With the trade deadline coming up in many fantasy football leagues, teams are looking to ship players depending on their team needs and records. Whether you're 8-0 and looking to trade depth for an every week starter, or 2-6 and need to make a 'win now' move, this article will focus on players who I believe are currently undervalued. Note that undervalued means a player who I view as likely to outperform their rest of season ranking (sourced from FantasyPros.com)
QUARTERBACKS:
1) Dak Prescott
Projected ROS Rank: QB8
Analytic City ROS Expectation: QB4
There won't be a better time to trade for Dak this season. Prescott has exceeded 20 points in 5 of his 6 games this season, but is knocked up and sat out last week with a calf injury. He should be back this week, and just take a look at his rest of season schedule... there isn't a better one in the NFL. Now, I'm not a fan of trading a positional player for a quarterback, but a move I will try to make in some of my leagues is trading a top 5 QB, for example Tom Brady, for Prescott and another upside player. Truthfully, I would take Prescott over any QB not named Mahomes, Jackson or Allen for the rest of season, but his injury and lack of a ceiling game so far open up a short window to potentially make a move for him.
2) Russell Wilson
Projected ROS Rank: QB12
Analytic City ROS Expectation: QB8
Check to see if the Russell Wilson owner in your league is in win now mode. They've likely struggled without Wilson, and with Seattle on a BYE this week are probably looking to fill a large hole at quarterback. If you've had a strong season so far and could use a QB1 (or want to move your current one), I really like targeting Wilson, who should be back week 12. I expect Wilson to come back and finish the season strong, as the Seahawks and currently 3-5 and need to start stringing together some wins.
RUNNING BACKS:
1) Leonard Fournette
Projected ROS Rank: RB13
Analytic City ROS Expectation: RB10
Fournette is as game flow dependent as they come, he's scored over 20PPG in games the Bucs have run away with, but put up just ~7 this past week when the Bucs were playing from behind for much of the game. I like targeting him as my RB2 for a couple reasons. First off, looking at the Bucs schedule there are only really 3 games I would expect them to be challenged in. Of course anything can happen in the NFL (See Mike White!) but the Bucs have a soft ROS schedule and should be playing with a lead often. This bodes well for Fournette, and should allow him to have some ceiling games, but a second reason I like him ROS is his increased involvement in the passing game. With 15 catches over his past 4 games, both his floor and his ceiling have skyrocketed this year as he continues to receive checkdowns from Tom Brady. We have him at RB10 ROS, and targeting him now may be the best chance you have to add a legit RB1 to your roster for less than RB1 value.
2) David Montgomery
Projected ROS Rank: RB29
Analytic City ROS Expectation: RB21
This is only really a move if you can afford it (winning record + running back depth), but I think Montgomery is a great target this week. He's far away enough from a return that his owners are likely willing to part with him, but close enough (expected week 11) that he should bring real value for the final 6 weeks. You should be able to grab him for cheap too, particularly if his owner is in need of a win. He was a high end RB2 before he went down, and I don't expect that to change when he returns.
WIDE RECEIVERS:
1) Marquise Brown
Projected ROS Rank: WR18
Analytic City ROS Expectation: WR11
Brown is sometimes big play dependent, but it helps that he is 4th in the entire NFL in air yards. Lamar has looked excellent this year, and Brown is his favorite target. Brown could be having an even more impressive year if not for numerous dropped touchdown passes. I expect him to clean up the drops during the second half of the season, and continue to be one of the highest ceiling options on any given gameday. He'll be hard to pry away from fantasy owners with the way he's played this year, but I think he's worth paying up for as a potential league winner with ROS WR1 upside.
2) Kadarius Toney
Projected ROS Rank: WR33
Analytic City ROS Expectation: WR27
We've seen Toney's upside this year, but I think his recent struggles should allow him to be traded for at a fairly reasonable price. Despite only being targeted 5 times against Kansas City, Toney looked explosive and was one of the few players on the Giants who looked dangerous. The return of Saquon Barkley should buoy this struggling offense, and the other NYG WR's simply can't stay healthy. I'm looking to move on Toney as my WR3/FLEX this week if I can get him for cheap.
TIGHT ENDS:
Good TEs are nearly impossible to trade for with so few consistent ones available. However I will mention two players I expect to outperform their ROS ranking.
1) Pat Freiermuth: ROS Rank: TE16, AC Expectation: TE12
Muth has now had two consecutive strong performances, and his rapport with Big Ben is continuing to grow. Ben has historically lent on TEs in the past, and if Muth can solidify his role as a receiving TE he should see consistent work, especially around the goal-line. I have him just outside the top 10 TEs but think he has the potential to be a ROS TE1.
2) Logan Thomas: ROS Rank: TE17, AC Expectation: TE14
Why not make an offer for Thomas if you need help at TE. He should return to the field in week 10, and was a top 10 TE when healthy earlier this year. For those that have really been struggling finding a strong TE this year, I think he fits the bill as a guy who can be productive in the final 5-6 weeks of the year. If not on the waivers, it shouldn't cost you much to acquire his services.