Buy Low, Sell High - Week 3 Fantasy Football Trade Values and Avoids

September 23, 2026

Fantasy football buy sell trade advice for Week 3 of 2026. Jorden's buy low, sell high Week 3 fantasy trade targets include Drake London, Patrick Mahomes, and more.

If nothing else, Week 2 of the 2026 season should have served as a stark reminder that it is not wise to overreact to Week 1. Some players who started hot have cooled off, and many players who disappointed to begin the year have already course-corrected (sorry, Marvin Harrison Jr. managers). And then, of course, we have players like Josh Allen and Kenneth Walker making us all wonder why we ever hesitated to draft them at ADP.

We still don't have nearly enough information to know what the fantasy landscape will look like in a few weeks, but with two games under every team's belt, we can start to form more educated opinions of players' roles. Additionally, we can get a better idea of our fantasy team needs and make more calculated offers.

With all of the injuries in Week 2, there are plenty of teams out there in need of players at specific positions. So let's take a look at three underwhelming players to buy and three overachievers to sell, with at least one player at each position included, ahead of Week 3.

Buy-Low Targets for Fantasy Football Trades

WR: Drake London, Atlanta Falcons

It's safe to say that, through two weeks, Drake London has been one of the biggest healthy busts drafted within the first two rounds of fantasy football drafts. London is yet to surpass seven fantasy points in a contest, as the Falcons' offense has been abysmal with Cooper Rush under center.

Things were so bad in Week 2 that Atlanta turned to undrafted rookie Jack Strand late in the third quarter. In case you're wondering, no, London did not perform any better with Strand at quarterback. In fact, London's final target of the game came from Rush on the Falcons' first possession of the second half.

However, London's season just might be saved from misery starting in Week 3.

Falcons named Michael Penix Jr. their starting quarterback for Thursday's game in Green Bay. pic.twitter.com/i9haLsD0MZ

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 21, 2026

While Michael Penix Jr. has not been a great NFL quarterback so far in his career, he has done one thing exceptionally well: get the ball to No. 5. In 14 games played with Penix at QB, London has eclipsed 100 receiving yards seven times, scored nine touchdowns, and averaged over 16 half-PPR fantasy points. This kind of production isn't just fantasy relevant; it's typically reserved for top-five fantasy receivers.

Even if Tua Tagovailoa gets healthy and takes over for Penix at some point, London should still have plenty of fantasy value. Tagovailoa, for all of his shortcomings, has pretty consistently supported multiple weapons for fantasy purposes throughout his career.

If you're still not convinced, take a look at Atlanta's upcoming schedule. Over the next four weeks, London and the Falcons will face the Packers, Saints, Ravens, and Bears. So far in 2026, only Chicago ranks as a top-half defense against fantasy wideouts, but we saw that unit get torched by the Panthers' passing attack in Week 1.

In 2025, Chicago and Baltimore were among the five easiest matchups for fantasy receivers, and Green Bay gave up the 14th-most points to the position.

RB: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

Unlike London, Chase Brown has been solid for fantasy managers in the early going. He's averaging 13 fantasy points per game, making him the RB16 in half-PPR formats. Again, that is solid, but it's not quite what managers expected after drafting him as the eighth running back off the board.

This presents an opportunity to potentially acquire Brown at a discount, even though his utilization in Cincinnati's offense has been elite. In the season opener, Brown handled 16 carries and five receptions in a competitive game against the Buccaneers. This past week, Brown didn't do much in the passing game, but he was fed 20 rush attempts in a 20-6 victory over the Texans.

The only other running back getting snaps for the Bengals is 31-year-old Samaje Perine, who is averaging fewer than six opportunities per contest. That said, the one thing that can prevent Brown from finishing as a top-12 option on any given week is the Joe Burrow-Ja'Marr Chase connection.

Obviously, Chase was incredible in Week 2, coming away with both of Cincinnati's touchdowns. Still, Brown averaged four yards per carry and scored more fantasy points against a stout Houston defense than James Cook did in Week 1. The Texans allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs last season.

Going forward, not only will Brown have better matchups, but he should continue to have favorable game scripts. In 2024 and 2025, Brown's two seasons as the team's featured runner, the Bengals' defense surrendered the seventh-most and third-most points in the NFL, respectively. Things are looking much different in 2026.

The #Bengals’ defense today vs. the Texans:

• 6 points allowed (no TDs)
• 4 sacks
• Held David Montgomery and Woody Marks to 18 combined rushing yards

Cincy is 2-0 to start the season. https://t.co/TICs9wcVJn pic.twitter.com/HiCBkmZtLQ

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 20, 2026

Brown's next four opponents will be the Steelers, Jaguars, Dolphins, and Ravens. Pittsburgh and Miami have struggled against the run so far this season, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where the Bengals need to play catch-up in either of those matchups.

Jacksonville and Baltimore are more intimidating, but both defenses have been extremely vulnerable to running back production through the air since the start of the 2025 campaign, so Brown should be just fine.

TE: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers

It has been a strange, mostly uninspiring start to the season for the Packers. In Week 1, they blew a 22-point lead to the Carson Wentz-led Minnesota Vikings, and in Week 2, they had to score 13 unanswered points to beat the New York Jets in overtime.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway about Green Bay's offense is its inability to run the football. MarShawn Lloyd is averaging just three yards per carry and is ceding opportunities to Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson. Because of this, all four of the Packers' touchdowns this season have come through the air, and Jordan Love is averaging nearly 36 pass attempts per game.

This all bodes well for an eventual breakout for fourth-year tight end Tucker Kraft. Kraft was on fire in 2025 before a torn ACL abruptly ended his season in Week 9. He managed three receptions for 65 yards in his Week 1 return, but only mustered two receptions for 15 yards in the team's Week 2 win.

Despite the dip in fantasy output, Kraft's usage is trending up heading into Week 3.

Buy low on Tucker Kraft after his 3.5-point performance today

Snap share:
Week 1 - 66%
Week 2 - 98%

Route participation:
Week 1 - 48%
Week 2 - 94%

Jayden Reed slated to miss extended time, Kraft slides up the target totem pole

— Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) September 21, 2026

It's unclear at this point just how long Jayden Reed, who sustained a neck injury on Sunday, will be out. But it's obvious that Kraft is healthy and ready to play a full complement of snaps. No other receiver seemed to have taken over Reed's role after he exited, as the only Green Bay pass-catchers to play on more than 40% of offensive snaps were Kraft, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden.

As the icing on the cake, Kraft and the Packers' offense couldn't ask for a much better upcoming schedule. They get the Falcons, Buccaneers, Bears, Cowboys, and Lions over the next five weeks. All of these defenses have looked shaky at best, and most of them have been burnt by a tight end already this year.

Sell-High Candidates for Fantasy Football Trades

QB: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

After down years in 2023 and 2024, Patrick Mahomes bounced back in a big way in 2025, averaging more than 21 fantasy points per game over 11 contests. Of course, his season was cut short by a torn ACL, but Mahomes is healthy for 2026 and hasn't missed a beat.

Mahomes has six total touchdowns through the first two weeks and is looking like a draft-day steal. He has been great, and there's no reason to doubt what he can do for the Chiefs this season, but fantasy managers shouldn't be convinced that he's a locked-in top-five option.

Not to take away from what he did in Week 2, but we have to be honest about the defense Mahomes faced.

Colts have a generationally bad defense pic.twitter.com/GYqLhecsS3

— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) September 21, 2026

Though he was still solid for fantasy in Week 1, he was not nearly as effective through the air against a stingy Denver defense. Mahomes did not complete a single pass over 10 yards downfield.

The biggest reason for the Chiefs' success this year is new addition Kenneth Walker. Walker has completely reinvigorated Kansas City's offense, which has been desperate for a quality running back since originally moving on from Kareem Hunt in 2018. While Mahomes did attempt 47 passes in Week 2, it's abundantly clear that this team is going to lean on Walker and the running game as much as it can.

Walker leads the NFL with 47 carries already. Over the next two weeks, the Chiefs will play the Dolphins and Raiders. Kansas City should be heavily favored in both games, and Walker will be expected to run wild on two defenses that ranked among the top-10 easiest matchups for fantasy running backs last year.

If you have Mahomes, it will be hard to justify benching him in either of these matchups, but it's very possible he underwhelms if his heroics aren't needed to beat these teams. In Week 5, the Chiefs will have a bye. If you have another option at quarterback, or can acquire one like Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, or Jalen Hurts, selling high on Mahomes ahead of Week 3 makes plenty of sense.

RB: Aaron Jones Sr., Minnesota Vikings

Admittedly, there are a few things about Aaron Jones Sr.'s current situation that make him a worthwhile fantasy starter and perhaps even a trade target to some. The 10th-year pro is the unquestioned RB1 in Minnesota while Jordan Mason is on Injured Reserve with a thumb injury, and he has one of the most favorable schedules for a fantasy RB.

In his first game without Mason this season, Jones turned 23 touches into 105 yards against the Chicago Bears. This was a successful start, no doubt, but there are a few red flags to note.

First, Jones was not involved in the passing game. His receiving skills have always boosted his fantasy value, but in Week 2, only DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne were targeted out of the backfield. Second, Jones exited the contest for a period of time due to a knee injury. While he did return, head coach Kevin O'Connell acknowledged that Jones was sore after playing on over 80% of snaps.

Jones could be completely fine, but it's at least a bit concerning that a 31-year-old running back who appeared in just 12 games last season is banged up as soon as he's given an increased workload. O'Connell certainly recognizes this, and could adjust the plan for Jones to keep him as fresh as possible.

Minnesota is evaluating Aaron Jones Sr.'s weekly workload plan and its sustainability.

Kevin O'Connell: “We're going to take a look at that. Nolan [GM] and I were having some conversation right now [about] what the plan looks like for the week and obviously navigating this time… pic.twitter.com/yzZ70mKOIF

— MicNuggets (@micnuggetsnfl) September 21, 2026

Furthermore, quarterback Kyler Murray is expected to return to action in Week 3 after clearing concussion protocol. Running backs have had fantasy success with Murray in the past, but it remains to be seen what he will look like in this Minnesota offense. Given Murray's abilities on the ground, it wouldn't be surprising if Jones remained underutilized as a pass-catcher or had some touches stolen near the goal line.

A healthy Jones will be a must-start for as long as Mason is out, but if you have adequate running back depth, it could be wise to sell high on him to a team that doesn't.

WR: Tre Tucker, Las Vegas Raiders

A popular name in waiver wire discussions this week, Tre Tucker went off for five receptions, 119 yards, and a touchdown in a surprising victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Whether you managed to sign him or already had him rostered, now would be a good time to trade him to a manager desperate for a wide receiver.

Now in his fourth professional season, Tucker has flashed this upside on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, he's never been able to turn it into consistent output.

Tre Tucker had five catches for 119 yards and a score. He had two catches of 40-plus yards. Tucker had 49 receiving yards or less in his last 12 games prior to Sunday. So this production was needed. #Raiders

— Bill Williamson (@BWilliamsonNFL) September 21, 2026

It would be fair to argue that Tucker has never played with a quarterback as good as Kirk Cousins, even at 38 years old. But through two games, Cousins' favorite target has been running back Ashton Jeanty, who leads the Raiders with 14. Although he was out-targeted by Jalen Nailor in Week 1, Tucker is tied for the second-most targets on the team with Michael Mayer at 11.

In all likelihood, Cousins will continue to spread the ball around to the wideouts in Las Vegas. What shouldn't be in doubt is who will lead this team in receiving by the end of the season. Superstar tight end Brock Bowers is nearing a return and should immediately emerge as the top dog among the Raiders' pass-catchers.

Tucker will have some more big showings, but it's never going to feel great putting him in a starting fantasy lineup, especially with Bowers active. Look to move Tucker in a package deal to a team with injuries at wide receiver.

Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer Tool

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.

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