Damien Harris, Aaron Rodgers, James Conner, Michael Pittman, More Fantasy Stars To Sell High at Trade Deadline
Getty Images. Pictured: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Eagles RB Jordan Howard and Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins (left to right)
Which fantasy football players should you sell high on ahead of your league's trade deadline to make a strong playoff push?
Our experts highlight 13 quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends to shop below.
Fantasy Sell Highs For Trade Deadline
Fantasy QBs To Sell High In Trades
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Packers
Samantha Previte: Rodgers was unimpressive in his return to action in Week 10, likely due in part to his recovery from COVID-19 and the subsequent missed practices. He completed 23-of-37 attempts for 292 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. I don't love selling guys after an uncharacteristically bad game, but his name alone should garner interest in many leagues.
Rodgers is just QB12 on a per-game basis this year and doesn't have one game above 27 fantasy points. He has been reliable, but has also been a far cry from his MVP campaign last year.
Cam Newton, QB, Panthers
Chris Raybon: He’s baaaaaack. And after two touchdowns on his first two plays, with not a start to his name in 2021, his value may never be higher.
Remember, this is still a player who spent the first nine weeks of the season on the couch after leading one of the most anemic pass offenses in the league last season. This is a player who, despite rushing for 12 TDs last season, still ranked as the QB20 in fantasy points per game.
Newton’s sell-high window starts now, but it could close quickly, as his final five weeks of the fantasy season (Weeks 13-17) aren’t pretty. The Panthers have a bye in Week 13 and close out the stretch with three matchups against top-13 rated units in Football Outsiders’ defensive passing DVOA metric (at Buffalo, first; Tampa Bay, 12th; New Orleans, 13th).
Jimmy Garoppolo, QB, 49ers
Sean Koerner: Jimmy G is only relevant in two-QB/superflex formats, but he's a QB I would consider selling high on after a nice three-game stretch.
In Week 11, he should have another nice game against the Jaguars, so I would look to sell high in Week 12. However, if the 49ers are still below .500 heading into Week 15, there is a chance they end up naming Trey Lance the starter.
In two-QB/superflex leagues, it's critical to have two or three starting QBs on your roster at all times, so it may be risky assuming Garoppolo will be a starter during the fantasy playoffs.
Fantasy RBs To Sell High In Trades
Damien Harris, RB, Patriots
Samantha Previte: Harris missed Week 10 in the concussion protocol, which gave way to a monster performance from Rhamondre Stevenson. The rookie popped off for 24 touches, 114 scrimmage yards and a pair of touchdowns in a blowout 45-7 victory over the Browns.
Harris should be the main back once healthy, though I would temper expectations rest-of-season. It’s hard to put the genie back in the bottle, as they say. And after seeing Stevenson’s abilities, Bill Belichick may lean on more of a committee between the two. Stevenson is a more dynamic player than Harris as the rookie is involved in the passing game and saw more targets and catches in Week 10 than Harris has seen in any game all year.
The Patriots have a tough slate of matchups down the stretch after this week in Atlanta. They face the Bills twice, plus the Colts and Titans and have a Week 14 bye that comes at an inopportune time if you’re trying to eke into the playoffs.
Damien Harris, RB, Patriots
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Patriots
Chris Raybon: After Stevenson broke out for 114 scrimmage yards and two TDs in place of Harris in a Week 10 rout of the Browns, Week 11 brought us our first view at what the Patriots' backfield split might look like for the rest of the season with Harris back.
The results were … far from ideal.
Stevenson led the backfield with 12 touches while Harris logged 11. Brandon Bolden also mixed in for three touches and saw action on passing downs.
A member of a committee backfield can be a worthwhile investment if the matchups and game scripts are right, but a look ahead at New England’s schedule reveals that’s not the case. The Patriots rest-of-season schedule rates as the second-most difficult, according to 4for4’s schedule-adjusted fantasy points allowed (aFPA), with their Weeks 15-17 slate clocking in at third-most difficult.
Over the next six weeks, the Patriots not only have a bye, but also three matchups in which they will likely be the underdog (Buffalo twice, at Indianapolis), and a fourth in which they’re a small favorite against an 8-2 Titans team where they are no lock to be in a positive game script.
The only saving grace from here on out is a Week 17 matchup against the Jaguars…but even that is no sure thing, as Jacksonville entered Week 11 ranked seventh in run-defense DVOA and second in explosive rush rate allowed (7.3%).
James Conner, RB, Cardinals
Samantha Previte: The best time to sell James Conner was last week after his monster three-touchdown performance, but the second-best time to sell him would be now, or after Week 11. Conner found the end zone in Week 10 against the Panthers, though it was a far cry from his electric Week 9 showing. The Cardinals have a bye in Week 12, and Chase Edmonds could return from his high-ankle sprain in time for the fantasy playoffs, which could make this backfield a committee once again. Conner will remain involved even once Edmonds is back, but certainly not to the same extent.
Jordan Howard, RB, Eagles
Sean Koerner: Howard is the perfect sell-high candidate if a manager in your league is desperate for an RB and/or a win in Week 11. He has been solid over the past three games, but benefited from two blow-out wins and took advantage of the Chargers' 32nd-ranked DVOA against the run. However, he has yet to be used in the passing game (zero receptions) and will struggle once the Eagles encounter a negative game script. Plus, Miles Sanders is nearing a return from the IR. Sell high on Howard (for anything) while you can!
Fantasy WRs To Sell High In Trades
Bryan Edwards, WR, Raiders
Samantha Previte: Edwards is such an interesting case. He has a somewhat culty following on fantasy Twitter, which likely rejoiced after his Week 10 breakout against the Chiefs. This may be something you could leverage toward your advantage, because I am not convinced this is a sign of production to come. For one, Hunter Renfrow is now the alpha in this offense with Henry Ruggs III cut. Renfrow has seen at least eight targets in five of the last six games and has exactly seven catches in each of the last three while Edwards laid a goose egg in Week 9.
Christian Kirk, Cardinals
Chris Raybon: Kirk has been a pleasant surprise in Year 4, averaging a career-high 60.3 yards per game. And over the past five weeks, he’s been a solid but unspectacular fantasy WR2, catching at least four passes in every game and cracking 50 yards in four of five.
Kirk’s value may never be higher considering that over the remaining seven weeks of the fantasy season, the Cardinals have a bye and will be getting top receiver DeAndre Hopkins back. With Rondale Moore a threat for a second-half breakout and Zach Ertz also in tow, Kirk’s range of outcomes will be too wide to rely upon on a weekly basis.
Kirk will post some big games and some duds, but it’s anyone’s guess as to when they will occur. Cash out while you still can.
DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals
Samantha Previte: It may be difficult to flip Hopkins for anything good right now since he's missed two games and could be on track to miss another, but his name alone could still carry value that you can capitalize on. Hopkins has sky-high upside when healthy — and when Kyler Murray is healthy. He is a major red-zone target and scored seven times in the first seven games of the year, but his target share has been lackluster and his waning health is a major concern. His nice playoff schedule against the Lions, Colts and Seahawks could be a salient selling point in your pitch to offload him. He also has a Week 12 bye that could be dicey if you’re right on the cusp of playoff contention.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Colts
Sean Koerner: Pittman has been fantastic in his sophomore season and should command mid-range WR2 value in the trade market right now. However, his 72.4% catch rate on the season is unsustainable and due for regression. Typically we would expect a player with an aDot of 10.6 to average a catch rate of around 65%. Now would be a good time to sell high, considering the Colts' Week 14-16 schedule: bye, vs. New England, at Arizona. If I could get a mid-range WR2 for him now, I would take it.
Fantasy TEs To Sell High In Trades
Dalton Schultz, TE, Cowboys
Sean Koerner: Schultz has been one of the bigger surprises at TE this season. He commands mid-range TE1 value in the trade market, especially with backup TE Blake Jarwin on the IR. However, Michael Gallup's return could impact Schultz's target share enough to see him slip into the low-end TE1 range. If I could swap him for a Mike Gesicki or a T.J. Hockenson right now, I would do it.
T.J. Hockenson, TE, Lions
Samantha Previte: Hockenson might be difficult to move after laying a goose egg in Week 10, but he’s another guy who you may be able to offload based on name alone. He failed to catch his lone target in the Lions' Week 10 tie with the Steelers and has more finishes outside the top 12 than inside it. Detroit doesn't have a particularly difficult schedule down the stretch, but I'm fine deleveraging myself from this offense, which may be led by Tim Boyle, who is taking first-team reps while Jared Goff is dealing with an oblique injury.
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