As we get closer to the midway point of the fantasy football regular season, waiver wires across all leagues are much more barren than they were just a few weeks ago. This now makes trading more crucial to your success and leaves the onus you to find those underrated sleepers or underperforming players who could take your team to new heights and push you through the fantasy playoffs.

The latest major injury at fantasy football’s most valuable position, running back, has sent Jay Ajayi owners scrambling to bolster their squads through the trade market. As such, it’s situations like these in which knowing the right players to buy low and sell high is so essential. If you’re in a pickle and need to strengthen your team, our featured pundits have come to the rescue by dishing out their top trade candidates as we enter Week 6.

More Trade Advice:
Trade Analyzer | Trade Value Chart | ROS Rankings

Pick Recap

Q1. Who is your favorite buy-low trade candidate at this point in the season and who are you willing to give up for him?

Alvin Kamara (RB – NO)
“Emotions run high this time of the year and if the Kamara owner is tilting after the Monday night meltdown, you need to go and offer them a trade right now. Even with Ingram in the lineup last year, Kamara finished outside the top-15 running backs just once (he finished as the RB22 that week) when he played the whole game. With Drew Brees setting the record and Ingram having fresh legs, the cards fell just right so that Kamara would have a down game. Buy, buy, buy. If you own Christian McCaffrey and can turn him into Kamara, do it. He’s a top-six running back for the remainder of the season.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

Kenyan Drake (RB – MIA)
“Adam Gase’s neglect of Kenyan Drake has been one of the more puzzling developments of the fantasy season. Drake was phenomenal late last season when the Dolphins needed him to be a workhorse. We weren’t expecting him to handle the same sort of load this year, but we still figured Drake would play a substantial role as both a runner and receiver. I still have faith that Gase will come to his senses on this, but maybe the Drake owner in your league has abandoned hope. Find out if he’d move Drake for someone currently at high ebb, like maybe Tyler Lockett.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (The Football Girl)

Jordan Reed (TE – WAS)
“Past the top three or four guys, the TE position has been a fantasy wasteland. Reed has gotten off to a slow start on the season and that continued with a one-reception performance against the Saints. With Paul Richardson, Josh Doctson, and Chris Thompson all currently on the injury report, there is no way the ‘Skins can win without getting Reed more involved. At this point, a player like Mohamed Sanu or Lockett could easily get the job done.”
– Scott Smith (RotoViz)

Andy Dalton (QB – CIN)
“A combination of historically inconsistent play along with the overall tremendous depth of the quarterback position has allowed Dalton and his low-end QB1 season to to fly under the radar. With the best weapons of his career and a pillow-soft schedule the rest of the way (including home games against PIT, TB, NO, CLE, DEN, and OAK, as well as a potential Week 14 shootout at LAC), he offers top-six upside almost every week. I would look to acquire him as a throw-in in a multi-player deal or give up a committee back or WR3 to a team that needs flex help.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)

Q2. Who is your favorite sell-high candidate at this point in the season and what would you try to get in return?

Carlos Hyde (RB – CLE) 
“There’s a vibe about Hyde similar to the one that was around Ryan Fitzpatrick. Not that it’s right, but it feels like he’s going to have a very short leash. He’s now played five games, and while he’s scored in four of them, he’s also averaged 3.7 or fewer yards per carry in four of them. The Browns spent a high second-round pick to acquire Nick Chubb and have said they “want” to involve Duke Johnson a bit more. These things add up to a declining stock for Hyde, who you may want to sell at his high point. While it’s possible he keeps the job, see what’s out there and minimize risk. Running backs can typically net some big returns, so maybe shoot for someone like Keenan Allen who has been mediocre to this point.”
– Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros)

“Carlos Hyde currently sits fifth in rushing yards and is the RB13 in PPR leagues. Ranking 68th among RBs in fantasy points per opportunity would suggest it’s a good idea to get Chubb involved and I expect that to happen even more as the season progresses. I would be more than happy to get back a WR in the Emmanuel Sanders/Kenny Golladay range.”
– Scott Smith (RotoViz)

Alex Collins (RB – BAL) 
“Now that we’re into Week 6, it will get increasingly difficult to sell players that were overvalued during draft season. If you can find someone who still sees Collins as a third-round talent, don’t wait another week to make a deal. Collins will continue to lose goal line and passing-down work to Javorius “Buck” Allen. If you can get a solid WR2 or package him for an RB upgrade, do it.”
– Matthew Hill (DataForce Fantasy Football)

DeSean Jackson (WR – TB)
“This is a good time to head to the cashier’s window and take a payout on Jackson. D-Jax is averaging 19.3 yards per target, which is nuts. Look, Jackson has been around forever, so most of us know what it’s like to own him. You get a big game or two followed by a multi-week disappearance. Jackson and Jameis Winston haven’t been able to get on the same page to date, and D-Jax has to share targets with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and the two TEs. Cash in the chips for some committee back with upside — say, for instance, Royce Freeman.”
– Pat Fitzmaurice (The Football Girl)

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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