FANTASY FOOTBALL TRADE ADVICE: WEEK 9 BUY & SELL
Gang…we are in the spookiest time of the season. Of course the world is celebrating All Hallow’s Eve but we are also entering the trade season. We all know that things get spooky and sometimes downright scary when the football world is making moves. NFL clubs are making trades to bolster their rosters for the playoff run. Fantasy managers know whether they should be buying players or selling. Which leads to teams wheeling and dealing to set their teams up for what lies ahead. Hear me, fantasy managers and NFL franchises…keep reading to learn about a receiver to buy and one to sell ahead of the calendar turning to November.
Buy
Terry McLaurin
The football universe is finally getting a chance to see what Terry McLaurin can do with a REAL quarterback. Scary Terry has racked up four 1,000 yard seasons in a row and is already more than halfway to five in a row. Heading into Week 9 he has 579 receiving yards which is the fourth most in the league. The trade markets haven’t realized how good McLaurin has been. Maybe because he’s always been good, not great. This year he’s been great. He is currently a top 30 overall WoRP player with a clear path to to 20. His analytical profile also supports the fantasy production we’ve seen. McLaurin’s aDOT, Air Yard Share, and deep targets reflect a player who is one of the most dangerous downfield threats. His yards per route run and yards per team pass attempt numbers are on par with a fantasy WR 1. Oh and his quarterback is Jayden Daniels who is on his way to the 2025 OROY award. Adding McLaurin will have a massive impact on winning and yet the sellers who have him are not looking for as much as they should be.
Who to trade away
For the fantasy managers that lost Brandon Aiyuk, Chris Godwin or Stefon Diggs should IMMEDIATELY flip the IR candidates for McLaurin. Market indicators like The Lab are suggesting that is exactly the price that Mac Daddy is going for. That has to be plan A for those who have those players to move but for those who do not and still want to acquire McLaurin. I’m here to say…it is okay to move your contender first for the Commies’ WR. For those buys who are flush with backs or folks who are trading in a seasonal league moving your RB 3 or even RB 2 (as long as your RB 3 is garbage) to add this kind of fire power is a clear dub. Eventually the fantasy football markets will realize how good Terry McLaurin is be sure to get him now while he’s a really high value.
Sell
Darnell Mooney
Darnell Mooney has been good but his production has come in waves. Four games of near 15 fantasy point production and four games under ten points. For the lineup leaguers both dynasty and seasonal, this kind of boom and doom kind of scoring can lead to as many loses as it does to wins. It’s easy to love the over 14 points per game production but consistency has a value in and of itself that I’d rather game plan around. Mooney is outside the top 50 in adjusted WoRP because some of those spike weeks came on many teams’ benches. On top of the volatility, Mooney hasn’t posted good separation metrics and his Y/RR is a bit discouraging. Timing is everything when adding value via trades and now is a peak for Mooney. Sell now before we get the next valley.
Who to trade for
Despite being a top 15 wideout, Mooney isn’t getting that kind of return based on what indicators say. That’s okay because his 20 point Week 8 and his current standing in fantasy will allow for a plus ROI for the Falcons’ pass catcher. Especially for most teams where he is the WR 4 or 5, he’s an asset to use to bring in a player to fill another spot. Kareem Hunt, Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, Chase Brown, Javonte Williams are all running backs that have been moved for Darnell Mooney. You leave him on your roster in best ball formats but in lineup leagues…SELL Mr. MOONEY!
The fantasy world is through Week 8 and the season is getting old. Now is the time to make moves. Now is the time to swing for the fences. Now is the time to set the fantasy team up to win in 2024 or gear up for a future championship run. Stay trading my friends…