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Joey's fantasy football trade analyzer article for Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season. His buy-low and sell-high fantasy football trade candidates and advice.
Week 5 was not fun for many fantasy managers due to all the injuries. Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (shoulder), Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (knee), Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (knee), and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (hamstring) all went on the injured reserve list this week.
That means fantasy managers who rostered these players are likely in scramble mode trying to replace them. If you have Jefferson and currently sit at 1-4 or 0-5, you should probably be looking to trade him immediately. You can't afford to wait for his return in four-plus weeks. You need players to help you win now.
As we look ahead to Week 6, now is the time to buy some of the biggest names in the NFL. Last week, New York Jets running back Breece Hall made the buy-low list, and then he exploded for a career-high 177 rush yards. Here are two players you should be buying in fantasy right now and two players you should be selling high on.
Fantasy Football Buy-Low Trade Targets
RB Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals
It's been a struggle for Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon in the early going in fantasy. He ranks as the RB19 in half-PPR formats while averaging just 10.7 fantasy points through five weeks. He has also failed to score over 15 half-PPR points in any game so far this season.
Part of his slow start is due to quarterback Joe Burrow's calf injury. Since Burrow has been limited, almost all of Mixon's runs have come from the shotgun instead of under center. Entering last week's contest, the Bengals' running back had taken 57-of-59 carries out of the shotgun. In 2022, he was far more efficient on runs coming from under center than in the shotgun. As Burrow's calf continues to improve, Cincinnati should be calling more run plays from under center in the future.
Overall, the results haven't necessarily been there for Mixon in five games. But there are plenty of reasons you should be trading for the Pro Bowl running back.
For starters, Mixon has played at least 75% of the team snaps in four straight games. With no other Bengals running back threatening to take snaps away from him, he is one of the few workhorse backs that remain in the league. The 27-year-old also has at least 15 touches in every game this year and is coming off a season-high 29 touches in the team's Week 5 win.
Mixon has everything you want in a solid RB1 in fantasy. He's always on the field and sees plenty of touches. Don't miss out on trading for a top-10 running back before his value gets too high.
WR CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys haven't had to rely on their passing offense through the first five games of the season, largely due to the team playing in blowouts in three of those contests. But in one of those non-blowout games in Week 2 against the New York Jets, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb caught 11 passes for 143 yards.
Since then, though, it's been a couple of rough fantasy days for the Pro Bowl wideout. He has caught just four passes in three straight games and hasn't gone over 55 receiving yards in any of those contests. Last season, Lamb had less than 55 receiving yards in only six games the entire year.
Despite being the WR20 in half-PPR formats through five weeks, Lamb is a great buy-low on an offense that should be throwing more in the coming weeks.
With the Cowboys playing the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6, you should be buying Lamb immediately. Not only do the Chargers allow the 3rd-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season, but Dallas will need to throw the ball to keep up with Justin Herbert and company. With an excellent matchup on Monday, now might be the last time to get the Cowboys' wide receiver for cheap.
Fantasy Football Sell-High Trade Targets
WR Drake London, Atlanta Falcons
Are we finally seeing Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London break out in front of our eyes? He has double-digit PPR fantasy points in three of the past four games with two touchdowns during that span. He is also coming off an impressive six-catch, 78-yard performance in Week 5.
That alone should garner enough interest from other league mates to sell high on London in fantasy.
The second-year wideout has shown some signs of stability in Atlanta's offense since his no-catch performance in Week 1. He has seen at least six targets in every game since then. However, there's just too much inconsistency with quarterback Desmond Ridder under center, which caps London's ceiling on a week-to-week basis.
He does have three double-digit PPR fantasy performances this season. But he also has just one game over 15 PPR fantasy points -- in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers with 18.7 PPR points.
London won't be consistently giving you solid fantasy points each week, and he's a risky flex option moving forward. He isn't a threat after the catch, as he enters Week 6 with just 42 yards in that category, and the Falcons wideout also ranks 43rd with 306 air yards on the season. After his solid game last weekend, now is the time to trade him away.
WR Gabe Davis, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabe Davis has been a touchdown machine through five weeks. He has caught a touchdown pass in four straight games and is the WR14 in PPR formats. Davis is also averaging 14.76 PPR fantasy points per game, which is up from his 10.7 average from 2022.
All that could be great selling points in dealing Davis. He's a player that you should absolutely sell high while he is still a top-15 wide receiver.
The touchdowns are for sure carrying Davis in fantasy right now. That has helped him finish as a top-21 wide receiver in PPR formats in three of five games. But the 24-year-old will always be a risky start going forward, despite scoring double-digit fantasy points in four of five games in PPR formats.
Davis is averaging just 5.2 targets per game this season and has a 15% target share through five games. He has also failed to catch more than three passes in three contests.
The Bills wide receiver has always been a high-boom, high-bust player in fantasy. If he catches a touchdown pass, he'll be a solid WR2 on the day. But when he doesn't, he'll finish with a modest two or three catches like he did in Week 1, when he caught two passes for only 32 yards.
If you can trade Davis for a more consistent fantasy wide receiver, that might be the smart move at this point in the season.
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