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.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
Early Fantasy Football Trade Advice for Week 1
Thursday Night Matchup
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.
Sell – Javonte Williams (RB – DAL)
Unfortunately, what is good for Jayden Blue is bad for Williams. The veteran running back “won” the starting role in Dallas. However, Blue, Miles Sanders, and Phil Mafah missed time with injuries during training camp. Furthermore, Williams has struggled since his promising rookie season. After averaging 12.1 PPR fantasy points per game and 4.4 yards per rushing attempt as a rookie, Williams has averaged 10.3 and 3.7 over the past three years, including a career-low 9.3 fantasy points per game in 2024.
Furthermore, the betting market has little faith in the veteran running back. The Cowboys are 8.5-point underdogs against the Eagles on Thursday night, which suggests Dallas will have to throw the ball in negative game script. Last season, Williams ranked 26th among qualifying running backs in yards per route run (1.31). Moreover, DraftKings has his rushing yardage total at only 39.5 yards. Fantasy players should explore trade options for Williams before he loses the starting role to Blue.
Early Sunday Slate
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.
Sell – Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WAS)
I believe Croskey-Merritt will be a solid running back for fantasy players. He is the highest-ranked Washington running back in my rankings. Furthermore, the rookie should be the team’s top fantasy scoring guy in the Commanders’ backfield. However, the hype around him has gone too far, with some fantasy players drafting him as a top-24 running back over the past week. While some believe Croskey-Merritt will be the featured guy in the backfield, the team will use a running back by committee approach.
Reportedly, the coaching staff will start Chris Rodriguez Jr. in Week 1, with Austin Ekeler being the passing-downs running back. While Croskey-Merritt will see some work, his rushing total on DraftKings is only 33.5. By comparison, Rodriguez has a rushing over/under of 30.5 yards this week. More importantly, Washington faces a New York Giants defense that could have the top front four in the NFL. Fantasy players should look to sell high on Croskey-Merritt before Sunday.
Late Sunday Slate
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.
Sell – Tyjae Spears (RB – TEN)
Fantasy players should have loved drafting Tony Pollard this year, especially after Spears suffered a high-ankle sprain during the Titans’ first preseason matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. While Tennessee initially expected him to be ready for Week 1, they placed Spears on injured reserve to start the year. Therefore, the former Tulane star will miss at least the first four games because of the injury. However, he could be out of the lineup even longer.
Reportedly, Spears could miss the first six weeks of the season with the high-ankle sprain. Last year, Pollard averaged 22 rushing attempts and 13.9 PPR fantasy points per game with Spears out of the lineup. More importantly, the former Tulane star missed five games last season with multiple injuries. Furthermore, Julius Chestnut and Kalel Mullings had productive preseason performances. It’s no guarantee that Spears has a fantasy-relevant role when he returns from the high-ankle sprain.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | TuneIn
Mike Fanelli is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, check out his archive and follow him @Mike_NFL2.
