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Let’s Make a Deal: 10 Players to Target in Trades in Week 9 (2020 Fantasy Football)

Let’s Make a Deal: 10 Players to Target in Trades in Week 9 (2020 Fantasy Football)

With fantasy football trade deadlines rapidly approaching, managers are desperately trying to shore up their rosters. Although trading activity was down just a bit from its peak in Week 8, there were plenty of deals being made over the last few days. Here are the 10-most traded players from Monday through Thursday of this week in leagues of managers that have incorporated their teams into MyPlaybook:

As we do each week here, let’s examine each player and, using the latest trade value chart, propose some potential deals for fantasy managers.

Ezekiel Elliott

Elliott was once again the most-traded player this week, as fantasy managers likely try to capitalize on what they perceive as a buy-low situation. Based on his perceived value, I, too, would be targeting Elliott, but only if the price were within reason.

By that I mean that Elliott retains borderline RB1 value in my mind. The offensive line is getting healthier, he’s still getting 20 touches per week, and he’ll get the goal-line work when it’s there. Think about the running back situation in your leagues: it’s not easy to find all THAT many running backs with superior situations, even with the quarterback play.

Trade for Elliott at a lesser price if you can. Antonio Gibson, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, David Montgomery, etc. But if his manager is asking for more or still valuing him as a strong RB1, avoid it.

Amari Cooper

Cooper’s value, like Elliott’s, has plummeted after Dak Prescott‘s injury. With Andy Dalton, Cooper saw 17 targets, hauling in 14 of them for 159 yards and a touchdown over two games. Those are perfectly respectable numbers.

With Dalton out last week, Cooper saw five targets, but caught just one of them for five yards. Although it’s unclear who Cooper’s quarterback will be this week, we know it won’t be Dalton. And the Cowboys have a bye the following week.

In other words, that’s at least two out of the five non-playoff weeks remaining where fantasy managers either don’t want to or cannot start Cooper. And although Cooper will certainly be a startable option with Dalton back, there’s no denying that his value has taken a major hit.

How much of a hit? Cooper should now be viewed only as a borderline WR3. Trade for him if you can do so for D.J. Chark or Mike Williams or a running back like Zack Moss. That’s as high as you should go.

The Usual Suspects

Loyal readers of this column know that there are several players who (expectedly) remain on the most-traded list each and every week. The reasons for their inclusion on the list are known and remain constant each week. So let’s run through them with some summary bullet points of what I’ve said in the past and which still holds true:

Michael Thomas:

  • I don’t like trading for injured players
  • If forced, value him as a low-end WR1, high-end WR2
  • Trade him for Adam Thielen, Tyler Lockett, or any RB1. If you are targeting him and can get him for anything less, do it.

David Montgomery:

Clyde Edwards-Helaire

Jonathan Taylor

Taylor was in this column last week, where he was listed as a buy-low, and where I stated that the Colts will likely lean into him out of the bye, and that he should be valued as an RB1. None of that holds true today.

Whether it was Taylor’s supposedly minor ankle injury or not, the fact remains that he continued to look ineffective against the Lions and that he was outplayed by Jordan Wilkins. Expecting him to both get the lion’s share of the running back touches and be productive is probably optimistic, at least in the short-term.

Still, Taylor can be valued as a low-end RB2. It’s unlikely that a team like the Colts, with playoff aspirations, is going to rely on a combination of Wilkins and Nyheim Hines going forward. Taylor should get more of a chance, but his managers may need to wait just a bit.

Melvin Gordon, Tee Higgins, or any Steelers wide receiver would be a perfectly acceptable price to pay for Taylor. And given the certain frustration that Taylor’s managers are feeling, that might be enough to get a deal done.

Antonio Gibson

Gibson ran the ball 20 times against the Cowboys, totaling 128 yards and a touchdown. It was a rare positive game script for Washington, which likely led to Gibson’s increased usage, though he still split snaps with J.D. McKissic and Peyton Barber

But the rare positive game script may become less rare going forward. Not only does Kyle Allen continue to look like an upgrade over Dwayne Haskins, but the upcoming schedule (Giants, Lions, Bengals, and Cowboy) is favorable.

I’d assume that Washington was happy with what it saw from Gibson last week and intends to make him even more of a focal point going forward. In other words, I’d value him as a solid RB2, and would trade D’Andre Swift, David Montgomery, Tyler Boyd, or Travis Fulgham for him.

D.J. Moore

Moore is coming off a disappointing game against the Falcons with just two catches for 55 yards. Prior to that, he had three straight games of exactly 93 yards receiving, with two touchdowns over that span.

But Moore saw six targets in last Thursday’s poor effort. And that mediocre number is roughly Moore’s average per game this year. So his two-catch performance, while on the low end of the likeliest outcomes each week, is always in the range of possibilities.

Moore is still a WR2, but those holding out hope of him developing into a borderline WR1 this year should move on. If you can swap Justin Jefferson, Cooper Kupp, or someone of that ilk for him, do it. But otherwise, he’s much more of a “hold” rather than a “buy” or “sell.”

Lamar Jackson

Jackson’s touchdown rate was bound to regress, but few saw his fantasy prowess declining to this extent. Everything is down for Jackson – nearly every measurable passing and rushing stat. And although Jackson may rebound at some point, he’s not going to end the year as the number one quarterback.

At this point, I’d value him as the sixth-best fantasy quarterback and still one of the elite performers. My guess is that his manager won’t trade him at that price, but, if they would, I would pull the trigger. That equates to a WR3-esque value (like Diontae Johnson or Jarvis Landry) in single-quarterback leagues, or borderline RB1 value in two-quarterback or superflex leagues.

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Dan Harris is the Editor-in-Chief of FantasyPros. For more from Dan, check out his archive or follow him on Twitter @danharris80.

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