RADIO
Hey RotoBallers, long time no see! I'm back from vacation and ready to make some deals as we head into Week 10. First and foremost, I have to give a shoutout to Joe Nicely for filling in for me last week and making some awesome trade calls.
Week 9 gave us some of the biggest blow-up performances of the year with franchise and NFL records being broken. Even if you have Justin Fields or Joe Mixon on your squad, though, it's too early to get too comfortable and coast for the rest of the season. With the fantasy playoffs starting in just five weeks in many 12-team leagues and trade deadlines coming even sooner, there is limited time remaining to strengthen your roster.
As always, I will highlight two players to target in trades and two others to trade away this week, keeping in mind how they are currently valued on the open market. Before we get into it, let's recap Joe's column from last Wednesday to see how his ideas have panned out so far.
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Last Week's Recap
As I already alluded to in the intro, I believe Joe did an excellent job, and I will double down on all four of his recommendations this week.
Travis Etienne is a player I highlighted as a trade target earlier in the season, but I still am all for acquiring him now, even at peak value. I don't need to reiterate everything that makes Etienne so special considering he is proving it on a weekly basis. If you did manage to trade for him last week, you were instantly rewarded with the best showing of his young career. The explosive back found the end zone twice and finished as the RB3 on the week in all formats.
The Lions picked up their second win of the season in the team's first game without T.J. Hockenson. Surprisingly, though, Amon-Ra St. Brown didn't have a huge fantasy day as Detroit only tallied 137 passing yards and 15 points. St. Brown did easily lead the team with nine targets, however, and this matchup against the Packers was a rare instance in which the Lions did not trail at any point. Expect St. Brown to be far more productive in more competitive contests.
Amon-Ra St Brown saw a target on 35% of his routes today
He has also seen 9+ Targets in every healthy game this season
BUY LOW
— Alex Caruso (@AlexCaruso) November 7, 2022
Joe kicked off his trade-away candidates with David Montgomery, who had his worst healthy performance of the season in Week 9. Montgomery did out-touch Khalil Herbert 15 to seven, but was inefficient once again and continued to be outshined by quarterback Justin Fields. Herbert has been so much more effective this year and it is surprising Montgomery is still playing on 70 percent of snaps, but this is still a three-man committee in actuality when considering Fields' rushing volume.
The final player highlighted as a sell-high last week was Brandon Aiyuk, who will return from a bye on Sunday night to face the Chargers. With Deebo Samuel back at practice this week, Joe picked the perfect time to recommend dealing Aiyuk. Even if Samuel is held out for an additional week, I am in total agreement with Joe that the addition of Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers' offense will limit Aiyuk's opportunities for the rest of the season.
Thanks again to Joe, and without further ado, let's dive into Week 10.
Players to Target in Trades for Fantasy Football
Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
Through the first six weeks of the season, Mark Andrews felt like a cheat code in your starting lineup. Sure, he had a down game in Week 4, but Travis Kelce is the only tight end to finish every week inside the top-15 at the position this year.
Andrews dealt with a knee injury heading into Week 7 and did not catch a pass in the contest. He wasn't much better in Week 8 when he finished with three receptions for 33 yards before exiting early with a shoulder injury. The 27-year-old was subsequently inactive this past week.
The Ravens are on bye in Week 10, allowing Andrews to get a second week of rest. Expect him to return fully healthy to an offense in which he is the obvious centerpiece.
Let's stop and appreciate @Ravens Mark Andrews👏
His 32.8% Target Share is on pace to be an NFL record😳
No other TE has had a Target Share of over 30% in a season#RavensFlock #nfl #football pic.twitter.com/Tbe3efkYZp
— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) October 27, 2022
This was through the first seven games, but Andrews still leads all tight ends with a 29.9 percent team target share. This number should only increase from here on out. Baltimore just lost WR1 Rashod Bateman to a season-ending foot injury and has no receiver on its roster that has eclipsed a 15 percent target share once in his career, except for a nearly 36-year-old DeSean Jackson. The last time Jackson hit this mark was in 2018.
Use the consecutive disappointing games, the injuries, and the bye week as leverage to pry Andrews away from his fantasy manager. He will be more essential for Lamar Jackson now than ever and could be a true league-winner.
Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns
Although this year's NFL trade deadline was one for the books, there were a few players that many anticipated would be on the move that remained with the organization they started the season with. One of the most prominent names in this category was running back Kareem Hunt.
Hunt requested a trade before the start of the regular season but was denied. The Browns were reportedly willing to move him near the deadline, but a deal did not come to fruition and the sixth-year pro will finish out his contract in Cleveland.
Hunt's expiring contract is actually meaningful for his fantasy value for the rest of the season. He will be seeking a deal in 2023 free agency and is therefore motivated to perform at the highest level now. Additionally, the Browns have no reason to play it safe with Hunt and should look to involve him as much as possible before inevitably losing him for nothing in return. The team already previewed their willingness to do so in their Week 8 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Kareem Hunt has as many touches tonight as he had the last 2 games combined. Don't read anything into that. #Browns
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) November 1, 2022
Coming out of a Week 9 bye, the Browns are now just three weeks away from starting Deshaun Watson under center. The offense has been better than most would have predicted, but there is little doubt that Watson will be a massive upgrade to all fantasy-relevant weapons.
Nick Chubb has been nothing short of dominant this season, leaving fantasy managers disappointed with the output they have seen from Hunt. There are many reasons to believe he can produce as a fantasy RB2 as we approach the fantasy playoffs, though, specifically in PPR scoring. Now is the time to acquire him before he is valued as such.
Players to Trade Away for Fantasy Football
Jamaal Williams, Detroit Lions
Perhaps one of the most shocking fantasy producers this season is Jamaal Williams, who is currently the RB15 in PPR formats through nine weeks. Much of this success can be attributed to two factors: touchdowns and injuries to D'Andre Swift.
Running backs with multiple games of 2+ rushing TDs:
Jamaal Williams: 4
Nick Chubb: 3
Josh Jacobs: 2
Derrick Henry: 2 pic.twitter.com/zA89F5R6U2— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 4, 2022
In all four of his multi-touchdown performances, Williams finished as a top-15 running back on the week. His weekly finishes in games where he failed to find the end zone are RB41, RB51, RB36, and RB22.
Swift started the year hot but missed Weeks 4 through 7 with ankle and shoulder injuries. He returned to the lineup in Week 8 and has only handled seven carries since. The encouraging sign for Swift, though, has been his involvement in the receiving game. The Georgia product has seen nine targets over the past two weeks on limited snaps and could see an uptick in that department for the rest of the season with T.J. Hockenson out of town.
Last week, Williams was given a whopping 24 carries en route to 81 rushing yards in a game in which the Lions never trailed the Packers. Head coach Dan Campbell stated on Monday that Swift did not suffer any setbacks in the contest and alluded to the potential for more work this coming week. It should not be expected that Detroit continues to lead in games and lean on the run, so anticipate fewer touches for Williams going forward.
Williams may not be the most attractive name, but adding him in a deal to an RB-needy team seems like a good idea right now before he sees a reduced role.
Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders
It's always terrifying to suggest trading away proven fantasy superstars, but here goes nothing.
Davante Adams is fresh off of his biggest performance in black and silver in which he torched the Jacksonville Jaguars for 10 receptions for 146 yards and two scores on 17 targets.
All aboard the Tae train 🚂🚂
Make that 2 for @tae15adams!
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/tVFwzK9JxW
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 6, 2022
Adams has been solid so far as a Raider but has turned in a few let-downs this season, two of which were salvaged by a touchdown.
The Jaguars have not been particularly good against opposing wide receivers and have allowed the eighth-most passing yards in the league this season. Adams' upcoming schedule isn't nearly as enticing as he will face off against the Colts, Broncos, and Seahawks in the next three weeks. These teams make up three of the four most difficult matchups for fantasy wideouts this year.
The five-time Pro Bowler is talented enough to produce regardless of his opponent, but the looming return of Darren Waller could diminish his 31.4 percent target share. Waller was a game-time decision last week, indicating that he should be on track to suit up in Week 10.
I am by no means recommending trading Adams for pennies on the dollar, but I would look to capitalize on his past success and massive Week 9 to acquire a more consistent option or a package of players. For teams with the depth to get by for a week or two, trading him for Ja'Marr Chase-plus could make some sense, but I also don't mind the idea of trading for a receiver like Jaylen Waddle or A.J. Brown, especially if other pieces are involved.
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