Making fantasy football trades is hard. No one wants to lose a trade, but the fantasy landscape shifts so fast that even the most thoroughly considered move can fall apart in an instant. Just last week, I recommended trading away Saquon Barkley — I still stand by my logic, but it’s undeniable that Saquon’s value is up after his big performance last week.
But this applies in the other direction, too. Every move you don’t make is just as likely to backfire as each one you do. For every time you trade for someone and then they immediately suffer a heartbreaking season-ending injury, there’s an alternate universe where the player you traded away has the same fate. I recommend looking at things this way and sending out fantasy football trades to your heart’s content. For Week 9, start with these three.
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Pickups
- Weekly Fantasy Football Expert Rankings
- Fantasy Football Start/Sit Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Tools
3 Fantasy Football Trades to Propose Week 9 (2025)
Tyrone Tracy Jr. (RB – NYG) for Travis Hunter (WR – JAX)
As always, I will be using FantasyCalc’s list of most traded players to help inspire this article. This week, there is one player being moved in far more fantasy leagues than any other: Tyrone Tracy Jr. This makes sense, as Tracy saw his value skyrocket with Cam Skattebo unfortunately suffering a season-ending injury.
In general, I don’t think Tracy is a must-sell. Running backs are worth their weight in gold, and he could easily provide RB3 for the rest of the season playing alongside Jaxson Dart. However, there are likely many fantasy managers who find themselves in the enviable position of having Tracy to a roster that doesn’t necessarily need the extra help at running back. This move is for those managers.
After all, Tracy is solid, but he’s no league-winner. After taking over as the Giants’ RB1 around Week 5 of last season, he averaged an unspectacular 11.9 half-PPR points for the rest of the year. The Giants’ offense is better this year with Dart, but the rookie QB could also cut into Tracy’s rushing equity with his legs. Devin Singletary will likely also see a non-negligible role. There’s not much upside in holding onto Tracy.
Where there is upside is in flipping your newfound trading chip for Travis Hunter, who is right below Tracy in FantasyCalc’s trade-based rankings. The second-overall pick in this year’s draft had a slow start to the season, but his stock was clearly on the rise heading into the Jaguars’ Week 8 bye. After playing a part-time offensive role for most of the season, he led Jacksonville in route participation rate in both of their last two games. In Week 7, that increased usage turned into production, as he caught eight of a whopping 14 targets for 101 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
Meanwhile, Brian Thomas Jr. is still struggling with a mix of injuries and bizarre performance struggles. The sophomore WR is also popping up in trade rumors. Even if BTJ remains, there’s a real chance that the reigning Heisman winner emerges as this team’s WR1 down the stretch. If that happens, now we’re talking about a legitimate league-winner. This move is risky, but anyone who rostered Tracy before the Skattebo injury is now playing with house money…take that risk.
Travis Etienne Jr. (RB – JAX) for J.K. Dobbins (RB – DEN)
As with any one-for-one trade at a given position, this move probably won’t get done as-is. However, if you find a way to work these two backs into a larger deal (which should be possible, as Dobbins is below Etienne in FantasyCalc’s rankings), I would recommend it.
On some level, Etienne and Dobbins are very comparable. Once Dynasty darlings, they were both considered slightly dusty veterans coming into the season at the ancient age of 26. However, they have both played well, held off the rookies in their respective backfields, and provided solid value.
With that said, I prefer Dobbins for a few key reasons. For one, Etienne is slowing down, averaging 6.9 half-PPR points over his last three games compared to 15.9 over his first four. This is a bit concerning for a back with a history of fast starts that turn into mediocre finishes. More importantly, Denver’s offense is better than Jacksonville’s, ranking 11th in EPA compared to 22nd.
I imagine that Dobbins’ value might be slipping slightly, and his trade volume might be elevated, because RJ Harvey exploded for nearly 25 points against the Cowboys on Sunday. But Harvey got their on efficiency, with three touchdowns, not increased volume. Dobbins still played 54% of Denver’s snaps, saw 65% of their RB rushes, and saw two targets on a 21% route share. Those numbers are essentially in line with his season averages. If Harvey’s big game has opened an opportunity to buy Dobbins for a comparable back in a worse situation, that’s an opportunity to pounce on.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB – NE) for Jacory Croskey-Merritt (RB – WAS)
Once again, we have a swap of two running backs (the most-traded players every week are almost always RBs, as they are simply more scarce, and therefore more valuable, than other positions). But, where trading Dobbins for Etienne will likely require a larger deal, there may be an opportunity to swap these rookies straight-up. Despite being back-to-back in FantasyCalc’s rankings, they are in wildly different situations.
Croskey-Merritt has already done what fantasy managers want from every rookie running back: He is the Commanders’ RB1, leading the team in carries and snaps for each of the last four weeks. But that work hasn’t turned into consistent points. He racked up 26 points in his first week as the lead back, but has scored 5.3, 3.7, and 2.5 in his last three outings. Over those three weeks, he has managed a miserable 2.6 yards per attempt. Combine that with negligible receiving work (just 10 targets all season), and you get fantasy disappointment.
Henderson, comparatively, is more of a mystery box. He is still firmly the Patriots’ RB2 behind Rhamondre Stevenson, averaging just 6.6 carries and 2.3 targets per game on a 32% snap share. Last week, however, he flashed the explosiveness that had fantasy managers so excited heading into the season, racking up 75 yards on just 10 carries against an elite Browns run defense. His upside playing alongside a suddenly MVP-level QB in Drake Maye is tantalizing.
Normally, I tend to lean into chasing the upside in these scenarios. However, here’s the thing. Prior to last week, Henderson simply hadn’t played well. Even including last week, he ranks second-lowest out of 57 qualified RBs in PFF Rush Grade and fifth-lowest among qualified RBs in NextGenStats’ yards vs. expected. Croskey-Merritt, on the other hand, had been explosive prior to the last three weeks.
So we have two rookies with mixed efficiency results. But one is already his team’s starter, while the other is the RB2 on a team that is rumored to be in the trade market to add to their backfield. Henderson’s theoretical upside is higher due to his pass-catching ceiling, but right now that upside is only theoretical. If you need RB production and can sell a playoff-bound manager on the concept of a fully activated Henderson, you may be able to add Bill to your roster for pennies on the dollar (see what I did there?).
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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.
