mike Gesicki as much as they did a year ago. With the addition of Tyreek Hill, Gesicki has seen his targets per game drop from 6.6 last season to 3.7 this year. However, the New York Giants lack receiving options outside of Wan’Dale Robinson and Saquon Barkley. Even once Daniel Bellinger returns, the Giants can take advantage of Gesicki’s versatility in the passing game to get him the ball. With the tight end position so thin, seeing Gesicki in New York would be a welcome trade for fantasy players.
– Mike Fanelli (@Mike_NFL2)
Elijah Moore to the Packers
Reasoning:
Elijah Moore’s frustration with the Jets reached a boiling point last week, and after just 10 snaps and one target on Sunday, it’s evident the team reciprocates that feeling. There are many teams that make sense for Moore, such as the Giants, Cowboys, and Bears. Even the Ravens and Browns are interesting wild cards. The Packers stand out because of Aaron Rodgers’ public frustrations, and the team would have Moore under control on a rookie deal for the next few years. He’s also a great scheme fit with his versatility to play out wide or in the slot and would become an immediate candidate for manufactured touches, something the team lacks from their wide receivers.
Fantasy Impact:
At this point, any trade resulting in consistent snaps and targets for Moore would be a win. The Packers likely represent his highest target potential, as the team is airing it out over 35 times per game, while Aaron Rodgers is begging for a reliable pass catcher to enter the equation. His current top receivers are Allen Lazard, a big-bodied contested catch receiver, and Rome Doubs, who is a straight-line downfield target. Moore’s versatility would allow the Packers to utilize him on the outside and out of the slot at times, while his quick twitch and route running would provide a threat at all three levels of the field. He’s not Davante Adams, but Moore is the type of player who could unlock the Packers offense and return top 20 WR value.
– Chad Workman (@tweetsbychad)
Diontae Johnson to the Giants
Reasoning:
I’d love to see the Giants use the 3rd they just acquired for Toney and spend that on Diontae Johnson. He would be a great fit for this offense and for what Daboll is trying to do. Whilst Wan’Dale Robinson has been solid, there have been injury concerns and a learning curve. Johnson has proven he is an elite operator in that portion of the field and will add immediate juice to the Giants.
Fantasy Impact:
It will also free Johnson, who is yet to score a touchdown this season and is in line for the biggest positive touchdown regression of any of the top 70 WRs this second half of the season. Johnson would see a significant uptick in volume but also be seeing more RedZone targets. He has only seen 5 this season. That is way down on the 23 he saw last year, on a per-game basis. Johnson would become the main man at the Shadowlands and look like a player who could finally return some sort of value for fantasy owners who spent a 5th round pick on him in 2022.
– Adam “Murf” Murfet (@murf_nfl)
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – that allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Terrace Marshall to the Bengals
Reasoning:
The Bengals are likely to be without stud WR Ja’Marr Chase for the next few weeks, if not longer, and while they have a solid duo in Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, they could use some depth behind them. Williams hasn’t really caught on, and with the Panthers turning to a rebuild, they might have more of an interest in a potential starting OL than a backup WR. Marshall played with Burrow (and Chase) at LSU, so maybe he just needs his old friends to turn his career around.
Fantasy Impact:
If this were to happen, Marshall’s value in dynasty leagues would immediately go up. For redraft, it’s more of a wait-and-see situation. Ultimately it could make Marshall relevant, but if he ends up just being a backup for a few weeks while Chase heals up, he won’t be very fantasy relevant at all. I’d be happy to add Marshall to my bench due to the upside, though, as more bye weeks are still ahead.
– Andrew Hall (@AndrewHallFF)
Kareem Hunt to the Rams
Reasoning:
The Rams need help after having missed out on CMC, who proved quite clearly in Week 8 that improving at RB matters. Since the Cam Akers debacle in Week 1, Los Angeles has been a one-dimensional offense, but Cooper Kupp can’t line up in the backfield and on the outside simultaneously. The defending champs are ranked 23rd in rushing by DVOA, and if they want to have any chance at making the playoffs, they have to address this glaring hole. Hunt isn’t perfect, but he is a versatile back who has more talent than just being Nick Chubb‘s backup.
Fantasy Impact:
In PPR and half-PPR leagues, Hunt could become an instant start with the potential for RB2 numbers weekly. His ability to catch passes and make something happen with them could be a boon to fantasy managers who drafted him only as a handcuff. The 27-year-old is seeking a new contract following this season, and the opportunity to showcase his skillset on an offense in desperate need of a backfield option would certainly motivate him to prove his worth. Desperate fantasy managers would welcome this production.
– Kelly Kirby (@thewonkypenguin)
David Montgomery to the Eagles
Reasoning:
The Eagles are 7-0 and just demolished the Pittsburgh Steelers in what was probably Jalen Hurts‘s best NFL game as a passer. On offense, they have the best offensive line in football, and it’s also a unit with multiple backups who would be above-average starters on other teams. At the skill positions, they put defenses in the difficult position of trying to account for Hurts and Miles Sanders in the running game and A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert in the passing game. If they have any weakness on offense, it’s these: they lack depth, and Sanders isn’t the best pass-catching back or the most physical running between the tackles. David Montgomery improves all three of those things. He’s a physical runner who also catches the ball well out of the backfield, and he helps the Eagles avoid the need to put Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell (either on a rotational basis or in the event of a Sander injury).
Fantasy Impact:
This move makes a ton of sense for the Eagles. Unfortunately, it creates a messy backfield for fantasy managers. Through seven games, Sanders has rushed 114 times for 563 yards and five touchdowns while adding 11 catches for 42 yards through the air. He has only topped 100 yards rushing once in seven games, but he has been largely reliable as an RB2 or flex option. The addition of Montgomery ruins that and would make it difficult to trust either RB each week. On the Chicago side of things, it would be wheels up for Khalil Herbert SZN.
– Mike Maher (@mikeMaher)
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If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.