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Optimize your lineups the rest of the season with these fantasy football trade goals ahead of Week 8.
Shop cheap at Jordan Mason
Mason is coming off his third straight game with fewer than 10 fantasy points. But this needs more context. In Week 6, Mason totaled over 70 yards in the first half before leaving with a shoulder injury. But heading into Week 7, Mason was not on the final injury report, suggesting he would see his normal workload, and he did.
Mason played a season-high 86% of the snaps in Week 7 and earned 14 of 15 RB carries. He couldn’t find the end zone, but the usage was excellent. Now the elephant in the room is the imminent return of Christian McCaffrey. Let’s analyze this.
It has been reported that McCaffrey could come back in Week 10 after the 49ers’ bye. However, this is not a guarantee, and even when McCaffrey returns, it is unlikely that he will see his full workload right away. Achilles tendinitis carries a high rate of re-injury, according to Deepak Chona, a Harvard-trained sports surgeon. grades. The 49ers will likely help him return, which means there’s also a good chance Mason will still be heavily involved in this offense even when McCaffrey returns. Trade someone like Najee Harris for Mason if you can.
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Submit a trade for Rico Dowdle
Dowdle comes off his bye week and will face the 49ers. But before half-time, coach Mike McCarthy declared that Dowdle He definitely needs to touch the ball more.. Now, this is just coach talk, but McCarthy said something similar about Dowdle before the Cowboys’ Week 4 game against the Cowboys. In that game, Dowdle saw a season-high in plays, touches, and fantasy points.
Dowdle has been a solid FLEX option this past month. He has finished as a top 25 RB in three consecutive games and has gained at least 55 total yards in five consecutive games. Dowdle is a talented player who you can buy cheap right now. Their late-season schedule is also strong, as they’ll face the Bengals, Panthers and Bucs, each of whom rank in the bottom 10 in rushing EPA per play allowed. according to NFL Pro. If you can, try to trade someone like Romeo Doubs or Alexander Mattison for Dowdle.
Trade for Chase Brown
Brown continues to see promising use in the Bengals’ offense. In Week 7, Brown took a team-high 58% of the snaps and commanded 71% of the backfield carries. This was Brown’s best use of the season alongside Zack Moss. Unfortunately, it only translated to 54 scoreless yards on 17 touches; It’s not a great fantasy day, but this opens a buy-low window for Brown.
According to PFFBrown called most of the early plays in Week 7, while Zack Moss remained on third down. This is likely because the Bengals coaches trust Moss more in pass protection right now. But this is something that could change as the season progresses, especially considering how explosive Brown has been on the field this season. According Player ProfilerBrown ranks in the top 10 in both explosive run rate and yards per carry this season. They have some strong matchups against the Eagles and Raiders, now is the time to buy low. Trade someone like Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt for him if you can.
Buy cheap at DeVonta Smith
Smith had just one target in Week 7. This was his first poor performance of the season, but Smith’s usage was still strong. He ran a route on 91% of the Eagles’ passing plays and continued to see usage in both the slot and on the outside. The real problem was that the Eagles got up early on the Giants and led by multiple scores throughout the game.
This led to Jalen Hurts only attempting 14 passes in this game, by far a season low. Prior to this game, Smith had earned at least 11 fantasy points in every game and was a top 25 receiver in all of these contests. Smith currently ranks 12th in WR efficiency this season according to PlayerProfiler. Now is the time to buy cheap because your schedule is great moving forward. It will face seven secondary teams from the bottom half of the league in its next seven games, according to PFF Coverage Rating. Trade someone like Brian Thomas Jr. or Brian Robinson Jr. for Smith if you can.
Submit an offer for Diontae Johnson
Johnson entered Week 7 dealing with a hamstring, ankle and rib injury. Despite being less than 100%, he suited up and played, but he clearly wasn’t himself as he ran a route on only 73% of the Panthers’ dropbacks. This was his lowest in a game since Week 1, when he left early with an injury. Johnson finished Week 7 producing just one catch for 17 yards.
Johnson has not been performing in recent weeks due to his own health and Andy Dalton playing poorly. There’s a chance we could see Bryce Young back as the Panthers’ QB soon, which wouldn’t benefit Johnson, but there’s also a chance Johnson could be traded before the NFL trade deadline. Teams like the Chiefs and Bucs could use a veteran receiver, and either of those teams would be a huge upgrade to Johnson’s fantasy value. Trading for Johnson comes with some risks, the main one being Young returning to be your quarterback, but for the right price, those risks may be worth it. If you can, try to trade someone like Kareem Hunt or Tank Bigsby for him.