The NFL and, more importantly, fantasy football, are officially back. By the time you’re reading this, we’ve had at least one game, as the Eagles faced the Cowboys in the season opener; I hope A.J. Brown scored two touchdowns.
With the return of football comes the return of the best part of fantasy football: Trading. You might think it’s too early to make moves, but it’s never too early to propose a fantasy football trade. Of course, trades are hard to swing right now, as everyone loves their rosters right after the draft. But some players have seen massive shifts in their value recently, so you still might be able to make a move or two. Here are three trades to propose as we approach the first NFL Sunday of the season. Make sure to also check out our fantasy football trade analyzer.
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3 Fantasy Football Trade Proposals
Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WSH) for Jauan Jennings (WR – SF)
There was a brief window where Jacory Croskey-Merritt was the obvious best value in essentially every fantasy football draft. But the hype train for “Bill” just keeps chugging, and we have officially hit the point where it’s time to sell high on the seventh-round rookie. His Real-Time ADP (average draft position) is in the top 100, and even that is probably underselling where he is being drafted right now. He was selected 73rd overall in my most recent home league draft; at that price, the warts in his profile become too big to ignore.
The issue is that, even in a best-case scenario, Croskey-Merritt’s upside isn’t as high as you might think. Brian Robinson Jr. averaged just 10.7 half-PPR points last season, ranking 28th among running backs. Croskey-Merritt can theoretically bring a bit more juice to Robinson’s vacated touches, so he can outperform that finish. But there is zero reason to believe he will be a pass-catcher, severely capping his upside in PPR formats.
Meanwhile, the downside for Croskey-Merritt is massive. Maybe Dan Quinn actually means it when he says the Commanders plan to use Chris Rodriguez Jr. as their goal-line back. Maybe Deebo Samuel gets involved in the running game. Maybe Jeremy McNichols, who will be active for his role on special teams, sees a carry or two. Maybe Austin Ekeler takes a few extra carries to go with his passing-down role. Without any receiving upside, Croskey-Merritt will need to dominate carries and goal-line touches to be a weekly starter, and there’s no guarantee that will happen.
There are lots of players I would be willing to flip Croskey-Merritt for at his current prices, but Jauan Jennings is my favorite of the bunch. After missing most of training camp with a calf issue, Jennings got the raise he wanted this week and is back at 49ers practice. I expect him to play in Week 1 and pick up where he left off as the 49ers’ No. 1 WR and a solid fantasy WR3. His upside is arguably even higher than that, given he ranked in the top 15 in both Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade and yards per route run (YPRR) in 2024.
Jayden Reed (WR – GB) for Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA)
Admittedly, this one might rely on taking advantage of a manager in your league who isn’t 100% locked in. But, until recently, Jayden Reed was a top-100 pick, while Zach Charbonnet was on the outside looking in. If you drafted early, you may easily have taken the Packers’ slot receiver above the Seahawks’ No. 2 RB; that’s a mistake worth rectifying, if you get the chance.
Reed is still practicing on a limited basis and apparently might even play in Week 1, but Reed is reportedly dealing with a Jones fracture in his foot. That’s an injury that normally requires surgery, not something you can just play through. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the third-year player eventually sidelined for a substantial chunk of the season.
Even when healthy, Reed came with red flags. While he’s a dynamic playmaker, he has never played a full-time role in the Packers’ offense, only playing in 3-WR sets. This issue impacted his production down the stretch of last season, as he averaged just 6.8 half-PPR points per game on a 13.7% target share from Week 10 onward. With the addition of first-round receiver Matthew Golden this offseason, Reed’s role is more likely to shrink even further than expand.
Charbonnet, meanwhile, is trending up. I don’t actually believe the rumors that he will challenge Kenneth Walker III for the Seahawks’ starting job. But it’s certainly not a bad sign that there is smoke in the air in Seattle; with a new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak, it’s possible Charbonnet can have standalone value.
Even if that doesn’t materialize, Charbonnet is still arguably the best handcuff in the league. He has consistently produced elite fantasy numbers when Walker is sidelined, which has happened with frequency over the last two years (Walker also dealt with a foot injury of his own in training camp, although he is now off the injury report). Especially with Reed’s health in question, I like switching a low-ceiling receiver for a potentially league-winning back.
Joe Mixon (RB – HOU) for Just About Anything
Apparently, this article is all about foot injuries. Obviously, everyone is aware at this point that Joe Mixon is dealing with a mysterious injury. He is officially on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list and will miss the first four games of the season.
However, the true extent of Mixon’s ailment is still being underestimated by the fantasy market. The rumor all offseason was that Mixon might miss the entire year, and now even the Texans’ general manager has indicated that a season-long absence is a real possibility.
Even if he does eventually return, Mixon will be 29 years old and running behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. His chances of repeating last year’s RB1 numbers are uninspiring. In fact, he even fell off as the 2024 season went on, averaging just 8.5 half-PPR points and posting only one double-digit outing in his final six appearances.
In leagues where you have an injured reserve (IR) spot (or preferably multiple), stashing Mixon for the upside isn’t too terrible. But in leagues without IR spots, Mixon isn’t just useless — he’s actively hurting your team by clogging up a valuable bench slot. If you can use name value, where you drafted him and his performance last year to move Mixon for any meaningful player, do it.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter and Bluesky @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
