It’s time for another week of fantasy football trades. We are already essentially halfway through the fantasy regular season, so it’s a good time to take stock of where your team is at.
If you are above .500 and feeling good about making the playoffs, it might be time to make some long-term trades with an eye for winning in Weeks 15-17. If you are struggling to hang onto relevance, it’s time to ship those injured stars for points in your lineup this very week. With this in mind, here are three fantasy football trades to propose in Week 7.
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- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
3 Fantasy Football Trades to Propose Week 7
Rico Dowdle (RB – CAR) for Quentin Johnston (WR – LAC)
As always, this week’s article will rely heavily on FantasyCalc.com, which scrapes data from real leagues to provide both trade values and a list of the most commonly traded players. This week, the most commonly traded player is the two-time reigning weekly RB1, Rico Dowdle. Unfortunately, I am going to take the easy way out and say that now is the time to sell high on the former Cowboy.
I don’t believe Dowdle is bound to return to a complete backup role when Chuba Hubbard returns from his calf injury (which could be as soon as this week). He played more than well enough to have earned more touches, at the very least. However, it’s worth noting that both Panthers head coach Dave Canales and the running backs themselves were noncommittal about who would be the team’s starting going forward.
Even if Dowdle remains the Panthers’ No. 1 RB, that doesn’t secure him as a must-start back going forward. His two blowup games came against arguably the two worst defenses in the league, the Dolphins and the Cowboys. Outside of those two weeks, Carolina has averaged a thoroughly mediocre 18.75 points per game — this isn’t a good offense. Assuming Hubbard still has at least some role, Dowdle is unlikely to be more than a Flex option.
Meanwhile, Quentin Johnston, who is four spots lower than Dowdle on FantasyCalc’s trade-based rankings, is the WR8 in half-PPR points per game. He was in the midst of a full-on third-year breakout before missing Week 6 with a hamstring issue. Given that he practiced fully on Thursday, Johnston should be back to continue his big season this week. Running backs are normally more valuable than wide receivers, but that’s not a universal rule. If you can actually get this trade done, it’s a no-brainer.
D’Andre Swift (RB – CHI) for Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WSH)
In last week’s article, I said it was probably your last chance to trade for Jacory Croskey-Merritt while he was still a fringe top-50 asset. Well, Croskey-Merritt had a mediocre week in primetime, so he still sits at exactly 50 in FantasyCalc’s rankings. Meanwhile, D’Andre Swift also featured in that Monday Night Football contest, and he had a huge game, so his stock has risen to make him the 48th overall player. These rankings imply that you can swap the veteran for the rookie straight up, which is a deal absolutely worth making.
To be fair, Swift has been very solid so far this season. He is the RB13 in half-PPR points per game, seeing clear No. 1 RB usage in Ben Johnson’s Chicago offense. This move has much less to do with trading him away than it does with trading for Croskey-Merritt.
Because, in my eyes, Croskey-Merritt is already also a solid RB2. His fantasy numbers weren’t great in Week 6, but his usage was once again excellent. Despite a first-quarter fumble, he led the Commanders’ backfield with a 67% snap share and handled 17 out of 19 running back carries. The rookie also posted a new career-high in route participation rate (40%), seeing the majority of the backfield’s routes for the first time.
Even if his usage stays just like this, Croskey-Merritt should be at least an RB2 in the Commanders’ offense. He has been very efficient with his workload, ranking third in NFL Next Gen Stats’ yards over expected per attempt and good old-fashioned normal yards per attempt. That’s more than can be said for Swift, who has been essentially replacement level with 0.03 yards over expected per attempt. If Croskey-Merritt ‘s role continues to expand, especially in the passing game, he has legit RB1 upside. Adding him in exchange for Swift is an excellent way to add elite ceiling to your running back room without giving up much (if anything) in terms of floor.
Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC) for Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA) / Zach Charbonnet (RB – SEA) for Kimani Vidal (RB – LAC)
After surprisingly leading the Chargers’ backfield in Week 6, sophomore back Kimani Vidal is the fourth-most traded player in the league this week. However, his value hasn’t gotten out of control — he still ranks as the 101st overall player, just ahead of fellow back Zach Charbonnet. In case it wasn’t clear from the heading, I think it’s pretty fair for these players to be valued similarly as a baseline. However, their respective values differ greatly depending on your situation, which is where this trade can be a classic win-win.
If you happened to add Vidal but don’t necessarily need him in your lineup in the near future, congratulations. You now have a valuable trading chip that should be cashed in. And Charbonnet is a perfect player to cash Vidal in on, because he has arguably the highest contingent upside in the entire league.
If Kenneth Walker misses time (which he has been prone to do), Charbonnet will be an elite, must-start RB1. No matter how stacked your lineup is, the third-year back will force his way into it in that scenario. Especially given that Omarion Hampton will be back eventually, so Vidal’s relevance has a ticking clock, this could be a league-winning move.
On the other hand, bankable running back production is the single most valuable commodity in any fantasy football league. Right now, mired in a committee with Walker, Charbonnet isn’t providing that. But Vidal is, and he should continue to do so as long as he remains the Chargers’ No. 1 RB (Hampton is set to miss more than the minimum four weeks, by the way). If you see a heated playoff race in your future and a hole in your RB2 slot, Vidal could be just what you need.
Thanks to Vidal’s short-term value and Charbonnet’s long-term (but contingent) upside, this trade can genuinely make sense for both managers involved. That’s a rare thing for a one-for-one swap of two players at the same position. As a bonus, you don’t have to come up with your own way to convince your opposite number to accept — just send them this article.
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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.
