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The following is an excerpt from the latest edition of Yahoo’s fantasy football newsletter, Get to the Points! If you like what you see, you can subscribe for free here.
Look, there are plenty of weeks within the fantasy calendar where you can afford to go on autopilot for a few days and not focus obsessively on your team, but this week, right now, is not one of them.
It’s time to lock down, people.
We’re approaching Yahoo’s default change deadline on Saturday, so there’s work to do. When you wake up on Sunday morning, one of the essential paths to improving your roster will be closed for the season. Everyone enjoys trading, so let’s get to the point.
Our mission is to give you three key business tips and then give you some fantasy low buy candidates to target.
1️⃣ If your offer doesn’t address the other team’s needs, it won’t go anywhere
Every league has that coach who approaches trades with only the players they would like to get rid of, not the holes other teams may need to fill. A few times each season, that person will spam the league with Kadarius Toney (or similar) offers and then complain that no one is willing to make any trades.
The slightest pre-offer consideration can go a long way. Take 30 seconds to review the roster of the team you intend to face and then come up with something that will help both sides. If your offer doesn’t include anything that could obviously improve the other coach’s team, then it’s simply a waste of time, not a conversation starter.
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2️⃣ It’s a good time to package two players for one or three for two
A decent guiding principle in fantasy trades is that if you get the best individual player in the deal, you did it right. We’ve reached the point in fantasy season where contending teams must focus on building the best starting rosters possible, sacrificing depth in the process. We should be looking to maximize weekly scoring potential.
Roster depth is a curious thing: it’s incredibly valuable in September and not at all in December. Every week, it becomes less important. By the time we get to the money weeks of the playoffs, your starting lineup should be so loaded that it basically sets itself up, while your bank should be full of lottery tickets.
3️⃣ To win the league, sometimes you need to lose a trade
Some of you are simply not prepared to follow this advice, which is a shame. At some point, it will cost you a fantasy title.
We should never become so paralyzed by the fear of losing a deal that we forget about the real priority, which is getting the league trophy at the end of the season. If a trade can improve your team’s starting roster, it’s probably worth making. The idea is to address areas of surplus to address weaknesses. If both sides are moderately uncomfortable with the deal, then it’s probably a winner.
Five Fantasy Trading Targets with Low Buys
Here are five early-season underachievers who are A) strong candidates for positive regression, B) endlessly frustrating to the coach who drafted them, and C) obtainable via trade at a discount to their draft prices. :
Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Apparently he is dealing with one of the worst quadriceps injuries in quadriceps history, because it has already cost him three games. While he’s making progress, he’s not a lock to face the Chargers on Sunday. Let’s remember that when he was healthy this year, he has been the same as always, averaging 9.0 targets and 68.2 receiving yards per game. If you’re ready to start in December, there’s obvious potential to make a difference.
Josh Jacobs, running back, Green Bay Packers
Few players suffer such chronic disrespect as Jacobs. He’s almost always available via trade, despite being one of the NFL’s most elusive running backs. According to PFF, Jacobs currently ranks among the leaders in forced tackles for loss (33) and yards after contact (3.73 per carry). He is linked to a top-level offense, yet has only reached the end zone four times this season. Jacobs is the RB17 of the season right now, but he’s a clear candidate to enjoy a raise after the break.
Isiah Pacheco, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
We are nearing the end of the original recovery schedule for the broken leg Pacheco suffered in September. He shouldn’t have much difficulty reclaiming the primary running back role for KC. Kareem Hunt has been an excellent waiver find this season, but he hasn’t exactly offered a convincing embodiment of a healthy Pacheco. Hunt is averaging just 3.6 YPC and the underlying numbers are somewhat less impressive. Only five of his 125 carries have gained 10 or more yards and he is averaging just 2.36 yards after contact per attempt.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
The best quarterback on Earth is still outside the top 12 at the position in terms of fantasy scoring so far this year, plus he’s headed into a risky matchup in Buffalo. It is an excellent time to buy. He’s thrown six touchdown passes in his last three games while averaging 273 passes YPG, so it’s already evident that his weekly advantage has returned with DeAndre Hopkins now in the mix.
Diontae Johnson, WR, Baltimore Ravens
Pretty gross, right? Yes, we know. But again, the idea here is to point out good players who can actually be acquired through trades.
In fact, Johnson will have some waiver issues this week after back-to-back failed performances for Baltimore. However, he was never much of a bet to put up numbers in his first game for the Ravens following a midseason trade, and then his second game was on a Thursday night, leaving little time for his role to expand. . He’s a proven multi-year producer and one of the best spacers in the game, so we don’t have to worry about his ability to outperform guys like Nelson Agholor in this team’s receiving hierarchy.