FANTASY FOOTBALL TRADE ADVICE: WEEK 7 BUY & SELL
Believe it or not, there have been six weeks of fantasy matchups. The fantasy football world is in peak trade season. Teams know whether or not they are competing for a 2024 championship and fantasy managers are getting frustrated with high investment players that aren’t producing at the expected level. This crossroads creates a number of opportunities for teams to wheel and deal. This week’s buy and sell are big ticket players that will lead to blockbuster trades.
Buy
CeeDee Lamb
The Dallas Cowboys have been a disappointment this season and their alpha wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb is no exception. Lamb was selected as high as the 1.01 is seasonal drafts but is currently wide receiver 15 overall. He has put up just over 15 fantasy points per contest and that lack of domination has opened a buy window for one of the best players in fantasy football. Despite the lack of perceived production, Lamb is still a top eight wideout and top 20 overall player according to WoRP. He has only one top five week and Dallas has their bye week this week. In 2023 Lamb was incredible after the Cowboy’s bye. He finished with 41, 28.1, and 39.5 fantasy points each of the first three weeks coming off of a bye and scored more than 15 points (his 2024 average) every single game for the rest of the season.
Who to trade away
Trading for a player of CeeDee Lamb’s magnitude will not be easy and the price tag will not be cheap. Regardless of this slight dip in perceived value, no one is going to move him without getting a lot in return. Trade market indicators suggest that moving two startable wide receivers is the starting point. Combining players like George Pickens and Darnell Mooney or Jameson Williams and Diontae Johnson seems like the market average. Also taking a wide receiver like that plus a top 20-25 running back is a possibility. Value doesn’t always have to come cheap, Lamb is a buy right now in fantasy football.
Sell
Marvin Harrison Jr.
There haven’t been many wide receiver prospects to garner as much hype heading into their rookie year like Marvin Harrison Jr. did. Before even taking a snap in the NFL he was being selected at the one/two turn in drafts. Six games into the season and he has 17 catches for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Harrison is scoring 11.5 fantasy points per game which makes him WR 36 in that department. It is abundantly clear that Harrison has a ton of talent but there are some underlying metrics that do not support continued production. Masserati Marv has posted a 1.86 yards per route run, a 21.8-percent target share, and a 1.64 yards per team pass attempt. All metrics rank 35th or worse amongst qualified wideouts. Also his yards after catch is pretty much non-existent. Most market indicators indicate that he is still being valued like a no doubt WR 1 but his WoRP suggests he may not be providing as much value and the market believes. That is exactly why this is a good time to sell the rookie and bring back multiple contributors for the stretch run.
Who to trade for
The first step when looking to move on from Marvin Harrison Jr. is to check in with CeeDee Lamb. If it is possible to move the rookie for Lamb then it's done and dusted. If that isn’t realistic or your squad needs to bring in multiple players then look to acquire two every week starters. Packages of DK Metcalf plus an RB 1-2 or Garrett Wilson plus a player like Darnell Mooney or Amari Cooper is another route to properly selling a player with MHJ’s upside. Trades like this should be handled with care and not rushed. Kick the tires around the league and make sure the return changes weekly projections for the better.
We are just through Week 6 but it is NOT too early to start making deals in fantasy. Slow and steady is for the NFL executives and the folks who don’t want to win their league. Doesn’t matter whether fantasy managers are looking to buy or sell, now is the time to act and show the team that you mean business. There is exactly ZERO research that backs this up but it feels true. Whenever fantasy managers believe in their team, show the team that they’re all in…the squad reciprocates the love via fantasy production. Stay trading my friends…