Everyone loves to make fantasy football trades. Therefore, I’m here to give some early fantasy trade advice heading into Week 1. Let’s dive into some players you should buy or sell before the start of the regular season.
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Fantasy Football Players to Buy or Sell
Buy – Jaydon Blue (RB – DAL)
Thankfully, Blue is off the injury report heading into the opening night matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles after suffering an ankle injury in the preseason finale. I have been pounding the table all offseason for the rookie, as he was one of my favorite draft targets. The Cowboys lack a clear-cut starting running back. Furthermore, Blue might have won the starting job in training camp if he hadn’t missed time with a heel injury.
While Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders are ahead of the rookie of the depth chart, don’t be surprised if that changes following Thursday night. According to Fantasy Points Data, both veterans had an explosive run rate of 2.9% or lower last year, ranking in the bottom 20 of 68 running backs with at least 55 rushing attempts. By comparison, Blue is an explosive weapon, especially in the passing game, leading all running backs in college football with six receiving touchdowns last year.
Buy – Ollie Gordon II (RB – MIA)
Fantasy players who had a last-minute draft this week likely saw Gordon coming off the board much earlier than anticipated because of De’Von Achane’s calf injury. Thankfully, the star running back is healthy and ready to play in Week 1. However, Gordon is still someone fantasy players should explore trading for, especially if they have Achane. The former Oklahoma State star was on track to be a top 60 NFL Draft pick before a disappointing 2024 college season.
Yet, Gordon has rebuilt his fantasy stock with an impressive preseason and training camp. He had the ninth-most PPR fantasy points among running backs in the preseason, averaging 0.91 fantasy points per touch. Furthermore, Jaylen Wright is dealing with a multiple-week injury and struggled during the preseason, making the rookie Achane’s clear-cut handcuff. More importantly, Gordon could end up stealing the goal-line role from Achane, giving him flex appeal even if the star running back stays healthy.
Buy – Marvin Mims Jr. (WR – DEN)
Hopefully, fantasy players left their drafts with Mims on their roster as the former Oklahoma star is my favorite sleeper wide receiver. However, there is still time to trade for him before Week 1. Last year, he was the WR22 from Week 13 through Week 18, averaging 17.5 PPR fantasy points per game, a higher average than A.J. Brown (16.2), Tyreek Hill (14.9), and teammate Courtland Sutton (15.1). More importantly, Mims is primed for a third-year breakout with an increase in volume.
According to Fantasy Points Data, he averaged a higher fantasy points per route run average (1.12) than Puka Nacua (0.75), Nico Collins (0.62), Brian Thomas Jr. (0.57), and Justin Jefferson (0.55) over the final six regular-season contests. Yet, Mims only had a 41.1% route participation rate, 33.5% lower than any of those four superstar wide receivers during those six weeks. He faces a lackluster Tennessee Titans secondary in Week 1. Mims could have a top-10 finish with one or two explosive plays.
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Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.