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Fantasy football trade targets: Week 8 buy low, sell high candidates for 2025. Jorden's trade analyzer article looking at overvalued and undervalued players.
With the playoffs beginning in Week 15, we are officially halfway through the fantasy football regular season. Although we are still learning things about players and teams every single week, at this point, we can start to look ahead and predict who the biggest difference-makers could be down the stretch.
Speaking of difference-makers, Jaylen Warren erupted for 158 total yards after I pointed him out as a buy-low trade target ahead of Week 7. While I'm also glad I labeled Courtland Sutton as such, I must admit that my suggestions to trade away Jake Ferguson and Keenan Allen don't look so hot after one week. Both players scored at least once, and Allen delivered his best showing of the season after three straight duds.
I'm hoping to provide better advice across the board this week and help you make moves that will improve your fantasy team for Week 8 and beyond. Keeping important aspects like positional scarcity, recent output, and future opportunities all in mind, let's dive in, starting with four players to acquire in potential deals.
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Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer Tool for Week 8
Want more fantasy football trade advice? Be sure to also bookmark our free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer tool to assist with your trade offers. The Trade Analyzer tool allows you to add up to three players on each side of a trade and calculate whether it is fair or not for fantasy football. You instantly get a recommendation on which side of the trade is a better deal.
The Trade Analyzer tool will display various information side by side for you to compare the players involved in any trade and help you make better decisions. Compare projections and stats, read the latest fantasy football news, and see upcoming schedules.
Players to Target in Trades for Fantasy Football
James Cook, RB - Buffalo Bills
Through the first four weeks of the campaign, there were very few players at any position who scored more fantasy points than James Cook. The RB1 during that span, Cook outscored QB5 Jalen Hurts and WR2 Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Unfortunately, Cook's production fell off a cliff over his next two games. He scored a total of 13.6 points between Weeks 5 and 6 combined. This sudden drop-off certainly cost some fantasy managers their matchups, and it seemed to directly correlate with Buffalo's surprising collapse.
Is the answer to the Bills offense just more James Cook?
Week 1 comeback win - 18 touches
Week 2 win - 22 touches
Week 3 win - 22 touches
Week 4 win - 25 touches
Week 5 loss - 15 touches
Week 6 loss - 17 touchesWhen Cook gets <20 touches, BUF has lost or come close to pic.twitter.com/LptClI6RmV
— Pay The Bills | A Trainwreck Sports Production (@PayTheBillsPod) October 17, 2025
Simply put, when Cook is involved, the Bills win. They are 4-0 when he has over 100 yards from scrimmage, and 0-2 when he does not. It's highly unlikely this went unnoticed over the team's Week 7 bye following two straight losses.
Buffalo will return hungry for a victory in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers, whose run defense has been much better this year than it was in 2024. Still, the Panthers are surrendering nearly 4.3 yards per carry and plenty of receiving volume to opposing running backs.
Over the following two weeks, Cook and the Bills will face the Chiefs and the Dolphins. Though Kansas City hasn't given up a ton of fantasy points on the ground, it has given up 4.63 yards per carry, eighth-most in the NFL. Miami represents an even juicier matchup, allowing the third-most fantasy points per contest to running backs and the fourth-most yards per attempt at 5.19.
Even after a few disappointing outings and a bye, don't expect Cook to come cheap. But if he has lost any value since Week 4, you'll want to take advantage before it's too late.
Rome Odunze, WR - Chicago Bears
Similar to Cook, Rome Odunze was on a tear through his first four games of the season before going quiet in his most recent two. The second-year pro seemed to have emerged as the WR1 in new OC Ben Johnson's offense, but over the past two weeks, this role has been irrelevant with the Bears' running game putting on a show.
Even with D'Andre Swift exploding for 175 yards and a score, Odunze should have been solid for fantasy in Week 6, too.
Didn't count but Rome Odunze is awesome pic.twitter.com/Mqu4J71vsT
— Dave (@dave_bfr) October 14, 2025
Instead, he finished with just 32 scoreless yards on two receptions. In Week 7, he tallied a nearly identical two-for-31 line.
The good news is that Odunze is still operating as the one. He played the most snaps, ran the most routes, and earned the most targets of any Bears pass-catcher in the win over the Saints this past Sunday.
Chicago ran for 222 yards against New Orleans, and while this week's opponent has struggled against the run, too, Caleb Williams and the air attack should be much more necessary. As it currently stands, the Baltimore Ravens are favored over the Bears by a touchdown, indicating the expected return of Lamar Jackson.
The Ravens are giving up the third-most fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts, and despite already having their bye, are tied for the third-most touchdowns allowed to the position.
Looking past Week 8, Odunze's schedule for the rest of the season is incredibly appealing. Upcoming matchups against the Bengals, Giants, Steelers, and Eagles should have fantasy managers eager to trade for and start him.
J.K. Dobbins, RB - Denver Broncos
For the second straight season, J.K. Dobbins is proving to have been one of the best values in fantasy drafts. With all the hype surrounding second-round NFL Draft selection R.J. Harvey, Dobbins' presence in Denver was basically ignored back in August.
Through seven weeks, he's the RB17 in half-PPR scoring. However, Dobbins offers very little in the passing game, so his most memorable games come when he finds the end zone, something he hasn't done since Week 5. This opens up a nice opportunity to pursue Dobbins in a trade before a dream matchup this week.
On Sunday, the Broncos will take on the Dallas Cowboys, who give up the third-most rushing yards per game while allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to running backs. Though Dallas held up against the Commanders last week, it was gashed by Rico Dowdle for 183 yards on the ground in Week 6 and let Breece Hall scamper for 113 yards the week prior.
Even without a touchdown, Dobbins was solid last week, tallying 81 yards on just 14 attempts. Because the Broncos trailed for over 58 minutes, they couldn't prioritize feeding him with carries.
Given Denver's elite defense, this is not likely to be the case very often. Dobbins should not only be heavily featured against the Cowboys but also against the Houston Texans and Las Vegas Raiders in Weeks 9 and 10, respectively.
Harvey could see more utilization eventually, but it's clear that Dobbins is the leader of the backfield for now. As one of 11 running backs on pace for 100 carries who are averaging at least five yards per tote, Denver has little reason to go away from him.
Kyle Pitts Sr., TE - Atlanta Falcons
He still may not be what everyone hoped he would become by now, but Kyle Pitts Sr. is quietly putting together his best season since his rookie year concluded in 2022.
Pitts is on pace for what would be a career-high 85 receptions for about 808 yards on 108 targets. These are really solid numbers for a tight end, but Pitts is coming up short in the touchdown department, as he consistently has over the course of his five-year career. The 25-year-old has only scored once so far this season.
Still, Pitts is the TE16 in fantasy points per game. To show how similarly the vast majority of fantasy-relevant tight ends are performing, if Pitts had just one more touchdown, he'd be the TE10.
In Week 6, Pitts disappeared against a Bills defense that has completely shut down tight ends all year. Last week, he was one of the few bright spots for the Falcons in a loss to the 49ers.
So, what are the chances he builds on this performance? If his upcoming schedule is any indication, the answer is very good. From now until the start of the fantasy playoffs, Pitts won't face a single defense that allows fewer than 11 fantasy points per contest to tight ends.
Though Atlanta's offense runs through its superstar running back, it is still averaging nearly 34 pass attempts per game, which is plenty for Michael Penix Jr. to support Drake London and Pitts as its primary weapons outside of Bijan Robinson.
The former fourth-overall pick shouldn't be difficult to trade for, and can instantly slot in as an every-week starter the rest of the way, as he is already past his bye.
Other Players to Target in Trades:
- De'Von Achane
- Caleb Williams
- Travis Hunter
- DK Metcalf
Players to Trade Away for Fantasy Football
Chris Olave, WR - New Orleans Saints
A first-round NFL Draft pick in 2022, Chris Olave's talent has never been in question since he joined the New Orleans Saints. He accumulated 2,165 receiving yards over his first two seasons, narrowly beating out college teammate Garrett Wilson in the same span.
Through seven games this year, Olave is second among receivers in targets and tied for fifth in receptions. The issue is that, despite seeing incredible volume, Olave's actual fantasy points scored pale in comparison to his expected fantasy points.
Spencer Rattler has been better than expected as a starting quarterback, but the Saints still average the ninth-fewest passing yards per game and are sitting at 1-6. Even if Rattler isn't the problem, there is a possibility New Orleans benches him at some point just to see what they have in the 26-year-old QB they drafted in the second round.
Here's the full exchange with Saints HC Kellen Moore on QBs Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough.
The summary:
- Rattler is still the starting QB while Shough develops with the scout team
- Moore will take it week to week when evaluating if it's time to move to Shough.@WWLTV pic.twitter.com/XGOXOv6OKq
— Seth Lewis (@SethLewisInc) October 20, 2025
If Tyler Shough does eventually play, it is unlikely to benefit Olave. This is especially true when you consider how difficult the Saints' schedule becomes in a few weeks.
On paper, Olave's next two matchups against the Buccaneers and Rams aren't terrible. But starting in Week 10, Olave will face the Panthers, have a bye, then take on the Falcons. These two NFC South rivals are respectively surrendering the third-fewest and second-fewest fantasy points to wideouts.
If you're wondering why I wouldn't wait until Week 10 to highlight Olave, it is simply because I don't think he will be as valuable then as he is right now. He is fresh off a two-score showing against a soft Bears pass defense, but has limited touchdown upside going forward in this offense.
Assuming Olave does not get traded, now is the best time to cash in on his fantasy value, ahead of an uninviting stretch of games and a possible quarterback change.
Cam Skattebo, RB - New York Giants
Rookie running back sensation Cam Skattebo is someone I advocated trading for ahead of Week 5. That turned out to be pretty sound advice, as the Arizona State product is the RB4 over the past three weeks, averaging nearly 20 fantasy points per game.
Skattebo has been a ton of fun to watch and root for on your fantasy team, but you might be disappointed if you continue depending on him as an RB1.
For starters, Tyrone Tracy Jr. returned from a shoulder injury in Week 7, and while he didn't see a large workload, he impacted the game with a 31-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Skattebo should cede more opportunities to Tracy in the coming weeks as he ramps up.
Additionally, the Giants' schedule leading into the fantasy playoffs is brutal. It should be fine for the next three weeks, but starting in Week 11, New York will be challenged by the Packers, Lions, and Patriots. Green Bay, Detroit, and New England rank third, fourth, and sixth against fantasy running backs in 2025, respectively.
After this gauntlet, Skattebo will get a break for a Week 14 bye. This, of course, is the last week of the fantasy regular season in most leagues. Unless you have a playoff spot locked up, this could be the worst possible time for a top contributor on your roster to have a bye.
Travis Kelce, TE - Kansas City Chiefs
In my first edition of this column this season, I recommended trading away Travis Kelce after he scored on a broken play in Week 1. Since then, the 36-year-old has been serviceable as the TE10 in fantasy points per game.
However, Kelce played two of those six games without Xavier Worthy in the lineup, and five of six without Rashee Rice.
The latter made his highly anticipated return this past week and was immediately the center of Kansas City's prolific offense.
Rashee Rice in 1st game of sesaon
- 39% snaps (was a blow out and starters pulled)
- 10 targets (no one else had more than 5)
- 7 catches, 42 yds, 2 TDs
- 23.2 fantasy points pic.twitter.com/Zkm6TfWcOV— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) October 19, 2025
Kelce managed 54 yards on three receptions and, most troublingly, three targets. His decreased usage when Rice is active is a trend that can't be ignored at this point. In Rice's three fully healthy contests last season, Kelce averaged four targets and fewer than four fantasy points.
This is a small sample size, sure, but it has already been clear that Kelce's play is declining. He turned in the least efficient season of his historic career in 2024 and has been inconsistent to start 2025. He has eclipsed double-digit fantasy points just three times through seven weeks.
Gone are the days when you could get a stud running back or receiver in exchange for Kelce's services. Still, he's done enough this year to preserve fantasy value. Capitalize on it before it dwindles further.
Rhamondre Stevenson, RB - New England Patriots
After Week 2, I called out TreVeyon Henderson as a player to buy low. That advice did not age well. Henderson has played 50% of New England's offensive snaps just once, and he saw the field for a season-low 14% of snaps in Week 7.
Even with Antonio Gibson out for the season and Rhamondre Stevenson tied for the most fumbles at the running back position, Henderson, for some unknown reason, hasn't been able to get on the field. So when I advise trading away Stevenson, I promise, it isn't because I think the Henderson breakout is coming.
Stevenson ran for 88 yards and a touchdown in last week's 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The Titans' run defense has been one of the worst units in the NFL, surrendering nearly 140 rushing yards per game. It shouldn't come as a total shock that Stevenson played well in this matchup, even if he did just run for 1.4 yards per carry against the lowly Saints run defense in Week 6.
This kind of success is unlikely to repeat itself in Week 8. The Patriots are set to host the Cleveland Browns, who give up the second-fewest fantasy points and third-fewest yards per attempt to running backs.
The Browns have not allowed a single back to finish the week as a top-12 option this season. Jahmyr Gibbs is the only one to have scored more than 15 fantasy points against them.
Next week, New England will take on the Falcons. Heading into Week 7, Atlanta had been almost as stout against opposing RBs as Cleveland. A dominant performance from Christian McCaffrey may have skewed the numbers, but the Falcons should not be viewed as an advantageous opponent for Stevenson.
Again, I am not going to count on Henderson taking over the Patriots' backfield. But it could make sense for the rookie to get an uptick in touches should Stevenson struggle over the next two weeks. I would sell high on Stevenson for running backs that have underwhelmed so far, such as Alvin Kamara or Trey Benson.
Other Fantasy Football Players to Trade Away:
- Davante Adams
- Rico Dowdle
- T.J. Hockenson
- Sam Darnold
More Fantasy Football Analysis
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