Winning the trade market is at least as important as nailing the draft. Aside from the waiver wire’s huge impact in the season’s first few weeks, trading is the best way to quickly improve your squad. Great buy-low moves can set you up for victory both in the short term and down the stretch. Solid sell-high deals can get you relatively big hauls for overachieving players who likely won’t sustain their production.
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.
Check out the rest of our weekly fantasy football advice 
Players to Buy Low
Q. Which one player are you trying to buy low and why?
Tee Higgins (WR – CIN)
Higgins was already underrated coming into the season because he was seen as the “number two receiver” in Cincinnati behind Ja’Marr Chase. Now Higgins could come at even more of a discount after he exited Week 1 early with a concussion while Chase had one of his trademark monster games. The fact remains that Higgins had more targets, catches, yards and fantasy points than Chase over the final six games of last season, producing as the overall WR4 during that stretch. Both can be WR1s in fantasy, but Higgins is the one who should be much more obtainable, especially if the manager who has him lost in Week 1 and is already in panic mode.
– Andrew Seifter (@andrew_seifter)
Mike Williams (WR – LAC)
Williams put up a dud Week 1, but that’s not surprising. If you look at his track record, he tends to be boom or bust. Last year, he had two catches or fewer four times but still managed to finish the year as the 10th-best fantasy wideout. Williams will make up for this one with a monster performance that wins you your week down the line. With Keenan Allen ailing, he’s even more appealing. If you can nab Williams from a panicky manager, don’t hesitate.
– Scott Youngson (@jscottyoungson)
DJ Moore (WR – CAR)
The Panthers’ two main fantasy stars, Christian McCaffrey and Moore, were both outshone by Robbie Anderson in Week 1, but in the long run, I still like Moore as the better option at wide receiver. If anything, Anderson having a good Week 1 will take some of the pressure off Moore, giving defenses another player to worry about. Baker only completed 16 passes all game, which isn’t ideal, but having joined the team in the middle of the offseason, he may not be up to speed on the entirety of the playbook. Go out and buy DJ Moore from any panicked managers while you still can.
– Geoff Lambert (@GeoffLambert77)
Treylon Burks (WR – TEN)
I talked about Treylon Burks on the FantasyPros dynasty podcast a month ago and preached patience with the rookie. The numbers didn’t look promising after a sporadic preseason, but he ran many clean routes in the process. After Week 1, there are reasons to bet on a Burks breakout coming soon. Last week, prior to week 1, ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote that the Titans have big plans for him and are hoping to make him a focal point of the offense. It’s easy to be discouraged when you see that he ran just 13 routes, but he sported a massive target rate of 42% to go with 4.58 yards per route run. He also made some critical plays for the Titans and looked explosive with the ball in his hands. Once his snap share increases the buying window will slam shut.
– Chad Workman (@tweetsbychad)
DeVonta Smith (WR – PHI)
Fantasy managers are scanning the box score and seeing A.J. Brown‘s monster day and are ready to jump ship on DeVonta Smith. Add to that fact the part where the Eagles scored 38 points and Smith didn’t record a single catch and you’ve got the perfect buy low opportunity. Smith actually ran more routes than Brown (40 to 39) and out-snapped him (72 to 66) so this isn’t a situation where he wasn’t on the field. Nick Sirianni already said they have to find ways to get him the ball so don’t let his goose egg scare you off. Smith will get opportunities and while Brown might be the alpha, there will be plenty of opportunities for Slim Reaper to get his.
– Jason Kamlowsky (@JasonKamlowsky)
Aaron Jones (RB – GB)
While everyone is excited about A.J. Dillon‘s 21-touch performance in Week 1, don’t forget about Aaron Jones. The veteran running back played more snaps than Dillon and averaged over twice as many yards per rushing attempt. While Jones had eight touches last week, he had seven in Week 1 last year. However, Jones had 23 touches and scored 41.5 PPR fantasy points the following week. He will bounce back next week so buy the dip while you can.
– Mike Fanelli (@Mike_NFL2)
Julio Jones (WR – TB)
Julio Jones stepped up Sunday Night after Chris Godwin went down with a hamstring injury. Jones found Brady’s Fountain of Youth and caught three of his five targets for 69 yards, including a long of 48 yards. Additionally, the Buccaneers even ran Jones twice for 17 yards. According to Next Gen Stats, Jones recorded two of his top three speeds since 2020 on Sunday Night and looked rejuvenated. With Godwin expected to miss several weeks, Jones has upside in the Bucs offense. Brady will place the 33-year-old wide receiver in advantageous matchups as Jones continues to turn back time and return to fantasy relevancy.
– Dennis Sosic (@CALL_ME_SOS)
CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL)
It’s entirely possible that the Lamb manager is panicking right now. He caught two of 11 targets in Week 1 and severely underperformed for fantasy. Now we hear that Dak is going to miss time. This is exactly when I would send an offer to see if the Lamb manager just wants out. I’d start with someone like Rashod Bateman or Tee Higgins and see how it goes from there. I think Lamb ends up as a WR1 in PPG by season’s end, and now might be the cheapest he’ll be.
– Andrew Hall (@AndrewHallFF)
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.
Players to Sell High
Q. Which one player are you trying to sell high and why?
Antonio Gibson (RB – WAS)
Gibson truthers everywhere are likely rejoicing after the enigmatic back produced 130 yards from scrimmage against Jacksonville on Sunday. But everything the Washington coaching staff has said and done over the last year-plus has made it clear that they don’t envision Gibson as their primary running back. Gibson is simply not going to catch seven passes for 72 yards every week with J.D. McKissic around. Meanwhile, rookie Brian Robinson is making a miraculous recovery from the gunshot wounds he suffered just a couple of weeks ago and now has a realistic chance to return by Week 5. Gibson could provide RB2 value for a few more weeks, but it’s hard to envision how he avoids getting snarled in a messy three-man committee by midseason — and quite possibly lands on the short end of it.
– Andrew Seifter (@andrew_seifter)
Clyde Edwards-Helaire (RB – KC)
CEH managers rejoice! Now, try to trade him. It was a stellar Week 1 for him, but he’s not likely to score two TDs in a game very often. CEH played 27 snaps Sunday; exactly the same number as Jerick McKinnon and 11 more than Isiah Pacheco. This is a three-headed backfield, for the time being, so Edwards-Helaire’s production is likely to ebb and flow. If you sell him high this early in the season, you’re not likely to regret it. We’ve seen enough of him to know what he brings to the table, and it is not likely to change.
– Scott Youngson (@jscottyoungson)
Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE)
Hunt had a great Week 1 on the strength of two TDs, but neither he nor his teammate Nick Chubb will ever get enough volume to maintain production unless one of them gets hurt. Both running backs will be dependent on touchdowns all season, and in Week 1, it was Hunt’s turn to hit pay dirt. He will have other good weeks, but you will never know what week it’ll be. Sell him now while his value is at its peak.
– Geoff Lambert (@GeoffLambert77)
D’Andre Swift (RB – DET)
There are plenty of obvious sell candidates to point to here (cough, Ezekiel Elliot, cough). But a less obvious candidate is D’Andre Swift, who finished Week 1 as PPR’s RB3 with 175 all-purpose yards and a touchdown. So why sell? According to PFF, Swift’s usage tabbed him as the RB28 in expected fantasy points while he overperformed by 14 points. That’s a testament to his explosiveness and playmaking ability, but he also ceded goal line work to Jamaal Williams, who finished the week as RB9 in expected fantasy points. One of Swift’s greatest strengths is his pass-catching ability, but he generated three targets, just one more than Williams, in a game that featured 37 pass attempts from Jared Goff. Don’t trade him just to get rid of him, but he needs a bigger target share and consistent goal line work to be a top-shelf running back. If you can flip him for a premium, I’d take a hard look at doing so.
– Chad Workman (@tweetsbychad)
David Montgomery (RB – CHI)
I would be doing anything I could to parlay Montgomery’s volume in Week 1 into a chance to get out from underneath him. He averaged a paltry 1.5 yards per carry, and despite the perception that it was a tough matchup, the Bears offensive line played surprisingly well. On top of that, Khalil Herbert looked great despite getting half the touches Montgomery did, and there are now whispers this is trending towards a timeshare. Drafting Montgomery was probably a mistake in the first place, as his ADP put him squarely in the running back dead zone. Don’t make another one by hanging onto him.
– Jason Kamlowsky (@JasonKamlowsky)
Jarvis Landry (WR – CLE)
Jarvis Landry led the team with nine targets in Week 1, while Michael Thomas had eight and Chris Olave had three. Landry surprisingly had 99 air yards last week after averaging 24.8 per game last season. However, Thomas played 11% fewer snaps than Landry and still outscored him. As Thomas’ health improves and Olave develops, Landry’s fantasy production will decline. Sell him after a strong Week 1.
– Mike Fanelli (@Mike_NFL2)
Devin Duvernay (WR – BAL)
All fantasy managers should know by now not to overreact after one week. While Lamar Jackson has improved in the passing game, The Ravens are always a run-first offense. The player to sell here is wide receiver Devin Duvernay, who is coming off a Week 1 performance that saw him catch all of his four targets for 54 yards and two touchdowns. Touchdowns are fluky, and while Duvernay continues to improve, he is in a real competition for targets in an offense that would prefer to run the ball. Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman will be the main benefactors of the Ravens’ passing offense, and Duvernay will suffer from inconsistency issues weekly. Plus, the Ravens won’t be playing the Jets every week, so build up his two-touchdown output and sell, sell, sell.
– Dennis Sosic (@CALL_ME_SOS)
Miles Sanders (RB – PHI)
I’m not saying Sanders’ performance was a fluke, but I’m also not saying that he can’t do it again. Most Sanders managers couldn’t get anything for him prior to Week 1, but now maybe they can. If I roster Sanders I’m happily trying to move him on his solid Week 1 output for someone else like Najee Harris, Breece Hall or Alvin Kamara. I might be dreaming with those options, but that’s where I’m starting my trade offers. Sanders could end up being a solid RB2 for your team, but if I can move him after one good week for a better RB2 or RB1 option I’m doing that every day of the week.
– Andrew Hall (@AndrewHallFF)
Beyond our fantasy football content, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Trade Analyzer – which allows you to instantly find out if a trade offer benefits you or your opponent – to our Trade Finder – which suggests trades that will help you improve your team – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
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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.
