2025 NFL Trade Deadline Tracker: Rumors and Updates on Jakobi Meyers, Breece Hall and Other Fantasy-Relevant Players

Fantasy managers often channel Jimmy Johnson in making Herschel Walker-caliber deals to improve their fantasy squads. NFL teams are more judicious in their trades, but savvy fantasy managers who get ahead of the curve on these potential NFL trades can get low-cost players whose value can increase dramatically with a new team.

So, which players can get you ahead of this curve? I’ve scoured trade rumors around the NFL ahead of the 2025 NFL Trade Deadline to help identify these candidates. We’ll start with running backs since these players are the prime NFL trade candidates this season.

Tracking The 2025 NFL Trade Deadline Trades

We have had some movement on the NFL Trade Deadline front. FYI, the deadline is at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 4.

Rashid Shaheed Traded to Seahawks

This is an intriguing move. A lot of this intrigue revolves around how the Seahawks use Rashid Shaheed’s skills.

Shaheed was a slot receiver for New Orleans. Seattle already has Cooper Kupp for that, but Kupp is currently dealing with a heel/hamstring injury. Shaheed’s addition could give Kupp some time to recover. If/when Kupp recovers, Shaheed could then move outside and bump Tory Horton to a prime backup role.

A move outside would open the door for Shaheed to use his superb downfield skills in a way that he hasn’t used them this season. Shaheed currently has an aDOT of 11.3. Last year he had an aDOT of 18.1. That latter number ranked sixth among wide receivers with 101+ targets. Seattle will use him in that downfield role soon enough, so he is someone you will want to get into lineups once he gets incorporated into that downfield role.

Fantasy spin: Shaheed ranks 26th among wide receivers in PPR points. That borderline WR2/WR3 status should shift to WR2 status in a larger role in a better offense soon enough.

Sauce Gardner Traded to Colts and Adonai Mitchell Traded to Jets

Sauce Gardner hasn’t been a true shutdown cornerback for much of this season. It’s why he has a middling 8.0 YPT allowed this year (per Stathead). A true shutdown cornerback will typically have a YPT of lower than 6.0 and preferably lower than 5.0.

Gardner was well outside of that range in Weeks 1-5. He allowed 12 completions on 22 targets for 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. That results in a 54.5% completion rate, 17.3 yards per completion mark and ridiculously high (for Gardner) 9.5 yards per target.

It’s possible Gardner was frustrated with how things were going in New York, but he may have realized that he needed to play a lot better to facilitate such a move.

That would explain why over the past four weeks his coverage numbers have shown dramatic improvement. He’s allowed only 1 completion on 6 targets for 17 yards (2.8 YPT) and no touchdowns since Week 6. If that’s the player the Colts are getting, it turns what has been an atrocious secondary fantasy-wise into a much-improved one.

That may not be enough to turn the Colts D/ST into a starter, but it could have a huge impact on some big-name fantasy wide receivers down the stretch. Here is who Gardner is likely to line up against every remaining week of the fantasy season.

Week 10: Drake London

Week 11: Bye

Week 12: Xavier Worthy

Week 13: Nico Collins

Week 14: Brian Thomas Jr.

Week 15: Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Week 16: Brandon Aiyuk (if he returns from injury by then)

Week 17: BTJ

This shows it is a terrible news for Thomas’ fantasy managers and isn’t helpful for JSN’s fantasy managers playoff prospects.

Adonai Mitchell has a 17.5 aDOT this year. That is higher than any of the Jets wide receivers have posted this season. It’s a welcome skill set for the New York offense, but the reality is that is not a good place for a downfield threat wideout to go given the Jets' shaky quarterback situation.

Fantasy spin: It might be time to consider trading Thomas. Not only does he have two matchups against Gardner coming up, but he also has a tough Houston secondary in Week 10 and a very difficult Chargers secondary in Week 11. You may want to consider pairing him with a higher-value trade prospect and hope you can get solid value in return.

Regarding Mitchell, he probably offers little in terms of redraft value. He might end up with a larger role in the New York offense long term, so this could help his dynasty value.

Jakobi Meyers Traded To Jaguars

On Tuesday morning, the Jacksonville Jaguars sent a pair of draft picks (fourth- and sixth-round picks) to the Las Vegas Raiders for Jakobi Meyers.

Matthew Freedman breaks down the Fantasy Football fallout of the Jakobi Meyers Trade and how it impacts all parties.

For Meyers, specifically, Freedman notes:

"I don't expect Meyers to get a significant boost in opportunities via the trade—unless Brian Thomas misses multiple games.

But even then … he's with a new QB, and Trevor Lawrence has failed to impress in his first season with HC Liam Coen.

The trade probably stabilizes Meyers' production, because with the Raiders you never knew what you were going to get on a weekly basis, and Thomas is probably not the target hog that TE Brock Bowers is.

But I don't see this trade as something that should move Meyers into a different long-term fantasy tier."

NFL Trade Rumors Ahead of 2025 Deadline

Running Backs

One of my running back grading methods is measuring their workload division rate.

There are four workload division categories. These are bell cow (where one player gets almost all of the work), lead/alternate (one lead back getting most of the work plus an alternate back getting some work), platoon (a 50/50 split that usually has a 1A and 1B), and running back by committee (of which there are none right now).

The higher up this workload chart a running back goes, the higher his fantasy value will go.

Now let’s get into the reviews.

Breece Hall, NYJ

The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt thinks a Hall trade could be made at the right price. Hall won't lack for motivation wherever he ends up. He recently told CBS sideline reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala, “If y’all don’t want me, that’s your loss. I’ll come back and kill you guys.” Hall also reportedly went to the Jets coaches and asked them to give him the ball more often, a request that resulted in his 20 scrimmage plays against the Bengals in Week 8.

That all sounds great until noting that Hall had a terrific start in 2024 but then fell off notably in the second half of that season. This decline is why Aaron Glenn suggested during the preseason that the Jets might give some of Hall’s work to other backs (moving the Jets from a bell cow to a lead/alternate setup, in other words). This means any NFL team that picks Hall up may want to manage his workload level down the stretch.

Fantasy spin: Hall has borderline RB1/RB2 value as a bell cow in New York. He can have RB1 value as a lead back in a team with a better offense.
Move I would make: If you pay the borderline RB1/RB2 price for all, you’ve set the floor value here while still having plenty of upside potential. Go Wayne Brady on this one and make a deal.

Chuba Hubbard, CAR

A Hubbard trade may not seem likely, but you may want to consider trading him for the off chance that happens.

Here’s why. Hubbard may seem like the 1B in the Panthers platoon backfield, but the reality is he is the 1A. For proof, consider that over the past two weeks, Hubbard has a 56 Utilization Score versus Dowdle’s 44 mark. That alone will help you get a potentially strong return on a buy-low trade for Hubbard, but there’s even more upside to this.

Last year was the first college or pro season that Dowdle posted more than 148 scrimmage plays. He’s just not built for lead-back work. Hubbard is. Only eight players generated more scrimmage plays in 2023-24 than Hubbard.

Fantasy spin: Hubbard will either stay at 1A in the Carolina platoon, move to lead back status with the Panthers, or get a solid workload with a team that has a better offense. All of these are low-cost upside plays.
Move I would make: Make a good buy-low offer for Hubbard now.

Alvin Kamara, NO

Kamara ranked in the top five among running backs in the season-ending Utilization Score in each season from 2020 through 2024. That wear and tear is finally catching up to Kamara in his age-30 season. His 73 UR in 2025 ranks 17th and is easily the lowest of his career.

A trade could be a case where less could be more. If Kamara is dealt to a team that will use him as a platoon back or even an alternate back on inside-the-20 plays, his value could improve notably.

There are two caveats here. The first is that Kamara is currently dealing with an ankle injury. The second is that Kamara has suggested he might just retire and drink a piña colada if the Saints trade him.

Fantasy spin: Buyer beware. He may be worth a trade at the right price, but there are many potential downside paths here.
Move I would make: I tend to avoid downside paths, so the suggestion is to avoid trading for Kamara unless the cost is very low.

Jerome Ford, CLE

Ford is only one season removed from posting four games with 15+ PPR points. That he did this with what was the worst offense in the NFL speaks well to his potential impact. He’s now third on the Browns RB depth chart and thus may be available on the trade market.

Fantasy spin: Ford may be worth a roster stash in the event he does land on a better offense.
Move I would make: Stash Ford in 12-team leagues. It’s a toss-up in 10-team leagues as to whether to roster him. Avoid Ford in eight-team leagues.

Wide Receivers

A.J. Brown, PHI

A few weeks ago, Dianna Russini quoted an AFC GM as saying that he thought Howie Roseman would trade Brown if the right deal was offered. Adam Schefter has since reported that the Eagles aren’t likely to trade Brown. That potential trade could also be disrupted by Brown’s hamstring injury that kept him out of the Week 8 game against the Giants.

Fantasy spin: Since a trade is unlikely, the only consideration is whether to trade for him for his role in the Eagles offense. Given his injury and the hit-miss connection he has with Jalen Hurts right now, trading for Brown doesn’t look to have a lot of upside potential.
Move I would make: Sit tight unless something changes.

Brian Thomas Jr., JAX

Russini reported that the Jaguars are listening if teams ask if Thomas is available for a trade. That listening may no longer be taking place after head coach Liam Coen said the Jaguars have no plans to trade Thomas. That potential change of heart may have occurred due to Thomas dealing with a shoulder injury that requires him to practice with a harness.

Fantasy spin: Win-now teams aren’t going to trade for Thomas while he’s dealing with an injury. Fantasy managers would be wise to follow that same mindset.
Move I would make: Avoid making any trade offers for BTJ unless or until his injury woes clear up.

Jakobi Meyers, LV

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thinks Meyers has a good chance of being dealt. Meyers ranked 10th among WRs in games of 15+ PPR points in 2023-24 despite the Raiders revolving door at quarterback. Put him on a team with a better quarterback than the interception-prone Geno Smith and Meyers could end up as a very good weekly flex option.

Fantasy spin: Meyers hasn’t posted 10+ PPR points since Week 2. There’s a downside risk if the Raiders don’t trade him, but at his current trade cost, Meyers is worth that marginal downside.
Move I would make: Make an offer that is a bit higher than the bottom trade low level. It should land the deal for Meyers while still leaving plenty of margin for error.