Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer Advice: The Buying Window On Saquon Barkley Is Open

I try to avoid brand-name items whenever possible.

On the one hand, I can claim I’m being fiscally responsible, finding the cheaper version of what I want. There’s a level of practicality to it, too. By taking the time to figure out what I need, the functionality or end state, choosing the lowest cost would be the logical choice. But we all know why trademark products get the attention. It’s the same reasoning that deals in fantasy football become harder to execute.

The name value almost carries more weight than the production. It’s like a tax. But the amount varies based on vibes. In any case, you know what your roster needs. Not a specific person, but rather someone who fits a particular archetype. So, let’s walk through guys that might fit the bill and how to use some of our tools here at Fantasy Life to get them on your squad.

Advice on Potential Trade Targets For Week 7

I look at trades like I’m going grocery shopping. Sure, I’d love to have some prime rib or lobster each week, but I can get by with adobo chicken. I don’t have the budget for those types of meals every week anyway. And I’m guessing your roster has a similar feel to it. If you could acquire Bijan Robinson, you would. But you’d have to give up most of your roster in the process. So, I’ve got a few more reasonable options to help fill in the gaps.

Buy Lows

Saquon Barkley – the only reason he’s a “buy low” is due to the Eagles two-game losing streak; otherwise, he has a top-10 UR Score amongst all RBs with a favorable schedule heading into the playoffs.
Quinshon Judkins – he had a low snap rate in W6 (41%), but still handled 71% of the RB carries; faces three average to below-average defenses over the next five games (MIA, NYJ, BAL).
Chase Brown – led the backfield in total carries and goal-line totes during the Bengals’ most-efficient offensive performance.

I said it in my notes, but you’d have to be working with a desperate manager looking to deal Barkley away for that to work. Back to the name-value discussion, the Eagles RB1 is doing just enough (14.9 PPR PPG) that an “ADP tax” will likely come up during negotiations. But with Chase Brown, it’s a different story.

Samaje Perine’s snaps did shoot up, but Brown took 56% of the carries and, critically, all of the goal-line touches. Additionally, with Joe Flacco operating the offense, Cincinnati set season-high marks in yards per drive and success rate, resulting in fewer stacked boxes for Brown. Given the respective price tag for the Bengals’ RB1, if you’re looking for volume on a (potentially) stable offense, Brown can fill the role.

Buy Highs

Derrick Henry – split snaps with Justice Hill (48%-47%), but hoarded 69% of the RB carries; Lamar Jackson expected back after Baltimore’s Week 7 bye.
George Pickens – averaging a 27% target rate without CeeDee Lamb; over 50% air yard share in two of last three games.
Ladd McConkey – leapt into the WR1 role with Quentin Johnston sidelined (22% target share).

So, I’ll talk out of both sides of my mouth for a second regarding George Pickens. He’s scored over 30 PPR points in two of his last three games. But his role hasn’t changed in Dallas, with just an 8.7% slot rate. And when Lamb returns, we should expect his opportunities to dwindle. At least, that’s what I’d tell the person with Pickens.

Dak Prescott is averaging the most attempts of any full-time starter. And there’s not a tight window he won’t try to fit a pass. As a result, even when the Cowboys get their star receiver back, Pickens should continue to be a high-end WR.

Finding the Right Fantasy Football Trade Value

So, we have three things to consider here: the concept of “archetypes not names” when trading, the name-brand tax, and viable trade targets. From a process standpoint, you can apply them in order. Let’s use one of my Guillotine Leagues™ rosters as an example.

My biggest gaps are at WR1 and RB2. I might be able to skate by on the plethora of WRs I drafted, so I’ll focus on RB for now. Looking at the scores, Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams are about to be on the market. However, looking at the other low-scoring rosters, I can add a few more rushers to the list of guys I can add to potential deals.

Of course, trying to spend the FAAB on Taylor makes sense. However, while I could use the RB3 in PPR PPG, the cost to acquire may hurt my chances of getting a similar level player later in the season (aka the brand name tax). In other words, I just need someone better than TreVeyon Henderson. So, eyeing someone farther down the spectrum would accomplish both goals. I can upgrade my team while keeping a long view on the season. But finding the right value in those trades is the tough part. Our Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer combines our ranks, projections, and utilization metrics to weigh both sides. To see it in action, I’ve pulled a couple of recent trades from the market to see if they’re reasonable or if there are some changes we can make to make them more realistic.

Trade 1

Give: D’Andre Swift, Quinshon Judkins
Receive: James Cook

On its face, giving two RBs for one in return gives me pause. The early rounds have been a minefield for injuries, and the lack of production for a couple of high-priced rushers (e.g., Henderson, RJ Harvey, etc.) would have me aiming higher in an effort to sacrifice depth. Our analyzer sees it the same way.

Again, it’s not the worst trade. “Moderate concern” is the right wording here. Because I’d have to assume RB isn’t the only hole on the initiator’s roster. Even though Cook is the RB8, he’s on bye in Week 7, so the benefits of getting him won’t kick in for two weeks. Two possible adjustments to this trade come to mind:

Plus-up the RB: Aim a half or full tier higher in RB (e.g., De'Von Achane, Josh Jacobs)
Add another piece: Address another gap by tacking on a WR or TE (e.g., DeVonta Smith, Darren Waller)

I tried the last one and got something a bit closer to a coin flip in terms of rest-of-season outlook.

Assuming TE is a need, there’s an instantly usable piece for both rosters. Plus, looking at ROS totals, this deal minimizes the point differential (301 vs 296.9). Regardless of it succeeding or not, working through alternatives to boost the value of a trade should always be a part of our process before clicking accept.

Trade 2

Give: Keenan Allen, Rico Dowdle, Tre Tucker
Receive: Michael Pittman, Kyren Williams

Honestly, I love these types of trades. Mostly because they make you think, but let’s have the tool chomp on it a bit and see what we get.

This deal goes back to the name-brand tax idea. Rico Dowdle has racked up over 400 scrimmage yards in two weeks. Even when Chuba Hubbard returns, it’s hard to see the former Cowboys returning to the 31% share of the carries he had during the first month of the season. But valuing him as the RB1 will also be a tough proposition. Just take a look at his ROS projections.

In other words, dealing for a stable RB like Kyren Williams makes sense. Plus, Michael Pittman tends to fit in that zone of WRs that we only care about until someone asks for him. Judging by the UR Scores alone, the deal for the WRs alone isn’t too far off from a solid deal.

However, let’s go back to the last trade. A two-for-one works best when going for a clear tier jump. I’d still check for other holes in my roster and add someone with a little value to bridge the gap. Think Michael Penix or Harold Fannin Jr. as throw-ins for the trade. Are they difference makers? No. But they’d give you more roster flexibility to continue pushing for a playoff spot.

Players Mentioned in this Article

SaquonBarkleyQ
RBPHI
PPG
14.48
Proj
13.15