“Bad teams stay bad because of management.”

I don’t know the origin of the saying, but my old colleague Josh Norris typically uses it when characterizing organizations that are, to put it kindly, stuck in a rut. Because, let’s face it, injuries happen. Players not meeting expectations, yep, teams will have to deal with that too. However, we’ve seen how franchises with the goal of winning can keep up with the competition.

Of course, real trades require a bit more than just two people talking or a cold offer. But the result is the same. We can address the gaps on our roster and keep fighting. Sure, it’ll take some luck. In any case, with our tools and projections, let’s walk through how you can adjust your squad heading into Week 10.

Advice On Potential Trade Targets Ahead of Week 10

The first part is finding players worth acquiring. Honestly, every player (likely) has a price. The tough part is getting one where the cost and return are equitable. 

For instance, let’s say you wanted to have Ja’Marr Chase on your team. Think about how many guys you’d have to send for the manager with Chase to consider the deal. You’d wind up with one player, and they’d have half your roster. Balance is key. Timing also plays a role. And after Sunday, there are some pass-catchers and rushers you could target.

Buy Lows

• Emanuel Wilson – up to 33% share of the carries with Josh Jacobs dealing with a calf injury; usage likely to slightly increase with Tucker Kraft injury.
• Troy Franklin – only “non-Courtland Sutton” WR with a route rate over 70%; averaged more targets per game than Sutton over the last four games (7.8 for Franklin vs. 6.0 for Sutton).
• George Kittle – still running a route on 86% of Mac Jones’ dropbacks; target shares up each week since his return (9%, 14%, and 18%) with Brock Purdy potentially back in Week 10.

And actually, I’ll add one more. Rashid Shaheed left New Orleans to rejoin his old OC, Klint Kubiak, in Seattle. It might take a week or two for him to get in sync with Sam Darnold, but the role for Shaheed is already there for the taking.

However, the problem with Shaheed isn’t his talent. It’s his situation. While we’ve seen some development from Shaheed as an intermediate route runner, he’ll still be part of a low-volume passing game. Sam Darnold’s cracked 30 passing attempts in a single game just three times. He’s one of nine QBs with a passing success rate over 50%, but the only QB averaging over nine air yards per throw. In other words, we should want the “non-JSN” parts of Seattle’s offense, but the lack of opportunity adds some volatility to Shaheed’s move out west.

Buy Highs

• Travis Etienne – maintained the majority of the total carries and was the primary option at the goal-line; target share jumped to 16% in the first game without Travis Hunter.
• Ashton Jeanty – highest route rate and second-most yards after the catch per reception with Brock Bowers back; Raiders averaged most yards per drive and EPA per play in Week 9.
• Davante Adams – earned +20% of the targets over the last four weeks; over 50% of the end-zone looks in six of eight games.

In hindsight, I should’ve seen Travis Etienne’s target spike coming. HC Liam Coen just did this last year. When Chris Godwin went down, Bucky Irving’s share of Baker Mayfield’s attempts was in the double digits in five of his eight healthy games. So, I’m not worried about Bhayshul Tuten’s involvement, even though he did get a goal-line carry. Etienne hit a season-high 55% route rate and cornered the market on the short-yardage work. And with three of his next five opponents above the league average in receiving yards allowed to opposing RBs, Etienne’s added utility as a receiver makes him a priority in trades.

Finding the Right Fantasy Football Trade Value

Like I said, identifying the right players is the first step. Trying to acquire top players when they’re performing well will leave you with fewer options to keep contending. Afterward, getting the appropriate value for them should be part two.

However, there’s no exact science. Similar to real trades executed this week, we’re dealing with real people. And how they see their roster or players on them might not be the same as you. So, in reality, there’s some finesse required. But our Trade Analyzer tool should at least get you in the ballpark. It pulls together our Utilization data and rest-of-season projections to assess a deal. I’ve found a couple from the trade market to review. And even if they’re not acceptable at face value, we can make some adjustments to make the deal more reasonable. 

Trade 1

• Give: Rashid Shaheed, Rome Odunze
• Receive: Travis Etienne, Quentin Johnston, Bhayshul Tuten

I’ve talked before about “when” you try to deal a player being almost as important as their name. A trade like this is the perfect example. Shaheed was still managing double-digit PPR PPG, despite the QB switch to Tyler Shough. Now, with Sam Darnold and potentially sliding into the WR2 role in Seattle, the hype boosts his value. Regardless, the analyzer can’t measure hype, so let’s take that part out of the equation.

Usually, I focus on the offeror’s side of the transaction. But I’ll take a second to think through the opposing portion. There are so few reliable, healthy RBs we can trust each week that moving off of not just a starter, but their backup, too. And Bhayshul Tuten isn’t any contingent rusher. As the trade breakdown indicates, the Jaguars’ RB2 has some standalone value. 

The same upside for Tuten exists as it does for Etienne. He’s not as efficient a route runner, but the opportunity should be there if forced into the starter role. Plus, as we’ve already seen, his size makes him an ideal short-yardage candidate. He’s taken 46% of those snaps over the last three weeks. I’d prefer a different WR than Quentin Johnston (e.g., Alec Pierce, Wan’Dale Robinson), as the Chargers’ offensive line issues may hamper his target rate moving forward, but this is the right framework for such a deal.

Trade 2

• Give: Brock Bowers
• Receive: Tyler Warren, RJ Harvey

I’m willing to bet the trade analyzer will look at this as a win for the person giving Brock Bowers. Tyler Warren was the TE5 coming into Week 9, with the fourth-highest target rate at his position. RJ Harvey has scored four TDs over his last two games. Again, from a timing perspective, I’d try to offload Denver’s rookie RB, too.

However, I’ll counter Harvey’s perceived upside with how often he’s seen the field over the last month.

J.K. Dobbins is the starter, and he’s who HC Sean Payton keeps on the field for pass protection. Tyler Badie gets the two-minute snaps. Even after scoring on receptions or goal-line carries, Harvey is still operating on six touches per game. The path to more opportunity is hard to see. Backups like Dylan Sampson, Woody Marks and Blake Corum have the potential for higher output over the remaining course of the season. So, even with the past production in mind, looking to the future may yield you a better return.

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