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Fantasy football trade targets: Week 5 buy low, sell high candidates for 2025. Jorden's trade analyzer article looking at overvalued and undervalued players.
We are now over a quarter of the way through the fantasy football regular season, with most leagues starting playoff matchups in Week 15. At this point, fantasy managers should have a pretty strong indication of whether or not their teams are built to win. 4-0 and 3-1 squads might want to make some minor moves or add depth, while those sitting at 0-4 and 1-3 require more drastic changes.
Speaking of drastic changes, Ashton Jeanty, the RB33 from Weeks 1-3, is now the RB13 in half-PPR scoring after a three-touchdown explosion in Week 4. Hopefully, you managed to acquire him after he was highlighted as a buy-low candidate last week. I also mentioned Matthew Golden, who put together his most productive outing yet, even with Romeo Doubs hogging all the receiving touchdowns. I'm optimistic Golden will be even more valuable following Green Bay's Week 5 bye. DK Metcalf and Jacory Croskey-Merritt were discussed as players to trade away last week, and I can admit I went one-for-two there. Metcalf surprisingly had the best performance of any receiver against Minnesota this year, while Croskey-Merritt remained entrenched in a three-way timeshare.
Again staying with the theme of change, this column will look a little bit different going forward. From now on, I'll be talking about four players to buy low and four players to sell high before listing a few additional names at the end of each section. The goal is to offer as many suggestions as possible without sacrificing the high level of analysis I strive to provide. So without further ado, let's dive into Week 5.
Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:- 2025 fantasy football rankings
- Running back (RB) fantasy football rankings
- Wide receiver (WR) fantasy football rankings
- Tight end (TE) fantasy football rankings
- Quarterback (QB) fantasy football rankings
- FLEX fantasy football rankings
- Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
- Kicker (K) fantasy football rankings
- Dynasty fantasy football rankings
Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer Tool for Week 5
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
George Kittle, TE - San Francisco 49ers
I originally considered Ricky Pearsall here, but his knee injury, however minor it may be, only strengthens the case for George Kittle. The superstar tight end has been on IR since Week 1 but will be eligible to return in Week 6.
The 49ers need him back as soon as possible.
#49ers injury report with only change from what Kyle Shanahan said earlier being CJ West was limited instead of DNP pic.twitter.com/T89EJ1uUEr
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 1, 2025
In addition to the aforementioned Pearsall, Jauan Jennings was banged up in San Francisco's Week 4 loss after dealing with injuries throughout the offseason. This wide receiver corps, already without Brandon Aiyuk, cannot afford to have both of these players miss significant time.
Even fresh off injured reserve, Kittle may be the healthiest weapon on the team (not named Christian McCaffrey) when he returns. And, assuming he is back in Week 6, he'll be rewarded with a favorable schedule.
The 49ers will get the Rams and Buccaneers in Weeks 6 and 7. Both teams have been middle-of-the-pack against fantasy tight ends, but more importantly, they have high-powered offenses. Kittle will be incredibly necessary if San Francisco wants to keep up.
The manager in your league who drafted Kittle has hopefully found a decent replacement for him by now. This week is the time to strike, as we can expect his value to surge the moment he is activated from IR.
Xavier Worthy, WR - Kansas City Chiefs
In Week 4, Patrick Mahomes logged four passing touchdowns for the first time since October 22, 2023. It had been nearly two calendar years since we last saw Mahomes do something he made look routine back in 2018.
This sudden outburst could be partially attributed to Baltimore's vulnerable defense, but it's evident that sophomore wideout Xavier Worthy made an impact upon his return.
This is actually hilarious (yet also kind of sad) but...
Xavier Worthy was the team's leading rusher AND receiver against the Ravens pic.twitter.com/bvkB26oqnC
— how bout those CHIEFS (@hbtCHIEFS) September 29, 2025
Although Worthy flashed in his early games as a rookie, he didn't really start to put it all together until December and throughout Kansas City's playoff run last season. After a shoulder injury sustained in the 2025 season opener, Worthy's potential for a second-year leap was put on hold until now.
Worthy was, as seen above, hyperefficient, but not totally dominant for fantasy on Sunday. What makes his numbers all the more impressive is that he only played on 59% of offensive snaps. The Chiefs easily handled the Ravens and simply didn't need to force Worthy onto the field in his first game back.
Rashee Rice will rejoin the Chiefs in Week 7, and while he is expected to be the team's top target, Worthy should still be featured heavily. This will especially be the case if the running game continues to disappoint.
In the meantime, Worthy will be Mahomes' WR1 against the Jaguars and Lions, two defenses that have been much stronger against the run than the pass.
David Montgomery, RB - Detroit Lions
Two weeks ago, David Montgomery finished as the RB2 after running all over the Ravens to the tune of 151 yards and two scores. He was far less utilized yet far more productive than his counterpart, Jahmyr Gibbs.
This past week, Montgomery was stymied by the Cleveland Browns, managing just 12 yards on nine attempts. Gibbs was effective on his 15 attempts, but that doesn't take away from how tough this Browns run defense is.
"I don't think they've seen a run game like our's yet"
-Lions OC John Morton
RBs vs. CLE thru 3 weeks:
🔸C. Brown: 21/43 yds., TD (2.0 YPC)
🔸D. Henry: 11/23 yds. (2.1 YPC)
🔸J. Jacobs: 16/30 yds. (1.9 YPC)Maybe Morton hasn't seen a defense like Cleveland's 🤷♂️#DawgPound pic.twitter.com/faorSTfHVF
— SleeperBrowns (@SleeperBrowns) September 25, 2025
With a new OC in town, it feels like the 2025 Lions are featuring Gibbs more, and that has been true through four weeks. However, when researching for this write-up, I expected to see a more drastic difference in Montgomery's playing time between this year and 2024.
While he's played on fewer than 40% of snaps in every game under John Morton, he only surpassed a 40% snap share in eight of his 14 appearances last season. In short, Montgomery's role hasn't changed all that much, and better days are ahead.
Over the next two weeks, he'll face the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs, who have given up the second-most and eighth-most fantasy points to RBs, respectively.
When trading for Montgomery, don't expect to get consistent top-24 production, but anticipate him performing much better than he did in Week 4. We already know he is capable of monster stat lines in the right matchups, and Monty would become a top-five fantasy option if Gibbs were to miss any time.
Cam Skattebo, RB - New York Giants
I can't pretend that Cam Skattebo is a real "buy-low" candidate right now. In fact, Skattebo's fantasy value has never been higher. But is it high enough?
Since his Week 3 breakout, Skattebo is the RB12 with 35 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown on the ground while adding eight catches for 72 receiving yards. This is solid output for fantasy purposes, but his 3.97 yards per tote could be improved.
In Week 3, however, Skattebo was efficient, averaging 6 yards per carry against the Kansas City Chiefs. On Sunday, he struggled to find much running room against the Chargers, picking up just 79 yards on a whopping 25 carries. In this scenario, it's acceptable to put more stock in the rookie's opportunity than the box score.
The Chargers were the third-toughest defense on fantasy running backs in 2024, and they've picked up right where they left off this season. Through four games, Los Angeles has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing backs.
In other words, we can forgive Skattebo for his minor shortcomings last week and admire his hustle instead.
Cam Skattebo = a wild lead blocker.
This kid uprooted a free rusher on this third-and-one conversion (defensive offside as well). pic.twitter.com/8Obe0XaOuj
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) September 29, 2025
While this play wouldn't have directly helped your fantasy team, it's this kind of effort that will keep Skattebo on the field. It's unclear if Tyrone Tracy Jr. will return in Week 5, but Skattebo has earned a significant role in this offense regardless.
Although Skattebo probably won't get 27 touches every week, the Giants will need to lean on him with Malik Nabers now out for the rest of the season. And with Jaxson Dart under center, there are reasons to be optimistic about New York's outlook.
The Arizona State product's next opponent will be the lowly New Orleans Saints, who have surrendered a top-10 RB showing in three of four contests.
Other Fantasy Football Players to Target in Trades:
Players to Trade Away for Fantasy Football
Tony Pollard, RB - Tennessee Titans
As the RB28, it's hard to label Tony Pollard a fantasy success, but he's been more productive than given credit for. He joins Breece Hall and Alvin Kamara as the only fantasy backs in the top 30 at the position with fewer than two total touchdowns in four games played.
Pollard's 9.7 points per game aren't single-handedly winning any weeks, but they offer a solid floor. Unfortunately, Pollard's ceiling this season probably isn't much higher than what he's accomplished so far, and his floor could diminish quickly.
Titans expected to open RB Tyjae Spears' practice window after four weeks on IR with ankle injury, per @RapSheethttps://t.co/wMGy198Zx2 pic.twitter.com/rU6uCpDM1W
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 29, 2025
Tyjae Spears was inconsistent through his first two seasons, though he flashed upside despite operating as Tennessee's RB2 most of the time. Still, even if Spears is deployed as a change-of-pace back, he is going to take away from Pollard's absurd workload.
The 28-year-old is handling 18.5 touches per contest, 14th-most in the NFL. All 13 players ahead of him are members of offenses that run more plays than Tennessee. When taking into account the fact that the Titans have run the eighth-fewest plays per game, very few running backs are utilized more frequently than Pollard.
Any hit to this volume is going to be detrimental to the consistency Pollard has provided. Unless Cam Ward takes a big step forward at some point this season, Pollard isn't going to score many touchdowns, and he's likely to cede at least some passing-down work to Spears.
Pollard is going to have a hard time maintaining his current value with fewer opportunities, so capitalize on his "safe" floor while you still can.
Dalton Kincaid, TE - Buffalo Bills
Who would have thought that through 25% of the fantasy season, the top three tight ends would be Hunter Henry, Jake Ferguson, and Dalton Kincaid? If ADP is any indication, the answer is no one.
Out of these three players, Ferguson appears to have the most guaranteed workload, leading the tight-end position with nearly 10 targets per game. Though Henry and Kincaid have similar reception, yardage, and touchdown totals, Henry is earning 1.5 additional opportunities each week.
Kincaid may seem more appealing as a piece of a more prolific offense, but his role is far less significant than Henry's in New England. Kincaid is garnering just over 15% of looks from Josh Allen compared to Henry's 19.8% team target share. Additionally, Henry is one of the top red-zone targets in the NFL right now.
This isn't about Kincaid vs. Henry, or any other tight end, however. The point is that Kincaid is overperforming for fantasy football given his utilization. His touchdown numbers aren't likely to be "sticky" unless we see an uptick in usage.
Dalton Kincaid has 3 TDs in 4 Games
It’s a career high. It’s only week 4. pic.twitter.com/W8d0W92v7j
— BillsOnReal (@BillsOnReal) September 29, 2025
The third-year pro is splitting snaps with veteran Dawson Knox and rookie Jackson Hawes, who mysteriously played the most of the three in a win over the Saints that was not the rout it was expected to be.
With the "everybody eats" mentality instilled in Buffalo, Kincaid can't be relied upon to contribute on a weekly basis. And while Kincaid may eat as much and as frequently as fellow pass-catchers Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman, it's clear that Allen and James Cook will always be first in line at the buffet.
Isiah Pacheco, RB - Kansas City Chiefs
It's possible Isiah Pacheco hit waivers in some leagues a week ago. That's how dreadful the first three weeks of the season were for him and his fantasy managers.
Heading into Sunday, Pacheco had scored 12.5 fantasy points. He nearly surpassed that total in Week 4 alone as he scored his first touchdown of the campaign.
I mentioned earlier that Xavier Worthy saw a limited amount of snaps in a non-competitive environment, so Pacheco's season-low 37% snap share doesn't hold much weight. However, it's noteworthy that rookie running back Brashard Smith was involved in the passing game before the score was out of hand.
Smith received all four of his targets in the first half and logged three receptions for 27 yards.
Brashard Smith | Stock Up 📈
"Matt Nagy is trying to increase Smith's reps every week and put him in a position where he can do some things."
-HC Andy ReidSnap Share %
WK1 | 13.8
WK2 | 8.8
WK3 | 10.4
WK4 | 25.7#ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/mfGYapebf5— SleeperChiefs (@SleeperChiefsKC) September 30, 2025
With the Chiefs in the bottom half of the NFL in rushing, it wouldn't be surprising to see them get Smith more involved, as both Pacheco and Kareem Hunt have been uninspiring. A three-way committee, with the upcoming schedule Kansas City has, is a nightmare for fantasy football.
Over the next three weeks, Pacheco will face the Lions, Jaguars, and Raiders. All three defenses rank among the top-10 toughest for running backs in terms of fantasy points allowed.
The moves the Chiefs can make ahead of the trade deadline will be limited by their lack of cap space, but they should be considered frontrunners to land any running back that becomes available. The team is obviously still in its championship window, and a competent rushing attack is maybe its biggest need at the moment.
Though you can't expect to get much in exchange, offer up Pacheco to an RB-needy team in your league. Coming off his best outing of the season, you should be able to upgrade at a different position if you trade Pacheco in a package.
Jordan Addison, WR - Minnesota Vikings
There were multiple devastating wide receiver injuries last week, so it shouldn't be difficult to find a trade partner interested in Jordan Addison. The 23-year-old returned from a three-game suspension and was immediately thrust into Minnesota's WR2 job, hauling in four of eight targets for 114 yards in Dublin, Ireland.
In the Vikings' first game with Jordan Addison back on the field, here is how the WR snaps were distributed among 76 total plays. (To be fair, the deficit knocked them from their initial game plan.)
Jefferson: 76
Addison: 73
Nailor: 48
Thielen: 12— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 29, 2025
The Vikings put up the first points of the contest, but never led the Pittsburgh Steelers after the first quarter. This forced backup quarterback Carson Wentz to attempt 46 passes.
While it was encouraging to see Addison earn eight of those targets, Minnesota won't be running its offense like this very often. The Vikings' defense has been strong to start the year, and the team should get J.J. McCarthy back at the helm soon.
McCarthy was resilient in a comeback victory over the Bears in Week 1, but he only threw the ball 20 times. In Week 2, Minnesota was blown out by the Falcons, and McCarthy still attempted just 21 passes.
Regardless of who is under center, this team's recipe for success isn't to chuck the ball all over the field. When they have no choice but to air it out, Addison will benefit, but he's a clear secondary weapon in a passing attack that features arguably the best receiver in football, Justin Jefferson.
In Week 5, Addison will travel to Cleveland to take on another AFC North opponent in the Browns. This Browns defense is great in general, but it's especially formidable at home.
In their two games at Huntingdon Bank Field this season, the Browns have given up zero touchdowns to wide receivers and an average of 122 passing yards. In these games, they played the Bengals with a healthy Joe Burrow and the Green Bay Packers.
Next, the Vikings will get a Week 6 bye before facing the Eagles, Chargers, and Lions. Philadelphia and Detroit are middle-of-the-road matchups for wideouts, but Los Angeles has allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position.
At best, you can start Addison with moderate optimism in two of the next five weeks, and that's if you believe in McCarthy when he returns. Target the teams in your fantasy league that lost Nabers or Tyreek Hill this past week and sell high on Addison's encouraging season debut.
Other Fantasy Football Players to Trade Away:
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