RADIO
Many of you probably made your last-minute fantasy trade deadline deals this past weekend, but there are plenty of leagues out there with later deadlines or none at all. Whether you are still able to send offers or not, I encourage you to read on as I hope to provide useful information that could help you in pursuit of a championship. Additionally, be sure to bookmark our free fantasy football trade analyzer and calculator tool which is a great resource too.
Last week, I discussed Derrick Henry and Cooper Kupp as trade targets. This did not pan out in Week 11. Henry managed just 38 rushing yards against the Jaguars while Kupp secured his only target before exiting in the second quarter with an ankle injury. Hopefully, Kupp will be healthy in time for the fantasy playoffs, and I still have faith in Henry given the extremely soft schedule he'll have from here on out. I recommended trading away Saquon Barkley and Terry McLaurin. Scary Terry disappointed against the Giants and will face a stout Cowboys defense next week, so I'm pleased with that call. Barkley, on the other hand, finished as the RB1 on the week as Tommy Devito exploded for three passing touchdowns, just as we all expected. In all seriousness, I still have concerns about the Giants' offense, especially down the stretch against much more formidable opponents.
Heading into Week 12, I will once again place a fair amount of emphasis on matchups in the fantasy playoffs. If you're still competing for a spot, don't worry, I'll be sure to mention my expectations for these players over the next few weeks, as well. Let's dive right in, starting with two players I am looking to add to my squad.
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Players to Target in Trades for Fantasy Football
Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
When you think of reliability at the wide receiver position, Stefon Diggs should be one of the first names that comes to mind. Diggs finished as a top-15 half-PPR fantasy option in seven of his first nine games this season. Over the last two weeks combined, he has caught seven passes for 61 yards.
In all likelihood, the Diggs manager in your league is not overly concerned, but if there was ever a time to explore a trade, it's now. Josh Allen has struggled with turnovers lately, and with Diggs turning in two consecutive down games, there's a chance that some are questioning if they can depend on him when it matters most.
Before we get into Diggs' outlook for the rest of the year, let's take a look at the reasons for his sudden decline in production. In Week 10, Diggs was held in check by the Denver Broncos. Denver's pass defense had a rough season opener but has surrendered the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers from Week 2 on.
On Sunday, Buffalo faced the division-rival New York Jets. Diggs found success against New York back in Week 1, but the Jets got their revenge. This isn't all that surprising because the Jets have allowed the fewest fantasy points to receivers and just two touchdowns to wideouts in 2023. Furthermore, the Bills didn't need to do much offensively to win this contest as New York scored six points and gifted Buffalo with four turnovers.
Diggs is primed for a get-right performance this week against the 9-1 Philadelphia Eagles. Although the Eagles are a great team with an elite run defense, they have been consistently destroyed by wide receivers this season, especially if you ignore the abysmal showing by the Chiefs' receivers on Monday night.
The Eagles Pass Defense
19 TDs 30th)
257 ypg (28th)
99.4 (28th)
Avg 6.9 (16th)
66% (21st)
Total (26th)4 different times QBs lit them up for 300 yards
— THIS IS THE WAY! (@RoscoesMr) November 15, 2023
For fantasy purposes, Philadelphia's defense has been the polar opposite of New York's, surrendering a league-leading 15 touchdowns and 36.9 fantasy points per game to receivers. This should be a competitive, high-scoring affair between two powerful offenses, and we know Diggs will command the ball in crunch time.
If you're still working to get into the fantasy playoffs, it's important to note that Diggs will be on bye in Week 13 and have difficult matchups against the Chiefs and Cowboys after that. Despite his recent struggles, the ninth-year veteran has proven his ability to get the job done against any team in the past and can still be counted on in these contests. Plus, he'll be rewarded with a stellar matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16.
Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
In need of a running back who can both help you secure a playoff spot and win you a title? Isiah Pacheco is your guy.
The former seventh-round pick has been quiet for fantasy in recent weeks and hasn't found the end zone since Week 7. Nonetheless, he's getting the lion's share of touches in Kansas City's backfield and has been running efficiently against tough defensive fronts.
It was made clear on Monday night that the Chiefs didn't make any adjustments to their running back rotation during a Week 10 bye. Pacheco was given 20 opportunities while Jerick McKinnon and Clyde Edwards-Helaire combined for six. He gained 89 yards on 19 carries against a Philadelphia defense that allows the fewest rushing yards per game.
Imagine what Pacheco will be able to do against a bad run defense.
Isiah Pacheco has handled over 75% of KC's backfield carries the past month.
He takes this strong usage into a great Week 12 matchup.
The Chiefs are 10-point favorites against the Raiders bottom-10 tackling team.
In similar spots, Pacheco averages over 14 fantasy points...
— SAL VETRI (@SalVetriDFS) November 21, 2023
Las Vegas gives up the fifth-most fantasy points and fourth-most rushing yards to running backs. With the Chiefs being heavy favorites, and the Raiders scoring just 16.8 points per contest, Pacheco should be in line for a heavy workload.
As I alluded to earlier, the Chiefs' receiver corps has left much to be desired this season, giving them all the more reason to lean on the running game when possible. This should be a viable strategy in almost every game left on their schedule. Matchups against the Packers, Bills, Patriots, Raiders (again), Bengals, and Chargers remain after Week 12. The Bills and Patriots are the only teams listed that give me slight pause, but even they don't excel against fantasy running backs.
There aren't many running backs out there playing on a greater percentage of snaps than Pacheco, and he's doing so in one of the best offenses in the NFL. With his upcoming schedule in mind, don't be surprised if he ends his touchdown drought quickly and becomes a fantasy league winner.
Players to Trade Away for Fantasy Football
Breece Hall, New York Jets
Following two disappointing showings in plus-matchups, Breece Hall came through for fantasy purposes in Week 11 with five receptions, 73 total yards, and a receiving touchdown. The electric 22-year-old will continue to operate as the clear lead back in New York, but I think fantasy managers would be wise to capitalize on this strong performance.
The first and most obvious reason to do so is because of the Jets' quarterback situation. At times, it seems like New York's offense can't possibly get much worse than it has been with Zach Wilson, but let's not get our hopes up for Tim Boyle.
Boyle went undrafted in 2018 and has appeared in 18 games since. His career stats include 607 passing yards, three touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He managed to throw a pick last week despite checking in late in the third quarter.
With Boyle under center, it's possible that the Jets solely rely on their defense and running game to lead them to victory. This recipe may not work in many of their upcoming meetings, however. New York will have to face the Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and Houston Texans before the fantasy playoffs begin. Miami and Houston boast high-flying offenses that the Jets will attempt to keep up with, while Atlanta surrenders the second-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
To make matters worse, Hall will have to face the Dolphins again in Week 15, and should you make it to the fantasy championship with him, you'll have to stare down a bout with the Browns in Cleveland. Even if Aaron Rodgers miraculously returns by then, it will be extremely difficult to have confidence in Hall in that matchup.
Perhaps none of this would matter if Hall was executing at a high level. It's not necessarily his fault as the Jets' offensive line has been brutally bad, but Hall's production on the ground has been distressing as of late.
Breece Hall since the bye has played the 5th, 6th, 9th and 12th worst run defenses.
He has 51 attempts and 118 yards (2.3 yards per carry) over that stretch.
— Chris Mangano (@ChrisMangano) November 20, 2023
Hall still carries a lot of value for his name alone, and he should be able to fetch a solid return in a trade coming off of an RB13 finish. I'd look to package him with a bench player to get a running back that can be depended on down the stretch.
Calvin Ridley, Jacksonville Jaguars
Along with many others, I was all aboard the Calvin Ridley hype train this past offseason. Reports out of camp highlighted his chemistry with Trevor Lawrence and stated that he had not lost a step.
The first 11 weeks of Ridley's return to NFL action have been a rollercoaster. His huge Week 1 had fantasy managers everywhere believing they locked up a top-10 wideout. This belief faded soon after.
After four straight showings of fewer than 12 fantasy points, Ridley finally gave us hope again in Week 11. He hauled in seven of his nine targets for 103 yards and two touchdowns against the Tennessee Titans. Zay Jones was active for the first time since Week 5, and it has been a popular narrative that Ridley has only been good with a healthy Jones in the lineup. I don't doubt that Ridley benefits from an expanded route tree and creativity within the offense, but it doesn't seem that Jones necessarily needs to be on the field for this to happen.
Lots of Zay Jones plays = Calvin Ridley is good! tweets today
I theorized the same back in October. But, in the four clips below, Zay was only on the field for two of them.
imo, the condensed splits and motion into them is the No. 1 answer. https://t.co/mdM8ZMyhGJ
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) November 21, 2023
Hopefully, the Jaguars continue to utilize Ridley in this fashion. I'm just not ready to put all my faith in him after one bounce-back game, especially when it came against the Titans' secondary. I'm also not excited about some of the opponents he is set to face.
There could be a lot of points on the board when Jacksonville battles Houston this week, but the Texans have been solid against fantasy wide receivers. Even more concerning are Weeks 14 and 15 when Ridley will be forced to take on the Browns and Ravens, who allow the second-fewest and fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to receivers, respectively.
There are promising matchups sprinkled in Ridley's upcoming schedule with the Bengals and Buccaneers on tap for Weeks 13 and 16. It may not matter, however, as the Panthers await in Week 17. Believe it or not, Carolina has been excellent against fantasy wideouts this season while getting torn apart on the ground.
I would like to believe that the Ridley we saw in Week 11 is here to stay. Because he has been boom-or-bust throughout the campaign, though, it's hard to be convinced. Trading him now and letting a league-mate decide whether or not to start him in those unappealing spots seems like a good idea.
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