With each passing week, trade deadlines in fantasy football leagues grow closer and closer. The window to make a championship-winning move is closing and will be completely shut soon. Obviously, this means your team will be locked in at that point, and the only way to add new players for a playoff run is through the waiver wire. Elite fantasy options will be off the market, so if your team is missing that certain piece needed to win a few playoff games, you need to make your move immediately.
Hesitation is fatal to any team on the brink of fantasy football playoff exclusion. It’s important to remember that consistency is key, especially in the playoffs. If you can’t depend on your roster to produce every week, your path to a league title may be significantly more challenging for you than for your league mates. Let’s get into this week’s list.
Buy Low
Jaylen Warren - RB, PIT
Week 10 Stats - 14 Carries
66 Rush Yards, 2 Targets, 2 Rec, 29 Rec Yards
Jaylen Warren has officially bounced back from his slow start to the 2024 NFL season. He posted season-high marks in carries, rushing yards, and receiving yards on his way to posting his best fantasy performance of the year so far. What’s even more encouraging is that Warren was significantly more efficient on the ground than his running mate Najee Harris, who gained only 53 rushing yards on 21 carries on Sunday.
This leads me to believe that Warren could end up carving a role in this backfield as the season goes on; he may even ramp up volume-wise when everything is said and done. He’s been extremely efficient over his first few years in the league, so Pittsburgh would be wise to capitalize on his production if they want to continue their impressive start to the season. Trading for Warren is a good move to acquire solid depth at an important position as the playoffs draw nearer.
Chuba Hubbard - RB, CAR
Week 10 Stats - 28 Carries
153 Rush Yards, 1 Rush TD, 6 Targets
4 Rec, 16 Rec Yards
Okay, this one may seem a little redundant, but I promise there’s a reason for this. Chuba Hubbard has been one of the biggest breakouts of the fantasy football season, outperforming his ADP by an incredible margin on his way to compiling 818 rushing yards through 10 games this season. He’s been a top-10 fantasy option at the running back position on a consistent basis, and his volume reached an all-time high when he received 28 carries against the New York Giants on Sunday.
However, he may be more available than many think. The Panthers rookie running back, Jonathon Brooks, is on track to return to action next week after suffering an ACL tear during his last season of college football at Texas. Many believe that Brooks will take away from Hubbard’s volume, but Hubbard’s past production, as well as the four-year contract extension he signed right before Week 10 kicked off, say otherwise.
This contract extension ensures that Hubbard will be a major part of the team’s offensive plans moving forward and that he will remain a huge factor in the backfield throughout the second half of this season. The return of the second-round rookie shouldn’t affect Hubbard’s volume this season.
If any fantasy managers in your league think that Hubbard’s volume will decrease, adding him to your fantasy squad would increase your chances of winning a championship immensely.
A.J. Brown - WR, PHI
Week 10 Stats - 7 Targets
5 Rec, 109 Rec Yards
Don’t get me wrong, A.J. Brown had a solid week. But it’s still not what you expected when you drafted him in the first round this summer. Brown has dealt with injuries for a decent chunk of the 2024 season, which has hurt his production. But when he’s on the field, he’s continued to produce at a high level.
This Philadelphia offense has been working very well the last few weeks and I expect that to continue. The stats back this up, as Philly has scored 28+ points in four of their last five games. Make no mistake: Brown is still the top target in this offense. He’s finished as a top-10 fantasy wide receiver in three of his six active games this season.
So, why would anyone choose to give up A.J. Brown? Well, it would be a steep price, but one that I’m confident has significantly decreased since the beginning of the season because of how much time Brown has missed. He’s an elite top wide receiver for any fantasy football team, and if you can get him for a cheaper price because of his missed time, he would be a major addition.
Sell High
Tank Dell - WR, HOU
Week 10 Stats - 9 Targets
5 Rec, 39 Rec Yards
Dell had a solid week as the top receiver in Houston during their Sunday night loss to Detroit. He posted a solid stat line that included a high number of targets.
Sadly, the same issue remains with Dell’s outlook. Superstar wideout Nico Collins is set to return from injury in Week 11. Dell’s best performance when Collins played a full game included a stat line of five receptions and 62 receiving yards. Not exactly reliable. He’s also only had one game with 100+ receiving yards this season, which came after Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs was announced to be out for the season with a knee injury, leaving Dell as one of the only healthy pass-catchers on the team. This week’s stat line in their absence wasn’t exactly encouraging.
In short, Dell hasn’t been overly impressive when left as the only healthy starting receiver on the team. I fully expect Collins to return as the clear top option for Houston in the passing game once he returns to the field from injury. Trading Dell away after his 126-yard outing in Week 9 would be undeniably beneficial to your fantasy team.
J.K. Dobbins - RB, LAC
Week 10 Stats - 15 Carries
50 Rush Yards, 3 Targets
3 Rec, 5 Rec Yards
Well, it finally happened. Chargers running back Gus Edwards returned from the ankle injury that sidelined him for several weeks and received a similar number of carries to J.K. Dobbins, posing competition for volume in the Los Angeles backfield.
I’m not here to tell you that Dobbins has been playing poorly this season; a simple viewing of his film would tell you otherwise. But it’s worth noting that Dobbins has been sneakily inefficient over the last few weeks on the ground. Week 9 was the first game since Week 2 in which he registered more than four yards per carry. That’s significant, to say the least.
I don’t think Edwards will take over this backfield, but we shouldn’t forget that both Dobbins and Edwards played under Chargers offensive coordinator Greg Roman during their time in Baltimore. Both running backs have a connection to this coaching staff, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that Edwards continues to receive a significant portion of the team’s carries, especially after averaging over five yards per carry on Sunday.
Dobbins’ production won’t fall off a cliff, but this situation is worth monitoring over the next few weeks. Consider trading J.K. Dobbins if the right offer comes your way.
Deebo Samuel - WR, SF
Week 10 Stats - 6 Targets
5 Rec, 62 Rec Yards
3 Carries, 14 Rush Yards
It wasn’t an ideal week for Samuel, who received less volume than expected. On Sunday, he saw six targets, which was tied for third on the team with rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall. It seems as though wide receiver Jauan Jennings is also beginning to be a serious threat to Deebo Samuel in the competition for volume.
The truth is, Samuel hasn’t taken over as the top option in the passing game like many expected him to when star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was ruled out for the season following a knee injury. And with running back Christian McCaffrey starting to find his groove in this offense again after returning from injury in Week 10, he could command more targets going forward as well. Samuel may not be in the best position to receive an extreme amount of volume as San Francisco’s season progresses.