A common tactic in poker is, once you build a lead, to raise the price to play. Essentially, you’re forcing players with less to reconsider their normal style. Their decisions appear fewer or more desperate as they struggle to get back to stable ground. The same thing happens in fantasy leagues.

We’re past the halfway point of the regular season. So, it’s easy to see which rosters have the makings of a playoff squad or not. Of course, some managers use their position to their advantage. But deals in fantasy football should benefit both teams. So, regardless of your win-loss record, let’s go through some options and how to determine which trades are worth accepting.

Advice On Potential Trade Targets For Week 8

To stay with the poker analogy, let’s say that our top scorers are the largest chip denomination on the table. But your record or another team’s may skew the perceived value of a player. Plus, if you’re looking to acquire a popular receiver or rusher, expect a tax on the deal. That’s why if you’re going to enter into negotiations, current workloads and the potential for more opportunities should be the first thing we consider.

Premium

Go FantasyLife+

Your league is unique. Your advice should be too. Get personalized tools, rankings, and projections tailored to your fantasy football league settings.

Learn More

Buy Lows

• Isiah Pacheco – only 44% of the rushing attempts in Week 7; potential for uptick in workload 
• Jauan Jennings – first game with a +90% snap share and +20% target rate since Week 2
• Quentin Johnston – ran 92% of the routes, but season-low 10% target share after missing a game with a hamstring injury

To be clear, I’m recommending trying to acquire Isiah Pacheco based on the idea that he might get more touches. Through seven games, Kareem Hunt has taken 63% of the goal-line carries. The same Hunt who trainers needed to help carry off the field after an ankle injury. Pacheco and rookie Brashard Smith took over in the second half, lending credence to the idea that the fourth-year rusher can tag along on an offense that’s back to scoring 30 points a week.

Buy Highs

• D’Andre Swift – 53% of the carries over the last two weeks; Bears’ run-game efficiency has hit season highs coming out of the bye
• Rhamondre Stevenson – season-high 69% share of the rushing attempts and all of the goal-line carries over the last three weeks
• Chris Olave – averaging 30% of the targets, but aDOT has shifted from 8.8 air yards through the first five weeks to 12.1 and 20.3 yards over the last two games

I can’t see how TreVeyon Henderson makes any impact in his rookie season. Stevenson's snaps and share of the carries reached their peak, while the rookie had two touches. Meanwhile, Terrell Jennings, a UDFA called up from the practice squad, played ahead of the former Buckeye. Stevenson’s command over the backfield puts him in line for steady volume attached to one of the more efficient passers in 2025.

Finding the Right Fantasy Football Trade Value

I talked about it in the offseason, but identifying the weak points of your roster is a tough but necessary exercise. It only becomes more difficult during the season. One matchup or injury can change everything. But still, assessing which of our players we can move for a reasonable return is part of the game. I’ll give you an example.

• QB: Drake Maye
• RBs: Chase Brown, Jordan Mason, TreVeyon Henderson
• WRs: Drake London, Brian Thomas Jr., George Pickens, DeVonta Smith
• TE: Sam LaPorta

Unfortunately, this is one of my rosters. I’ve been able to stay in the middle of the pack with some outbursts from Pickens and London, but I’m living on borrowed time. My RBs have been an anchor since Week 1. On the flip side, I’ve got strength at receiver. In theory, dropping down a tier at WR to get more production on the ground should be possible. 

However, I can’t give them up for less than I would at the start of the year. We need to stay rational despite our backs being up against the wall! To help, our Trade Analyzer tool helps put everything in context. Opportunity, results, and even a shot at projecting the rest of the season, the model pulls together as much data as we have to ensure a “big stack” isn’t using their position to pick on us. Let’s go through a couple of recent deals and see what’s viable or if we can make some changes to make them more realistic.

Trade 1

• Give: Drake London
• Receive: Quentin Johnston, Tony Pollard

I mean, if I can make my content work for me, I’ll do it. However, without even looking at the results from the analyzer, I’m lukewarm on trying to get this one done. Sure, I’m getting a starting RB. But they’re on a team that’s run the fewest plays in their opponent’s red zone (43). Aside from workload, this feels like a lateral move, at best.

No surprise. But again, 10.7 PPR PPG isn’t much to get jazzed up about. Even worse, a team averaging just 8.1 offensive points a week isn’t all that exciting either. I want to aim higher, but can’t overreach. London’s targets got cut in half the moment Darnell Mooney returned from injury (50% target rate down to 23% in Week 7). So, I need to find a slight upgrade. Our Utilization Report game logs gave me some ideas. 

Like I said, we can use everything on site, and UR Score should at least put us in the ballpark. Again, it’s not just about the opportunity, but the situation. In this case, moving from Pollard to someone like Alvin Kamara should be a small step up, but not enough to make the deal a landslide in my favor.

Chase Brown wouldn’t work for me since I already have him on my team, but either him or Travis Etienne would work in this case. Essentially, anyone who can give us not just a floor but a ceiling outcome.

Trade 2

• Give: Keenan Allen, Jaylen Waddle
• Receive: DeVonta Smith, Jameson Williams, TreVeyon Henderson

Nope. TreVeyon Henderson? Absolutely not. HC Mike Vrabel was hugging Terrell Jennings like the former UDFA was his son. I don’t know what the rookie did or didn’t do to find himself in the Patriots’ doghouse, but nine snaps isn’t going to cut it. However, I’m guessing that a two-for-three deal will have a favorable score in the analyzer.

Figures. But come on. Assuming this person needed help at RB, Henderson isn’t the answer. Plus, it’s hard to expect anything out of either DeVonta Smith or Jameson Williams on a week-to-week basis. I’d rework this whole deal into something a bit more manageable.

Before, the return side of this deal would net you players you’d only start in a pinch. Or even if you did, you’d be hoping for a positive outcome. Here, we’ve got a balance of (low upside) weekly starters and a WR with a path to earning more work over the course of the season. So, as I’ve been saying, before overreacting to our in-season record, remember the value of the players on your roster and collect as much in return with any trade offer.

Join Our Newsletter

Trusted by 400,000+ fantasy football players. Get access to Fantasy Life's free award winning newsletter and tools, all in one step.

Email Address

Subscribe

By registering or logging in, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.